wojtowicza

well i live in nj and we can't use rifles, so i'm new to rifles. i have a winchester 30-30. i'm looking for info on whats the best ammo to use for whitetails. weight, etc. i heard it's a close shooting rifle, does anyone know what's the maximum distance i should take deer out to?

DeerSniper

Well, wojtowicza, I am not that familiar with the 30-30 as I am a high powered rifle shooter for the most part. However, I do offer this advice. If you are this new to rifles, I would say your maximum distance is NOT FAR. I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but I strongly suggest takin that rifle to a shooting range SEVERAL times before you head to the field with it. That in itself will allow you to decide which load will work best for you, and will tell you what your distance will be. Also the more trips to the range you get, the more distance you will be able to make. G'luck and hunt hard.

One Shot, One Kill
Hunting is the one sport where, if you are playing right, the other team doesn't even know you're playing.

BeltedMag

I use Remington 170 core-lokts out of my winchester 30-30 and have had alot of luck with them. The best thing you can do is try diffrent brands and weights to see which shoots best out of your gun. As far as maximum range that depends on the skill of the one using it. I have taken deer out to 130 yards with mine, but i use it alot and really know my gun. But most experts will say that you shoot keep your shots under 150 yards with the 30-30. Use a good bullet and keep your shots short till you get good with it and you should do fine.

kodiakhuntmaster

I've used 150 grain winchester power points with great results. With that setup I've taken deer out to 100 yards. With 130 grain handloads I've gone out to around 200'ish yards or so. With factory ammo, and a good shooter, the max is around 150 yards. My friends have had some good success with the 30-30 starfire bullets, but I don't know where you can buy them at if they even sell them anymore. I wish I handloaded bullets so I could give you better advice but I get all my handloads from my grandpa.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

PaulBear

The 30-30 is a great deer rifle the maxium distance I have ever shot is 150 yard's but have heard of some shooting farther 200-250 range I use 150 grain winchester's and also 170 core lock's remington I like both.But if you are new to rifles go to a shooting range and get familiar with the gun loading it the saftey features and how it shoot's.To many pick up the 30-30 and think they know how to handle it but dont and later are a statistic,The 30-30 winchester as soon as you rack that lever it's cocked and ready to shoot so you have to ease the hammer down ,and alot of people let the hammer slip from them and the rifle goes off ,get use to the feel of the hammer on the gun some operate smooth and some have more tension to them.what ever load you use 150-170 you will have a good short range deer rifle

cableguy119

150 yards maximum, and be very careful you pull the lever and it is fully cocked and loaded. half cock position is the safety. Don't be a statistic. Use maximum caution and know where the barrel is at all times when loading and unloading I have seen first hand the danger of the 30-30. I stood next to a younger guy in our group and he tripped the trigger firing into the ground 2 feet next to me. I use one myself and can't wait to retire it in favor of the 30-06.

Tazman

I have killed a lot of deer with a model 94, really sweet gun, but as others have adviced, be careful. Once I have mine loaded, I drop the mammer entirely as a safer safety, it has become instinct for me to pull the hammer back when I pull the gun up. If you are using Iron sights I would keep your shots around 100 yards or less, but only if you practice a good bit. With a scope, I really do not know. I use Remington 170 core-loks, they do a number on deer, finger hole in, 3-5 inches coming out.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

rickt300

If you are uncoordinated enough to accidently drop the hammer on a live round then you shouldn't be hunting. Practice the move with an empty gun, it's easy to master. The Winchester is a fine light and accurate rifle powerful enough for most Whitetail hunting situations. The front bead is too big for much shooting over a hundred yards but you can trim it into a square and have a much better front sight. I like the 150 grain Remington core lokt with fine results.