Got my moose licence! Leverevolution 30-30 worth using?

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

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Got my moose licence in NB's Zone 3. Nine years since I last won the draw, which is actually a very short time around here, so you could say I'm lucky!

Going to put the team together in next few days, see what gear I need, and start practicing with the rifle. If the .30-30 doesn't do what I want at about 150 yards, going to try something else.

My rifle is a bolt action CIL 830 (rebranded Savage) and I've found it works well with el cheapo Winchester 170s, but wondering if anyone has experience with Leverevolution 165s in .30-30 on Moose, as I seem to recall hearing some complaints about the bullets on bigger game.

Shot would be 150 yards or less.
 
I gave up on the gummy tips when I was shooting the .30-30. Accuracy was just awful. Mind you they were lever guns I was using. I shot a broadside whitetail at around 60 yards using the gummies. The bullet hit back a bit but still in the ribs. A very gory mess inside but the deer ran like it was shot with any other .30-30 bullet. I don't think I would like the gummies on moose sized animals. I don't think you can beat a Winchester 170 grain Power Point in your bolt gun. Very proven bullet and reasonably priced.

Darryl
 
My Marlin 336SS shoots the Lever Evolution AWESOME! But... The lever evolution ammo shoots different than the regular 170 grain pills... So make darn sure you sight in if you change ammunition for the hunt.

Cheers
Jay
P.S. Congrats on getting a tag! Good luck!
 
If I had to wait a decade between licences, 2 things would be for sure. One, I would use a bullet I KNEW worked well on moose (vs something I never used before with questional build integrity) and two, I would be using something scoped with a bit more power at longer range. (Such as a .308win) cause you'll kick yourself if the only moose you see comes out at 250-350 yards......such as on the other side of a lake. I know N.B. is very forrested with most shots at <100yds but not ALL shots are close ones. That is just my 2c worth. I own a Savage 340 in .30-30 and out of 30+ guns, its the last one I would take for a planned moose hunt. (Up here , there is no draw.....just give the nice lady your $20 and she hands you a tag.
It's your hunt and your choices, just adding my opinion. Good luck on the hunt.
 
A .30/30 bolt gun screams for handloads, I think a 150 gr pointed bullet at about 2400 fps, depending on barrel length would be an excellent choice for most North American game. The moderate impact velocity would result in slower bullet expansion than what we have come to expect from a .308 or .30/06 either of which will drive a 150 at nearly 3000 fps, so I would expect improved penetration, and the trajectory would be significantly flatter than factory 170s. Sighted 2" high at 100 the 150 would have a 175 yard zero, and be about 7" low at 250 yards. This should give you the confidence to make a slightly longer shot than you'd otherwise be comfortable with, should you spot your moose across a burn, a clear cut, or in open muskeg.

If you're looking for an excuse to purchase a new rifle, a 180 gr bullet in a .308, a .30/06, or a .300 magnum will all outclass the old .30/30.
 
Be careful of your handloads. The breech opening of the 340/830 series is designed for round nose 30/30 cartridges and does not allow much room for longer pointed bullet lengths.
 
In my 340 I have used leverevolution both commercial and my reloads.

I think 30-30 is a little light for moose but that is only my opinion.

The nice thing about the bolt guns is that you can use pointy bullets. If you reload consider a jacketed soft point.
 
it Screams Tradition, but as above, waiting 9 years for a Tag is somethin else..

if you're not gun ho about killin a moose, then totin a 30-30 would be fine, hold off on your shot until its clear/close enough an get the quad!

sounds a perfect reason to acquire a 2nd hand 308 or somethin for some insurance..

my 2c, no moose here!
 
sgt.rock said:
If I had to wait a decade between licences, 2 things would be for sure. One, I would use a bullet I KNEW worked well on moose (vs something I never used before with questional build integrity) and two, I would be using something scoped with a bit more power at longer range. (Such as a .308win) cause you'll kick yourself if the only moose you see comes out at 250-350 yards......such as on the other side of a lake. I know N.B. is very forrested with most shots at <100yds but not ALL shots are close ones. That is just my 2c worth. I own a Savage 340 in .30-30 and out of 30+ guns, its the last one I would take for a planned moose hunt. (Up here , there is no draw.....just give the nice lady your $20 and she hands you a tag.
It's your hunt and your choices, just adding my opinion. Good luck on the hunt.
Click to expand...

Two ways of looking at it.

One is to say that it's such a rare hunt that I want to get a high powered rifle and have at 'er.
T'other is to say I haven't shot but two big game animals with a rifle in the past 10 years, and I can't see that changing; I use a bow for deer and a shotgun for everything else. I'm a dad with two kids and not a load of income, and I'd rather be successful with what I have than buy a rifle and use it for only one hunt and then have it sit around, or buy a rifle, use it for one hunt, and then have to sell it again.

Maybe I'll look for a Lee Enfield, though.
 
No offence meant. Does you 840 have a sidemount/scope? I know the .30-30 can kill moose no problems. My hunting party has dropped more with a 94 lever than all the others combined. The distance was always close (<30-40 yds) usually coming around a bend in the river. One is kept as a "boat gun" in the bow. For those closer shots, they work great. Most often, the 7mm and 300 mags are cased for water splash and bump protection, so they take a minute to get ready to shoot. Thats where the .30-30 jumps to action.
If you are an archer and shotgunner already, I have every faith that you possess the long lost skills of stalking that are lost on many today. I would hazard a guess that the .30-30 wont be any handicap to you.
For sure give the leverevolution a whirl, but like they say...." if its not broke, don't fix it" :)
I really hope you do well. As they say.....beware of the man with one gun - he may know how to use it!
 
sgt.rock said:
No offence meant. Does you 840 have a sidemount/scope? I know the .30-30 can kill moose no problems. My hunting party has dropped more with a 94 lever than all the others combined. The distance was always close (<30-40 yds) usually coming around a bend in the river. One is kept as a "boat gun" in the bow. For those closer shots, they work great. Most often, the 7mm and 300 mags are cased for water splash and bump protection, so they take a minute to get ready to shoot. Thats where the .30-30 jumps to action.
If you are an archer and shotgunner already, I have every faith that you possess the long lost skills of stalking that are lost on many today. I would hazard a guess that the .30-30 wont be any handicap to you.
For sure give the leverevolution a whirl, but like they say...." if its not broke, don't fix it" :)
I really hope you do well. As they say.....beware of the man with one gun - he may know how to use it!
Click to expand...

It has a sidemount 2-7x, which was why I bought it; previously I'd used a Win 94 but found the straight stock pushed into my face too much, and they were too hard to scope (I went through a few before I decided this). Bought a good scope mount for the Savage and found it shot pretty well the few times I had it at the range.

My brother-in-law was a wheeler dealer and bought and sold a lot of .30-30s; every time he bought one, I'd buy all the ammo that came with it, so I have a decent stockpile for practice.

Last year, he was at this hunting spot with another of my brother-in-laws and said they saw 14 moose in a morning. They shot one at 100 yards and passed up several at much closer range than that.

However, I'm not presuming it would be that easy this year. In my experience, it doesn't take much to mess up a moose hunt. Last time I had my licence, the wind and fog pretty much screwed up any chances we had.
 
Sounds like a good area. Now I really hope you get lucky. If it is scoped, you are pretty good to go out to 200+. Not many moose are dropped beyond that range. If you do pick up some leverevolution ammo, let us know how it shoots in your gun. (Point of impact versus the Winchester 170gr stuff. Very curious.
 
Congrats on the tag. I was lucky enough to get my NB moose tag this year as well. only my second time drawn in 21 years applying.

Are you going to be appointing another designated hunter? If so do you know what cal they will be bringing? If the other hunter has the rifle & ability to take any longer shots that come up I'd say stick with the ammo the gun shoots best.
 
I would stick to the 170 win power point or if you reload the 170 sierra. Both tough deep penetrating bullets. The 160 FTX is a lot softer.

The 160 FTX also does not like some marlin micro groove barrels. I think it's a combo of bore size, shallow rifling and a short bearing surface. Most other barrels will shoot it well.

I sold my 30-30 a few years ago but there's still a few in the family. The 30-30 just looks right with the old flat nose bullets mentioned above. I think it looks just plain wrong with the FTX being a rimmed case. But that's just me.
 
Have you looked at the deep hollow point Barnes TSX 30-30 offering? It would have all my attention in your situation.

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