Is 30/30 a good caliber to hunt deer?

RememberTheSomme said:
We have a Winner! I knew it would finally come to this.V:I:

Now the old girl is better than a .308Winchester.:bsFlag:


Seems the .30-30 is much better on killing brush then it is on deer.;)

Do people intentionally shoot through as many trees as possible before impacting the living entity? Never tried this, maybe this is what makes the .30-30 so lethal, it needs to be expanded in hardwood first, because living tissue offers no such resistance for expansion to it's lackluster velocity.:p

:popCorn::popCorn:
Click to expand...

I love my 308 I wouldn't go to a slower 30/30 If that's what your thinkin...308 shoots farther, faster and flatter i'll keep it thank you. But a 30/30 is slower and with a heavier ball, brush like actual brush not trees aren't much of a problem...Unless you can't even piss through it in that case a cannon wouldn't be much use either would it?

I'm not stupid, and I'm sure not a ignorant smart ass like you I speak from experience not hypocrisy.
 
trapoholic said:
I love my 308 I wouldn't go to a slower 30/30 If that's what your thinkin...308 shoots farther, faster and flatter i'll keep it thank you. But a 30/30 is slower and with a heavier ball, brush like actual brush not trees aren't much of a problem...Unless you can't even piss through it in that case a cannon wouldn't be much use either would it?

I'm not stupid, and I'm sure not a ignorant smart ass like you I speak from experience not hypocrisy.
Click to expand...

Pay no attention to armchair professional hunters.....
 
ryan32 said:
Fair enough, although thats not really the timber hunting that the OP was asking about. Im in the Highlands , and there sure isn't significant farmland here so like i said those kinds of distances aren't a concern for me. I thought that everything that you'd see from the 401 would be in the shotgun only area's or did you make that shot with a sabot slug. I can agree with the wanting options. Truth be told im getting a rem 7600 in 270 for when im stand hunting and might get some longer shots.
Click to expand...

Leeds and grenville... Brockville area... fockers have rifle priveledges...that is why I hunt and have land there.... :)...
 
TimC said:
You obviously need all that time in practise then, me I just load whatever is legal and go out the door, the beauty of 365 days a year deer stalking!
:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p

Sorry I just had to rub it in!
Click to expand...


i can go hunting every day of the year here in BC.
 
trapoholic said:
I love my 308 I wouldn't go to a slower 30/30 If that's what your thinkin...308 shoots farther, faster and flatter i'll keep it thank you. But a 30/30 is slower and with a heavier ball, brush like actual brush not trees aren't much of a problem...Unless you can't even piss through it in that case a cannon wouldn't be much use either would it?

I'm not stupid, and I'm sure not a ignorant smart ass like you I speak from experience not hypocrisy.
Click to expand...

I don't think I said you're stupid or ignorant, but I will remind you that a .30/30 has minimum energy to deliver to a deer let alone looking at how many cord of wood you can cut on the way there. No one in their right mind fires a bullet at a deer with the intent of using it to cut trees to get to the target. A 3" Fir will cut the energy in half instanly, and deflect god knows where, proven in controlled tests with different calibers of various velocities fired through various wood shapes.
You seem a little confused in your last post,... why would I try to lure you into using a .30/30, and away from your .308? If you read my post correctly, it shouldn't be hard to tell which one I feel is superior in the task at hand which is hunting Whitetail in timber, it's the .308Winchester for God's sake!
 
sealhunter said:
Pay no attention to armchair professional hunters.....
Click to expand...

An armchair is where we both are hunting tonight, and you know,... that's probaly going to be as close as we will ever see of each other's good look's or hunting abilities.;)

My fellow CGN'er as you stand atop your soap box to orate in turn, remember that people in glass houses, should never throw stones.:)
 
Dogleg said:
Actually I don't think you do, or you would have concluded that the 7mm s .350 stands head and shoulders above nearly all the elephant cartridges of the day, and today for that matter.

Leaving elephants aside, but staying with the 7 x 57; the lighter bullets put it solidly in the same class as the 7-08, the old as the Model A .270 Win., and the .280 as normally factory loaded. Would you describe those
cartridges as ballistically similar to a 30-30?


People like to talk about Taylor and his K.0., and try to make it work for everything from handguns to stock market reports. Funny thing is, his theory was only ever meant to apply the chances of knocking out a elephant with missed brain shots, with solids. For thin skinned game and expanding bullets he was quick to say that energy was as good an indicator as anything.

Taylor was also known for his fondness for opium and little boys. (I just thought I'd throw that in for free.)
Click to expand...

Sorry, but you just don't know your guns. I know that your figures for .275 Rigby are out to lunch. You are mixing up sectional density with ballistic coefficient. There isn't a .284 bullet made that has a sectional density of .350. The closest is a 195 grain which makes it .345, which was not available in Bell's day. The bullet he used was a 173 gr. which gives it an sd of .306, a far cry from .350.

Truth be known if I thought I needed maximum sd I would go to a 250 gr. .308 bullet which would be .376; far higher than what's available for .284. Sectional density being a concern, the 6.5x55 would have been a better cartridge based on bullets available at the time with a 165 for an sd of .338. Funny thing is that these number don't really mean that much. I would sooner take a heavy weight anything over the highest sd bullet of the bunch for truly dangerous game (like a .416 Rigby, or .458 Win).

As per your silly assertion that the 7x57 is equal to .280, not likely. You must have not read the original ballistics. The .280 drives a 170 gr. about 400 fps faster. I'm not talking about modern loadings in new rifles. Try to keep up! :rolleyes:

Maybe the opium and little boys talk is one for another forum?
 
Superbrad said:
Agreed... and I never said a 30-30 wouldn't do the trick.... but maybe the OP added stuff that made the choice harder... for example, we all think his boy should do range practice... hmm... he is at the range and he has a 30-30... his mates have a .308.... he wants to get into longer ranges ie. 300 yards...like what they are shooting.... he has a .30 -30 his mates have a .308.... hmmmm....

Again, wil la 30-30 do the trick under 100... for sure... is it kiddos best first rifle?.... I'd rather my boy has somethiung to grow with... and something that will suit most of his hunting and shooting needs.... not just now... but for years to come
Click to expand...

So what, he should get a Cooper in a Lazzeroni cartridge, for his 1st rifle? As much as he might like it, he probably won't appreciate the recoil.

Superbrad said:
Does it have to be a rifle?..... under 100 I would recommend a 12 gauge sabot slug in a well scoped shotgun with a rifled barrel.... More knockdown power with less velocity and more "push through the bush" power so less chance of deflection off of a branch.... available in several configurations and actions and for young shooters doubles for other purposes with barrel and choke combos...
Click to expand...

Now you're recommending something with twice the recoil and even more limited range?? But, but... what if the deer is at 150 yards?? (as per your earlier argument)

Just so you know, brush busting is kind of a myth. A slow moving projectile deflects just as bad as a faster one. Perhaps even worse as something as poorly stabilized (generally) as a shotgun slug can be destabilized easier, and just doesn't have the rotational inertia to keep straight.
 
sealhunter said:
Nothing wrong with mentioning other choices,..but when you suggest that the 30-30 is not as effective or ethical as more powerful cartridegs, for deer in the 100 yrd range,... you're credibility gets flushed....

There are lots of cartridges taking animals that have only the energy of a 30/30 or less at target...;)
Click to expand...

That's for sure. Quite a few guys South of the border brought home venison with .30 Carbine.... Quite impossible up here of course, with our "super Northern deer"!
 
tactical lever said:
So what, he should get a Cooper in a Lazzeroni cartridge, for his 1st rifle? As much as he might like it, he probably won't appreciate the recoil.



Now you're recommending something with twice the recoil and even more limited range?? But, but... what if the deer is at 150 yards?? (as per your earlier argument)

Just so you know, brush busting is kind of a myth. A slow moving projectile deflects just as bad as a faster one. Perhaps even worse as something as poorly stabilized (generally) as a shotgun slug can be destabilized easier, and just doesn't have the rotational inertia to keep straight.
Click to expand...

Actually, I am not recommending that for the OP's boy... it was more in response to Sealhunter directly... as he insisted on sticking to the 100 yard limit....

Who cares about recoil?... kid needs to suck it up.... all these 30-30 bangers in here suddenly concerned about percieved recoil?.... I'd wager a good .308 in a MODERN rifle that is a bit heavier and has a better recoil pad like a limbsaver, which essentially comes factory these days, would have less felt recoil than your beloved winchester lever.....

Remember that we all said that practice and placement is key?... What's he going to do?... take his dirty 30 to the range?.... how long you think he is going to want to shoot his 30-30 when buddy beside him is shooting cloverleafs with his 270 or 243 out past 200?.... 30-30 may be cheaper than most.... but not if you have to replace it two years later because the kid is bored with it....

Bottom line, OP initially asked "is 30-30 a good gun for deer?".... I said yes... but thought .30-06 and .308 were better, which was my personal belief... when he said the rifle was actually for his kid, different ballgame....
 
Superbrad said:
Who cares about recoil?... kid needs to suck it up.... all these 30-30 bangers in here suddenly concerned about percieved recoil?.... I'd wager a good .308 in a MODERN rifle that is a bit heavier and has a better recoil pad like a limbsaver, which essentially comes factory these days, would have less felt recoil than your beloved winchester lever.....

Remember that we all said that practice and placement is key?... What's he going to do?... take his dirty 30 to the range?.... how long you think he is going to want to shoot his 30-30 when buddy beside him is shooting cloverleafs with his 270 or 243 out past 200?.... 30-30 may be cheaper than most.... but not if you have to replace it two years later because the kid is bored with it....
Click to expand...

All I can say is WOW, "kid needs to suck it up"
The average man (not the range rat) can't handle a 30-06 in an average rifle, I've seen so many with a flinch they didn't even know they had & you want to pile it on a kid!
You need to get out of the city more, most country ranges are 100yds, very few have 200yd options. How many kids are gonna just happen to have a "Buddy" next to him shooting cloverleafs at any range! Besides the "average" kid never see's a range, he'll go to the back 40 or local gravel pit with dad for some impromptue shooting which involves rolling cans..etc. or a box laying against a sand bank with a circle drawn onto it.
Bored: if a kid gets bored with a 30-30 what in world makes you think he won't get bored with a 270.
The more I see of your posts the more I realize just how much you do know.
 
senior said:
All I can say is WOW, "kid needs to suck it up"
The average man (not the range rat) can't handle a 30-06 in an average rifle, I've seen so many with a flinch they didn't even know they had & you want to pile it on a kid!
You need to get out of the city more, most country ranges are 100yds, very few have 200yd options. How many kids are gonna just happen to have a "Buddy" next to him shooting cloverleafs at any range! Besides the "average" kid never see's a range, he'll go to the back 40 or local gravel pit with dad for some impromptue shooting which involves rolling cans..etc. or a box laying against a sand bank with a circle drawn onto it.
Bored: if a kid gets bored with a 30-30 what in world makes you think he won't get bored with a 270.
The more I see of your posts the more I realize just how much you do know.
Click to expand...

First of all, stop telling me to "leave the city".... I live in the country...

Second of all, hunting and shooting has evolved.... there are more options out there nowadays... People go to clubs and ranges.... there are way more of them now than ever before ... Things evolve and things change and get better... that is life... if they didn't your beloved thirty thirty would still be a thirty thirty Ackley....

Besides, a "kid" when it comes to hunting is usually at least 16 nowadays... most 16 year olds are big enough to handle the recoil of a .30-06.... Especially, like I said, the NEWER ones with synthetic recoil pads....
vs. what is likely on the back of your .30-30.... a hockey puck...

I am not about to get into a ballistics argument comparing what a .30.30 can do vs. a .270..... If you think one can hold a candle to the other then you truly are wasting my time.... Do you even own anything but a .30-.30?

The more I see you post the more your handle suits you....
 
A lot of bad advice and bickering in this thread, CGN at its worst unfortunately. The thirty-thirty is a lot more capable than its principle detractors think, shoots plenty flat for even 200 yards, and is 'really hunting' over the irons. I'd much rather see a kid with a good .30-30 than some 'modern chambering' el cheapo Marlin / Savage / Stevens / Remington et al Bushnell-equipped whizz bang package. I'm presuming the OP started ignoring this long ago, hope he has anyhow. As an aside I have to chuckle at 'most kids hunting are 16', here a 'kid' who needs a rifle for the first time is more like nine or ten.
 
Give the kids a chance,

Ardent said:
A lot of bad advice and bickering in this thread, CGN at its worst unfortunately. The thirty-thirty is a lot more capable than its principle detractors think, shoots plenty flat for even 200 yards, and is 'really hunting' over the irons. I'd much rather see a kid with a good .30-30 than some 'modern chambering' el cheapo Marlin / Savage / Stevens / Remington et al Bushnell-equipped whizz bang package. I'm presuming the OP started ignoring this long ago, hope he has anyhow. As an aside I have to chuckle at 'most kids hunting are 16', here a 'kid' who needs a rifle for the first time is more like nine or ten.
Click to expand...

Your so wrong,at least the type of hunting done around here.I was started out on a 30-30 Model 94.Sure was not done a favour.You can haul gravel with a half ton also,but its not the best tool to do the job.But it can be done.
 
Ardent said:
A lot of bad advice and bickering in this thread, CGN at its worst unfortunately. The thirty-thirty is a lot more capable than its principle detractors think, shoots plenty flat for even 200 yards, and is 'really hunting' over the irons. I'd much rather see a kid with a good .30-30 than some 'modern chambering' el cheapo Marlin / Savage / Stevens / Remington et al Bushnell-equipped whizz bang package. I'm presuming the OP started ignoring this long ago, hope he has anyhow. As an aside I have to chuckle at 'most kids hunting are 16', here a 'kid' who needs a rifle for the first time is more like nine or ten.
Click to expand...

LOL... I certainly envy your location... here the mentored hunting program (which most kids don't enter starts at 12).....

And while I do agree regarding the cheapo package rifles I still have to disagree about the choice as first rifle... I am not debating the obvious which is that .30-30 CAN and HAS killed many deer... but there is so much more to the shooting sports than just killing deer... There are so many better "all around" cartridges out there that have different loads available as well as different bullets and much better reloading capability....

Let me put it this way... If you want to buy a rifle at the local store, take your kid out and let him shoot a few pop cans then go chase deer under 100 then have at it....

Don't be surprised a year or two from now when your kid has a slightly used .30-30 collecting dust in the safe.....

Besides Ardent... I figured you would be telling him to by a .375.... :)....
 
senior said:
The more I see of your posts the more I realize just how much you do know.
Click to expand...

Here , here...
You know one mans opinion doesnt make him an expert!
Myself included.
the 30-30 has been putting venison on the table long before most of us have been alive.
The advent of ammo has improved the 30-30 greatly.
The advent of modern forearms/ammo has put Millions of $ into shareholders pockets,
I love the smell of W748 in the Morning !
Tighter groups,
Rob
 
Not for a kid in Ontario... (375), I know you're kidding mind you. I started on a .30-30, my first big game rifle, and besides my African stuff and a couple big ones that Ontario doesn't have my .30-30 would have taken every animal I've hunted cleanly. Including most of my African game too, honestly. Not saying it's the be all and end all, but it's a great little rifle with lethality above its numbers so to speak thanks to relatively heavy bullet weights available (170gr) at moderate velocities. We get overly caught up in numbers, me too, but the real world says a .30-30 carbine is a superb choice for what the OP wanted; woods rifle for deer-sized game at moderate range. I like strong guns and "Using enough gun", and for what the OP wants, the .30-30 is built for that and is enough gun.
 
Ardent said:
Not for a kid in Ontario... (375), I know you're kidding mind you. I started on a .30-30, my first big game rifle, and besides my African stuff and a couple big ones that Ontario doesn't have my .30-30 would have taken every animal I've hunted cleanly. Including most of my African game too, honestly. Not saying it's the be all and end all, but it's a great little rifle with lethality above its numbers so to speak thanks to relatively heavy bullet weights available (170gr) at moderate velocities. We get overly caught up in numbers, me too, but the real world says a .30-30 carbine is a superb choice for what the OP wanted; woods rifle for deer-sized game at moderate range.
Click to expand...

He he... well... I started with a 12 gauge... and I don't have a flinch nor do I have trouble shooting well.....

Again, it's all in outlook... I would prefer my son's first rifle to be something that will at least be able to grow with him for a time... and something that can be more than a "woods rifle for deer sized game at moderate range"...

To each their own..
 
i went through all this thread ( i really did...)
my opinion is, the OP didn't ask what would be a good deer rifle for is kid.
nor did he ask what would be the best deer caliber.

he said HE ALWAYS DREAMED OF OWNING A LEVER 30-30.
and that HE THINK OF USING IT FOR GETTING IS 11 YEAR OLD INTO DEER HUNTING.
and asked IF IT WAS POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR DEER.

what does that tell me???
that, when in a couple of year, is boy is old enough to decide if he likes deer hunting
is dad will buy him the rifle he dream of. and if the kid is not into hunting
all that much, dad will still have the lever rifle he always dreamed of.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom