30-30 Stories

H4831

H4831

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Since the thirty-thirty is such a popular rifle calibre and the good looking and efficient lever actions it usually comes in is so popular, I think it is time we heard some actual stories about them.
I will start out with one or two.
The person that pulls the trigger has a great influence on the reputation of the calibre, and here is a tale about a fellow who did not add to the fine reputation of the 30-30!
As I have said on here many times, in the great depression, homestead era of northern Canada, people shot game year around to live on and people always carried a rifle with them, wherever they went. The 30-30 was the most popular calibre. One fellow was notorious for wounding game, and always telling about it. After a story of his went on for some time, about how he had sneaked up on this fine elk of moose, he would finally ask, "And what you think, I aimed right at him, shot and hit him, but he got away, wounded!"
One day he was pumping ammo through his Model 94 at an elk, when the rifle blew up. He picked up all the empties, then sent the blown up rifle and empties to the Dominion Ammunition Company. After a while the company wrote him stating that one empty sent in, did not have powder in it and that lodged the bullet in the barrel. They told him to pick out any rifle he wanted, and they would buy it for him, along with a good supply of ammunition. When he spread this story around, the whole neighborhood rejoiced. Now he could get a larger calibre that would be easier to kill the game with. When he told this story he ended up asking the same thing, "What you think, I told them get me another 30-30 Winchester!"
 
most of my family uses or has used a the 30-30 for deer hunting in Ontario. I would think it accounts for at least 6 deer in our group every year and sometimes even more.
 
I shot a 30 30 through a 303 one day at the range through a friends gun. My buddy put both rifle cartridges in one reloading box. I reformed the case well. He now has two separate boxes for each type.The rifle was fine afterwards ...and i hit the bull.
 
30-30

I shot my very first deer (a fine 4x4 buck in the 120 class) with a model 94. Short barrel, light weight, shoulders instinctively, possibly the best bush gun hands down. Jumped my buck out of a willow thicket, shot him in the neck before his hooves hit the ground. It was a fluke shot for a 12 year old. Lucky shot for many older hunters too I imagine. Either way, it was pretty impressive to my father and the other guy we were hunting with. Wouldn't have been able to shoulder any other rifle quick enough.
My grandmother would go out on the trapline with my grampa for the fall and winter. She hunted with a bolt action 30-30. I don't recall the make. One fall she was hunting moose and came accross a young bull. She shot him in the neck and down he went. Rationing bullets for the rest of the winter, she decided not to go for the insurance shot. My grampa hears the shot, so he comes walking around the hill to find grandma wrestling with this bull trying to slit his throat, so as to save another round!!! Grampa could hardly shoot he was laughing so hard!! Everyone was okay except the moose....
 
jamiejaf said:
I shot a 30 30 through a 303 one day at the range through a friends gun. My buddy put both rifle cartridges in one reloading box. I reformed the case well. He now has two separate boxes for each type.The rifle was fine afterwards ...and i hit the bull.
Click to expand...

303 Savage, or 303 British? There is quite a difference.

Ted
 
the 30-30 as a symbol

My dad's 30-30 that I inherited after he left this Good Earth, was the first deer rifle he purchased as a new item in his new found home of Canada in the early 1960s or thereabouts.
My father was born and raised in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. Although he was too young to be conscripted in WW2, he vividly remembers German occupation, and all that this entailed.

His father remembers worse artocities, visited upon local citizens in WW1.

Well during WW2, there was a standing order, from the German occupiers that stated any Belgian citizen, caught with a rifled firearm, pistol or rifle, centrefire, rimfire or even an air-rifle, was to bring an automatic death sentence upon the hapless victim.

Strangely enough, single & double barrelled shotguns were allowed to be kept. But I cannot remember if farmers, were the only Belgians allowed this exemption under the Nazi rules.

I digress, my dad emigrated to Canada in the early 50s and soon met/married my mother.

Being a practical family man, he could not afford a new deer rifle to help/supplement the family diet. But he luckily befriended a few Canadian navy veterans whom happily welcomed him on group deer hunts, where he was often loaned a .303 Lee-Enfield for his own use.

At some point my father decided he could afford a new rifle of his very own. He then asked his hunting buddies for advice on his newest rifle purchase. They all conceded although they prefered 303s, a fellow could get by very well in Nova Scotia, deer hunting with a Winchester Carbine levergun in 30-30 calibre.
He purchased this carbine, at the CFB Shearwater Canex, as by then he was serving in the RCN.

Looking back now, I believe my father came to think of this rifle, to be a symbol of wonderful freedom & peaceful wilderness pursuits in his new home called Canada.
 
My grandfather put food on the table for my mom's side of the family with a 50's manufactured M94 in 30-30. Still in the family and still shoots as well as it ever did.
 
I'm on my third trapper 30-30 and it is my go to gun for guiding and exploring the hills. Lightweight, easy handling and enough power to get the job done make it an easy choice.
 
Not really a story, but more a memory. My great grandfather shot a 30-30, and I believe it was the first firearm I have ever seen. My grandfather was taught on that 30-30, and would tell me stories of himself and great grandpa going hunting for deer. Sadly, I don't have that firearm. Some (bleep) stole it, and used it in a crime. But, whenever I shoot deer with a 30-30, I save the best cuts for my grandfather, and listen to him as he tells me stories of hunting with that calibre. I wish I could take him out hunting, just once, or to at least let him shoot my 30-30.
 
Years ago my great uncle supplemented a meagre income by guiding American deer hunters. He was a good hunter and always lugged a 94 carbine.
Of course in those days a guide was forbidden to carry a rifle while guiding in N.B.. He was guiding a Yank once and had to take the horse and wagon from the camp to the nearest village and his hunter asked if he could accompany him. As it was Sunday they were unarmed and when crossing a large meadow they spotted a big bull moose on the edge of the meadow hooking some alders.
The American announced in a broad New England accent," If I had my 300 I'd put him out of theah!"(300 H&H)
My uncle, a taciturn man at the best of times said," If I had my .30/30 you'd need a team to get him out of there."
 
Legend has it that the founder of a hunt camp I am often a guest of emptied the tubular magazine of his 30-30 lever shooting at 3 or 4 big bucks as they ran circles around him as he stood on a small hill. He missed everyone, the teasing he took over that did not end with his departure to the great deer woods in the sky, but he gets a small nod or glance skyward before a shot of schnapps is downed after telling the story. That story is often heard at the sight of my marlin 30as when I visit the camp.
 
When I was a youngster I just knew that a bolt gun was superior to any other, all the books and magazines said so. I proudly carried my M-700 .30/06, and was pretty much of the opinion that if I could see it, I could hit it, and that if I hit it it was dead. At the range 1.5 MOA groups could be shot with boring regularity from the bench. At that time I still had much to learn about field shooting and the difficulty of packing a bench into the back country whenever I wanted to shoot something.

Anyway, one day at the range this older fellow shows up with a a 336 Marlin topped with a low power scope and he brings along his heavy wooden shooting box. The handmade shooting box with the dovetailed corners and the homemade ammo trays should have been a tip-off. Anyway, I didn't even consider that the old lever gun could compare to my rifle. I was about to get an education.

We both shot for several hours that day, and not once did my Remington with my best 165 gr Sierra handloads shoot tighter than that Marlin. In one afternoon, all those ideas about the superiority of one piece stocks, fast lock time, and imperceptible trigger movement went out the window. I don't recall that we ever exchanged a word, but that fellow certainly taught me something about rifles and shooting that day, and who ever he was I thank him for it.
 
The 94 win and other hammer lever guns might have the most near accidents of any gun ever manufactured. The hunt camp I have been with for over 40 years allow members to bring a guest for a couple days hunting providing member looks after that guest for his hunting safety.Like no shooting while he or she is on a push or drive, no shell in barrel while walking with group.the basic hunting saftey.
We don't allow anyone with a Leaver hammer gun. Seen to many near potential fatal accidents. One fellow in group unloading his 94 went off and bullet hit large stone fellow was sitting on eating his lunch right between his legs he was very lucky only pieces of stone cut through his pants and minor cuts, but he did some wild screaming and jumping, getting his pants off to see how bad he had been shot he told me his legs where burning like hell as well his scrotum. It was hard not to laugh when he told me how he reacted.
And I am sure everyone can tell stories how the 94 discharged when thumb sliped off lever unloading, or putting in half #### safety position,after cycling action and no more shells ejected but later found out one still in magazine tube.
 
manitou210 said:
The 94 win and other hammer lever guns might have the most near accidents of any gun ever manufactured. The hunt camp I have been with for over 40 years allow members to bring a guest for a couple days hunting providing member looks after that guest for his hunting safety.Like no shooting while he or she is on a push or drive, no shell in barrel while walking with group.the basic hunting saftey.
We don't allow anyone with a Leaver hammer gun. Seen to many near potential fatal accidents. One fellow in group unloading his 94 went off and bullet hit large stone fellow was sitting on eating his lunch right between his legs he was very lucky only pieces of stone cut through his pants and minor cuts, but he did some wild screaming and jumping, getting his pants off to see how bad he had been shot he told me his legs where burning like hell as well his scrotum. It was hard not to laugh when he told me how he reacted.
And I am sure everyone can tell stories how the 94 discharged when thumb sliped off lever unloading, or putting in half #### safety position,after cycling action and no more shells ejected but later found out one still in magazine tube.
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That sounds alot like negligence on the part of the user of the rifle, not the rifle itself.
 
manitou210 said:
The 94 win and other hammer lever guns might have the most near accidents of any gun ever manufactured. The hunt camp I have been with for over 40 years allow members to bring a guest for a couple days hunting providing member looks after that guest for his hunting safety.Like no shooting while he or she is on a push or drive, no shell in barrel while walking with group.the basic hunting saftey.
We don't allow anyone with a Leaver hammer gun. Seen to many near potential fatal accidents. One fellow in group unloading his 94 went off and bullet hit large stone fellow was sitting on eating his lunch right between his legs he was very lucky only pieces of stone cut through his pants and minor cuts, but he did some wild screaming and jumping, getting his pants off to see how bad he had been shot he told me his legs where burning like hell as well his scrotum. It was hard not to laugh when he told me how he reacted.
And I am sure everyone can tell stories how the 94 discharged when thumb sliped off lever unloading, or putting in half #### safety position,after cycling action and no more shells ejected but later found out one still in magazine tube.
Click to expand...

Agreed, shooter problem, not the firearm.
 
manitou210 said:
The 94 win and other hammer lever guns might have the most near accidents of any gun ever manufactured. The hunt camp I have been with for over 40 years allow members to bring a guest for a couple days hunting providing member looks after that guest for his hunting safety.Like no shooting while he or she is on a push or drive, no shell in barrel while walking with group.the basic hunting saftey.
We don't allow anyone with a Leaver hammer gun. Seen to many near potential fatal accidents. One fellow in group unloading his 94 went off and bullet hit large stone fellow was sitting on eating his lunch right between his legs he was very lucky only pieces of stone cut through his pants and minor cuts, but he did some wild screaming and jumping, getting his pants off to see how bad he had been shot he told me his legs where burning like hell as well his scrotum. It was hard not to laugh when he told me how he reacted.
And I am sure everyone can tell stories how the 94 discharged when thumb sliped off lever unloading, or putting in half #### safety position,after cycling action and no more shells ejected but later found out one still in magazine tube.
Click to expand...

I can tell you lots of stories about bolt actions that have "gone off" while being unloaded, etc.
it's not the type of rifle , it's the USER!!:mad:

I used a single shot H&R 30/30 for years on the trapline, and guiding.
it was a lightweight, accurate rifle and totally safe to use if it was handled properly.
I do not like tube magazines myself, but then i'm not fond of lever action rifle either, unless the lever is attached toa falling block.
That being said, the Mm94 and m336 likely are two of the highest selling rifles out there....
Cat
 
manitou210 said:
The 94 win and other hammer lever guns might have the most near accidents of any gun ever manufactured. The hunt camp I have been with for over 40 years allow members to bring a guest for a couple days hunting providing member looks after that guest for his hunting safety.Like no shooting while he or she is on a push or drive, no shell in barrel while walking with group.the basic hunting saftey.
We don't allow anyone with a Leaver hammer gun. Seen to many near potential fatal accidents. One fellow in group unloading his 94 went off and bullet hit large stone fellow was sitting on eating his lunch right between his legs he was very lucky only pieces of stone cut through his pants and minor cuts, but he did some wild screaming and jumping, getting his pants off to see how bad he had been shot he told me his legs where burning like hell as well his scrotum. It was hard not to laugh when he told me how he reacted.
And I am sure everyone can tell stories how the 94 discharged when thumb sliped off lever unloading, or putting in half #### safety position,after cycling action and no more shells ejected but later found out one still in magazine tube.
Click to expand...

Why would anyone fully chamber the round they are unloading from the magazine of a '94? I won't even get into muzzle control. When the round leaves the magazine and is on the elevator, move the lever until the cartridge rim lines up with the cutout in the guide rails, then simply turn the gun over and the round drops out in your hand. Not knowing how to use your gun is not a design flaw. You can't make guns fool proof, the fool will win every-time, fools should just keep their hands off machinery. Rather than limiting your crew to action type, perhaps you should limit your crew to those who can demonstrate the safe handeling of their firearms.
 
My dad bought a like new '57 94 in the late 60's. The fella bought it new in 1957 with 2 boxes of ammo. Not being much of a hunter, he shot 1/2 a box of ammo and put it in the closet. He wanted $50 for the rifle, shell belt and remaining 1.5 boxes of ammo. Dad being a hard bargainer, said $50 was too much money and left. When he got to his car, he realized he was being stupid, the other rifles he looked at were well used and around $80. He went back in and offered $45. So subtracting the cost of the shell belt and ammo, he paid about $35 for it.
I started shooting it and carrying it when I was about 10 or 11. @ 13yrs old I switched to .30-06.
I still take the old girl out for a walk in the woods, looking for deer and she is a frequent visitor to the range.
52 years old and never taken an animal, still a virgin...... maybe I can remedy that this weekend....
 
x2 - I haven't owned levers long but that's how I unload if I'm not planning on shooting them out. Barrel in a safe direction (at all times) lever down, flip over, repeat.
 
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