300 savage vs 3030 lever

littlemech87

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I want to start hunting deer, elk, etc. and I'm looking at a either a 300 savage or a 3030 lever action. what would be the better rifle to use?
 
Welcome to the site.

I'd take the .300 Savage as they are chambered in the fine 1899 or 99 rifles. They are well built, can use spitzer bullets and you can easily mount a scope. The .300 Savage will be effective on deer and elk out to 300 yards or so, depending on your skill and loads.
 
Welcome to the site.

I'd take the .300 Savage as they are chambered in the fine 1899 or 99 rifles. They are well built, can use spitzer bullets and you can easily mount a scope. The .300 Savage will be effective on deer and elk out to 300 yards or so, depending on your skill and loads.

Also, you can pick up a nice one for between 400$-600$. Good price, great cartridge, great rifle and easy to carry all day long. What's not to like? :cheers:
 
Well, the .300 Savage is ballistically superior, being closer to a .308 than to a .30/30, and you have the advantage of being able to load pointy bullets in a 99. The question is, can you find one? There seems to be many more 94s and 336s for sale than 99s.

If you find a 99 chambered in 250 Savage don't turn your nose up at it either, while it doesn't really meet my definition of a general purpose cartridge, the 250's illustrious history doesn't have much respect for what I think. The .303 Savage is more like a .30/30, but what the .30/30 does with a 170 the .303 does with a 180. Does that matter? Probably not.

If in the end you do choose a traditional .30/30 lever gun, you can load it with pointy bullets if you're so inclined, provided that you use it as a 2 shooter, one round in the chamber and one in the magazine. Each time you cycle the action after firing the round in the chamber, you can add another to the magazine. Something like a 125 Sierra can sneak up close to 2600 fps which produces a reasonably flat trajectory, about a foot low at 300 with a 200 yard zero.
 
30-30 = 150gr bullets @ appr 2350fps

300 Savage = 150gr bullets @ appr 2650fps

I have a single shot T/C Contender carbine barrel that was originally chambered in 30-30 I had it rechambered to a wildcat called 308Bellm = 444 Marlin brass necked down with 308 Win dies and loaded close to 300 Savage velocities 150gr bullet @ 2620fps.

The 300 Savage is an excellent round that increases the velocity over a 30-30 by 300fps.
 
300 savage is the perfect deer round. A remington pump or savage bolt action would make a great rifle. I'm not a fan of the looks department on the savage levers
 
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If you feel that you must have a lever action rifle, then the .300 Savage is head and shoulders in performance over the 30-30 cartridge.

However as mentioned, you might be better off to consider a Savage 99 in .308 Winchester. This calibre is available almost anywhere and is slightly better in performance than the .300 Savage cartridge.

If you reload or think of reloading in the future, cartridge cases are much easier to find and the rest of the components are standard. The .308 can also be downloaded to 300 Savage or 30-30 ballistic levels.

Added to this is the safety factor. The .308 being a more modern cartridge, is available in more modern rifles and probably better steel in the firearms.
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I have rifles chambered in 30-30, and in 300 Savage.
They are quite different in performance.
The 300 Savage is a much better performer than is the 30-30.
This is not denigrating the 30-30, just stating facts.
The extra velocity, plus the ability to use pointed [spitzer] bullets gives
the 300 a decided edge.
If you anticipate shooting over 200 yards or at larger game, the 300
Savage is the hands down winner.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Also, you can pick up a nice one for between 400$-600$. Good price, great cartridge, great rifle and easy to carry all day long. What's not to like? :cheers:

I don't like the fact that I turned one down a few years ago for a fraction of that cost. So yes my vote goes to a Savage 99 in 300 Savage over the 30/30. :)

Save your brass and get into reloading.

Also I suspect given the inflated prices in the EE here your local gunstores consignment rack may offer a better deal and at least you can look at it in person.
 
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With respect to ammo availability, even the local Canadian Tire has Federal blue box .300 Savage on the shelf.
 
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