RE: The ole .30-30???
 

WHITE FALCON'S pic of his rifle reminds me of the BEST loking pre 64 30-30 I have ever seen. It was a special order he had ordered from Winchester and featured a black walnut stock. It hung on the wall on two oxen horns,on onehorn was a holster on it a colt 45 with pearl handle grips. the other hung a set of silver spurs. Wish I had a pic, maybe I can drop into my aunt's house and see if his son has removed it as he was left all of my uncle's collection.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

How about starting out with 4,000 ft pounds of energy out of the barrel and heading down range?
3 "bangs" in one shot....
recoil.... report.... K-THUD down range!

or

150 grains doing 2800fps or better?
That way youkeep measuring elevation drop in inches instead of feet.

30-30's might be okay fer deer in the bramble patch but kinda whimpy for out west where horizons run long.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

.300 Win Mag is the beginning, .338 Mags, even better, .375 Mags and up, now your talkin! :)

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

I like the way you think!!!!!

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

For where I live, in the thick woods where a shot is pretty much always under 100 yards, the 30-30 is about perfect. Low recoil, plenty accurate and doesnt destroy meat like some of the hich velocity rounds out there do. So far we havent had to track a deer yet after being shot with the ole 30-30 in the 20 + years I have hunted.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

First gun I ever owned and killed my first deer with was my winchester model 94. Every time I go out to the land it's the first gun I grab. I just strap it over my shoulder and go. It's not too big so it stays out of the way. I can rely on it (iron sights) up to about 100 yards or so. I take it incase I run into a cyote or fox or whatever. I have to admit during the hunting season I don't use it much but during the off season I use it the most (if that's logical at all). On second thought I also grab it if I'm just in the mood to shoot. It's just a fun gun to carry and shoot, very reliable, and practically impossible to mess up. I really think everyone should have one. If not start of with one. jsut my 2 pennies worth.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

Have a couple of 30-30 levers and a 340 savage bolt in 30-30.That savage 30-30 is a blast to hunt with.I load 150 grain Ballistic tips in it .Have yet to see anything other than "BANG ,FLOP" from 10to 150 yards.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

I love my marlin. not only is it perfect in the afore mentioned posts. but, when all of us get together to shoot and hang out. the 30-30 is always the favorite. i'm the only one in my group that has one. and when i've had enough of the "macho" ar's and mini14's i pull out the 30 and everyone want to play. jmo.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

It's the next gun on my list to add to my collection. For now, just for fun, but I have hopes of the DNR allowing rifles for deer here in central Iowa. I've been drooling over the Marlin 336XLR.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

The .30-.30 is a great rifle. I use them for a lot of deer where I know they will be in the bush. Its a good solid rifle. A great standbye. Keep the gun and take it out every now and then.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

I have been using lever guns and the 30-30 for over 40 years. I can't even begin to count the number of deer that old 30-30 has dropped. I don't consider it as a back-up gun I consider to be my primary hunting rifle. Two years ago I purchsed a new 336 with the crossbolt safety because it was just time to hang up the old 30-30. With this new one I can use Hornady's LE ammo which took me an 8 pt. this year just shy of 200 yards. It looked like someone kicked his back legs out fromunder him.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

When those new rifles came out with the crossbolt safety the first thing I thought was I'm glad I have one of the old ones. What made you decide to hang up the old one? With the new one, do you hunt with it on full cock, and just use the crossbolt safety? Or vice versa? Or both? If I was forced to use one, I'd just have the crossbolt on fire all the time and use the hammer as a safety. Eliminate any confusion.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

Actually, the old Marlin belonged to my dad from the 1930s era. Plus I wanted to use a newer rifle, didn't want anything to happen to it. I don't use the crossbolt safety, I just put the hammer at halfcock just like any Marlin.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

That's the same way I carry my Marlin. I haven't been hunting extremely long time and have only 6 does to my name. All taken with the 30-30. Only one of them ran and she was a 75 yd double lung shot that obliterated the near side shoulder. For some reason she had the gumption to run off somewhere between 250 and 300 yards even though it looked like someone was running through the thick cane reeds with a paint sprayer. Other than that they haven't gone more than 20 yards. I hunt with my 338 federal now, but that's just because I don't want to be under gunned in case of an encounter with a hog with a bad attitude. I may need to rethink before next season. I can fire off 7 rounds pretty quickly with a lever gun where I am limited in my ability to take a fast follow up shot with the bolt action and limited to 4 shots. I have a 3-9x40 simmons on it now, but recently realized that I need to get back to the open sights. Probably will go with the AO Sights Ghost ring set-up.

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

I have never felt undergunned with a 30-30 especially if the roughest thing I would encounter would be a hog, and like you said, you do have 7 shots to change his attitude.

What are you hunting with the 338 Federal?

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

Hunting deer in heavy cover where there are plenty hogs

RE: The ole .30-30???
 

I hunt in WMA's here in Louisiana where the general rule is that the last man who pulls the trigger on the deer gets it. If I shoot a deer and it runs off and someone else gets a shot at it he can claim it as his own. This happened a few years ago and the game warden awarded the deer to the man who shot last. Even though the deer only had one hole in it. So if I can shoot something that will give me a better chance at "BANG FLOP" then that's what I'm gonna use. I've been thinking about the 45-70 in a Marlin 1895G, but haven't bought it yet. Have to try to convince my wife I need another rifle. Right now she thinks the 3 high power rifles I have are enough.