30-30, as compared to a...

mikeystew

mikeystew

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i have a really nice shooting old 336 that i haven't hunted with yet. but i must admit im hesitant to use it for deer, as im under the impression, false or otherwise that the deer could run more after a hit than it would with say my .303brit or 444.
Since i hunt for food the last thing i want is to increase the odds that my meat will become extra tough and gamey from a running scared deer full of adrenaline... but it's such a nice rifle.
i know i can take my 444 and whomp it over dead no problem, but i'd like to hear some testimony from people who have used various calibers including the 30-30 to better know how it stacks up.
I know dead is dead, and the bigger guns arent going to kill it any deader... but will they really kill it that much quicker? keeping in mind i hunt mostly within 100m in wooded areas.
 
This buck took precisely zero steps after being hit by a 170gr .3030 bullet. Dead as dead can be. That was before I started using Hornady LeverEvoultion ammo, which by all accounts makes the 3030 even better.

Deer3.jpg
 
.30 caliber anything is a decent cannonball to lob thru the bush. I've shot whitetail where the heart has been completely destroyed or blown off the ventricles and it still ran 100 yards thru thick bush. 30.30 is ok up to 125 or 150 yards in my opinion, but drops down fast in both energy and trajectory. Standard 30.30 rounds are not really aerodynamically designed such as other boat tails, but there is some new stuff out on the market such as hornandy with soft point ballistic tips and hotter loads, but its also pricey and shoots high compared to other factory loads.
 
Well, Hornady has developed a pointed bullet safe for use in tubular magazine lever actions. They are very accurate, and by all accounts have no issues dropping deer out to 200 yards (probaly further). I havent shot a deer with them yet, but I know several people who have, and they now swear by them. Theirs a reason they are called "Lever Evolution". As for them being pricey, they are still cheaper then most 3006 or 308 rounds ($22-25 a box)

http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-Win-160-gr-FTX-LEVERevolution/
 
First Muley I ever shot was with a Marlin 30/30 @ 175 yds with a 170 gr. Silvertip. Ran 40 yds and piled up. I shoot 170 gr. FP Speers @ 2300 fps (hot load) and it drops 1.5" more than the Hornady 160's at 200 yds. Kills great too. I've had deer run 60 - 100 yds from hits from a 300 H&H. Its where you hit em that counts.
I see the new Speer 170's are now the DEEP CURL, looks like the Hot Core is going and the DEEP CURL is taking its place. My 35 Whelen is gonna love a 250 gr.SP Deep Curl :D
 
Wow, I bought a 30-30 for deer hunting and backpacking as its main purpose! There was a thread up here awhile ago suggesting something like 80 percent of deer shot by CGNers was shot at less than 150m and that helped make my decision. When the time comes I will be sure I practise enough with my intended ammo, and knowing exactly how it performs. Some people will tell you you need a 300 win mag but I don't drink that kool aid!
 
i've used the leverevo's in my 444 before, and yeah they are very destructive. although for the most part i only use handloads in all my guns so i'd be using a 170g or 150g sierra prohunter over 34-35 grains of R15.
but thats the point i was getting at Charlie38, you can hit 'em with a 30-30 and drop em on the spot, or with a 300h&h and they run... or vise versa...
i guess there really is no easy answer to the question.
 
My dad had a30-30 as his main rifle. With in its range it will take moose ;deer and elk no problem.
 
My father is a poor man. He only has three firearms. A 20ga Cooey single shot, a Cooey .22LR bolt repeater, and a Mod 94 .30-30. He has had that rifle for close to 50 years. Has shot one deer per year with it without having to chase it more than 20yds. I get it when he is finished.
 
In all the years the 30-30 has been out, it has had a near perfect bullet match for it.
That is the 170 grain, with lots of lead out front. Even Jack O'Connor once wrote that the 30-30 with that bullet, was a perfect match and actually killed better than what it would appear it should, looking at paper ballisitics. I would not use the new, pointed bullets.
 
Mike I grew up in the southern gulf islands, guess what I used on the deer. If you are doing a lot of your hunting on the islands than I don't think there is anything better than a 3030 for the smaller coast deer. I don't think I ever shot anything over 75yrd except for the PITA black pigeons that were always in the apple trees.
 
qyote
" the last thing i want is to increase the odds that my meat will become extra tough and gamey from a running scared deer full of adrenaline..."
It's good that you want to obtain the best meat possible, but it takes quite a lot of running and quite lot of "wounded time" to affect meat quality. Tracking/chasing a wounded deer for half a day might affect meat quality, but a deer running 50 yds after a lung shot is always good meat if it was not stressed before it was shot. Shoot 'em in the right place with a 30-30 and you will have good meat!
 
mikeystew said:
i have a really nice shooting old 336 that i haven't hunted with yet. but i must admit im hesitant to use it for deer, as im under the impression, false or otherwise that the deer could run more after a hit than it would with say my .303brit or 444.
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Shot placement will kill a deer quicker than any difference in ballistics. The 30-30 with a well placed shot will certainly drop a deer as effectively as a 444 with the same well placed shot.

If you are expecting shots over 125-150 yards the 303 may work better for you. The 30-30 as mentioned several times here is excellent out to and beyond 100 yards.

Bonus with the 30-30 is even with factory ammo practice is relatively cheap. So practice with it and use it knowing your shot will be where you want it, i.e., dead deer!
 
r.fallon said:
Mike I grew up in the southern gulf islands, guess what I used on the deer. If you are doing a lot of your hunting on the islands than I don't think there is anything better than a 3030 for the smaller coast deer. I don't think I ever shot anything over 75yrd except for the PITA black pigeons that were always in the apple trees.
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im on gabriola and we can only use shotguns here, but im planning a trip to the interior, and i'd like to hunt vancouver island also... what islands can you use a rifle on?
H4831, i've heard that somewhere before about the FP bullets in the 30-30... dumps the energy quick and due to the relatively lower velocity it retains it's weight well. and something about total pass through bullets taking precious energy with them into the woods behind the animal...
 
Hey Mike, just pick what you are comfortable with, don't listen to the BS and enjoy your hunting! When hunting season comes I grab my go to gun and get my venison. Comfort and practice = filled freezer. I feel comfortable with some guns, not with others, I always take comfortable guns. I think if the animal doesn't know you are there you have a better chance of putting it down on the spot than if they do. Have a fun hunting season.
 
woolly said:
Bonus with the 30-30 is even with factory ammo practice is relatively cheap. So practice with it and use it knowing your shot will be where you want it, i.e., dead deer!
Click to expand...
well you see thats whats making me think of using it. i've been handloading for some time now and get ALOT of practice with this particular gun, and with the right load, and no more than a peepsight and skinner front blade, it will give me sub 2" groups at 100-120m while standing using a tree (roof post at the range) for support. very accurate gun and frankly it's the one i shoot the most and can shoot the best. i know with the utmost confidence that with this gun i can place a shot exactly where i want it, everytime.
 
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