ElkKampMaster, I never implied that the .30-30 was SUPERIOR to a higher velocity rifle, only that if used properly it is more than adequate to the task.I am tired of the elitism which accompanies the mindset of bigger is better, especially from people (I do not mean you personally since I don' t know you) that imagine that the larger cartridge will make up for their own inadequate skills both as a marksman and as a hunter.
African Governments set the limits of minimum cartridges for Dangerous game due to the irresponsible actions of Hunters and Professional Hunters alike. In short they got tired of scraping up the bloody remains of people that took shots at too long of a range then suffered the consequences of having to track a wounded and highly P.O.ed animal under less than ideal conditions. BTW the reason the guy used the smaller rifle is because of an accident with a much larger gun that left him with a severe concussion, headaches for the rest of his life and permanent hearing loss not to mention a flinch when using a larger bore that screwed up his accuracy with the bigger guns.
By " Given" the opportunity I mean having the disposable income to invest for a hunt and the time to do it at the same time. Raising an 8 year old Granddaughter takes precedence over things I might prefer to do. I have standing invitations to both Colorado and Montana from friends for exactly that purpose but I cannot in good conscience do so.
Why would I personally not use a .30-30? Because my own stalking skills and physical condition (knees are shot) preclude my getting around in that kind of country in the fashion neccesary to get within the range I consider to be that of a .30-30 I do know my own limitations which is something many people never admit to. Since I will probably never be able to take such a hunt, I don' t even worry about what I might use. Here in North Georgia I use both a .30-30 (Winchester 94) and a .280 Remington (Ruger #1) for Whitetail and Black Bear depending on the area I intend to hunt on a particular day.