.30-30 for deer hunting!

K

kyyotestalker

New member
In this magnum age we as hunters have started to turn away from our begining for rifles with tons of power and magnum speeds. So id like to hear your opinions of the 30-30win cartridge. So in keeping my bias opinion aside I will let ya'll deside.

Is the vinerable .30-30win still a viable deer cartridge in these modern magnum times?
 
Yes sir! Have never lost a deer I shot with a 30-30 since 1970 when I paid $69.00 for my Marlin. Iron sights too until 2002 when I put a scope on it.
 
I have 2 custom rifles, an 06 and a .257 Wthby. Both fantastic guns that shoot lights out. I also have a Marlin 30-30 that never fails. Shoots great, comes to bear fast, and drops'em everytime. I don't think a fella would want to see all the stuff a 30-30 has killed in one pile.
Yes, Great gun, enough gun, and fun to shoot in this day of Plastic and stainless.
 
Isn't there another thread just about like this going on right now?

Disregard. I guess not.
smile.gif
 
Last edited:
First 3 muley bucks I ever killed were taken with a Winchester 30-30 lever rifle. Then a couple of decent bull elk fell to the same rifle.

Unless deer have gotten tougher over the last 40 years, I suppose a 30-30 will still get the job done.
 
Never had an issue killing deer in the Ozark timber with a .30-30 rifle. Neither has my own son, or a very close friend of mine. I subscribe to the theory that the Indian is more important than the arrow.
 
Its not just a timber rifle.

Out here in the plains it works just as good, I sold my 94
but im always on the look out for a nice 24" octagon barreled gun for the right price.

Still have my 30-30 contender pistol and handi rifle, one of my favorite chamberings
 
The 30-30 round is a perfect W/T round
and dang near perfect at everything else.
every man needs a 30/30 rifle
double down on lever guns
I got one shoots moa $2,000 wont buy it.
My Uncle has a old winchester probably killed
over 100 W/Ts as far as i'm concerned it's the best
rifle i've ever seen.
 
Seems to me that if it was good enough for Tom Horn to kill little Willie Nichols at 425yrds with, it ought to work for Deer.

Kidding aside,,, you actually can modernize it too.
Couple guy at our range are shooting 30/30 Improved Encores. They swear by em for Elk.

Didn't they even make a couple of bolt guns in 30/30?
Remmy's 788, and Ruger IIRC.
What a great old round!
 
Although not a 30-30 my first deer rifle was a mod 94 in 32 Winchester but the deer never knew the difference, I don't live in a state that allows rifles for deer hunting anymore but if I did I would still carry that 94 with 170gr Core-Lokt's its perfect for hunting in the thick stuff
 
My grandfather had a 94 when he was a young boy in West Virginia, and he would grab a few shells and sit and shoot walnuts of a tree about 50 yards away with open sights.....he couldnt hardly miss a shot, so ive been told.
 
Post reminds me of time back in the mid 60s when I was allowed to hunt on a deer lease. One of its members was a spry gent in his 80s who hunted with a 30-30 he'd inherited from his father. Rifle had been bought for $5 from a pawnshop back in the depression years and it had an octagon barrel with U.S. stamped on side of its butt....old calvary rifle?

Anyway, watched gent shoot 3 times at a nice sized buck one morning that was around 175 yds away. He'd watched the buck and three does graze in an pasture for 15 minutes before trying a shot at that distance.

LOL, afraid the old 30-30 just couldn't shoot that far. Watched first shot hit ground maybe 75 yards short. Deer looked up, but didn't run. 2nd shot landed maybe 20 yds further than first shot. Deer still didn't run and went back to eating. After third shot, which landed a few yards further than 2nd shot, the deer slowly trotted back into woods. Guess the bore of the old 30-30 was just too worn to shoot further than 150 yards.

Point of this story. 30-30 has been around for a darn long time and is a very capable deer hunting round. You just need to know its limitations.
 
Aside from the 22LR, probably been more deer taken with a 30-30 lever gun than anything else. Its been around for years and still going strong. About the cheapest rifle to get you in the woods.
 
People started using it in 1895, and if our great grandchildren can still hunt deer in the same manner as we now do it in 2095, someone will probably be using a 30-30 Winchester.

Its an ageless classic, and I don't remember how many times I've seen it stated in print where it is said that it has killed more deer than any other cartridge ever used.

Use it within a range of 200 yards and it will effectively and efficiently kill deer today just like it has always done.
 
I have 2 Winchester 94 .30-.30's. One is an old top eject that I use with iron sights with an aftermarket ghost ring rear, the other is a more modern angle eject which I have fitted with a 1-4 x scope. Despite the fact that they are not the most powerful gun in the woods, they seem to kill just fine these days. With the new leverevolution rounds from Hornady I do believe they have gotten a new lease on life because of the increased performance of the new rounds.

IMO they are lightweight and very quick handling rifles which are excellent if you hunt timber areas where a quick handling rifle is a great asset. They also have a certain cool factor given the history of the rifle and the looks. If you've never hunted with one, you're missing out on something IMO. A great, truly American, legendary rifle that still seems to work just fine.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top