30-30 Report and Availability

[ejnogarb]

From what I understand, a .357 lever gun can be fired inside without being hard on the unprotected ear. Does anyone know how tolerable a 30-30 would be inside? The rationale is that such a gun would be used for home defense or "Hurricane Katrina" disasters, and I want a lever gun that's effective to 150 yards but simultaneously suitable for 5 yards.

Also, I've heard that prices for 30-30 can be unexpectedly high. As far as trends go, are people moving away from the 30-30 in favor of different hunting cartridges?

 

[JImbothefiveth]

From what I understand, a .357 lever gun can be fired inside without being hard on the unprotected ear

I think you thought incorrectly. I hear .357 is very bad for your hearing. Any round will be.

.30-30 would be even worse, as it's slightly more powerful than 7.62x39.

 

[telomerase]

From what I understand, a .357 lever gun can be fired inside without being hard on the unprotected ear

That's correct. .357 fired out of an 18.5" barrel will be much quieter than 30-30, .223, or even 7.62 X 39. (Not that it won't hurt the ears eventually, but a couple of rounds won't deafen you).

OTOH .357 out of a revolver is LOUD.

Hopefully someone will post a link to a decibel comparison.

 

[Hud]

This was posted on one of the boards, but I don't remember who to give credit.

 

[ejnogarb]

That's an interesting document and one I'm saving, but it doesn't address .357s in 18.5 inch barrels.

Can anyone comment also on whether the 30-30 is becoming less widespread?

 

[Paladin_Hammer]

30-30 cartridges are getting more expensive for some reason. The cheapest Remington green and yellow box of 20 I can find in Kansas City is $16.99 at Rogers Sporting Goods in Liberty. He's also got some Federal for $18.99. Wal-Mart carries some, emphasis on SOME, 30-30 boxes, but the cheapest I can find at the Liberty store is $18.99 for the Remington box you can get for $16.99 at Rogers (It's not the best ammo in the first place, always shoots on the dirty, crappy side).

30-30 Rifles are everywhere though. You can get a NEW Marlin 336 at the Liberty Wal-Mart for $347.00! That has the receiver drilled and tapped for a scope mount! Showmeshooters in Claycomo has an amazing selection of new and used 30-30's for sale, ranging from a basic Marlin to like-new Henry's, all of which can sell from $299.99 (used Marlin) to $468.99 (like-new Henry!).

The same can be said for stores all over. Apparently with the scare that semi-auto's are to be banned everyone and his mother and her mother and her mother's mother are dumping their bolt and lever-action rifles like they were made of molten lava. This means lots of good-quality Lever Rifles are for sale everywhere. In KC I'm seeing some at pawn shops for only $220 for a used Winchester 30-30 (but it's well used). Expect the lever-rifle to take over the throne of the "Poor Man's Deer Rifle" again real soon.

 

[Deaf Smith]

ejnogarb,

Noise levels are more related to the pressure of the round than most other factors. The .357 is not a low pressure round.

The only reason a .357 revolver sounds louder is because the barrel is closer to you than it would be in a rifle. But, indoors is another matter. The blast is echoed around and reflected.

I suspect it will somewhat below the .357 Revolver level but only drop 10 db.

How about trying one in a indoor range.

 

[grimjaw]

From what I understand, a .357 lever gun can be fired inside without being hard on the unprotected ear.

I don't know who you "understand" that from, but you understood it wrong.

Having fired a .22 pistol indoors without hearing protection, I can tell you I would most definitely recommend against firing a .357 anything indoors w/o hearing protection.

jm

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I don't know about indoors but my .357 1894c is much more quiet than my .357 Blackhawk. However I do know that my 39A shooting 22lr with a relatively long barrel will still make your ears ring indoors. I would loath to touch off my 30-30 indoors without muffs and earplugs.

 

[telomerase]

I suspect it will somewhat below the .357 Revolver level but only drop 10 db.

"Only" dropping 10 db would mean that it was ten times less powerful, bels are on a log scale. I think it's more like 15 db drop, but hopefully someone will find an exact number.

The only reason a .357 revolver sounds louder is because the barrel is closer to you than it would be in a rifle.

It doesn't "sound" louder, it IS louder. The reason is that more of the energy from a revolver is being used to generate sound instead of move the bullet faster. There's only so much energy there, if it goes into the bullet it's not in the blast wave.

But you're right about the muzzle being farther away on the carbine, and the intensity of the sound drops off by the inverse square of the distance.

 

[Oro]

As far as trends go, are people moving away from the 30-30 in favor of different hunting cartridges?

Yep -that trend started in the 1920's with a surplus of more powerful rounds such as the 8mm and .30-'06 available surplus cheap - and often in very accurate guns. But the .30-30 has survived that and still is often cited as one of the more popular rifle cartridges (hard sales figures or how that is determined is hard to come by).

Can anyone comment also on whether the 30-30 is becoming less widespread?

It certainly is, but so is every other caliber other than .223 right now - black AR's and variants are selling like hotcakes, so by definition ANY other caliber is becoming "less widespread." But if what you mean is "is it fading away and am I buying a round I will have troule finding ammo for?" then the answer is no, a .30-30 is no more endangered than a .30-'06 or .243 Winchester. Mossberg actually brought out a new gun last year in .30-30, their Model 464. The word is also that once Browning (I believe that's who currently owns it) lets the licensing requirement requiring US manufacture of the gun lapse on the 1894, they'll start making it again, though probably at a lower-cost plant in Portugal or somewhere.

I have looked into the relative performance of .38/.357, .45/70, .32 WS, and .30-30 in a lever gun. Mossbergs, Marlin, Henry's, Winchester, etc. When it came to what was the single more versatile one at the best price/quality point, I got a Winchester 1894 20" in .30-30. My needs may not be the same as yours, but it's a dang good round in a very friendly platform. The .357 in the rifle just didn't offer enough difference vs. a revolver to make it interesting to me.

 

[ejnogarb]

Summing it up, shooting basically any caliber inside without ear protection is going to be incredibly unpleasant if not harmful...

 

[W.E.G.]

I fired a 30-30 in the kitchen in 1977.

A LOUD and most regrettable incident.

 

[Clint C]

I don't think I would fire a .30-30 indoors. I have had them ring my ears outside. I think .30-30's are awesome and if people are getting away from them good, that means more for me.

Price for ammo is not bad, around here you can get it for $13.99 and the Leverevolution ammo for $16.99. There is some .30-30 ammo going for $30.00 around here, but I don't know why you would want to spend that much. Of course some of that expensive ammo is the 55 grain ammo.

 

[scythefwd]

I have a .30-30 that causes my ears to ring just a little when I fire it outside without protection. Inside it could possibly rupture your ear drums. She isn't loud, but there is a bit of pressure (spl). It could be that most of the report is in the frequencies that I don't hear so well (high pitched stuff).

 

[T.R.]

I don't think that it matters.

Which is harder on your thumb? Hitting it with a 10 oz hammer or hitting it with a 16 oz hammer? Try it and let me know.

TR

 

[Clint C]

As far as trends go, are people moving away from the 30-30 in favor of different hunting cartridges?

To answer this question click on the link blow. I just think people want something cooler and don't even look at the old western lever gun. If they did pick one up and fire it they would realize you can't get any cooler than a good old .30-30 lever gun.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=439308