Is 30-30 enough for close range elk?

win70 said:
Yeah the .30 30 may work on close elk but...

The real question is why use it?

Hell a spear may work too..
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Well it goes something like this, I have a 30-30 but I don't have a spear. I don't have a .303 either and don't ever plan on having one. I also have other choices, like my .338WM or my .270WSM, but this is simply something that I want to do....why? 'cause I can. Don't overlook that I also mention it being done inside of 50 yards, cleanly, quickly and ethically. If I figure that it cannot be done satisfying all of those criteria, then I simply won't even attempt. But, based on the feedback I see here, I don't see why not. :)
 
todbartell said:
its impossible, never has been done before :wave:
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areyou kidding, I hope so.I definitely wouldn't be nervous about a well placed shot with that gun up to 100 yrds.I have a marlin 30/30 in my cabinet that my dad took five moose with back in the day.the furthest was 150 yrds and three never needed a second shot.:D
 
wsmnut67 said:
areyou kidding, I hope so.I definitely wouldn't be nervous about a well placed shot with that gun up to 100 yrds.I have a marlin 30/30 in my cabinet that my dad took five moose with back in the day.the furthest was 150 yrds and three never needed a second shot.:D
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Took a long time to get a bite on that todbartell post:D

O.K. it was not a real bite, but it was a nibble;)
 
don't get me wrong covey 30/30 wouldn't be my first choice to take an elk,but that cartridge has taken alot of game. I don't like the chance of taking a grizz with a 30/30, so when I wanted to go elk hunting I bought a 325 wsm.
 
wsmnut67, you'll soon learn to take some things with a grain of salt....such as those which tod sometimes says. ;)
PS, the 30-30 isn't my first choice either.
 
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Hey Gitrdun, have at it man. Placing limitations on our hunting activities is often a sign of searching for a closer relationship with our quarry, or a way to increase the challenge to ourselves. I wouldn't hesitate to drop the hammer on a big old bull with a 30-30, especially under the conditions you set out as your limitations. In fact I plan on taking a bull moose in 2008 with a '94 Winchester that has been in my family for over a hundred years; I have a picture of my Grandfather and Great-grandfather with a moose they took west of Water Valley back in the 30's, with that 30-30.

Some people are going to react like you want to take a caribou with a .222 or something.......now that's impossible ;)
 
people have been shooting deer in ontario for years with the 30/30 it is a great gun for thick brush i have personally shot a buck with it. The 30/30 has been proven in the thick bush of ontario for years and you will get people swearing by it. So don't listen to that crap about it not being good enough to take down a deer/elk but you will need to get closer than the 30-06 that is for sure. The only reason people say that 30/30 isn't good enough is because the are to noisy and clumbsy to get close.
 
Pudelpointer said:
Hey Gitrdun, have at it man. Placing limitations on our hunting activities is often a sign of searching for a closer relationship with our quarry,
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Relationship? sign? About the only relationship with my quary that has a priority with me is my relationship to a steak on the plate:D I hope you understand that I do not want some Grizz to have that type of relationship with me:evil: Play with your 30-30 all you want, but keep your big gun handy eh!
 
Packing the .338WM is a definite possiblity Covey. Although, I've never seen a grizz that far east on the grazing lease. Another 5 miles west, I'd say for sure. But then, are grizz's known for respecting boundaries?
 
gitrdun said:
Packing the .338WM is a definite possiblity Covey. Although, I've never seen a grizz that far east on the grazing lease. Another 5 miles west, I'd say for sure. But then, are grizz's known for respecting boundaries?
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Well, keep the big gun handy cause by your signature, your not only huntin food but your riding grizz food. Sort of like the main meal with desert on top! and I'd hate to see you or your grass burner get to heaven any sooner than you have to! eh? If that happens, your 30-30 might not be much more than a party banger:dancingbanana:
 
Covey Ridge said:
Well, keep the big gun handy cause by your signature, your not only huntin food but your riding grizz food. Sort of like the main meal with desert on top! and I'd hate to see you or your grass burner get to heaven any sooner than you have to! eh? If that happens, your 30-30 might not be much more than a party banger:dancingbanana:
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Given the legacy of he 3030 as a saddle gun one wonders how many Grizz can be added to the very long list of N. American animals it's dispatched in record numbers over it's long history. Indeed, I wonder which gun Gitrdun would reach for in the face of a charging boar; a scoped 338 or a 3030 with open sights. I know what I would grab.
 
6.5x55swm said:
It work 75 to 100 years ago, what's changed
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I suspect many folks try to apply the point a click, and hurry hurry, instant gratification of our Modern society to many areas of their life...which includes hunting.

Personally I often like to stop and enjoy quiet, and take my time, and try to notice small details...maybe this is why I often have Deer, and other critters stumble upon me.

Besides If the weather is good, and you packed a nice lunch, why rush through it? :)
 
Covey Ridge said:
Well, keep the big gun handy cause by your signature, your not only huntin food but your riding grizz food. Sort of like the main meal with desert on top! and I'd hate to see you or your grass burner get to heaven any sooner than you have to! eh? If that happens, your 30-30 might not be much more than a party banger:dancingbanana:
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That 's it then, I quit. I'm getting me a trail cam and electronic calls and joining the "metro-###ual hunter" evolution.

In many years of wilderness hunting, backcountry riding and exploring, I have been most fortunate to encounter grizzlies under various circumstances and distances. Not once, have I felt threatened. They just plained minded their own business (eating) and didn't pose a threat. I immediately upon sighting enjoy the view for a couple of minutes but will promptly give them the room they deserve. In fact, I have had a scarier encounter with a cougar, a badger and a frikin' goose than I ever had with a grizz. Anyways, if I'm gonna be desert on top of ol' nag, better going that way then hooked up to a bunch of tubes in the hospital getting my diaper changed twice daily.
 
I've read a story in a Field & Stream years ago mid to late 80's ,but it was about a guy in the states(washington) who used his model '92 in 25-20 to kill everything,So if that's the case, I can't see why a 30-30 would'nt as long as range & shot placement kept in consideration.
 
If grizzlies are an issue, I think a 444 or 45/70 would be a sure bet. Both will certainly tip over an elk at appropriate ranges, and would likely be more effective against the bears.

But that's not the question you asked, now is it...
 
Average folk were succesfully harvesting all manner of big game with 30-30's loooooooooong before the major firearms manufactures emptied our wallets with through the process of "magnum - economics".

I would hunt elk with one.
 
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