30-30 For Deer....Thumbs Up or Down?

Don't know about the Hornady Lever evolution ammo. I've done just fine with handloads.

As for factory loads, try 170 grain and 150 grain offerings from Winchester, Remington, Federal. Places to see in Red Deer - south Canadian Tire, Back Country Sports, Sportsmen's Den and UFA. If you don't mind a road trip, check out Bashaw Sports Centre (Bashaw) and Battle River Sports & Tackle in Stettler - both within an hour's drive north east/east of Red Deer.

If you handload and have time, you've a better chance of working up a really good load for your gun.

For now, I'd go with the factory options as outlined.
 
One other thing: if your eyesight is still good, you should be able to hit deer at 100 -125 yards using iron sights and appropriate ammo as well as waiting for a good shooting opportunity.

Peep sights will extend that to 150 - 175 yards - dependent on eyesight, how proficient you are at that distance and other factors.

If you're able to mount a riflescope on the gun - possible with Marlins or Winchesters drilled and tapped for scope mounts - 200 yards would be the limit. Again, wait for a good opportunity.

My preference is to go with iron sights or a ghost ring sight / peep sight(if the rifle permits mounting these) or a detachable scout scope setup.
 
2_thumbs_up_by_NestR.jpg
 
John Spartan said:
Don't know about the Hornady Lever evolution ammo. I've done just fine with handloads.

As for factory loads, try 170 grain and 150 grain offerings from Winchester, Remington, Federal. Places to see in Red Deer - south Canadian Tire, Back Country Sports, Sportsmen's Den and UFA. If you don't mind a road trip, check out Bashaw Sports Centre (Bashaw) and Battle River Sports & Tackle in Stettler - both within an hour's drive north east/east of Red Deer.

If you handload and have time, you've a better chance of working up a really good load for your gun.

For now, I'd go with the factory options as outlined.
Click to expand...

If you handload and are willing to spend time to get performance out of our .30-30 why not get the chamber reamed to AI? Yes the .30-30 will do fine against deer without the upgrade.
 
Don't question the cartidge.
Go to the range and spend some quality trigger time with it so you can prove that you can make it work.
For over a hundred years it's been doing the job.
 
I know an 80 year old lady who killed moose with hers and I'll bet there are thousands and thousands and thousands of northern Cree who do too.
 
"...got enough stopping power..." How new to shooting and hunting are you? The .30-30 has been killing deer for over 100 years. It has killed more deer than any other cartridge.
"...Hornady Leverevolution ammo..." That's just a bullet with a soft, synthetic, insert on the point that is supposed to allow spitzer bullets to be used in a tube mag. 160 grain Velocities are higher than a 170 gr FP. If you opt for 'em, sight in 3" high at 100 and keep your shots under 250 yards. They drop like bricks past 200, but having them sighted in the 3" will give you about 250 yards with no hold over.
 
sunray said:
"...got enough stopping power..." How new to shooting and hunting are you? The .30-30 has been killing deer for over 100 years. It has killed more deer than any other cartridge.
"...Hornady Leverevolution ammo..." That's just a bullet with a soft, synthetic, insert on the point that is supposed to allow spitzer bullets to be used in a tube mag. 160 grain Velocities are higher than a 170 gr FP. If you opt for 'em, sight in 3" high at 100 and keep your shots under 250 yards. They drop like bricks past 200, but having them sighted in the 3" will give you about 250 yards with no hold over.
Click to expand...
been shooting for a lil' while but hunting...Im still learning, thanks for the advice though appreciate it....
 
50calshooter said:
Well I used my 7 last year, I just got this 30-30 and I realy like so thought I would use it this year
Click to expand...


That's cool. I too try to take at least a deer with any new rifle in the locker.

For me this year, I want to try and take another with my Ruger 358win and maybe the Trapper (in 30-30) that I recently picked up. Then there's the Ruger 300WM that will need to be broken in too...good thing I have 3 deer tags and a black bear this year.;):D

Good luck on your season.
 
The 30-30 is a very nice little round. The bullets made for it are designed to expand well at moderate velocity and they normally penetrate very well. In fact the penetration might be better than a faster round with regular cup and core bullets. Sped up regular bullets can overexpand/ lose cores and have limited penetration.

The wound channel might be a bit narrower than that of a cartridge using a faster bullet. Game hit with moderate velocity slugs often travel a bit further than those hit with faster bullets but the action is sure and well hit the animal will die quickly.
 
MD said:
I know an 80 year old lady who killed moose with hers and I'll bet there are thousands and thousands and thousands of northern Cree who do too.
Click to expand...

I know an old lady that swallowed a spider........:D

To the original poster; Just what else , pray tell, would a 30-30 be used for if not deer? Rabbits? Squirrels? Is there some other animal that is smaller and easier to kill than a deer that the round may have been designed for?

It wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her........:D
 
oh, the 30-30 may be ok for them small american deer or those rabbit sized eastern ones - but not for our big monster western deer>

It was :rolleyes:invented by them americans you know -- how good can it be?
 
joe-nwt said:
I know an old lady that swallowed a spider........:D

To the original poster; Just what else , pray tell, would a 30-30 be used for if not deer? Rabbits? Squirrels? Is there some other animal that is smaller and easier to kill than a deer that the round may have been designed for?

It wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her........:D
Click to expand...
Whos knows like i said, jus got this rifle and i dont know much about the 30-30 cartridge, what was this round originally designed for, war? , wolves/yotes?, i dont know thats why i ask.........
 
farshot said:
oh, the 30-30 may be ok for them small american deer or those rabbit sized eastern ones - but not for our big monster western deer>

It was :rolleyes:invented by them americans you know -- how good can it be?
Click to expand...

that's funny- just what do you see in most saddle scabbards and what's the typical chambering- in case you don't know , it's a winchester 94 in 30-30- i get funny looks when i pull my savage 99 out of it's scabbard-like "what the heck is that thing?" and the winchester has rolled lots other than deer or mulies- it's all about bullet placement- and i do the eastern slopes of the rockies-
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom