The .30 cal M1 for deer? No I would not recommend it. Sell the M1 and buy something more suitable for deer. A 30-30 Win.will do a much better job and won't break your wallet..........Ruger Redhawk

Although a lot of deer have been killed with them I personally don't consider it an adequate cartridge for deer.

In service the m1 and m2 carbines was considered a 300 yd.weapon the Mi garand was considered a 500yd weapon.I got to do alot of shooting with all three,of these.and loved to shoot the m2,it was faster than a 30 cal.machine gun,I got pretty efficant with it from 100 to 500 yds,using a military bulls eye,but to get it to 500 yds it took some elevation.Like some said if you were a good marksman and kept the shots to under 50yds you could take deer with it but I think you would be better off with a 410 slug for short range.The best bet would be to trade it or see if you can find a used rifle in a better cal.that meets you pocket book.

as all has said it is a bit small unless you are good.
if you want to get rid of it let me know.we use them to go with the dogs on hog hunts.they are light short and easy to handle.
e-mail if intrested.


I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

Ha ha ha dont kid with me, for goffers it might be good, the only carbine i would ever buy is a 30-06 carbine.

If you have to think about it then dont use it.There are way to many good deer rounds to wound an animal.

Someone should tell the deer up here to quit dying when they get hit with the diminuitive .30 carbine. We have never lost a deer shot with a M1. They don't go far with the exit hole that the hollow points leave.
Note: All of our shooting while on drives is 20-30 yards.
-Brian

ostdc,
Your point is well taken, considering the success you have had. But you have proven the points made here by those that believe the M1 will do the job..........experienced hunters with a knowledge of deer anatomy taking shots well within the range of this gun's effective deer-killing range. Your success is not surprising to me, considering the situations you are using it in and the bullets you are using, but the last thing readers here should take from this thread is that the M1 carbine round is a proven deer round for many scenario's...........cause it AIN'T.

8mm/06, I apologize for my sarcazm. The poster asked if the M1 was sufficient for him to try whitetail hunting. Under certain conditions, it's great. I did not say that it is a general purpose firearm. But in short range shooting, it's a dream to carry and very easy to shoot accurately. I don't think that it should be dismissed outright like a lot of the above posters did.
If the conditions are not right, maybe he could borrow a more appropriate firearm instead of sinking money into a sport he may not like.
-Brian

Edited by - ostdc on 01/19/2002 17:12:57

If he likes hunting with a short, light, fast pointing, and easy toting semi-auto, he could trade it for an SKS, MAD-90, or Mini-30 in 7.62X39, that is more potent.