JLmoore1956

My choice is the .30-06! [8D]

bigcountry

I would say either, but I have bothered to pull out a 30-30 to kill a deer in over a decade.

MinnFinn

Between these 2 calibers there is no question in my mind... put grandpa's old .30-30 back in the closet or take the firing pin out and mount in over the fireplace, but don't take it out in the woods, unless you have no other choice. The .30-06 is still one of the most widely used calibers, with most loads, slug configurations of any big game rifle ever. It is the father of literally 10-12 other calibers.
I think it was NRA's recent magazine that had a great article about all of this.
Certainly, there are other cartridges that are better for dangerous, longrange or very large game. But almost no others are as versatile as the .30-06. I would expect it to be around for at least another 100 years.

ELKampMaster

A man after my own heart, doing that would loosen up another slot in the gun safe for something more worthy --- I haven't shot the thing since I was a kid and got my first (and only) 270, I can't move it on since its kind of an heirloom. Putting it to rest over the fireplace with a bridle, scabbardand a lariat and calling it good would be a fitting end game for it --- museum piece. A momento of days gone by....

James B

Yeah lets get rid of everything old. Get something new like the 30-06. Guess I can climb up above the old fireplace too.

retrieverman

Yes, the '06 is superior to the 30/30 past 100 yards, but ya'll are selling the old 30/30 short in making it some kind of relic. I have a safe full of guns in various long range calibers, but for under 100 yards, I will take my 1983 model Marlin 336 anyday. Between my youngest son and I, we killed 6 deer with my 336 this past season. I also killed deer and hogs with my Encore300 WSM and new Blaser 270, but I carried my Marlin the most. I personally enjoy the mild recoil in a lightweight, compact levergun better than my hard kicking, heavy magnum guns.

ButchA

Why not use both? Both are legendary calibers for different situations.

30-30: perfect out to 100 yards in heavy brush, thickets, etc.
30-06: perfect out to 300 yards in open fields, brush, thickets, high country out west, etc.

I have a Marlin 30AS 30-30 with plain open sights and I love it for the thick woods and ridges here in Virginia. One of these days, I'd like to compliment it with a nice .270 or 30-06.

bigcountry

Retriever, if I lived back in Ky or WV again, I would still use it. I shoot a deer there and it runs down a mountain. I wait a while and go find it.

Here in MD, its insane. I got little plots of land, and hunters all around. I shoot a deer and it sounds like a gaunlet. Sometimes I question on whether this is anyway to hunt. So if it runs off my 5acre patch of land, I am out of luck most of the time. So when I shoot, it needs to struck down hard. Usually is. I kill most with a bow, and I can cross some of these lands without people getting fired up. As long as I can track these people down on the cell. And for some reason, my bow deer don't go over 50 yards if I get a nice low shot.

retrieverman

Of the 6 deer that my son and I killed with my 30/30,not one went over 20 yards. I neck shot all mine, so you know where they fell. My son shothis two in the shoulder, and neither ran far. I killed 2 deer this year with my muzzleloader and had to chase them farther than any I have shot in a while (over 50 yards).

naconst

Both great cal. both differant as noted.also there is some new ammo for the 30/30 which can better the balistics.Im might pick up a 30/30 soon,not sure of the marlin or win.