.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

I've taken deer with the 30/30 out to 200 yards and I took a moose up close and personal. The 30/30 doesn't have enough velocity to need a partition bullet and any 170 grain bullet on the shelf will do the job out to 150 yards. Take a broadside shot and you'll likely find the mushroomed bullet under the hide on the opposite side.

Aside from dead animals what were the results (recovered bullet, penetration, exit wound, etc...) of those two long shots and the moose up close?

On the whitetail buck I shot at 200 the 170 Silvertip went through him broadside and exited for a quick kill. The moose I had to follow into the thick stuff due to a lesss than optimal hit I put on him with a .30-06. I exchanged for my open sight 30/30 to follow him into the thicket. I found him at ten yards and he came to his feet and I sent two 170 Silvertips into his heart which put him back down and killed him. Both Silvertips were in his heart and they had mushroomed perfectly. Those shots were only ten yards which explains the lack of penetration.

I used my 30-30 to kill my first elk and my first deer. I used to shoot Winchester Silvertip 170-grain ammo.

3030 rocks and dont let anyone tell ya otherwise.mine is 102 yrs old and i still load for it.just remember yer range limits

Know a guy who uses one every year. He uses LEVERevolution (160 gr FTX). He has taken 6 plus elk with it with no loses due to wounding. However, he never shoots one past 150 yards.

More elk taken and more elk lost with .30-30's because in the old days that's what they carried unless they owned a .30-06 - period.

They kill them with bow & arrow also.................all about shot placement, you know that !

sure like to see some proof that more elk have been wounded with a 30-30 than magnums. I once read an article written by an elk guide and he said the most problems they have is with hunters using magnum rifles.

The Reloading Bench

The .30-30 Winchester has probably killed more deer than any other cartridge. And it has probably wounded and lost more deer than any other cartridge. But hunters and not the .30-30 cartridge must be given credit for one and blamed for the other. In the hands of those hunters who accept the .30-30's limitations as a big game cartridge, the Winchester Model 94 and the Marlin Model 336 are deadly deer rifles. But those same rifles in the hands of hunters who don't believe their shots should be limited to 200 paces or less and a lot of wounded deer will limp over the next hill.



GunnersDen.com

The 30-30 Winchester was introduced to the public as a sporting cartridge by Winchester in 1895............
Winchester's own model 94 30-30's running into the millions of firearms produced.

I've also used 170 gr Winchester Silvertips in the past to kill elk and deer. Been a many of times in the deep woods I'd rather had that ole 30-30 than a scoped rifle. Many Times.

Let me start out my response by saying I have no intention of an argument and only interested in "spit balling" the situation. I respect just about everyone on these boards and very much enjoy just talking about hunting ,hunting tools, and hunting situations.

To really understand this issue we've got to look at all the elements involved. I do believe the elk guide that in today's world that more elk are wounded by mag's and that only complicates the issue. I will say though that in virtually 100% of those cases however that is not the rifles fault. In these cases it is usually the shooters fault due to poor placement from guys that know little about hunting, go out and buy a big ole mag from Cabelas, pay big bucks to hunt and shoot just enough shots to sight in their rifle. In many cases they aren't even sighted properly. Not only that but it's simply the law of averages. Many more mag's on the hill than 30-30's chasing elk so there will be more woundings AND more kills from mag's.

How can I prove that there have been more elk wounded in history by 30-30's than mags? Of course I can't prove that, there have not been statistics kept on the subject. It's just my opinion but I will say that IMO common sense and experience plays a factor in that opinion. First 30-30's have been around much much longer and used much much more. The bullet is much slower and in many cases lighter. I think most agree there are limitations to the range of the 30-30 cartridge. There are many a hunter, good hunters, that lack the discipline to keep within those limitations when a monster bull is just out of reach. Many a hunter have taken that 250+ yard shot either because they didn't realize they were really at that range or because they scoped their rifle and sincerely thought they could put it where it counts. Let's not forget for many, many years guys only had open sites and range finders were non-existent.

Aside from speed and weight bullet options played a role in this as well and somewhat persist today. Because of the lack of speed and weight premium bullets don't perform as well from this cartridge. These things don't make it inadequate just not quite as "good" as other when considering ALL situations and assuming a shooter can shoot well. Even a mag wouldn't perform as well as they do without the bullet options they have available to them. NO ONE can place a bullet perfectly every time. In optimal situations you will never notice the difference and an elk will be just as dead with a 30-30. But to say a 30-30 can perform like bigger cartridge (notice I didn't limit this to mag's) in capable hands is simply not true and that is very proveable and circles right back to at least a portion of my opinion.

I think something that is very important is being able to shoot your rifle accurately and confidently. Someone that cannot shoot a 300 win mag for example has no buisness hunting elk with it and SHOULD tote the 30-30 with the discipline to understand the limitations of that rifle. IMO if you don't practice and become proficient with ANY rifle you shouldn't hunt at all.

I believe (rather be hunting) has hit the nail on the head of this one. As I recall the article did not blame the magnum rifles as the problem it was the hunters unfamiliarity with the gun that caused the problems, and the fact that they thought their rifles had an unlimited range. The guide said he had better luck when the hunter showed up with an 30-06 or 270 because they usually new their gun better.