30-30 for deer
 

well.. i shot the savage today, not really much i can say.. i don' t like the way the stock fits when it kicks, kinda " digs" into my shoulder.. what about a .30-30 for deer? if not a .30-30.. what is a good, cheap, quick handling rifle for deer... all shots will be under 150 yards for sure, otherwise i' ll carry the 7mm rem mag.. thanks in advance

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

.30-30 in any configuration is fine for deer all the way out to 150 yards. I personally recommend the 170 grain bullet.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

yeah, a 30-30 will kill effectively out to 150 yards. Other quick handling calibers that are great out to 150 yards in a lever action would be 35 remington, 444 marlin, and 45-70. You can find any in a lever action configuration fairly cheap on the used gun racks.

Also, you can find some quick shooters in the remington pump gun in 35 remington, 35 whelen, 308, 30-06, and 270 on the used racks that are pretty reasonable.

All are great inside 150 yards.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

i like my marlin 336 30/30. its a great gun

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I' ve taken around a dozen or so deer with a Winchester 94 30-30. My gun prefers the 150 grain winchester power point. Never had a problem with her, she does a darn fine job.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Fast is fine; however, powerful and accurate is deadly -- just how lightening fast are these deer anyway?

If you already own a 7mmRemMag, then why would you want to go out of your way to demote yourself to a 30-30? [>:]

FYI, regarding your " savage" -- it sounds like it may be a case of poor " fit" -- be aware that " stock" rifles don' t fit everyone; consider taking it to a gunsmith and ask him what he would recommend to " fit" the savage to you.

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I have taken a lot of deer with the 30-30. Some out to two hundred yards. My son has taken even more since I gave him the gun. He is a crack shot and I have yet to ever see him miss anything duck, rabbit or deer. For him or someone who shoots like he can, the 30-30 is all the gun you would ever need. Its killed every type of game in North America including lots of Polar Bears. Grizzlys too. It would not be my first choice for those big critters but it would do the job when used my a skilled hunter.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

i agree.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

You can bet it has wounded every type of game in North America too. The 30-30 is an anemic round that hangs on to exisitence not by its ballistic merits, but simply due to nostalgia and the fact it is chambered in inexpensive rifles. The best place for a 30-30 is leaning in the corner.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Sounds like the boy is darn near a prodigy -- great talent.

Consider that such talent may develop even further with access to a personal " tool box" that has some breadth to it. If that comes to pass, then it will be interesting see which cartridge he chooses to settle into. Young men are kinda known for wanting to try new things.

See a lot of posts where there was a 30-30 in the childhood/young adulthood but once different offerings were to be had, it went into nostalgic retirement -- or got handed down to another youngster.

EKM

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Good CHEAP quick handling rifle? Like a good cheap horse! They ain' t no sech animal!!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I' ll second Frizz!!!!
Gets me, is when people tout the 30-30 and in the next breath cut down a .243!
The .243 would be my minimum, albeit a good minimum for deer! It' s better at 100 yards than the crusty old 30-30 is at the muzzle!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I have a Savage 7mm mag, and it definitely takes some getting used to if you have never shot a caliber with that much powder before. invest in a good pad for the stock, and just practice with it. After you shoot it for a few boxes you will not want to go back. Also you might not need a 7mm mag if you don' t have any long shots, but since you are probably a big guy like me, since your from " Defensive line" , you probably won' t have any problems with it when you get used to it. You will definitely be more happy with it in the long run than with a 30/30

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

The .30-30 has it' s place.....but remember

When the only tool you have in your tool box is a hammer, every problem you' ll encounter will tend to look like a nail.

Adding a .270 and a .338 Win mag to the tool box enhances the .30-30 a whole lot!!!...hey...it' s your money.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Big game has been wounded by every caliber on the planet. There have sure been a lot of 30-30' s made and sold for a gun thtan has nothing going for it except sentiment. It is true though if a guy can,t make a decent shot on big game then he should not use a 30-30. You know what they say since we are talking about tools? A poor workman always finds fault with his tool. When I go after deer I don,t feel one bit limited if I am carring the 30-30 even though I own plenty of cannons as well.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I' d stick with the 7mm Rem. Mag. Good luck.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

The reason more game has been killed with the 30/30 is the same reason more game has been wounded with it. There are more of them and it has been around longer than most other rounds. In its day, it was THE premier elk round because of its trajectory. I will tell you now, the deer, elk, moose whatever are not bigger, tougher, smarter etc. than they were then.

That said, it should be known that I don' t own a 30/30 and never have. I have used some and hunted with people who have killed deer with them. They do work. As for as cheap rifles, some of those lever guns sell for more than the Savage rifle in question. Footballplaya, don' t give up on your Savage just yet, get a pad put on it, practice more etc. You have a way more versatile hunting tool than a 30/30.

KC

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Yes, it' s cheap. Tell me how many people out there buy 30-30' s for its performance? I will bet none provided they know anything about guns. What you get are people buying them because Grandpa said it was a good cartridge, and he says that because that' s what he heard too. Sure the 30-30 was the flattest shooting cartridge of the day when it came out. Yes game was killed with it. But you can bet that much more game was wounded. We once thought the earth was flat and drilled holes in people' s heads to cure headaches and it was all the rage. Time to ditch the the 30-30 or at least recut the chamber to 30-30 AI.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

If a man can' t kill a deer with a with a rifle that shoots a peice of metal 2200fps, then he needs some lessons on hunting. 30-30 will work just fine. Remember its range, remember its limitations. I could care less if they get lessons or not. But any good shot when that animal reaches out that front leg to expose that kill zone, and that deer should be found. Your not going to have much trama from shock. I doubt your going to see that animal fly in the air and hit the ground. But be patient and he should run more than 100 yards before laying down to die.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Something must be wrong with me. I have never wounded a deer with a 30-30 nor have I had one run more that 10-20 yards. I have owned many 30-30 rifles. Bolt actions, Pumps, single shots, handguns and lever action Marlins and Winchesters. I have several rifles that I consider better deer rifles. The one I reach for most anymore is my 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser. I use the 250-3000 often and the 257 Roberts. I have a 243 but use it only for varmit hunting. This is mainly because it shoots well with light bullets 70,75 & 80 grain. Mine does not shoot 100 grainers very well, at least not the ones I have tried so far. It shoots pretty good with 90 grain Barnes X bullets. Opening day when the deer are pretty tame yet though the old 30-30 often gets the call. I quess if I ever have any of the problems most of you find with the 30-30 I will give it up. Don,t think thats going to happen though.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Yeah me to :eek: Guess I better tell my ol' 94' that it isn' t any good, even though it has never wounded a deer. Guess I better tell myself also that I know nothing about guns and I only carry a 30-30 because grandpa told me to. Now if someone would please remind me when Grandpa told me this since he never deer hunted a day in his life, neither of them???? [:o]

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Simply stated, it is an adequate deer round in the hands of an experienced hunting rifle shot...out to 125-140 yards. It is no more or less than that...IMO. In the fastest loadings of the 170 grain ball, it is quite lethal within ints limitations. It is no wonder round, despite the # of deer that have been taken with it.
It quickly becomes a liability beyond 150 yards.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I shoot my Marlin 30-30 with a 150 grain soft point and low power 2-7 scope. I own several other larger caliber guns but when it comes to hunting the thick stuff i' ll take the 30-30 everytime. Its light, fast and very pleasant to shoot and carry.
Here in Florida the deer tend to be a little smaller bodied on average than most of the more northern states. I have killed over 50 deer with this gun and only lost one that I can recall. That deer would have escaped no matter what gun you shot it with. I see alot of people shooting deer down here with .300 mags , 30.06' s,
and 7mm' s when most of their shots are 50 yards or less. A little over kill to me.
Shooting the 30-30 well within its limits, (less than 100 yards for me), and you have a very potent thick woods weapon. Ive had my Marlin for 20 years and its still putting meat in the freezer.[:-]

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

100 yards is the longest shot i' ll take with my 30/30. I won' t wound an aniaml at that range with it. People can bash it all they want, but the fact of the matter is that it is not a .300 ultra mag. Bowhunters don' t wound thier game (in a perfect world) and that is because they are not taking 40, 50, 60 yards shots on deer. Just as the 30/30 shouldn' t be takign 150-200+ yard shots on deer. Its like a trolling motor on a boat. It' s not the fastest or most efficient motor, that is why people do not cross lakes with them. But its good for close manuevering (i.e. brush hunting). Hit a deer in the kill zone every time and the 30/30 will be just as effective as a .300 mag, but not as loud or with as much kick.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE 30-30! WE HAVE ALL GOTTEN SPOILED BY NEW AND EXCITING GUNS AND CALIBERS.I HAVE KILLED DEER WITH ABOUT EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE 30-30 AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS JUST ABOUT ANYTHING WILL KILL A DEER IF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GUN YOU ARE SHOOTING.SURE THERE ARE DEER CRIPPLED,BUT I ASSURE YOU IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS A BAD SHOT BY THE SHOOTER MORE TIMES THAN NOT.I OWN A 30-06 AND A 300 WBY MAG BUT I WONDER WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IF WE HAD BEEN BORN IN " GOOD OLD DAYS" WHEN THE CHOICES WERE A LOT FEWER?

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

There is nothing right with it either. BTW, that Caps Lock button is between the Tab key and the left Shift key. Try it sometime.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING? Whoops, must have had the CapsLock key on!

An unqualified " nothing" ? Don' t be so provincial! Maybe if your query never goes beyond southern (small) deer and heavy (short range) woods --- however, there is another world out there beyond that.

Not much difference really. Even then, there were excellent choices available (and still available now).
Lets see, " turn" of the last century.....
1906 - 30-06
1911 - 416 Rigby
1912 - 375 Holland and Holland

Further back? okay....
7x57 Mauser
30-40 Krag

Further? okay....
45-70
45-120
50 Sharps

The use of whimpy shooting irons when better firearms were available has and will continue ad nauseum...... There is just something about ole grandpa' s " deer rifle" .

Sigh,
EKM

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

yes, i know where the caps lock is not that has anything to do with the discussion. furthermore,the original post spoke of shots of less than 150 yds at deer,not elephant,elk,bear or other large game.anyone using a 416 for deer must be very insecure of their shooting skills.also, anyone that makes the comment that a 30-30 is not adequete for deer either doen' t know anything about deer hunting or just likes to blow hot air!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

You hit it in the head loner. There is nothing where I hunt except large mule deer. The thirty thirty in the hands of a good hunter is good deer medicine. Its worked for me for 47 years now. Unless the deer get on steroids I expect it will continue to work. Most of the time I will keep using my 6.5x55. Many of our shots are over 200 yards. Praire river breaks.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

loner,
The long list of great cartridges from yesteryear was in direct response to your
" I WONDER WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IF WE HAD BEEN BORN IN " GOOD OLD DAYS" WHEN THE CHOICES WERE A LOT FEWER?...." question, which seemed to imply that if we were all back in the " good old days" we would all be shooting 30-30-ish " pop guns" or similar ilk because we all would have had no other choice -- not so, some of us would have bought lesser and some of us would have bought stronger as there was lots to choose from even then -- no " evil" intent in my pointing it out.

james,
Sounds like the 6.5 x 55 is doing a right fine job for you. It probably has some " reach" to it to allow you to better push the 200 yard mark you alluded to and thus better " work" those prairie river breaks. What kind of rifle is it? Do you go scoped or go with iron sights?

FYI,
I' ve got ole dad' s M94 30-30 in the safe, first " high power" rifle I ever shot as a kid. Gave up on it at 13, got a 270 at 14 and never looked back. Haven' t shot more than a handfull of rounds thru that 30-30 in 30 some years -- nice little nostalgia piece though -- when I take it out during a " gun safe shuffle" I' ll pause & throw it up to my shoulder -- nice memories -- but it still feels like a toy. I' m afraid I just don' t go much for self imposed limitations or " just get by" cartridges.

However, I do understand some folks, who are really on top of their game, do like to create a challenge for themselves (bowhunting being a great example) and then work with in those limitations -- IF they have the talent, and the patience, and the iron ethic NOT to take that (easily) compromised shot -- then that' s fine. Problem is lots of folks cruise these websites that don' t have those attributes, they tend to take what is being said here as absolute (because so few posters qualify their opinions, many just rant) and then these folks buy their first rifle and end up with something " marginal" AND THEN they lack the corresponding talent or experience to make it work out right -- that' s not so fine.

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Why hasn' t the 30-30 died away a long time ago?:D

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

That' s simple. Ammunition is cheap and the rifles chambering it are cheap. People who know nothing about guns but want to hunt generally grab the cheapest thing they can find. Another reason is you have Joe Blow working in sporting goods at your local Wal Mart who doesn' t know a 22LR from a 308 Win touting the 30-30 Win as a great deer rifle to a customer who knows even less. I would challenge anyone to honestly say they actually chose a 30-30 on its ballistic merits.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I think that most of the defenders of the 30-30 here, are pretty familiar with the 30-30 and it' s limitations. With practice, and knowing the 30-30' s limits and discipline not to stretch it' s limits the 30-30 is a " adequate" gun. 150 yards is about the absolute max, (100-125 would be a better limit).
My main peeve with the 30-30, is that, like the .22' s, it is given to youngsters as a first gun. In these cases youngsters usually don' t have the shooting skills or the distance judging skills needed to make good shots with the 30-30.
Other than that, I just don' t understand why a person that is looking for a " deer" rifle would go out and spend money on a 30-30 when there are soooo many better choices available!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Well Football
Alot depends on your location for whitetail deer
Here in Pa the avarage shot at deer is under 40 yards.
I see this thread is becoming a 30-30 bashing thread.
You should know your limits with any gun, the guys with 17 Hmr' s (myself included) are just learning the limitations of that cartridge.
Some county' s in pa restrict the use of high powerd rifles for deer to
shotgun w/slugs again those guys have to know their limits.
I sometimes carry a M-94 32 win spl, great carring gun (light)
with no scope I would limit myself to about 40-50 yards with that gun
but thats me I dont feel real comfortable with open sights.
Dont get trapped into the never-ending wizzing contest
about big gun, bigger gun
Hunt safe
Hunt smart

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Elkamp. My 6.5x55 is the model 96 Swedish Mauser. I trimed the barrel to 24 inches. Welded on a new bolt handle and added a Timney sportsman trigger which is set at just over two lbs. It is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever had and I have had a lot. Most all of the surplus Swedes had bores that shinned like a new dime. My buddy and I redone about 25 of them to sell which we installed Ramline black stocks on. Mine still has the military stock because it was a fine looking piece of wood. It has now developed a crack though at the rear of the tang. I will most likely put a composite stock on it now. I first shot it with Hornady 140 grain bullets and its first three shot group was about 5/8 of an inch. I never changed a thing since. It kills deer out to 300 yards like a gun twice it size. Thats about as far as I am willing to shoot at a deer. I still see to many variables at ranges beyond that from my years of steel target shooting which was all done with a 308. Magnum rifles were not allowed on the range during matches. I shot a lot of deer with a 300 Win Mag but no longer like the noise and the recoil. Bad shoulder and just don,t see the need anymore. I went through the Magnum phase BIG TIME.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

Footballplaya,

Now that merits of the 30-30 have been vollied back and forth, we need to return to where it all began, i.e. your Savage which I assume is chambered for 7mmRemMag.

When shooting the light weights, technique and rifle fit are pretty much a non-issue as you can be doing it " all wrong" and there is still no substantial negative consequence. On the other hand, a 7mmRemMag is getting powerful enough that if you violate the fundamentals of either technique or have a poorly fitting rifle then it will " let you know about it" . Please take it to a gunsmith and say, " hey does this thing fit me right and if not what does it need and why?" If you' re a " big boy" and the stock is on the short side, then that is likely half of the discomfort factor. Also, any magnum deserves a worthy recoil pad and they are NOT all created equal. The Pachmayr Decelerator is a fine choice and comes in various thicknesses if you find that you need to " lengthen" your stock.

Stay the course - stick with the NFL -- don' t go back to college ball.

Best Regards,
EKM

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

you might try one if the older remington semi-auto 30-06' sin the carbine. iused one once and it was as fast as my 30-30 but if you wanted to take a longer shot you had enough gun. the only down side is the noise. make sure you wear your ear protection.


as for your 30-30 i always liked 150 grain silvertips made by winchester. alltough these my be hard to find now days.


good luck!

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

With all the advertisement of the magnum cartridges, it is easy to see how the 30-30 has been forgotten. Heck, even the .300 mag. seems to be no good anymore because now they have made a cartridge that is shorter, fatter, and just a tad hotter than the already blazing fast .300 mag.

As for me, I kinda feel silly sitting in the thickest of thickets trying to outsmart a Buck with even my .270 when I know that my shot will be no farther than 50 yards and I know that the dividends are dead dear every time in that situation when I pull the trigger on my Marlin 30-30.

Now, If I were sitting on a pipeline or in the Texas Hill-Country looking out across hundreds of yards of mesquite tree every now and then, I certainly would be sitting their with the .270 (even though my favorite gun is the Marlin), and rightly so since 90% percent of my hunting is done in the thickets.

I find it interesting that some of the guys I hunt with will carry their magnum cannon to a stand were they can' t even see farther than 100 yards, but who am I to criticize? If you are like me, the time between hunting seasons is way too long, and if you have been dying all year to lug that 300 ultra mag through the woods then I can understand.

C. Davis

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

I' ve killed a pile of deer with a marlin 30-30. I hadn' t used it for about ten years until a couple of years ago when my 7mm rem mag was in the shop. I pulled out the old 30-30, slapped a leupold 1.75x6 on it that I had lying around, and used it to kill three deer that season. The guys bashing it most likely haven' t use it. It' s an excellent deer round and is capable of killing deer as far as 90% of the hunters out there have any business shooting. A 150 or 170 gr bullet at 22-2400 fps is plenty for any deer that ever walked. I' d pick one any day over the .243, now there' s a real underachiever.

RE: 30-30 for deer
 

has anyone taken the time to compare the ballistics on the wsm loads to there original loads? it is interesting to see people flock to buy these hot new items when they have really added nothing but a few fps.our society is driven by " new and exciting products" .each time a new cal. is introduced,it creates a new gun sale.each new gun sale generates new ammo sales etc. it is like bowhunting to me,if the speed of sound contnues to be faster than the fps of all bows,what does a bow with 100fps greater speed have to do with much of anything except the silencers you use to keep deer from being tipped off from the shot?;)