I am not a "fan" of the .30-30.....nor am I a "hater". I am basically neutral about the chambering. The .30-30 is a sure killer and very effective out to 150 yards or so. It "can" be used at longer range but the open sighted lever rifles typically chambered in .30-30 are not up to the task in many cases.....and the shooters who can use open sights at longer ranges are even rarer.
It is the light, fast handling carbines that are chambered in .30-30 that make this round so useful. If you add a scoped sight to make the .30-30 useful at longer ranges, you lose much of the handling that make these carbines so great in the woods. True, you can use a .30-30 chambered rifle such as the Savage 99 or a bolt action that is better suited to longer range shooting, but why would you choose the .30-30 over something like the .308 in such rifles.
Changing land uses and timber cutting practices have made the likelihood of a 200 yard....or longer....shot more common than in years past. This makes it prudent to carry a rifle with more range than offered by the .30-30 in many cases. However, there are still some thickets and bottoms where you "know" the longest shots will be less than 150 yards....often MUCH less.
This is where the light, fast carbines chambered in .30-30 are at their best. These thick areas that limit ranges are also where you need a rifle that hits hard, kills quickly and leaves a great blood trail....and that, to me, means a larger bore rifle. The .30-30 works well....but other chamberings work better. I have tended to choose rifles such as the .35 Remington, .44 Magnum or .45-70 in those situations. Not that the .30-30 couldn't be used, but for me there are better chamberings available in the same light fast carbines that work even better.
That, to me, is the story of the .30-30......not a bad chambering, just not the "best" at anything. For longer range possibilities the .300 Savage, .308 or .30-06 are a much better choice.....and for close range work in the thickets I choose something bigger. The .30-30 gets left out. I'd certainly not feel unarmed or handicaped with a .30-30, but it's just never been a favorite.
