retrieverman

Like TUK101, I have gone back to my roots and taken my Marlin 30-30 back in the woods. I have hunted almost exclusively with it the last two years, and I have killed about 10 deer with it. I had a bad case of "magnumitis", but I have gotten tired of getting pounded by my guns. For where I hunt in Oklahoma and Texas, the 30-30 is really all that I need. My Marlin is a 336T with a straight grip stock topped with a Leupold Vari X II 3-9x40 scope. No Taboo Here!

SwampCollie

I don't think its "taboo", it is just not as popular as it once was. There is a greater emphasis on taking game at distance these days than there was historically. One of the greatest follies hunter's make is the gross over-estimation of range. If you see a deer standing in a southern peanut field 225 yards away, it will really look like he is 350 (I've done it too, thats why I carry a rangefinder). The deer are small, people blow things out of proportion, and while I have personally taken deer out to 180 yards with my 30/30 Ackley, I don't have the option of shooting 300 yards ethically(and there is no such place I hunt that I can see 300 yards anyway...). If you were to poll the majority of rifle buyers, they will often think about how far they MIGHT have to shoot (or if you are a student of Freud, how far they WANT to shoot), rather than how close they will LIKELY BE shooting. Hence, magnumitis and the decline of the 30/30.

When the 30/30 was on its throne as the king of the deer rifles (and it is still a senior senator there), hunting was vital to the survival of the family unit. Money was scarce, hunting was for food. The 30/30 was cheap, available, and did exactly what the family unit needed it to do.

With a few exceptions, hunting in 2006 is not a means of survival, it is a means of recreation. While the meat we take is certainly a perk, it isn't the difference between a big meal and the soup kitchen. Those who hunt with a 30/30 ususally put an emphasis on getting close to game (the hunt) as opposed to shooting at the greatest possible distance to test their skill (emphasis on the kill). Also, travel is becoming a bigger part of the modern hunter's life. Myself, for example, while hunting deer domestically in SC, am going to Africa in June for larger plains game and leopard. Now I have several rifles, including a 30/30, but if a sportsman wanted one rifle to do a majority of his hunting with, he'd pick something other than the 30/30, just for the sake of versitility and availibility.

There are plenty of things right with the 30/30. But, as times and needs of hunter's change, so do what is popular and what is not. Lever rifles are not as popular as they used to be, nor are guns that can't shoot MOA at god awful distances.

semi

I love the 30-30. in fact so much i just bought one for this season. to me, if you are hunting in heavy cover i would take one without a problem. I have a 7mm-08 and a 30.06 with scope for the field hunting. But we hunt in all kinds of conditions which warrant different guns. to me its like owning a pair of shoes. I don't wear tennis shoes to work.

the 30-30 is so nice and short, light and fast.

TUK101

Yeah, I figured that most of the responses where going to involve all of the TV shows and commercials. After all, arent we just an extension of the corporate world that America is turning into? We cant think for ourselves anymore you know, we need an infomercial telling us what to and not to do. Not I, I fight that crap every day and try to think for myself. I like to kill my deer as humanely as possible and to me a 30/30 or my .270 do just that. At 30-75 yards the 30/30 makes just the right hole and doesnt ruin much meat, but the deer that I saw a 7mm mag take down at 50 yards had a nice small entry hole and a huge blown out exit wound that pretty much ruined both front quarters. But I dont want to turn this thread into a which is better thread, I just want more opinions on why people tend to almost laugh when you tell them that you hunt with a 30/30?

ButchA

I love the 30-30 too! If I had to choose between my Marlin 30-30 and my Remington 870, I'd grab the Marlin first. It's just my go-to gun that I always grab. I have used the 870 with #00 Buck before, but there is just something magical about stalking the thick woods with a 30-30.

I got a small spike/3pt during Thanksgiving week with my 30-30 with open sights at 70-75 yards in the heavy woods and thickets. A 170gr Winchester Silvertip dropped the small buck like a ton of bricks! [8D]

Butch A.

Austin/WI

I love my 30/30! One of my favorite guns - ever. My father has the Win 94 and I have a newer Marlin. It's a great gun for my area, we have a lot of thickets and draws where a shot at a deer will probably be less than 50 yards and possibly through a little cover (though I try to avoid shots like that). The 30/30 has more than enough take down power at that range and I haven't had to trail a deer more than 15ft since I started hunting. Whats not to love? Besides - John Wayne was able to knock an Indian off a horse at half mile from the hip with his old 94!

p.s. - not to mention that ammo for the 30/30 is dirt cheap too - can never wrong saving some money.

TUK101

Nice bucks there retrieverman. Thats what I am talking about. The 30/30 gets the job done.

lovethebigguns

What I've heard fellas say is that they take their "super duper magnums" on hunts because they say it increases their odds of a kill.And I'll admit, I've fell victum to that same mind-set, lastfall I spent$485 on an elk tag and all of the rest of the moneyfor the tripand I grabbed my 300 win mag instead of my 30-30. Why? I guess I thought I didn't want to limit myself to 150ish yards.

I love my Winchester lever guns, and if I could hunt with a rifle here in Indiana, I do sincerely believe I'd carry my 30-30 or 44 mag 90% of the time.

Long range shooting is very challenging, but it really doesn't "trip my trigger" I usually go to Kentucky rifle hunting every year and next year my 300 will be left at home and I will only carry a unscoped lever gun.

IMOthat's huntin!

TUK101

It is great to see all of the positive responses to the 30/30. I was starting to feel like I was the only one left who still liked/used the gun, or any levergun for that matter. Whats even better is that I dont believe that there are any negetive responses to this thread. I know that there are bound to be a few though.

Red Lion

Put me down as a .30-.30 fan, as I really like my Marlin 336. I did not use it this year, but plan to go back to it for a weekend hunt during rifle season next year. By the way I had very poor results trying the Hornady Leverevolution through my 336 this year. I was getting at least 14" of drop at 200 yards with the stuff. I believe it is because Hornady advertises trajectory out of a 24" barrel that is on the new Marlin XLR leverguns.