Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Hey guys, I was just wanting to hear any good stories yall had or experiences yall
have had with the Winchester 30-30. I also know that some people dont think that the 30-30 is a good rifle at all:(, but I tell ya what, the 30-30 can still get the deer-hunting job done[8D], besides, our fathers and grandfathers that used em, they never had any problems with em, any they killed deer left and right!;) I know some people HATE[:' (] the Winchster 30-30, but I dont care, becuase I love it, and think it is a very good RIFLE. It was the first rifle I ever shot besides the .22 . I like the new Savage I just bought from my brother, but the Winchster 30-30 has a special place in my heart. It is just a really nice rifle. So guys,if yall could, tell me a little about how yall feel about your 30-30 rifles, any kind of experiences yall have had with em, any just anything about the good ' ol THURTY-THURTY .

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

I have a soft spot for my Marlin 45/70, does that count?

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

In it' s place the .30-30 is the premiere cartridge a going.

I just bought a M-92 in .44 mag....it' s equivqlent to the .30-30.....

You' ve started a fine thread here.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

I have the win model 94 30-30, killed a nice six pointer with it a few years back, nice gun for brush and to carry. the only problem i have with it is the safety that is up under the lever. my hands are too big to put my fingers inside the lever and make sure the lever is in contact with that safety feature. i have to put my hand on the outside of the lever to insure the gun goes off. eventually i will find a youngster that is just starting out that needs a gun and he will end up with it. i also have a savage lever action, cal. 303, had this gun for over 50 years, that will be going to a kid just starting out also. other then that, they are both great guns.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Every deer I ever hit with mine went down like a can of rocks. I used one for many years. Great little gun.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Nothing wrong with a 30-30, I have a model 94 in 307 win. The only thing I don' t like is that I can' t get a pistol grip stock like the marlins. I love my 307 for the same reasons as stated above, great brush gun and is a dead ringer for the 300 savage. I also love the dumb look people get when they ask what you got a 30-30, and I say, no 307, and they say never heard of that.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

my first rifle was a .30/30 in a winchester model 94 ranger ae , my kid brother' s first rifle was a .30/30 in a winchester model 94 legacy

thndrchiken ,

winchester has a .30/30 in a model 94 with a pistol grip stock , it' s the legacy

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

30-30, hmmm.... got one of those, Win M94 too,
Per your request for accolades:

The 30-30 ---
The bestest cartridge that ever was!
A veritable powerhouse capable of taking all animals on earth!
The cartridge by which all others are measured!
Now being looked at by the U.S. Military for sniper use!
Flattest shooting cartridge ever introduced -- a real delight!
Recently discovered archives show Jack O' Connor really loved the 30-30 not the 270!
Great cape buffalo and brown bear medicene -- elephant and lion too!

There you go, enjoy! ;)

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

EKM,

It was' t the Jack O' Connor files, It was Elmer Keiths;).

No really the old thurdy thurdy still has a place in the whitetail woods, as long as you keep the range down and hit were you aim. I like to load 165 gr PSP in mine. Of COURSE doing so I can only have ONE ROUND in the MAGAZINE.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Whelen, true the Legacy comes with a pistol grip stock, try to find a pistol grip replacement stock though. I' m not going to buy another 30 cal just for the stock.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

The first deer I ever shot was with my Dad' s Marlin chambered for .32 Winchester Special, (a kissing cousin of the .30-30). The second buck I ever killed was with my father' s other " deer" rifle, a Remington 141 chambered for .35 Remington. A cartridge that nearly mimics the .30-30, (except with a bigger, heavier, slightly slower bullet). Being the oldest son of four, and having entered the military two weeks after I turned seventeen I bought the first centerfire rifle for each of my other three brothers. In order from oldest to youngest they choose: A Marlin 336 in .30-30. A commercial mauser bolt in .30-06. And finally a Winchester 94 in .30-30. Between my Dad' s .32 and those two .30-30' s I am sure no fewer than two dozen whitetails met their end. And contrary to what some here might think those rifles did not leave the woods full of " wounded deer" . Eventually my brothers all acquired other rifles and used in addition to the three above but those rifles went on to provide continued good service with various nephews and neices. And with the proper education those users didn' t leave the woods full of " wounded" deer either. It is amazing what a little practice, some education, and a little ethical guidance can do!

EKM: No, the .30-30 isn' t all of the above and a piece of pie to boot! But it doesn' t take a .300 Mag to cleanly kill whitetail either! (Lest you forget when I answered the question....If you could only have one gun? My choice was a SS .338 Win Mag with controlled round feed. Assuming we were talking only one rifle for hunting! Check the thread....) So I understand firearm development didn' t end with the .30-30.....but I also understand it doesn' t take a howitzer to cleanly dispatch whitetail deer in a responsible user' s hands!

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Georgian,
I have always lived and hunted in the woods. I sometimes go out to the hill country in Texas, and I have a .270 for that purpose. If I lived out west, or in open country, I doubt I would even own a 30-30.
That being said, most of the people who criticise the 30-30 I would bet have never experienced how quickly a deer dies when hit by the " anemic" round.
If they truly have used the 30-30, and have wounded deer with it, I would say without doubt they are a very poor shot. If hit between the diaphram and anywhere in the shoulder blades,( a large target) every deer in the woods will die quickly. My last three shots went through both rib cages, and I wasted no meat in the shoulders.

I have never shot a winchester 94, but my Marlin has never failed me. If I could figure out how to post a picture, I would show you my latest Marlin victim. He is on the wall right above my computer.

C. Davis

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

The Winchester Model 94 .30-30 was the 1st rifle I bought. I bought it when I was 18 and have used it many different situations. My favorite is in thick brush, since it' s so light and has such a short barrel, it' s a great brush gun.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Nobody has to convince me about the 3030 Win.That was the first Rifle I ever owned.I bought a M-94 from my cousin along time ago.I never shot a deer with it but it was good shooting little rifle.For brush country it' s a great choice.As long as you limit your shots it will serve you well.Of the Winchester and Marlins I would prefer the Marlin.I' m not really a lever action fan to begin with.More deer have probably been killed by a 30-30 then anyother cartridge. Know it' s limitations and it will do fine.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Only shot one once but I like it, no where as cool as my 6.5x55 Swede though:)

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

I killed at least a dozen deer with one including my biggest deer, a 200 pound (field dressed) 8 point. I love the 94' and the 30-30. It's not a .300 Ultra Super Small Sniper Shoulder Breaking Magnum, and it was never meant to be. It does IT'S job and does it well.

(the sarcasim was for a certain 30-30 hater who hasn't posted yet ;) )

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

I have a Win. Model 94 made in the 40's i think the serial number is in the low 1 millions. It is a great gun and i have taken more deer with it than any other rifle i have every owned. It us unbelievably accurate for an older gun with iron sights. It has buckhorn sights, no scope and has never even been drilled for sling studs. I have taken deer from 10 yards out to around 140. I have had many offers from my friends to buy it but wont give it up for nothing. The 30-30 has been around forever and has probably taken more game than any other caliber in history. The only things i dont like about my trusty ol lever gun is the hassle of loading and unloading and that sometimes it just doesnt have the energy and knockdown that i wanted. I have made several good hits on deer and had little to no reaction and found them a hundred yards away dead. Currently the 94 is retired and im shooting a 7mm rem mag, it hasnt taken all the deer my lever has but when it hits you know you did something. But whenever it fails ol granddad comes out of the rack and shows the Rem. how it is done.

Dave

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

A little unclear, please give an example of what you mean....

EKM

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Georgian,

For what it's worth, I to am from Georgia and I also have a 30-30 but it's a Marlin 336. I live in south Ga and hunt river swamps. I get mud on me and my rifles occasionally because of flooding where I hunt, I carry this rifle because of it's ease of handling and many, many, hogs and deer have fallen to it, never lost one shot with it.

Something you might want to try in your 30-30, if you haven't already, is the 125 grn hollow points, Win. and Fed. load them. I now handload mine and the 125 is excellent on whitetails and hogs. I've got other rifles but just love toting the old 30.

dog1

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Not sure what it is about Georgians and 30-30s, but I just bought one a few weeks ago. Why? Heck, it's the novelty of the thing. I got a Winchester 94 Legacy (I prefer the pistol grip stock as well). And I plan to hunt with it. As soon as I can find a decent gunsmith in the Atlanta area, I'm going to have a Williams peep and front Firesight put on it first. Does the 30-30 shoot fast and flat? Heck no. But as others have said, I'd bet more deer have found their way to the grill at the hands of a 30-30 than any other round.

A 30-30 is perfect for most of my lease. Heck, all of our stands except one are set up as bow stands. There are several where you can only see 50-80 yards. Will I take my 30-30 to hunt the stand that overlooks the clear cut? Absolutely not. I have a 270 WSM for that. But I'm partial to the 30-30...

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

Had an older one a few years ago but I sold it. I wish I would have kept it though. Idon't care much about the new 94s with the crossbolt safety and relatively crude workmanship compared to the older rifles.

RE: Winchester Model 94 30-30
 

What i meant by that statement was that my old 30-30 is my go to gun, it almost never lets me down, i know i can kill with it about everytime. So when im not having much luck connecting with my Remington and having bad luck, i put it up and bring my Winchester to get the job done. Im alot more confident a shot with the old winchester. My dad tells me i should have never stopped using it. So i was basically saying that when i can hit em with the Remington i bring out the old 30-30 and get the job done and show my 7mm how to hit every time.

Dave