RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Ass/u/me-ing Boywonder can make a 300 yard shot on a woodchuck with a 30-30, just imagine what he could do with a flat shooting gun!
He could likely stop a deer dead in it' s tracks at a mile, maybe a mile and a quarter![&:]:D

As far as the " sitting at the edge of the woods and seeing a good deer at 200+ yards" senario, that is my point exactly! Since there is NO such thing as a " brushbuster" , if you were carrying a good deer caliber and happened to see a shooter at 200+ yards, you would not have to think twice about wether or not to shoot!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Frank, you are exactly right. A 30-30, or any gun for that matter is not a " brushbuster." That term is a misnomer. I hate when I hear people say that any gun is a good brush gun. All guns require a clear shot.

Frank, has it been hot enough for you? I finally had a day off today to spend out on our deer land. It must have been too hot for the snakes since usually I see at least one cottonmouth in the water holes, but none today.

C. Davis

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

love my leupold m-8 fixed 4x scope on my model 94. has a sleek look and puts my tired ole eyes right on the money. unless its going on a sadle id put a scope on it.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

CD, man it was plenty hot in East Tex today!
Did you see the parade of ATV' s, feeders, and stands going through East Tex today?
I am usually way ahead of the crowd but, this year time has crept up on me!
I spent this morning and last Saturday clearing trails and setting up stands! And I STILL have work to do!
CD, the snakes may have been hiding from the heat today but, the chiggers sure were' nt! Even though I sprayed myself pretty good, I think I brought a few of those pesky little critters home with me! Are you about ready?

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Frank,
You are right about the parade. Every other vehicle in SE Texas is a truck, and right now it seems that every other two has a 4-wheeler attached to it in some way. If you see a brown and tan 83 Bronco with P-Buckshots pulling a little red trailer with an orange suzuki 4-wheeler, it is me.

Most of my scouting is already done. I have found that the most pleasurable time to scout is January-March. It is amazing how open the woods become that part of the year. You can also go all day without being drenched with sweat.

My favorite hunting tactic is to find a good rub line leading to where It opens up nicely for a feeder. Most guys set up to watch the feeder, but I like to get on the thickest part of the rub line that leads to the feeder. I find a good tree, or sometimes I use a tripod, and get about 75 yards looking NE through thin shooting lanes that I usually have to wait until this time of year to cut because the greenery grows incredibly fast in this part of the country. I usually cut 3 thin lanes that look like spokes of a wagon wheel with my stand being the hub. You don' t want your lanes to be too wide, because these ' Piney Wood Bucks' are smart. The theory is that you get a good look at him in the first lane, and you have two more to get a good shot. I have found though that in the thick stuff, a buck can come from any direction, and sometimes they might even use your thin lanes for travel routes. That is exactly what the buck I shot last year was doing.

I think I might have stumbled on to the real reason I like my Marlin. If I used my .270, I' m sure I would be out in this brutal heat cutting 200yd lanes.

C. Davis

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I haven' t used a 30/30 in many years,haven' t even got one any more,have had a Marlin336,win 94 and a glendfield,and have taken a lot of deer with them and groundhogs on ocassion but used a 22 and 410 on most groundhogs because we ate them.
I hunted in the good old days when 6out of 10 hunters carried a 30/30,3out of 10 carried a single barrel shotgun,1 out of 10 carried a used military rifle.I have helped some track deer they shot even at shot range mostly because they couldn' t hit a bull in the a-- at 25 yds.But the ones that could shoot,they had no problems with the 30/30 and I have seen some including myself make unbelievable shots on groundhogs and deer.If the young fellow says he made those shots I will take his word for it.
What makes me wonder is how long some of the ones that knock the 30/30 so bad have used a 30/30.
And the cheap price of them now,I bought the glenfield for $79 don' t remember what year.but the used ones I have seen for sale they want an arm and leg for.
All in all I don' t think you have a problem with a 30/30 if you learn to shoot it ,if thats what you want to use.Myself have graduated to flater shooting rifles but won' t knock another guys choice.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Just for the fun of it I have decided to add my 2 cents worth. If there is anything you can do with a 150 grain .30 caliber bullet from a .30-06 at 300 yards that you can' t do with 150 grain .30 caliber bullet from a .30-30 at 150 yards.....I would like someone to explain to me, what that might be!?!

Now don' t get me wrong....I enjoy and shoot many different caliber guns, (rifles and handguns). But if the .30-30 is as useless as so many have suggested...I guess I should take my 16.25" barreled Marlin in .44 Magnum and throw it away. (Or put it in some other such useful place!?!) And I' d have a real dilemma about what to do with my recurve and or long bows!

I' ve shot the " Leg Match Course" which involves 200, 300, and 600 yards targets with aperature sights using both accurized M16' s and match grade M14' s. I' ve also taken deer at just over 115 yards using Saboted shotgun slugs. Additionally I' ve shot military .30 caliber (7.62 NATO/.308 Winchester) on 1000 yard lines. What of any of which proves anything you may ask? Simply this.....when a weapon, any weapon, is used in a reasonable manner, by a reasonable person, within its intended limitations it produces satisfactory results. If the only goal was to kill an animal, any animal, at a maximum range then I suppose I would sit on a mountain top using high power optics and laser ranging/marking devices and call in air support. Now before you tell me how ridiculous I am being...consider this. I have just sat here and read four pages (plus or minus) of any number of people....telling other people....how foolish they were for not using " THE" weapon that provided the best possibility of making a " KILL" at whatever range presented itself. Well here is my take on that! If that is YOUR goal.....do what makes you happy! You have my blessings! However, before you blanketly condemn everyone and or anyone that does not have that same goal....you might consider politely asking them what exactly their intention(s) were/are. A little respect goes a long way.

My suggestion also includes this possibility. If your " ONLY" goal is to put meat in the freezer why not make a trip to the butcher shop. Add up the cost of your gear, time, travel expense, etc. and you might realize that buying meat in the supermarket in many instances today is cheaper than what you acquire by hunting! If however you hunt for reasons other than just to provide for your next meal....that reason(s) might include some self imposed limitations. The .30-30 is " MORE" than adequate when used by responsible persons! And if you aren' t responsible.....nothing is adequate!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Well said[:-]

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Well you can generate between 250 and 350 more foot pounds of energy for starters.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Which the deer will never notice. Good shot placement with a 30-30 at 150 yards will kill them as dead as they need to be killed. As I said before if you don,t like the 30-30 don,t buy one. However if you would have had the success with the 30-30 that We who use them have had then nobody will convine me not to use it when I feel conditions are right for this old tool of deer hunting. I traded in my last 30-30 a few weeks ago because I was short of money to pick up a new rifle that I had on layaway. When times are better I may replace it with another. Or I may not as I have other tools that will do just as well. IF I DO MY PART. Same as the 30-30.