30-30 or the 44 on critters?

[357smallbore]

I was watching a video on the ole innerweb about the merits of both these calibers. It was quite interesting. Now I have the 30-30 and the 44mag. 1984 AE 94 and a 1979 Marlin 1894. I love both these calibers and guns.
Now I have never hunted anything larger than badger with my 44. But the ole 30-30 has been a deer and bear getter. I'm in the 30-30 camp over all. But I believe the 44 can bag plenty of game out to the 150 yrd mark. I use 170 FP with the 30-30 and 240 jhp with the 44.
Both rounds I would neve shoot past 150yrds. I use skinner sites.

 

[Varminterror]

44mag for me. 1800fps with a 240, with 1/3 less powder, cheaper ammo for plinking. I have a couple Dirty Thirties too, but I prefer a .45-70 or .44mag.

 

[LoonWulf]

.44 for me as well, if we're gonna go slow, might as well go heavier and wider.....cram a couple more rounds into the mag as well.

 

[troy fairweather]

I'll take the 44 over the 3030 anyday.

 

[Skylerbone]

I’m still a nostalgic fan of 30-30 despite it being an almost complete categoric failure performance wise. I know, don’t ask, but for the fact I own far better tools for any job I might waste money on one to say me too. I do own a .44 mag though and plan to add a second next hunting season.

 

[357smallbore]

despite it being an almost complete categoric failure performance wise

I would and millions of dead game animals would disagree with your statement.
Sure there are so many calibers that can do better closer and further. But the old 30-30 still fills the larder, still drops the game every year and still is going strong. At a150 yard or less where most game are taken, it will drop most any game animal. Granted Big bear, Moose, Elk and Bison are not ideal for the 30-30. But at 50yrds It will kill em dead. I've seen it done on elk and moose. Both went down with two slugs apiece. And didnt go further than 50 yards.

 

[IdaD]

I'd take a 30-30 between the two, although I rarely actually hunt with mine because even it's a bit hampered in terms of effective range where I generally hunt. For fun a 44 would probably be cooler, higher capacity and a bit cheaper ammo.

 

[earlthegoat2]

44 here too. I chose the 44 over the 30-30 primarily because of its dual function for me to be able to use it in straight wall states. Other than that I think the 30-30 has the edge in range and terminal power. Not much more on the latter though.

Plus I’m kind of all in in on .44 caliber in that I own a 44 mag revolver and rifle, a .445 Super Mag single shot, and a .444 Marlin rifle.

 

[LoonWulf]

I’m still a nostalgic fan of 30-30 despite it being an almost complete categoric failure performance wise

Yeesh, so mean! it's probably only catastrophically failed a couple times.

I agree it is, and was, sort of a lame duck considering there were already higher performance small bores at the time, but its a functional cartridge for most things that won't bite, stomp, gore, maul or otherwise give you a forced makeover. It also fit into the iconic lever funs, which while eclipsed in power are admittedly still quite nice to carry. I THINK they maybe a better choice than the .44 for general medium game as you have flatter trajectories, but with the normal limitation of a lever gun and where most are used I just don't see a lot of advantage over a .44

 

[Slamfire]

I have the 30-30 and the 44 Magnum and based on my shooting, the 44 Mag drops too much past 150 yards, and the 30-30 is too inaccurate past 200 yards to be an ethical hunting rifle. Up to 100 yards the 44 Magnum is just awe some on steel targets, it really hits hard. The recoil was stiff enougth that I had to remove the hard plastic Marlin buttplate and add a solid rubber recoil pad. I am certain that the 44 Magnum with a larger diameter bullet and if that bullet expands, will make an outstanding wound channel at rifle velocities. I was unable to push a 240 faster than `1750 fps with the maximum loads in load manuals.

M1894 Marlin Ballard Barrel

240 Speer JHP 22.0 grs 2400 CCI 500
21-Dec-01 T = 54 °F

Ave Vel =1747
Std Dev =21
ES =68
Low =1717
High =1785
N =7

240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1725
Std Dev =7
ES =21
Low =1715
High =1736
N =5


240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1752
Std Dev =12
ES =28
Low =1735
High =1763
N =5


240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1710
Std Dev =3
ES =9
Low =1705
High =1714
N =5


240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1745
Std Dev =12
ES =45
Low =1723
High =1768
N =10

240 Rem JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F


Ave Vel =1719
Std Dev =10
ES =29
Low =1705
High =1734
N =10





For decades the in print crowd had been comparing W296 to H110, praising one over the other. After my test I decided there was absolutely no difference between the powders, and low and behold, years after this someone in the inprint world let the cat out of the bag and told us that the powders were identical. The only differences were due to lot to lot variations.

 

[Varminterror]

the 44 Mag drops too much past 150 yards, and the 30-30 is too inaccurate past 200 yards to be an ethical hunting rifle.

2 mils is too much drop?

5-6” is too inaccurate to kill deer?

 

[troy fairweather]

I had a early 336 marlin. Have to see if I can find the photos,someone drilled and taped the thing so one day I put a 3-9 on it at the range. Shot a few groups 2 were under 3/4 moa they were 5 shots to. Most were under 1 moa that day. Ammo was just winchester silver box 150s I was shooting up for the brass. 30-30s can be just as accurate as any other cartridge out there.

 

[jmr40]

I'm sorta in camp that thinks the 30-30 is over rated, and the 44 under rated. Neither is my 1st choice, or even in the top 10, but out to 100ish yards I think they are equals on deer and common size black bear. For large predator protection or even hunting larger game the heavier 265-300 gr 44 bullets are every bit as effective as most 45-70 loads up close and would be preferable to 30-30.

Based on my experience the 44's I've shot aren't accurate enough much past 75-100 yards, but I have no doubts about it's effectiveness if you can connect. In my experience the 30-30 is more accurate, and the flatter trajectory makes it a better option for deer size game out past 100 yards. In theory the 30-30 can be used past 200 yards, but that is about as far as I feel comfortable.

 

[MacAR]

30WCF all day long for me. If you hand load for it, you will amaze yourself. I had a few 100 grn loads that were groundhog accurate at 200 yards, and I used them to good effect too. The old 150's aren't bad, either. Just learn what your gun likes and how to shoot it, and the results will be most satisfactory.

Mac

 

[earlthegoat2]

Maybe it was the video you watched but Paul Harrell has a good video comparing 30-30 and 44 mag rifles.

 

[357smallbore]

Maybe it was the video you watched but Paul Harrell has a good video comparing 30-30 and 44 mag rifles.

It sure was

 

[357smallbore]

Maybe it was the video you watched but Paul Harrell has a good video comparing 30-30 and 44 mag rifles.

It sure was

 

[Slamfire]

2 mils is too much drop?

5-6” is too inaccurate to kill deer?

What groups do you get with your 30-30 lever action at 300 yards? I would like to see them. I would also like to see your 30-30 and 44 Magnum lever action groups at 200 yards. Ten shot groups minimum, none of this three shots stuff, where someone shots 12 rounds at four targets and claims the best group as typical. And I am talking, lever actions. Not bolt guns, not single shots, lever actions. Got it?

 

[ECVMatt]

Here is a pretty good video on the subject:



Out to 100 yards I think they are pretty much one and the same, beyond 100 I would go with the .30/30.

 

[Skylerbone]

I would and millions of dead game animals would disagree with your statement.
Sure there are so many calibers that can do better closer and further. But the old 30-30 still fills the larder, still drops the game every year and still is going strong. At a150 yard or less where most game are taken, it will drop most any game animal

My statements were not meant to condemn the round. Iowa has seen more deer taken with shotgun slugs and arrows than anything else and yet I prefer neither when I can load 150 gr of pelletized powder behind a 250gr jacketed sabot and 209 primer. Better by measure, not what I would chose in a wide open field, but best the State allows.

I can respect that shotguns and 30-30s “fill the larder” but for the reasons several have outlined above it fills no hole in my collection save its ubiquity. Again, there are plenty better. I’ve seen moose killed with 1 shot from an 30-06 because I was the shooter though I bet .223 could have done the job.

I have a lot of ok rifles so for me, knowing their limitations combined with my own is what determines what I use for what I hunt.

Can’t eat ‘em so they sit in the basement or get fed to the wolf hound.

 

[js8588]

Ahem.... 45 Colt. -puts on flame suit-

 

[greyling22]

I want to Ackley improved my 30-30 so bad. I just cannot justify it. I don't even load max loads in a regular 30-30.

But just look at it. Yum!

Picture sourced from here https://www.rangerpointprecision.co...s-of-the-Marlin-336-or-How-my-3030-Got-the-AX

He was loading up 30-30ai to almost 308 marlin express performance. Now compare that to the 44 mag and the performance gap widens....

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I picked .30-30 when I shopping for a lever gun.

But a .44 mag lever gun is pretty awesome

 

[FL-NC]

30-30 for me, unless I was in a straight wall cartridge only state. And to be honest, I would much more prefer an ugly current production $400 rifle like a RAR in 6.5 or some other modern round.

 

[Pat Riot]

I think the 30-30 gets a bad rap because there are so many other and better cartridges out there the do so much better at longer distances.
The only experience I have with the .44 Magnum in a long gun is shooting my Son-In-Law’s Winchester 94. That thing has a surprising kick with factory hunting loads. I think I would rather shoot my 30-30s.

I haven’t had the chance to use my 30-30s on many hunts and haven’t taken game with them. Deer hunting in SoCal is basically “camping and hiking with guns” for the most part. But I mostly grew up in SW Pennsylvania. All my family and friends hunted deer and the go to cartridge was the 30-30 or the 30.06. My Dad and all his friends used both as did lots of my friends. Ironically, my old man wouldn’t let me hunt but I went on lots of hunts anyway with friends. The 30-30 does it’s job if used within its limits, as does the .44 Magnum.

Due to various injuries over the years I cannot take the kick of a lot of rifle cartridges any longer so it appears 30-30 in my lever guns and .223 in my semi autos is what I hang my hat on now.

30-30 vs .44 Magnum? Pick one. Learn to use it well and either one is a winner.