im a huge fan of the 30-30 round
but i cant seem to find a bolt action version of it i would like the long range reliability of a bolt action
thanks
-mark

I'm a little confused...please forgive me. If you want a "long range" bolt action why select the .30-.30? If you want reliability, lever actions are fine. What are you hunting (and at what ranges)?

There were some bolts made in 30/30 quite a few years ago (Savage/Stevens and or Mossberg?) Their selling point was that they were safer than lever actions of the day with only a half-**** safety. These guns were more utilitarian than works of art and were fairly cheap. I'm not sure if there are any bolts chambered in 30/30 today.

Loaded properly, the 30/30 is a 200 yd cartridge, but 150-175 is probably more realistic. I really like the 30/30 in a lever with a peep sight. My range is limited by my eyesight and the sight system, and that's about 100 yds for me, which is great with the 30/30. If you don't mind the looks of a scope on a lever, you can get longer range out of the 30/30, but as stated above, it's not really a long range cartridge.

i am hunting whitetail and i post up my ground blind on a field probably 250 yards give or take 5-10 yards

At 200 yards, energy for the .30/30 is about 1,000 ft/lbs. At 300 yards it is about 700 ft/lbs.

It is therefore arguable that the .30/30 is a marginal deer round at 200 yards, and inadequate at 300 yards (using the theory that you need 1,000 ft/lbs minimum for a whitetail kill). Now I understand that this can be argued all day..... but just trying to apply some logic to my thinking....

I use a .30/30 every year to hunt in Michigan, but my shots are 100 yards max... usually 35-70 yards. I do not use it in areas where 200 yard shots are a possibility -- I use my '06 or .270. So if I were to purchase a bolt gun for that purpose, a .30-30 would not be my choice...

IMO for the type of hunting your doing you would be much better buying a 308 or something similar, than trying to stretch the range limits on a 30-30.

Although energy is a factor in killing deer, it's not the only one. The trajectory of shooting a 30-30 at 250 yards is more of a rainbow effect. You would have to aim at air over the spine to drop one on target.

Find a nice .308 Winchester in a bolt rifle. You will more likely have a longer range foundation for a rifle and plenty potent out to 250 yds.

Just because it is a bolt action rifle does not mean it is a long range gun. The type of rifle makes no difference what so ever in the velocity of the cartridge. A 30-30 is still a 30-30 whether it is in a lever gun, bolt bun, single shot, or what ever.

Take the advice here and get yourself a bolt action 308.

If you want something that doesn't kick that hard and really fits your bill consider the .243 Win. It's an excellent cartridge for what your doing.

As far as the .30-30. I would give it a big thumbs down.

Tom

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