30-30 question...good for long range?
 

I bought myself my first Winchester model 94 30-30 a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it. Here's my question (and forgive what may be a dumb question): I'm planning a special 40th birthday year hunt with my best hunting buddy next year and we are going to Canada (probably Saskachewan)to hunt Mulies, Blacktail, etc. I expect it to be a pretty tough trip, physically, and I sure would like to carry the 30-30 instead of my much heavier and longer Rem 700. Any thoughts on the viability of the 30-30 in longer-range situations..200 yards or so? I'm not too worried about the power, but I'm not sure it will shoot flat enough. Sure would hate to miss an opportunity at a trophy.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts/opinions.

Edited by - SCRIDER1 on 10/30/2002 10:59:38

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

LEave the 30-30 in the closet where it belongs and take a rifle capable of making longer range shots since that is what you are expecting. The 30-30 in a 94 is a 150 yard cartridge at best.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Frizz gave you good advice. Leave that 30-30 at home for the trip that you described, 150 yds. is the max. range on this round. It's designed to be a short range cartridge used in the thick brush and short distances, don't ruin your trip by using this rifle. What caliber is your Remington 700? It may be a little heavier but if it's in a decent cartridge then you'd be much better off taking this rifle.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Wolf--my 700 is a .30-06.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Leave the 30-30 at home!!!!!!!

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Scrider1, first off you won't be hunting Mulies in Saskatchewan and we don't have blacktails. Mulies are for residents only and by draw. The only deer you can hunt here is whitetails. If you do hunt whitetails in Saskatchewan, I will bet your time will be spent in a blind or stand. You won't be toting all over the place, as outfitters have a area they must stick to, camps are in the forest or fringe areas only (exception indian reserves) so bush, you usually hunt funnels, meadows, and cut lines with rublines. The prefered method of hunting is stand/blind type hunting here. FYI, many at this point bait as well(but they are talking about banning baiting...so that may change). So if you decide on Sask. the 700 would be the wise choice. Some camps wil have their stands/blinds in the 100 range, but most like to be 200 to allow more movement and wind swirl...so again a gun that you would feel comfortable shooting 200-250 with ease would be the best choice.

3030 is best suited to shots of 200 or under. I know their are those who will disagree, but I have a 94 and would only want it for those 150 and under shots. Don't get me wrong, great little guns with a purpose and my opinion it is not for chucking them out in open areas 300 yards.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

poor 30-30 always getting slammed

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Remember when George Foreman made his "comeback" and just sort of kept hanging around even though there were so many more better fighters than him? He should have just retired and saved himself the embarassment, sort of like the 30-30 Win.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Propmahn it has it's place just not shooting across 200 yard wide hayfields. Leave it at home in this situation... You are also going to a new area and the conditions may not be what you imagined and there may be nothing but 300 yard shots where you go .

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Skeeter...thanks for the info on Sask...we've only just begun to research our plans so I didnt know the info about Mulies being for residents only..thats a bummer. And I was just guessing on the Blacktails. We're really not interested in a canned hunt (over feeders, etc) to us, thats not hunting. Any advice you could give that would help us avoid such an outfitter would be appreciated. As far as the gun goes, I've learned that my 30-30 wont cut the mustard for the longer shots. Thanks for the input everyone.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

the 30-30 is fine for under 150..and that
is giving it more then I would shot with it.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Yes, the 30-30 is always getting slammed. But in this case, I'd opt for the 30-06 too. Mainly because your shoots are going to be over 150yds. The 30-30 is good with-in its range. Where I hunt, 50yds is a long shoot. So the 30-30 is a perfect choice, but in your case it is not.

Guns cause crime, like flies cause garbage.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

I agree, take the 30-06. But as far as the 30-30 being a 150 yard and under gun, that depends upon the rifle and the shooter.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

In saskatchewan or alberta 200 yards is not considered long range.We save that description for shots over 300 yards or more.Leave the 30-30 at home.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

SJ, yeah thats the truth. The long distance shot stories here, all start out the same "I had to dial 1 and the area code before I squezzed", indicating a much longer shot than most consider acceptable. My pal put a brute down 2 years ago, we guessed 350, but were wrong and missed low, the buck ran and he dropped it in its tracks with a spine shot, decided what the hey lets rangefind it back to the truck 419 Yards. Now that's a poke, sure wouldn't want a 3030, you would have to hold on the moon and hope the wind was gusting behind you.

Schider1, the outfitters I referred to are all wide open, wild animals not penned or canned hunts. Baiting is a legal, standard practice hear. Well right now anyway. Believe me most of these camps are exceptional, they may have the barley on the ground, but that in no way is a gaurantee. They do their scouting and homework like the rest of us. they just don't lay down slop and expect a monster to appear, so I know you won't be sorry with most of them. If you want bruiser, typical whitetails, look at camps in the central to the west of the province. If you want average and more nontypi's than the east side seems to produce the most trash but tends to have more 140 class deer killed as average.(the west/central most good camps run high 150's to low 160's with always a number make the holy grail each year) How much do you guys want to spend? I don't think I can name names,on this site. But check out the Saskatchewan Outfitters Association on the web, they have a list of all the camps. Then you can get specifics, prices and ask me if I don't know I can find out. I used to work in the industry and have many pals who still do.

However whether you hunt Sask, Alberta or Manitoba you should book soon, as they are often full well inadvance of the next season and all 3 provinces will give you a great chance at a trophy. (none of these provinces have blacktails, but alta does allow non-resident Mulie hunts, I believe)

Caution though you might get hooked on our land of Canada, it is immense, wonderful resource and really untouched.



Edited by - skeeter 7MM on 10/30/2002 23:58:56

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Alberta does allow non-residents to hunt mulies and most other species.If you want an alberta hunt I can refer you to a great outfitter that averages bucks in the 150 to 170 class if you are able to pass up the smaller bucks.Theses are horseback type hunts conducted on a cattle ranch with great guides and accomodations.I will be gone elk hunting for several days but let me know if you are interested.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

i wasnt implying that it was a 200yard gun but at 150 its possible. just everyone equates it with worthless at distances over 50 feet

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

I would use the 06 for the same reasons above but bring the thirty/thirty for a back up gun. You never know when some fool is going to break your scope (like I did to my own rifle awhile back). Then you might have to make do with the model 94. In Alberta and Sask. I have shot some deer in the next postal code(with my .264 win. mag.) but I have probably killed more at under 100yds.(some with a muzzleloader)

Robin.



Edited by - Duffy on 11/01/2002 02:21:54

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Otis-That is a mule deer hunt.I hunt with this outfitter myself for bighorns and he is a great outfitter that produces quality animals if the hunter does his part.His name is skip selk and he can be reached at 403-625-2022.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Listen to Skeeter, he knows exactly what hes talking about.

Scott

e-mail me [email protected]

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Although the 30-30 has probably killed every north american big animal around, it still would be wise to take the model 700. I have killed at 130+ yards with mine but ive used it for years and really know my gun. I would totally hate myself if i took my old lever up to canada and had to empty a tube into a huge whitetail cause he wouldnt go down. The hunters in the late 1800's had to use the little 30-30 cause there werent alot of choices in smokeless powder rounds, but i bet if they were around today going after northern big game they'd be packing magnums. I love my 30-30 but have witnessed to many whitetails in my area take several rounds to drop em, so i can imagine the monster bucks in canada.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

I've used my 30-30 for 200 yard shots before, but with handloads and on whitetails. One of my friends got one at 185 yards with the 30-30 starfire bullets. Up untill this year the 30-30 was my deer gun of choice because it doesn't kick any, and if you know the drop on your gun it's easy enough to just aim as high as you need. To expell any doubt that you need to unload your gun on a deer to kill it, all my deer that I've ever shot with my 30-30 dropped on the spot except one doe that jumped twice and then fell dead. It's all in shot placement with a 30-30.

But having that said, unless you can make a 30-30 sing like I can, stick to the 30-06 for anything over 150 yards.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

I would say the 30 30 would be pretty weak for the type hunt you plan on

February 2003 = tired and Re-tired cop

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Sorry maybe i should have been more clear about my post above. When i was talking about having to unload into a deer with my 30-30. I hunt with a club and all we do is drives, so the majority of the time the deer are running and really fired up. When they have there adrenaline pumping even big magnums have trouble bringing them down. So to be a little more to the point, i have had to shoot deer that are running and excited several times with my 30-30, most of which are good hits. Dont want people to think im just blasting away and putting bullets everywhere. The first buck i ever killed on the drive ran within 20 yards of me, i shot three times and it ran off. I found it 40 yards away with 2 holes behind the front shoulder about an inch apart and one just below the spine, i still had to put one in the neck to finish it off. I have also had them drop in their tracks, but 90 percent of the time they run at least 40-50 yards with my 30-30, when they are pushed and excited.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

I'm with propmahn. The .30-.30 is a way under-rated gun. I think a lot of people go with the bigger guns because they have to make up for their inadaquaicies in shot placement. I feel very comfortable shooting my .30-.30 out to 150 yards and would even shoot out to 200 if I had the opportunity. I've dropped a few northern WI whitetails(close to 200 lb. animals) with one shot at over 100 yards. I even took a running doe at right around 200 yards. Even in drives I've dropped deer right where they were running with one shot and didn't have to follow up with a "kill" shot. I've never had a wounded deer with my rifle. It's shot placement. If you feel comfortable with your .30-.30 use it and be effective, but if you prefer the .06 use that. I have a .280 as well as my .30-.30 and when I'm out in the field looking at shots over 200 yards I'll carry the .280. Do a little more research and wait to see what gun to bring until you decide on where you're going for sure. Then bring both guns because as Duffy sadi you may want that back-up gun.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Yeah I'd take along both rifles too.
No matter what caliber your toting; between hunting seasons practice, pratcice, practice.
And, if you aren't, get into reloading gives you more, less expensive but quality ammo, for more practice.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
That will let you develop the skill to use both guns/calibers to their maximum effective range.

&quot;Lord, make me fast and accurate.&quot;

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

Okay, .30-30 is great in it's proper place, but what about sights? I don't care if a round will kill a deer at 200 yards or not, if your front sight bead covers half the animal, you've got problems. I can see using a .30-30 out to 200 yards if you're a good shot AND have a scope. With iron sights, it's a hail Mary.

RE: 30-30 question...good for long range?
 

im sick and tired of hearing people slam on 30-30's i havea marlin 30-30 and its the best gun i've ever gotten but long range i have to admit it isnt the greatest because there isnt a whole lot of powder for the size of bullet

Blake - Go get'em