Is 30/30 a good caliber to hunt deer?

Huntsman said:
Hey THANKS Target for re-sparking my interest in the 30-30 ;) I just bought me another one today :D Thats makes 3 :rockOn:, this ones a post 64 version of the one in the vid that Calum posted.
Here's my newest;
PB260696.jpg
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Octagon barrel, steel crescent buttplate, nice wood. Very nice.
 
:D
Huntsman said:
Hey THANKS Target for re-sparking my interest in the 30-30 ;) I just bought me another one today :D Thats makes 3 :rockOn:, this ones a post 64 version of the one in the vid that Calum posted.
Here's my newest;
PB260696.jpg
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I don't know why but I really find octagon barrels handsome!

Maybe it's like the things on older cars like round headlights and lots of real chrome!:D
 
gtrussell said:
On the prairies as an example,speaking from personal experience.As a general rule deer are running when being hunted.It is a toss up,either lead them two bushes ahead,or shoot where they will be tommorow and you might hit them in the ass.There are far better choices aroud.Try one out and find out for yourself.Nothing like first hand experience.I did, and I will not foget the performance.
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On the prairie, where I have hunted for, oh, about 32 years, I have NEVER needed to lead a deer, as I have never needed to shoot a running deer.

not to be snide, but some of us ENJOY the HUNTING of the game animal, and ALL the deer I have killed (only skunked a few times when I chose to let the bucks go, waiting for a doe) could have been killed with a 30-30.
 
Sounds like you have, not needed, to do a lot of things.Oh and i guess i have hunted oh ,about thirty five years.Sounds like you will have a lot to learn in the next three years.
 
Huntsman said:
Would it be worth it to change a regular '94 with 20" bbl into a Trapper 16"'r?
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Nobody but you can give the answer to that question but you, but I'll take a crack at it. :)

Lot's of people really like the "trappers", but they aren't all that common, and they are in fairly high demand. You lose a little velocity, but they are a nice, handy package. Would like to pick one up myself, although I'm partial to the Marlins, the older Winchester (before the stamped steel days) are nice too. Heck , I'd even pick up a newer one just to have a little variety.
 
tactical lever said:
Nobody but you can give the answer to that question but you, but I'll take a crack at it. :)

Lot's of people really like the "trappers", but they aren't all that common, and they are in fairly high demand. You lose a little velocity, but they are a nice, handy package. Would like to pick one up myself, although I'm partial to the Marlins, the older Winchester (before the stamped steel days) are nice too. Heck , I'd even pick up a newer one just to have a little variety.
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I figure with the cost of a new/used Trapper it'd be cheaper to build one :D
I'll give Ellwodd Epps a call ;)
 
Well, I have so many interesting old lever guns to hunt with that I've only hunted with the 30-30 one season. Two nice bucks, one shot each with a 150 grain cast bullet out the bore at 2,200 fps. Two shots, two bucks ...... I'd say that the 30-30 is a good caliber to hunt deer with. Here are photos of the two bucks and my Winchester Model 94 30-30 made in 1954. The first was a frontal shot into the chest and the second was a broadside shot through both lungs and out the other side ....

Win-1st-Buck-Model-94.jpg


Win-2nd-Buck.jpg
 
Win 38-55 said:
Well, I have so many interesting old lever guns to hunt with that I've only hunted with the 30-30 one season. Two nice bucks, one shot each with a 150 grain cast bullet out the bore at 2,200 fps. Two shots, two bucks ...... I'd say that the 30-30 is a good caliber to hunt deer with. Here are photos of the two bucks and my Winchester Model 94 30-30 made in 1954. The first was a frontal shot into the chest and the second was a broadside shot through both lungs and out the other side ....

Win-1st-Buck-Model-94.jpg


Win-2nd-Buck.jpg
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Very Nice indeed :cool: I got the makings to cast some 173gr FN/GC and so far from my new '94 up above it grouped excellently at 50 & 100 yds, no chrony yet. Can't wait tohunt with them.
Thx for the pics ;)
 
I own many deer/moose guns from 22 cals to belted magnums and a Marlin 336 in a 3030 will kill deer just as dead as any other cal at a 100 yards or more. And I would have no problem teaching a yungen how to use one. No matter if it was his/her first rifle or not. I would also like to thank you for teaching your son (our) sport. Happy Hunting and Good Luck!
 
30-30 is fine. Practice so you can hold up your end and it'll perform exactly as it has always done. At the end of the day it's your preference. I hunt in thick as sin bush that's coincidentally mostly steep with poor access. I like the 30-30 because it's accurate as I need (minute of tennis ball consistantly) and has low recoil, while often being available in light, short, cheap rifles. If I wanted to I could hunt with something else, and probably will if my hunting conditions change. For dense forests or steep areas with sub 150M shots, it's pretty well suited in my humble opinion.
 
Sure a 30-30 loaded with the old faithful 170 grain bullets with lots of lesd exposed, has oodles of power for making clean kills on deer to 150 yards, or more.
I've seen as some convincing bang flops with the 30-30, even on moose.
The lever action rifles, especially with aperature sights, is certainly adequate for making good hits.
But, when the guys are gathered around after the hunt and it's time to talk about the great rifles being used, how the hell macho does it sound to meekly say, "I use a 30-30?"
 
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