30-30 used to be a great deal from a money standpoint for a working man's rifle or a kids first rifle. Its dead flat from zero to 150 yards and just as deadly as any other 30 caliber rifle on deer or anything else at that range. Bullets loaded by the ammo companies are made specifically for the cartridge, they perform beautifully, and are generally less expensive than the other rounds. It was a lot of rifle platform for the money, that is why there is so many of them out there. People have always underrated the 30-30's ability to inflict death on critters that get in its wheel house.
Now days, a new 30-30 is going to cost you more than a plastic fantastic bolt gun chambered in your choice of bottleneck round that shoots MOA or thereabouts at long range. That is now a pretty tough sell economically to a guy with a limited budget who wants to get into hunting, much as I like my old 336.
