30-30 advice please

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agite12

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Ok I have seen this discussion before and until recently I was satisfied with it, but...

Next week-end is the begining of deer season (gun) where I intend to hunt for the very first time. I have done some armed hiking and birdwatching (Grouse and Canada Geese) but never actually shot anything alive.

Since I'm a complete noob to this I try finding experienced hunters around me and luckily I got my best friend's father, who has been hunting pretty much every day he didn't work in hunting season for the past 35 years, to help me out. He was so happy to help in fact that he helped me set up sevral potential site to hunt.

At this point you might say, well what's his problem?

I was there the other day myself to help out, and to try my luck at some grouse, and we had a conversation with him and his longtime hunting partner (even more experience)

They booth think the gun I'm intending to take there next week is whooly unadequate.

I have a single shot 30-30 (Savage 219) that was gracefully offer to me by a member of this forum, and that was very welcome as I'm in a very tight situation now.

So until last week I was pretty confident in this as I belived that once you fired once everything else is history and because I was under the impression that 30-30 had killed a lot (if not most) of north american deer.

Now their argument can be pretty much summed up into : we used to wounded a lot of deer (or kill them and not recover them) back in the days with 30-30 and we're still ashamed from this to this day, but we didn't had more appropriate tools back then.

Some word about the land: it's very dense wood and I'll be dammed it I can see (let alone take a shot) at more than 75 yards.

I'm not a sure shot (first year) but I can definatly put it on a 8 1/2 x 11 target at 100 yards.

So do you guys think it's foolish of me to go there with my single shot 30-30?
 
There is nothing wrong with a 30-30 for taking deer. That caliber, as you said, has probably harvested more deer, moose, bear, elk, etc. than any other caliber (except maybe .303...).

I would practice up a little, and try to shrink your target down to 6" or less , (an 8 1/2x11 paper is a little too much wiggle room, just my opinion, which really doesn't count for that much...), especially since you won't have a quick follow-up shot. You are going to want to make that first one count...

Otherwise, go get 'em!
 
agite12 said:
Ok I have seen this discussion before and until recently I was satisfied with it, but...

Next week-end is the begining of deer season (gun) where I intend to hunt for the very first time. I have done some armed hiking and birdwatching (Grouse and Canada Geese) but never actually shot anything alive.

Since I'm a complete noob to this I try finding experienced hunters around me and luckily I got my best friend's father, who has been hunting pretty much every day he didn't work in hunting season for the past 35 years, to help me out. He was so happy to help in fact that he helped me set up sevral potential site to hunt.

At this point you might say, well what's his problem?

I was there the other day myself to help out, and to try my luck at some grouse, and we had a conversation with him and his longtime hunting partner (even more experience)

They booth think the gun I'm intending to take there next week is whooly unadequate.

I have a single shot 30-30 (Savage 219) that was gracefully offer to me by a member of this forum, and that was very welcome as I'm in a very tight situation now.

So until last week I was pretty confident in this as I belived that once you fired once everything else is history and because I was under the impression that 30-30 had killed a lot (if not most) of north american deer.

Now their argument can be pretty much summed up into : we used to wounded a lot of deer (or kill them and not recover them) back in the days with 30-30 and we're still ashamed from this to this day, but we didn't had more appropriate tools back then.

Some word about the land: it's very dense wood and I'll be dammed it I can see (let alone take a shot) at more than 75 yards.

I'm not a sure shot (first year) but I can definatly put it on a 8 1/2 x 11 target at 100 yards.

So do you guys think it's foolish of me to go there with my single shot 30-30?
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Interesting post.

I don't see anything wrong with a .30-30. Just go practice at the range with it a bit. Head out and have fun.
 
Ok, you have a classic deer cartridge, in a rifle capable of being very accurate compared to the rifles the cartridge is usually chambered in. You can up the factor by using lever-evolution ammo, or spire point handloads. With lever ammo, you are close to 308 power at the specified ranges, another cartridge that has taken alot of deer and larger animals.

Do not let the single aspect bother you, get someone to load up some dummy cartridges, and you will be suprised how fast you can reload.

Sight in for 100yds, aim for just behind the shoulder and flatten yourself a deer. Its been working for years. From my experience, you will only need to reload for one last practice, and end up taking a cartridge out of the chamber. At least its only one and not 6 or 7, I curse my 94 every time i unload it.
 
lot of guys prefer singles as it gets your head in the right space
"make the 1st shot count".
don't just blast away at anything that moves.they are also extreemly safe especialy for a self described newcomer . easier to clean & prove safe ,simpler to check for barrel obstructions.with very little practise they can be reloaded very quickly,guys on safari would have 1 or 2 rounds between the fingers (right at the base of the cart.)in their off hand so they could still grip the fore-stock.
as for 30-30 cartridge, as has been said already if you do your part its all you need with MUCH less wasted meat than a 300 winmag ect.
as for guys letting wounded game get away that says much more for the hunter than the rifle/ammo. to this day people quietly use .22's on deer with 0 wasted meat & practicaly no noise -no I don't personaly advocate this but it does happen.
 
agite12 said:
...Now their argument can be pretty much summed up into : we used to wounded a lot of deer (or kill them and not recover them) back in the days with 30-30 and we're still ashamed from this to this day, but we didn't had more appropriate tools back then.

...
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It probably wouldn't help to say this to them but I mention it to encourage you to literally stick to your gun: when they wounded and lost all those deer back in the days, the .30-30 wasn't entirely to blame.
 
I've taken both deer and moose with the 30-30.
Does this convince?

13589moose3_2005.jpg


Put your shot in the right place, the deer will die, and quickly.
 
If it's heavy brush, chances are you're only going to get one shot anyway, correct?

As long as you are confident that you can put that single shot into the boiler, you'll have no difficulty. A low power scope can help you pick a hole through branches, but may not be absolutely necessary if you've got good, young eyes. Any factory load of 150 or 170 grains will work spectacularly well. Good luck.
 
Heavy bush and around 75 yrds, that was what the 30 30 was made for. I have a .35 Rem that I use strickly for that purpose. Good luck!!

Cheers.
 
TheTooner said:
It probably wouldn't help to say this to them but I mention it to encourage you to literally stick to your gun: when they wounded and lost all those deer back in the days, the .30-30 wasn't entirely to blame.
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Less likely the 30-30 and much more likely either the previous nights celebration, they used a scope where it wasn't needed and didn't sight it in, or they never practiced with the damn thing.

Three more sleeps until I go deer hunting and I am packing my .280 for long range cuts and my 30-30 for bush days. Damn thing had better not be useless after all these years of taking out all sorts of other critters. Better pack my deer seeking rounds I guess, just to be on the safe side.
 
My gun this year is a rolling block in 8x58r.

The thing about a single, as previously noted, is make the first shot a good one. Don't take the foolish shots.

I see no reason you should not get your deer. Practice and go get one.
 
They were of the opinion that I should get something that would kill the deer more rapidly to avoid having to track it and have a chance at loosing it.

The other thing is how to present this: me being the noob and them being way more experienced and doing me a favor...

As for my shoot I am extremely confident to be able to put it in the vital zone at that range (50-75 yards) and I also have a 3-9x scope wich should help also.
 
i picked up a .30-30 this spring and have been shooting it all summer long. i absolutly love it! plenty of knock down power and decent ballistics. its what i plan to hunt with this fall.

i think your mentors opinion on it being a single shot is valid. but with practice and using some common sense in taking your shot, you theorically should be just fine.
 
agite12 said:
The other thing is how to present this: me being the noob and them being way more experienced and doing me a favor...
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tell them youre right because you read about it on the intrawebs! :yingyang: this particular debate is nothing new. caliber size means nothing if you can`t put your bullet in the kill zone.
 
agite12 said:
They were of the opinion that I should get something that would kill the deer more rapidly to avoid having to track it and have a chance at loosing it.

The other thing is how to present this: me being the noob and them being way more experienced and doing me a favor...

As for my shoot I am extremely confident to be able to put it in the vital zone at that range (50-75 yards) and I also have a 3-9x scope wich should help also.
Click to expand...

I would like to think that my hunting partners would respect my choices. If the single shot is what you can afford, you are safe and competent with it, have shown a willingness to listen and learn- they should be thinking more about other things. Like: do you want to butcher your first deer yourself or should we take it to Joe the Butcher and leave it to him? Maybe they should just cut you some slack and focus on other aspects of the hunt.
:cheers:
 
As long as you are confident that you can put that single shot into the boiler, you'll have no difficulty.
Click to expand...

I concur. I'd wager that most wounded animals are the result of taking "lower percentage" shots: Be patient, get yourself into a scenario where you KNOW you can put it where it needs to go, and have a good season!

-Jacob
 
I would hunt with a 30/30 if that is all I had.....as it is, I am hunting with a .44 magnum this year, as I have in the past 4 years. I bagged 2 nice sized Bucks last year with the .44.

Get out there with that single shot, and bag you some deer!
 
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