What is it about the good old 30-30 ?

I could have owned several old nice 30-30's but in over 70 years of shooting have never wanted to use a 30-30. Always preferred something with a flatter trajectory for a longer range...
 
nomad 68 said:
PSE said:
Wish they still made the Savage 99.

To me it was a superior design to the Winchester 94 in every way. Funny how some very good designs get chucked by the wayside and others continue.
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Cost of manufacture killed the 99.
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I think the Savage 99 was definitely an interesting design and concur that cost of manufacturing killed it.

Practically speaking however, for me it is the worst of both worlds between a bolt rifle and a lever rifle. Obviously the advantage over tube feed levers would be the various pointed calibers. However, the size and ergonomics of it makes me tend towards bolt options.

I'm not particularly partial to any lever guns but I do have a Win Mod 94 and Marlin. The Win 94 is what I consider a nice rifle to carry (or pack) and can shoot when you need to, whilst the Marlin is more fun to shoot and marginally less sleek to carry around.
 
Who doesn’t like cycling / racking a .30-30 lever gun? Newbies and my wife and her friends all gravitate to the cool factor of my .30-30 Marlin 336W BL.

I have prepared a box of 110 grain SP booolits (single feed or 1 in chamber & 1 in the mag tube) for them to blast without much recoil. Big noise, not much kick. They are all happy. :cool:

What’s not to like? Then comes along my 1895 GSBL in .45-70 for the TUFF GuyZ!! Ha ha haha. :evil:


Cheers, Barney
 
When I started shooting you could get a '94 from Sears for $99.99 with 2 boxes of Imperial shells and the cheapest black plastic case you ever did see.

I never had much use for them for hunting, but still have a couple that I shoot cast bullets in. I can get all the lever action fixes I need with rim-fires.

I've got muzzle-loaders I'd rather use for hunting.
 
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I have a 219 in 30-30 and Dad's 336 is still kicking around. 30-30 is OK... but rather common.
It's likely the platform we love... I've got a 94 in 38-55 that gets taken out every year... mind you it and the 'Spud gun' are so perfect for my locale... they either get the deer or hit the dirt at around 300 yds in the event of a miss. Perfect.
That 219 is surprisingly lively... always worry about the dreaded 'Tang Crack'...should just crossbolt it now and be done with it. Could build a few 30-30's with a better profile of bullet then...see what a 30-30 can really do. Don't even need to buy dies...neck size with another 30 cal die and just do a mild crimp... maybe seat it out a touch too.
 
Light, short, easy to carry, and lever-actions are just plain fun to shoot. Not to mention the "Wild West" feel. It's also a plenty capable cartridge at short range. As many people have pointed out, lots of deer shot with 30-30's.
 
I kind of have a special affinity for the hierloom Winchester 30-30 carbine.
My father was 15 end of WW2 in until very recently occupied Belgium. Ownership of any rifles arm inclusive air rifles was to incur an immediate death sentence.
As a new immigrant to Canada and growing young family he could not afford to buy his own rifle until 1966.
In the meanwhile good friends seen to it he always had loan of a 303 LE rifle.
Was purchased post deer season CFB Shearwater Canex. On sale of course.
Now my father God bless him was no great hunter but he realized the importance of at least one deer rifle in the house. Years later a Cooey 12 gauge and bolt action 22 rifle followed. This 30-30 was made in 1956.
Not much moved fast in those innocent days.
 
Young adult onset hunter/ shooter:

First centre fire round I ever popped off was a 30/30 win a random guy in a gravel pit gave me. Killed a water bottle at 15 meters with that old 98. Felt like a combination of John Wayne and a grizzled 1890s prospector

I hunted with one where I was allowed to use a rifle for a while. Bought it from an nice old guy and it came with a weaver scope for 425 bucks. He told me he had shot it once and I believed him. At the time that was a lot of cash for me. I mostly hunted with a 12 gauge and never really took to it. I had a later love affair with the R92 in 454 casull because I’m weird.

I’ve conceded to modernity and joined the bolt action gang anyways and I think I’ve discovered that for me a single shot is a good low profile carry gun. Took me a few years to come around to scopes too, I’m a simple man.


Something to be said for the ergos etc of levers for hunting in close quarters and thick bush. Not unique to a 30/30 though; but the 336 and 92 are nice guns.

I see some appeal in single shots after a few lacklustre rimless chambered guns. I have a deep lust after the chapuis side by side 30/30 on a 28 gauge frame. Imagine rolling up to an Ontario deer drive with one of those bad boys and shooting over beagles, I am only one lotto win away.

I can guarantee I would have bought one of the savage budget bolts with the mannlicher bolt handle if I was around at the time, that’s class. They should do an axis with one

:stirthepot2:
 
rifleman762 said:
Did anyone make a pump action 30-30? My hands hate operating a lever action. When I have to use one I take my hand out of the loop and grab the outside of it. There is something to be said for the light weight and slim profile of a Winchester 94 but I just can't do lever actions...
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Remington made their 141 pump rifles in .30 Remington, a ballistic match with the 30-30. Pretty neat design, tube magazine and all. The cartridge never caught on though, pretty scarce now. Nice little bush guns.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
I've had quite a few model 94's over the years along with a Marlin 336a & a Mossberg 464. The 94's are me favorite as they have that perfect feel.
The 30-30 round is dandy for reloaders for game taking or target fun. Best part about the 30-30 for me is the cartridge case itself as it be simple
to form for 25-35, 32-40 & 35-30 chambers.

I would like to get a real tidy Rem 788 bolt rifle in 30-30 to use for target work. Those buggers shoot sweet.
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There is a 788 in 30-30 listed on Meyers auctions. I think it is April 18.
 
Isobar1999 said:
Ok today I realized that no matter how many rifles I have , I always seem to grab my 30-30 lever gun when I need a gun for “whatever”.
Today made me realize it’s a great whatever gun , went to do some scouting for spring bear , didn’t intend on needing to shoot anything but didn’t want to become lunch for a critter either , 30-30 in the truck.
Went out cutting wood earlier this winter with a buddy, 30-30 in the truck.
Take the mrs and kids winter camping by the river , 30-30 in the truck.
Quick run to the store for milk and bread, 30-30 in the truck.
Well not quite that last one but you get my drift right lol
If I’m going out to target shoot then I take along whatever I want to shoot , but if I need a gun to come along for the ride for that just-in-case-whatever scenario then that 30-30 literally jumps in the truck all on its own !
So if you’re a 30-30 fan , in your opinion what is it about a 30-30 lever gun that makes it so useful for anything and (pretty much) everything ?
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I think the 3030 lever action is so iconic, it is probably one of the few rifles that is truly a tool in the toolbox if you will, like putting on your wooly's when you wear your boots, it just belongs with ya when your out in the woods period, its relatively compact, it is quite reliable, very easy to point and shoot can get ammo pretty much everywhere , yup its a tool any outdoorsman should have I am biased in my opinion though as I have an overwhelming passion for lever guns sorta almost an addict, yes I am gonna get help soon but not sure how that's gonna go when I show up with my frickin 3030 in the truck cuz........ that's what we do
 
I got a brand new Marlin 336 for Xmas when I was 14 (1960) which was my only hunting rifle until I moved up to a BLR 18 years later. My 30-30 was used to harvest deer and moose so I have confidence in its utility. Still have the rifle.
On a side note, a friend that does a lot of “tinkering” with builds, had a 30-30 chamber cut for a bench gun using a Barnard bolt action which gave him a 0.311 agg @ 100M (5 five shot groups).
 
In the Eastern Canada deer woods they're an excellent choice. Lightweight and quick handling, ideal for the fast action close range shooting we are often presented with. No deer or moose takes a well placed 3030 round within its range limitations and keeps moving for long.

I have a Marlin and a Winchester in 3030. I suspect I will one day get my grandfather's Savage 340 too.

I've had deer drop in their tracks, and the furthest I've had them go is about 10 feet (from the kicking and rolling). Excellent deer round if the range is accounted for.
 
blasted_saber said:
In the Eastern Canada deer woods they're an excellent choice. Lightweight and quick handling, ideal for the fast action close range shooting we are often presented with. No deer or moose takes a well placed 3030 round within its range limitations and keeps moving for long.

I have a Marlin and a Winchester in 3030. I suspect I will one day get my grandfather's Savage 340 too.

I've had deer drop in their tracks, and the furthest I've had them go is about 10 feet (from the kicking and rolling). Excellent deer round if the range is accounted for.
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Well stated. I envy you having one of each - especially old quality ones.
 
A 94 was my first deer rifle which I bought new in 89. I used in for few years then I moved on to other calibers, losing interest in the 30-30. Then I decided to get into Contenders,a 30-30. Barrel showed up for the pistol. Then I ended up with a Savage bolt gun and single shot. It was like rediscovering the 30-30. I started shouting the 94 again and finding I really enjoyed shooting levers. So I ended up collecting old Winchester and savage levers. I found an old Savage take down in 30-30 that needed some work. Most of the rounds I put through them are cast lead with a load of Unique.
 
saskcop said:
Well stated. I envy you having one of each - especially old quality ones.
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My Marlin is a good old 336 that I was given. 50 years ago a good friend of my grandfather asked him what he should buy to replace his Lee Enfield, my grandfather told him a Marlin in 3030. That gentleman retired from hunting a couple years ago and now the rifle resides with me. He is happy it is still walking the same bush he hunted with my family for decades.

The Winchester is a different story. Its an early 70s model and looks like a wet turd. The metal finish is some awful PAINT that would rust from a popcorn fart three rooms over. Functionally its fine. The wood is OK. Its never jammed on me. It shoots good enough for a deer rifle in sub 100m range. Ironically it started out its life as a gift from my grandfather to one of his favourite employees. It went around a bit before ending up at me as my first centrefire rifle when I graduated highschool.

I wont get rid of either, both have meaning to me in different ways. I might armour or cera cote the Winchester at some point because it sure as hell cant make it uglier.
 
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