.30-30 elk load question
 

Hello!

So my wife shoots a .30-30 lever gun that she loves so much I can't begin to convience her to shoot anything else. She has taken a few antelope and deer with it and shoots it very well. However she insists she must carry this rifle elk hunting this fall.

So...what ammo should I load it up with? Would you go with the Horanday Leverlution ammo or the Nosler Partitions?

We can keep shots under 250 yards.

Thoughts?

Any store bought ammo that will fit in the gun will be more than ample to kill an elk at 250 or less!!! 30-30 has killed untold numbers of elk!!!! If she has the ability and the confidence in that gun that is 85% of the formula to success

If I were going after elk with a 30-30 those are really the only two factory loads I would consider. Federal 170 grain partition or Hornady 160 grain FTX. I would choose based on how each shot in your wifes rifle.

or just use some old remington 150's they will get the job done!!!! U don't need a premium bullet...more elk have been killed with them old out dated none magnums with plain old soft point ammo than all the new fancy magnum bangnums!!!!! .32 special, 25-35, 44-40, 45 long colt ...all proven elk killers!!! .300 ultra mag .338 ultra mag and all them new and fancy cartriges..will they be here in 100 yrs?? no not all of them, but I can assure U that he 30-30 will still be here and still aviable cartrige

I would go with the partitions, the FTX I would imagine would open up too quick.

170gr or hornady's 160gr, the .30-30 is known to be a 200yd deer gun, 300yd with hornady's new load,

For elk, i really think I'd want closer the better when using a .30-30, like under 150yds...

May be time to buy a .308, 30-06

Go with the partitions and keep shots under 150 yds. JMO

More elk have been wounded by the ole 30-30 than the magnums as well. There's always more to the story. What you don't hear about the "good ole days" are the stories about how guys would wound a lot of animals. Get an old timer to be honest and you'll hear em. We know better now days and have better tools to minimize that sort of thing. We have to be more responsible due to the political nature of hunting in today's world. She can use the 30-30 as long as she knows the limitations like I mentioned in my previous post.

30-30 is fine. As stated, stay within a reasonable range: the effective range for both her and the cartridge. I killed a bull with a lever action 30-30 years ago. 65 yard shot killed him as dead as all the ones I've killed with my .06.

I ALWAYS heard a 30-30 was only good out to 100 yards on DEER, but that being said ive always felt i would take 150 yard shots in right conditions, but 250 yards on a elk IMO is way too far, i'd keep shots at 150 and less as already stated