For my father, the 30-30 was a moose gun. Cover was tight, ranges were short, scopes were a novelty, and he wouldn't have fantasized about shooting a quarter of the distance that I think is routine.
Under the same conditions he hunted it would still be a moose gun, but that time and place are gone. Fact is, his moose gitter is a step down from my muzzleloaders in power, range, accuracy and sighting equipment. I still have a couple around to play with, since I grew up with that sort of thing and still like them. I can't think of one reason why I'd want to hunt with one. There's bolt actions that weigh less and practically everything hits harder.