CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

would a 30 cal carbine be enough knock down power for whitetails?

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

With factory loadings they only produce around 800-900 foot pounds of energy and that is at the muzzle. So I would say no. I also wanted to use this round/gun for a quick handling deer rifle, but was cautioned otherwise.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I've known a number of people to kill deer with them, but I'd put the 30 carbine in the .357 magnum pistol's class. In my opinion 100 yards at the absolute maximum.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

If you are looking for something fast, get a pump gun or a lever gun, and leave the carbine at the range. Fun gun to play with, not enough for deer IMO.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

The M-1 carbine is not a good round for hunting any big game and that includes deer.....it's a fun round for a lot of sand pit games and that's it limitations.....

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I have a friend that let his duaghter shoot a deer with one last year and the deer ran off and was killed the next day by someone else we went to look and found the bullet had just broken the shoulder blade and never went in the body cavity . That is at 50 yards !!! Not enough gun in my opinion

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I would have to say probably not a good choice. If I had to guess on the result the story would go just as Danthehunter described.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

What gun is it? Mini-30? Lever action ruger?

That round is a popular round for blocking trail for pigs here in hawaii. If you hit the animal in the "drop them in their tracks area" (spine/vertibrae)then they will drop in their tracks. If you hit them in the lungs, I'm sure they will go down too within a reasonable distance... maybe not, I have no experience. But it is a short range gun. A good gun for still hunting in thick cover but a horible round for shooting long distance such as over fields. 100 yards would be a far shot for one but you probably could still crack the spine and drop them even at that distance. I wouldn't shoot for the lungs over 75 yards. Not that I know what I'm talking about or nothing because I've never used one but they are one of the most popular rounds down here for pigs out of a mini-30.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

The gun in question is the military M1 claiber .30 carbine.
A Mini 30 shoots the Russian 7.63x39 which is on par with a 30-30 Win. round in terms of power and could be a great close-up "pig" round

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I consider the 30-30 to be a 150 yard gun at max! The .30 carbine would be way under powered! Go with something better!

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I've taken a deer with my M1 Carbine. It was under 50 yards away. I can't say that I would recommend this great little gun for deer hunting. If used you must know it's limitations. That being said, 50 yards maximun with very good shot placement. I'll also state the obvious. Don't use FMJ's!

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I know a hunter out in Western Kansas that has used one for probably coming on twenty years or better now-he only takes up close and personal shots, but he always seems to get good bucks with it...He also took a Ruger .30Carbine revolver out last year, took a nice whitetailed deer with it....

That said, I wouldn't recommend it, I'm not certain really why that fellow is so dead set on using the .30C, he's got several other better suited guns, just likes it I guess.

On a similar note, I've used semi-auto carbines in pistol calibers, 9mm, .40S&W, and .45acp (thompson knockoff) in the past-they weren't anything I'd recommend, but they did well enough to get the job done-The only reason I don't recommend any of such carbines is because getting people to hunt ONLY the range such guns are good for is hard: all shots I took with them were under 50yrds, controlling yourself to not take a shot at 75yrds is hard when it seems so easy.

Get another gun, the .30Carbine is just for fun really, the military forces dropped it like a bad habit after seeing its "killing ability", deer aren't really that much stouter than people, that's proof enough for me.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

NOT ONLY NO, BUT UH UH!! I find the damn things marginal for even jackrabbits!!

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

i have heard stories of people using them in pushes in maine. but they have to unload the entire magazine to drop them. ( i beleive there are a 5 shot max in rifles like that ) but i shure would not use one unless i was dead on accurate and aim for the head and was sure to drop it in one shot. we owe it to them to make a clean painless kill as possible.

seems to be a fun little plinker though and a nice beginner gun ( using 1 round at a time ) for cans and other small game.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

It's not something I'd use, but as I wrote in my post above, I'd put it in the same class as a .357 magnum pistol. I wonder how many folks here trashing the 30 carbine rifle would hunt with a .357 magnum pistol and think nothing of it??

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

The .30 M-1 Carbine is a fun round to shoot and if you reload, you will be surprised at how accurate it can be. I have a Ruger Blackhawk and shoot a 110 gr. Speer JHP with 14.7 gr. of H110 and CCI 450 primers.
5 shots off a rest at 25 yrds. gave me a group of .675. I like using this load for hogs but, I think it's a little too light for deer.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I killed my first deer with that gun. Open sites at 30 yds. Dropped like a rock. Have seen my dad, and my grandad kill a pile of deer with one.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

to small for deer! Not enough knockdown. The minimun in my opinion for a deer is a 223 within 150 yards with a premium bullet.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

The .30 M1 is fun gun, but just isn't suitable for deer size game. The round was designed for men and it didn't work well for them and I believe deer to be tougher than most men. If you want to use a military type weapon pick up a Garand.
and no I would't use my .357 to hunt deer.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I say use a .458 and make his mama feel it. Just kidding, I don't think a .30 carbine has enough juice to do the job. I mean I am sure you could do it under ideal condition but what are you gonna do when that double drop tine walks out of the brush line at 200 yards? Better be safe than sorry, you don't want to take your kid hunting and mame or put 10 rounds into something, not a good impression. Get you a 7mm Mag and feel confident at any range.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

In one word NO! The 30 Carbine is not suitable for whitetails.I put a 243 Win as a Min. caliber.The 30-30 Win at 125 yards max.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

I carried my dad's carbine in 30 caliber for the first year that I deer hunted. Never got a shot that first year, but do remember my dad and grandad telling me to wait for a VERY GOOD SHOT and not to hesitate to touch off more than one round if I could gain the visual aim point again.
In retrospect, the round is perfectly capable of taking SMALL deer with regularity, at short range, with quality SOFT bullets, and if in the hands of a marksman. So, I would not recommend the 30 carbine round for deer in general. Numerous other rounds that are far superior.
Very fun gun to shoot though, the m1 30 carbine.
Since my dad still has his carbine and many, many surplus rounds ((lots) of 30 carbine ammo, I've considered buying the Ruger Blackhawk model in this caliber. But NOT for use on deer (unless I was attacked of course)

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

There are alot better options outthere than the 30cal carbine as far as rifles go. Capable yeah 100yds or less i'm sure with perfect broadside shots no problem.

But in a pistol round for hunting with shots around the 50yd mark the little cartridge packs a load. With about a 1000ftlbs of energy its actually comparable to a medium 44mag round. It out penetrates most 44mag and 41rem mag loads even with soft nosed bullets. This I've tested out myself.

Even though I've never shot a big game animal with one I would tend to believe even though it has the capabilty of penetration and decent ftlbs of energy. I think most handgun hunters would be dissapointed of the displacement of kinetic energy from the smaller dia bullet on impact with the animal. While it would kill the animal I tend to think the animals would run alot futher after being hit. At 50yds the energy would be about the same as a 25-06 at 500yds. You would want the bullet to be in the heart and lungs for sure. It has the power to do it.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

It's all in the shot placement

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

At close range, yes. If I was looking into a carbine Id use a 44. My niece has taken many deer with hers.

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

Doesnt Ruger make the Deer Field Carbine .44?

RE: CALIBER 30 CARBINE
 

Yes, they dropped it like a 'bad habit' after almost 40 years of service through WWII to Korea and through Vietnam, with many private purchases for it today still within the military.