Old 30-30 lever guns

YoungGunz67

YoungGunz67

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How many people other than me still reach for a 30-30 winchester 94 for most medium to large game. I know I can't be the only who loves the true experience and thrill of taking game with and old lever guns and even tho I've never personally owned one I hear a lot of people love the marlin and Henry 30-30's. Share your story, with all of use stewing with cabin fever I'd be nice to swap old hunting stories of using a 30-30 hunting

Cheers

Young gunz
 
I killed my first moose with a 30-30, in 1980, middle of BC.
Won't work here in Alberta unless I bone up on my stalking skills big time! Or get a cloaking device.
 


One shot at a distance that most will say I lied, so I won't say it for that reason.
Offhand shot in the middle of a field of winter wheat. 9:30 AM, the 22nd of November 2005, in the Cold Lake Petroleum Oilfields area.
A factory 150 grain Winchester Silvertip into the chest cavity. One straggering step after the shot, then he fell dead as a door nail.
He was chasing the local lady does when I caught him in the open.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I've actually never shot anything with a 30-30. Don't even own one (never have). Should probably remedy that.
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Now that you reside in .30/30 country... you need to get on that.

I have shot a few deer with a M94 .30/30... but many more with an M94 .32 Spl... at 15 years of age, I shot 5 deer in under 5 minutes with a battered, old barn gun... that 94 .32 Spl belonged to my grandfather and it kept the family fed for decades... it passed down through 13 kids to my father, who was the youngest son, and then passed to me and now my son... it is a truly ugly gun... my favorite gun.
 
I hunted and filled the freezer with a 1949 94 30-30 for many years before I had any other rifles. I still have it. She stands in the back row in the safe. I do want to take it out hunting, but I have become so attached to HDM rifles, that I just don't reach for her on hunting mornings. It's a shame, really!
 
YoungGunz67 said:
Anybody have luck with that hornady FTX bullet yet, I hear it really tightens the groups up at longer ranges
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That is what I use now... the 160 FTX with 36.0 grains of LVR in Win brass and CCI 200 primers... very accurate load... ever gun is different, so work up to that.

Yikes! Typo on the load... I guess that's why we MUST build up.
 
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I can't say I reach for my 30-30 for most big game hunting. Too many other guns to choose from. Taking a sheep with my dads old '94 (1941 manufacture I believe) was on my bucket list though, and I did so a few years ago. A fine 13 year old ram.

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i have a range of 30-30's from a 1896 model 94 rifle to a 1981 model 94 trapper with a couple of marlins in the mix, i use them all for the purpose they were made i use them for deer, moose, coyote if i go to grab one its quite often the oldest one of the bunch it hits where i aim we work well together, truly an accurite firearm.
 
Kilo Charlie said:
I don't believe it does. I have yet to find a more accurate load than the 150 Speer in my Marlins. The FTX is about as accurate, but not better.
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When I worked up loads in my 94's and 336's, as well as a Henry... the FTX load above proved significantly more accurate than Speer HC's, IL 150 RN, IL 170 FP, and IL 180 BTSP... comparing consistent group averages, they were close to half the size, benched at 100 yards... open sighted 94's and scoped 336's.
 
FWIW, when I processed the 26000-odd registered guns in postal code K1 of Eastern Ontario using data posted by lapresse newspaper, I found the .30-30 is the 4th most common cartridge coming in at over 6% of all guns. It is bracketed by .303 BR and .30-06.
 
Luv my Model 94 Winchester and 1895 Savage, both 30-30. Model 94 was great in Fort McMurray large amounts of bush..
 
You know, i had a remlin 30-30. It was my first centrefire rifle. Sold it. it had a mismatched forend and buttstock, gap between stock and reciever, gritty action (at first), shoddy blueing, rough machining on the internals, but i shot half a dozen deer with that gun. Handy in the vancouver island bush and there was something about it, it just felt good in the hand.

Now i have a ruger scout, but dammit i miss that stupid thing!
 
I have a Marlin 30/30 take down manufactured in 1900. It still operates really nicely and is a lot of fun, never really shot anything but targets and cans. it's nice to handle but does get a bit heavy firing from a standing position, or maybe I'm getting weaker.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I've actually never shot anything with a 30-30. Don't even own one (never have). Should probably remedy that.
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IF you ever purchase a Winchester, I strongly suggest you seek out a Pre-64 version.

I once intended to hunt with a '67 Centennial rifle, purely because or it's nice long 26 inch pipe. It was some sweet deal for offhand shooting!
However the sheet metal shell lifter broke after just one summer of frequent use. WTF

Fell back on the nice 1956 made carbine and you can see my results here in my photo.

Too much talk from me now!
 
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