The 30-30 round?

[Shawnee]

You're right - the common flavors of pointy bullets in tubular magazines aren't a good mix. Hornady's Leverlution ammo is worth a look though.
In "standard" ammo, the 150-gr. bullets are excellent 30/30 fodder. Personally, I think the 170-gr. ammo has never been anything more than a Marketing sop to those fuddy-duddys who think they have to heave a bowling ball at everything. The 150-gr. Winchester "Silvertips" have always been dynamite deer medicine.

 

[T.R.]

30-30 performs far better than ballistic charts would suggest. This is because the factories have had decades to figure out the optimal jacket thickness and lead alloy for impact velocity. In other words, 30-30 bullets open up into a mushroom shape and drive through animals in a straight line every time. Depending upon ammo type, the 30-30 is dependable everytime way out to 200 yards or more.

The medium velocity is not a handicap at all. The medium velocity assures deep penetration every time. Even large bones in moose and elk are no match for the well aimed 30-30 bullet.

Millions of carbines in the hands of ranchers, explorerers, woodsmen, and once-a-year deer hunters have proven the 30-30 as a hunting cartridge of outstanding value. Amazingly, more makes and models of 30-30 carbines are available to the new rifle-seeker than ever before!



44 MAG is another genuine deer toppler. Hornday's XTP bullet shoots big holes in animals. Yet it loses its lethality after about 85 yards or so. After all, 44 MAG is a revolver cartridge.

In summary, both cartridges are great choices for the hunter who watches his distance and places his first shot into the chest organs.
TR

 

[kmrcstintn]

.30-30 is a favorite of many PA deer & black bear hunters; gives you enough snot for clean kills without the magnum recoil that can loosen your fillings; usual loads for this are 150 gr & 170 gr flat tipped jacketed softpoints (tubular magazine on the most common lever action guns place the rounds with tip against the primer of the round in front of it; Hornady developed the LeveRevolution bullet for tubular-fed rifles (.30-30, .444 Marlin, .450 Marlin, .45-70, etc) by placing a flexible ballistic type polymer tip to improve longer range trajectories; .30-30 is equipped with a 160 gr LeveRevolution bullet; a not-so-well-known round for .30-30 is a 125gr flat-tipped shallow jacketed hollow point load made by Federal; it does great on medium-sized varmints, smaller deer, and two-legged aggressive critters; I just had my friend help me sight in the 125 gr jhp load for my new Marlin 336; it does @ 1/75" 3 shot groups @ 100 yards; hope this helps

 

[RobertFBurnett]

Speaking of the aggressive critters, I recently opened up the can-o-worms with .357s vs. bears (defense only, not hunting) on another thread, I settled on Double Taps 180/200gr Cast for things with claws.

Now I'm not too worried about Browns as the last known CA Grizzly was taken in 1922, any suggestions for 4-legged 30-30 protection? i.e. Do I still steer away from the Hollow Points since I want penetration? Or is this cartridge stout enough to launch hollow points, where my .357 cannot?

RFB

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Phil Shoemaker, who is a licensed bear guide in Alaska and a genuine sourdough -- he lives hundreds of miles from town in bear country -- says the .357 with a hard-cast 180 grain bullet is best for defense against grizzleys (if you're relying on a handgun.) His reasoning is that you need a precisely-placed head shot, and with a .357, you might get a second shot if the first one misses.

Of course, he also points out that the most important thing about the gun is simply having it -- because your best defense against a bear is your own behavior. Convey through body language, "I don't intend to attack you, but if you attack me, I can whip you." It's a lot easier psychologically for a well-armed man to send that message.

Hollow points by and large (there are exceptions in premium bullets like the Barnes X-bullets) are designed for thin skinned game. A standard 150 or 170 grain soft point -- like you buy at Wal-Mart -- will do very well for black bear.

An old sourdough I know uses the .30-30 on grizzleys, and he uses the 170 grain bullet. But his advice to me was, "Break bone with your first shot."

 

[RobertFBurnett]

VERN! How ya been,

I bring up the thread you were very helpful in and you pop up here. How fortuitous.

I think its great that the 30-30 round is so loved and respected over all, by that I mean it doesn't matter the gun its being fired from. The only other round I have found like that is the .44Magnum.

For some reason when you talk .357s a Ruger vs. (pre-lock of course, even though my 686-6 has yet to give me any problem) S&W tends to break out.

Looks like I will be going with the 336 in 30-30 (c or w is still up in the air, gotta look that w up at Turners, and I gotta save my pennies anyhow.)

Thank you all!

RFB

 

[MCgunner]

What I forgot to ask is whats a 30-30?

That's not a question I hear too often. Sign of the tacticool times???? Sheesh! Well, in MY day, if you knew of a rifle caliber, it was likely the .30-30, THE "deer rifle" for years and years. It is hand over fist better than pistol calibers IMHO for hunting, a proven stopper of deer sized game and has taken much larger animals. For years it has been the most common of Walmart calibers and about the least expensive as rifles went until the popularity of 7.62x39s and all the crappy ammo that gets imported for those rifles. Hornady Lever Evolution ammo has put some new life in the old caliber, too.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The .30-30 is a modest, light-kicking deer cartridge. It was developed in 1895 and was the first smokeless powder sporting cartridge generally available. In its long life, it became the deer cartridge, and still places in the top two or three for hunters.

 

[RobertFBurnett]

Thinking about changing my THR handle to Bringeroftheendtimes, for my bringing the apocalypse by not knowing the great 30-30. That and I've always regretted not coming up with something more creative than my name. I'll think about it on my vacation.

 

[SSN Vet]

For all the squalking that goes on out there about micro-groove Marlins, I will suggest that if you get the .30-30, you will be pleasantly surprised by it's accuracy.....especially if you plop a William's Fool Proof peep sight on it.

The 336A has a fore arm cap that attaches to the barrel via a tennon.

The 336W has the fore arm banded to the barrel.

The 336C is just like the W, but with Walnut furniture (as opposed to Birch with Walnut stain).

The 336S is just like the W, but with Walnut furniture and stainless steel.

Mines a C and it is the apple of my modest rifle collection.

 

[kgpcr]

The 30-30 is one of the all time greats and is still going strong. for ranges under 200 yrds its great. i have taken many deer in the big woods with a 30-30. I would not buy a .44 in a rifle. a 30-30 is a much better choice. My 30-30 is a joy to carry in teh woods due to is size and weight. as for when i hunt open country its not the best i have other rifles for that

 

[RobertFBurnett]

Good stuff guys, keep it coming.

One favor also, can someone please post some pics of mounted williams peep sights? The floating in air pics on Midway aren't helping. Not going the optics road though, just need some better "iron."

 

[mavracer]

here you go

granted its on a brand W but you asked. the 170 nosler partition is a round nose and can be used in a tube mag, plus it is a great preforming bullet stays together and penatrates deep (ie. pretty good bear medacine) ps. you can't go wrong with any of the three they all have loads avaliable that will get the job done.for plinking I love my .357.

 

[moooose102]

since you asked, hollow points all the way!!!!!!! they work wonders! best bullet you can buy for the 30-30, except for maybe the hornady levereveloution rounds.

 

[ECVMatt]

I can't ever get a picture to post, but have three different peeps..

I guess I actually have four. I have the Williams, Lyman, XS, and Williams GR type. I like the Lyman and XS the best. They are they most sturdy and trouble free. For beating around hard I like the XS, for hunting and plinking I like the Lyman sights.

I would look for an older 336 that is drilled for the Lyman sight. It has two holes drilled on the solid side of the receiver. They are filled with two plug screws. It is also easy for a gunsmith to add the Lyman sight if you get a newer model.

Matt

 

[JNewell]

The steel Lyman is the bee's knees. The later aluminum ones are ehhhhhh. However, the Williams sights are aluminum, too, and IMNSHO are more susceptible to damage if you drop the rifle than even the aluminum Lyman. In ordinary use, though, they're all great. (Have steel Lyman on a 336 and two Williams FPs on a Marlin 1895 and a Winchester 94 Wrangler II).

 

[Bearhands]

Man I hesitate to be so
profoundly "pro-30-30" but.........
I can't think of a round OR gun chambered for it that has given more people such pleasure in my lifetime..... the Winchester 94, the Marlins..... it doesn't matter much. The 30-30 cartridge is a winner, be it 150gr or 170gr or the new Leverevolution 160's...... this is a true winner. Every time I pick up my Mod 94, the feeling of history combined with the sense of "go-get-em" makes me (and others) feel GREAT. I'll never feel "outgunned" or underpowered carrying my "30-30"
(and yes, I KNOW it's limitations)

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I've killed more deer/hogs,bobcats with my old marlin .30-30 than with any other rifle. It's really a great deer ctg. out to about 150 yds. or so. A little further I hear with the new ammo from Hornady. You will not be disappointed.

 

[saturno_v]

You cannot compare a 30-30 round with a 44 Mag never mind a 357....they are totally different beasts...no amount of tweaking can take a 357 round in 30-30 territory..is not going to happen....

Some people in Alaska take the big bears with them....