Semisane

All good points Nomercy. I did a little research comparing the 30-30 Remington factory loads against hot handloads for the .357 Mag. The muzzle velocity differences are in the 300-400 fps range. Then again, there's the difference between my little 18" carbine barrel and a 30-30 with a 20 or 22" barrel.

I mostly hunt small food plots on a hunting lease where a long shot would be 150 yards and most shots are in the 75 to 125 yard bracket. If I creep the woods or sit in a woods stand I can see around 40 yards or so and not much more. But mostly I hunt with muzzleloaders anyway. I figure this little carbine to be my "carry gun" when I walk around scouting or to do things like check the trail cameras. I learned a long time ago to always carry a gun when in the woods during the season and my Hawkens and Renegades are pretty dang heavy for that.