Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Questions for the 30/30 crowd

After reading the thread on which caliber have you killed the most medium sized game with, I was struck by how many have used this great, old caliber for most of your kills.
1. Are you still using the 30/30?
2. I suppose that you own more rifles than a 30/30, so why do you continue to use it? Nostalgia? Love the rifle? Easy to carry? Etc.?
3. Do you hunt in thick country where long shots are pretty much non-existent?
4. Have you ever needed a rifle while hunting that had more range?
5. Feel free to answer any other question I should have asked...lol.

My reasoning for the questions is, it has been many years (25+) since I have seen anyone in the field with an old Winchester or Marlin lever action. When I was a kid (late 60's-70's), it was rare when we would get together and go hunting with friends/family that there was not at least 1 30/30 in the bunch. I would just like to hear from some of you if you don't mind.

for some reason, there has grown a misconception
that when a bullet fired from a 30/30 reaches
100 yards, it makes a 90 degree turn into the dirt.
i think it's because so many these days read too
many "hunting" magazines, and maybe also that too
many spend too much time playing with a chronograph.
i think too many also spend too much time trying
to justify taking a marginal shot at game when they
should let whatever walk and wait for a better shot.
i've never been anywhere in this state where i
couldn't take game cleanly with a 30/30 with a
reasonable shot being presented. maybe a nilgai.
they'd probably need something a little stouter.

Well stated.

Look at the trajectories of the old cartridges, 44-40, 38-40, 45-70, 45-90, etc. and of course a round ball 45 or 50 cal.

Hunters and market hunters wiped out deer, elk, turkeys, buffalo, and bears in many states with those cartridges.

30-30 is a speedster compared to those obsolete cartridges that decimated game populations before conservation practices came into place.

Most of my deer hunting is northern NY western adirondacks. There are lots of 30/30s still in use, some as only rifles, some alternated.

My choices are a pre-war savage 99 featherweight in 30/30 with a Redfield receiver sight and a scoped .308 (kimber montana). Which one I use depends more on weather and mood than anything else.

Any deer I've taken with the .308 could have been killed with the 30/30 too, but some might have been tough shots because of the sights, not the cartridge.

I have an uncle and a brother that use 30/30s only (savage and winchester), several more cousins that use 32 win special model 94s part time. The problem is as these great old rifles age sometimes they just have to be retired, and there really isn't much for reasonably priced replacements unless you switch to other calibers and actions. For some unknown reason I've never seen anyone hunting with a marlin or Henry lever action.

An iron sighted savage 99 or winchester 94 make just about the best walking deer rifles. Comfortable to carry, quick to shoulder, plenty accurate, and fast follow-up shots when needed.

Come to think about it, I've taken running deer with my iron sighted 30/30 lever that I don't think I could have made the second (or 3rd) shot with a bolt action.

I wouldn't feel too handicapped with a 30/30 out in the country especially with the 190 grain Buffalo Bore load. In close, it will do.

One of my mentors killed a lot of grizzlies with a 30/30 in close with the heavier round nose loads.

Easy to carry and I kind of like that nostalgia.
They can be really accurate too.... this is from a $250 used Marlin I bought... with my 2-7 Burris ballistic Plex on top I can actually ring the gong at 300 pretty easy... brass is easy to find its cheap to load for.

I had a 30-30 M36 when I was in my 20s and in the USMC. I would use it when I came home on leave. I killed a handful of deer with it, as well as a lot of rabbits and coyotes. It was fun.
I sold it and regretted doing so.

2 years ago I talked a friend out of his 336 rifle with a 24" barrel. I put a Lyman peep sight on it and I use 29.2 Gr. of AA 2230 and a 170 Gr Speer flat point. I am very pleases with it's accuracy. I have only killed one deer with it so far, but it's fun to carry and hunt with.

I am old not and I can't see as well as I could when I was a young man, but I carry the 30-30 when I feel like it, and it brings back a lot of found memories.

1. Are you still using the 30/30?

No. Downloaded 308 bolt gun the last couple seasons because my 30/30 has been borrowed.

2. I suppose that you own more rifles than a 30/30, so why do you continue to use it?

I would because I'm used to it. Ain't broke, don't fix.

3. Do you hunt in thick country where long shots are pretty much non-existent?

Yes. Pretty much hunting at bow range.

4. Have you ever needed a rifle while hunting that had more range?

No. Visibility runs out before the 30/30 would be out-ranged.

I like that it's a little quieter and gentler than a .30-06 or such.

Though I used a 308 Win to kill over a 100 whitetails, only six were more the 100 yards away. A 30-30 would have worked just fine.

1. Yes, every year.
2. Nostalgia, and a way of remembering my Father.
3. For the most part, yes.
4. I've pretty much avoided hunting an area that would allow a shot much past 200 yards. I did catch a bunch right at the end of legal shooting hours coming out and took one at 236 yards, about as far as I feel comfortable with. I routinely shoot that rifle to 200 yards at 8" targets, so the deer was pretty easy. It even stood sideways, so it was a classic "Field and Stream" shot. It went 20 yards and tipped over...

My grandfather had two rifles (pre-1900 1894 win 30/30 and a colt lightning 38-40), and six sons. My father and uncles all learned to hunt sharing that 38-40. Some of my older cousins used it too. It's still in the family, but worn out. It got to where it was just tumbling bullets.

It feels more like hunting when I'm carrying a .30/30. It's more fulfilling to me. That's all I hunted with in 2016. I have two. One scoped and one open sighted.

1. I really enjoy using my old 30/30. That said I like all my levers, 30/30, 35 Rem, 375 Win, 45/70.
2. Short, they point good, quick and handy.
3. Most of my shots are from 10-75yds, very rare I reach over 100yds.
4. No
5. Reloading is cheap and easy, factory ammo is about $13 a box if you don't want to reload.

1. Are you still using the 30/30?
Not for several years because where i've been hunting of late shots over 200 yards are probable.

2. I suppose that you own more rifles than a 30/30, so why do you continue to use it? Nostalgia? Love the rifle? Easy to carry? Etc.?
Grew up loving leverguns and still do.. Nothing feels as good in my hands - nothing.

3. Do you hunt in thick country where long shots are pretty much non-existent?
Yes and no, often in the space of minutes rather than hours or days. Being prepared for anything when you are far from your camp or truck means carrying a rifle that is capable of doing whatever you might need it to do.

4. Have you ever needed a rifle while hunting that had more range?
Sure. More than once, but no regrets.


5. Feel free to answer any other question I should have asked...lol.
Ammo questions?
Effectiveness on game?
Types of game taken?

I know, those are more questions, not answers.

Thanks men. I have never owned one. My brother got my uncle's hand me down M94 30/30 and I got his Bulova watch that I put in a drawer...lol. Guess who he loved more than me? But it's been a while since my buddy who owns a gun/pawn shop has called me with an oddball caliber or Ruger that I would want and noticed the other day he has a couple of Winchester lever actions-a 30/30 and a 32. I had already decided if he got in a Marlin in a 35 Rem. I would take it off his hands, but after reading your comments, I might make a trip over there next week and see if one is still on the shelf. They are getting harder and harder to find so there's no time like the present. I do have a lever action, but it is a Win. 88 in 308, so it is a different kind of animal.

It is almost un-American not to own a lever-action .30-30.

If you do get one, strongly consider a receiver sight of some flavor.

I have found that style of sight much superior to the semi-buckhorn, and as I went through my 40s, that superiority increased.

And be prepared to be surprised at the effectiveness if you pay too close of attention to paper ballistics. Used within its' performance window, the lever rifle/.30-30 combo is capable of cleanly taking big game.

Hell, I even have a pistol in .30-30, but I'm not confident in my accuracy with that platform, but I'm quite confident of the round's ability to take game.

I've never really been much of a pistol shot, and I must subconsciously be proud of it because I don't seem to be getting much better.....

I dodged the 30-30 for a long time. I considered it obsolete, slow, boring, blah, blah, blah. A few years ago when my niece and nephew started expressing interest in shooting / hunting, I realized I had a dilemma.

I went to a now deceased campfire member, gunsmith, and all-around great guy, Mickey Coleman, with a simple question. What gun and caliber should I start these kids with? He said that's easy. Let 'em shoot your 30-30. I was almost too embarrassed to tell him I didn't even have one.

Now I have a 30-30 that hardly ever leaves the truck. When I go to the woods, it is automatic that this gun is going. I'm still not real sure how I ever got by without one.

RIP Mickey

Yes, I have three 94 Winchesters in 30-30, they are all loaded with 170 gr Partitions and RL-15, reason being, shots are often close at fleeting deer and pigs, shot placement angle may be anything from a front on chest shot at 50 yards, or a shot through a ham to get up into the vitals for a quick clean kill.

Believe me, the 170 NPT's never disappoint, it is an amazing penetrator.

I have more hunts behind me than ahead of me and never owned a 30-30, so a couple years ago I thought I better get one.

Around here you can find ammo in an amazing amount of retail stores. Gas stations, hardware stores, grocery stores, bait shops, big box stores, sporting goods stores and gun shops.

Good ammo is so cheap I don't think I will start reloading for it.

Oh and it kills good size Wisconsin and UP-Michigan Whitetails.

(circa) 1969 Marlin 336C

As others have said in several ways...........


what seems to be lost on most hunters/shooters today is that the largest, heaviest, and some of the greatest trophys to grace a man-cave were taken with cartridges that are considered 'Pedestrian' when compared to todays offerings.

While there may be a niche that only the 'hyper-sonic-earggenshplittenloudenboomer' will fill, the reality is that 'most' big-game is taken in about the same conditions as they were a 100yrs ago, maybe a little more distant, but on average probably not much...

Bottom line, the 30-30 worked then, and it works today........

I like the .30/30 that much that I killed a large Bull Moose with mine.

I was on the porch of the cabin we hunt out of and I had my old marlin 30-30 loaded with Win 170 gr Power Points and we have a metal target at 300 yards maybe 3 ft by 2 ft and all the younger teenagers that hunt there had their 7 mags and 30-06 with them and I told them I bet I could kill a deer with this open sight 30-30 about as far as they could with their rifles and the laugh and said I would be lucky to kill one at 50 yards. I said you really think that. I picked up the 30-30 and shot five times at the 300 yard target and rung it four out of five shots of hand with open sights. The look on their faces was priceless. I told them the 30-30 leaver action was killing deer long before the magnums was even invented. They all now have a different opinion of the 30-30.

My son heckled me about my little .30-30 pop gun the first year he deer hunted with me. He had to have a .270 as his first deer rifle because it was much faster, flatter and "more powerful" than my slow, old, under powered {his words} .30-30. Long story short we both killed bucks that morning. As it happened they were near twin 6 pointers of near equal size. His ran 75 yards after taking a 130 grain core lokt through the lungs. Mine went 20 yards after taking a 170 grain Silvertip through the lungs. He never picked on my pop gun again after that.

i've been told that a bunch, and i always laugh when they say it.
i've killed deer and pigs with a "slow" arrow at less than 300FPS
and with old obsolete muzzleloaders that probably won't make too
much over 1000-1200FPS, and they all bled profusely and ended up
in freezer bags. i think too many these days try low pecentage
"hail mary" shots and think that dollars spent on equipment will
somehow make up for poor marksmanship and lack of practice time.

I have a top eject Winchester that is mostly used with mild powder and cast bullets. It's my porcupine defense gun when I take the dogs for a walk. It is nearly as handy as a handgun, and considerably more accurate for me.

Never have used it for deer, but carry it more than any other rifle I own.

I have shot several, and never lost any, deer with the 30-30.
Winchester's new and old, Marlins old and older. In hemlock thick woods or overgrown farm land, if I remember to hold the trigger back as I cock it, so as to avoid the click, I've never had an issue. I once spooked a nice 6-8 point in a snow stilled wood lot with that click. It was about 20 yards away and an older deer I'd hunted for two years prior. I missed it one year with a side lock and wised it up about that hammer click.

After seeing and reading what people are trying to come up with for first deer rifles or beginners or children's guns I've come to think that an economical, simple bolt action rifle with a little stock adjustability chambered in 30/30 would have a niche. Birch or synthetic stock, maybe removable spacers for butt length, about a 20 in barrel, sights!, with receiver sight option. Add a scope later once they get the fundamentals of marksmanship. The 30/30 would provide a moderate recoil with the capability to take medium game out to reasonable ranges for new hunters.

If ever really outgrown, it would still make a good truck or cabin gun, or set aside for the next generation.

Savage? Ruger? Anyone interested?

Well the Savage 340 was a good seller in .30/30 for a number of years. Then people lost interest in the Trienta-Trienta in a cheap bolt gun.

1. Yes.
2. All of the reason you mention in addition to not needing anything more for where I use it. I have neither need nor desire for anything "more" for whitetails within 200 yards.
3. Point blank to 200 is no problem and that's where I use it. Contrary to what the fire'd have you believe, 95+% of deer are killed closer than 200.
4. I've never had it in hand and wished I'd have had another in its place at the time.
5. The 170 cor lokt out of a 30-30 @ 2100 fps/muzzle is what inspired my most recent project: 7-08 dedicated to 162 Hormadys which'll do 2700 @ the muzzle with far superior slipperiness. Knowing the range and effectiveness of the former really brought to mind just how effective (and with minimal recoil) the latter could be at extended ranges.

Got me a nice dink this year with my Sav 99 in 30 WCF or was it 30 smokeless...?

When I used to get two deer a season, I always used a .30-30 for the doe tag. I still like my .30-30 for walking when getting a deer or not is not a big deal. The funny thing is for most shots it is enough. With a scope I felt comfortable with .30-30 to 200 yards. I no longer have a scope on my .30-30 though...I carry it it, with ghost ring peeps, when I want a handy, easy to carry rifle. I feel comfortable with those sights out to 100 yards, but further than that it just covers up too much deer for me.
One of the posters noted that an open sighted .30-30 lever action is almost as handy as a handgun. I'll second that. With a thin receiver you can wrap your hand comfortably around, a short 20" barrel, and great balance with a magazine full of cartridges, it is far handier than a scoped bolt action, but far easier to shoot accurately than a handgun (for me anyway).

1. Yes, I am still occasionally shooting rifles chambered in 30/30 or 30 WCF.
2. I own a lot of rifles, but like the Marlin 336, Mossberg 472/479, and Savage 1899, 99, 170, and 340 series.
3. I hunt, mostly, harvested grain fields with pockets of thick cover along creek-bottoms and over-grown Osage Orange fence row boundaries. Regardless of what I hunt with, I hunt within the capability of myself and my equipment. When I carry a 30/30 I probably limit myself to 200+/- yards with a scoped rifle and 100+/- yards with rifle that isn't equipped with optical sights.
4. Needed, no. Wanted, yes.
5. I think that the 30/30 is a very capable cartridge when used within its performance envelope.

A 30/30 is always a good choice for a camp/farm/ranch/truck gun because you can buy factory ammo everywhere I've traveled in the U.S. and Canada. When I was in high school, one of my friends didn't come from a hunting family and used to tag along with me. Neither he, nor anyone in his immediate family owned a CF "deer" rifle, so I loaned him a complete kit, including a Marlin 336SC in 30/30. He liked so much that he ended up trading work, probably cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood, with my Father for it after I'd left home. Just recently, I was texting with him and he told me that he had taken 28 deer with it over the past 40 years, which isn't a bad record of success for a guy who only hunts deer in VT.

I use my .30-30's often for target and varmints.. Haven't shot any big game with them for a while.. Probably the last was antelope.. 7 or 8 years ago shot a nice 4 x 4 mulie with my Marlin.... Very capable caliber.. I prefer it to the .243 for my hunting under 200 yards...

I like my old Marlin, it's smooth, light enough, and a lot of fun. It puts the "huntin'" back in deer hunting.

Whacking deer with a .270 is fun, too, but after awhile, you wanna get back to basics, slipping around the woods with a handy and light rifle.

Frankly, an old Winchester 94 is more fun to carry, though my eyes won't let me use the irons worth a damn any more.

I don't even have to load for it, factory stuff is "good enough" and cheap, too.

I simply enjoy hunting with a lever gun, in .30-30, more than a bolt gun. This is especially true in the mountain region of my state. It just handles better than a bolt gun IMHO. Here in N.C., my longest shot is about 180 yards, making the
30-30 ideal.

Nostalgia is a certainly a factor, in that my .30-30 was originally my Grandpa's. You can imagine how humbled that I will be when each of my kids take their first deer with their Great Grandpa's rifle. Don't get much better than that!

My .30-30 will be my primary hunting rifle until I am gone. Simple as that.

Thanks to all of you.

One gentleman mentioned he thought there was a niche for a 30/30 in a bolt action. Has anyone other than Rem. in the 788 ever chambered one in a bolt gun? I would see a greater chance of one being chambered in a pump, but given today's climate for gun manufacturers I doubt it happening...but what do I know.

Given my duty to be a patriotic American, I do see the need to get one. I will try to take care of that sooner rather than later.

The .30-30 came in the Winchester model 54, Savage 340, and Stevens 325. There was also a Springfield labeled Savage but I forget the model.

Nostalgia and about 99% of deer taken could have been taken at 30/30 ranges all over North America....

My holy grail on a rifle is a Model 54 Winchester chambered in 30/30....

Model 94's just feel SO good to carry, and 30-30's get the job done.

Took one home to Texas last year and killed a pig with it.

Brazos, you are correct, I don't think I have a rifle that carries any better than my 94 Winchester.

It may have some shortcomings, but it's easy to carry those shortcomings around!

Points good, too.

Plus the Savage Models 40 & 45 Super Sporters from 1928 to 1942.

I think that the Springfield version of the Savage 340 was the 840. Over the years, the Savage 340 series of economy grade bolt action rifles has been sold under multiple brand names, Savage, Stevens, and Springfield, plus the various house-brands, and as multiple model numbers.

My Father had a Winchester 54 that had been rechambered from 30-30 to 30-40 Krag for a long while. I shot it a few times back in the mid-1980's when I was playing with the 30-40 in a Wilbur Hauck 1898 Springfield custom mannlicher and a Ruger #3.

Yup, Springfield 840. That's the one.

I gotta say that IMO the M54 .30-30 is the ultimate .30-30. Mine will group 10 190 grain FN cast bullets into 1½"/100yds. all day long- with its receiver sight. When I bolt the 12x Fecker onto it, knock ½" off that. In hunting trim, sans scope, it is a beautifully balanced hunting machine. I carried it over half the time deer hunting last year and consider it my go-to rifle anymore.

Funny story: When unloading the M54 at lunch time back at the truck last year, I had the misfortune of having the bullet (190 grain cast bullet) stay behind jammed into the leade of the rifling. (30+ years of using that bullet and never that problem.) Bullet creep or whatever the reason, there it was and me with no cleaning rod. (I know, I know...) After saying a lot of very bad words, I packed it away and started withdrawing the backup Savage lever gun with which to spend the rest of the day hunting. Then I spied the aerial, which I unscrewed from the fender. Perfect ram rod! Bullet knocked out, and back into the woods with the M54. (And no, subsequent bullets haven't gotten stuck in the leade.)

That sounds like a WV story.

'Course a real man would have just blown hard on the muzzle end and popped that pesky bullet out!

I can see a pic of me doing that as a Facebook meme, with lot of different captions!

My first hunting rifle was a 30/30, bought back in 1984 I believe, a first year Angle Eject. At present I think I have five 30/30's, and have used them on deer more than any other rifle I own. I also love the flat shooters, but really have little need of them where I hunt, as its mostly woods with a few fields here and there.

My opinion is that its perfect for deer. Whether 150 or 170 grain bullets are used, pass throughs are the norm, and blood trails are good and not usually very long. Most of mine wear peep sights, with an XS post front.

Honestly, I really have no need for any other rifle or cartridge, but that'd take a lot of fun out of things.

All of that is easily accomplished, with the exception of the iron sights, with one of the many .308s out there using special light factory loads or handloads. When Johnny and Sally grow up, they've already got a grown up rifle that they're familiar with. I've also come to the conclusion that the best sights for beginners are red dots. They have unlimited eye relief and are simple and easy to line up on the target. There's also no chance of them getting whacked in the eye from getting too close to a scope. Red dots are easily mounted on Weaver-type bases with square cuts.

Hell, I was almost afraid to post it, considering the possible repercussions!

The Savage M-99 H Carbine, take-down version, in 30-30 that my young friend that I mentor in shooting just bought himself is the sweetest little rifle I have seen in a long time. Very slim, trim and light. The serial number indicates it was made in 1924.

Fortunately for him, it is shooter grade with no real collector value, (poorly refinished and re-blued decades ago, with several small cracks in both stocks and some minor rust pitting here and there) so he can hunt the heck out of it. That is his plan. The bore is reasonably good.

He got it for a steal. A friend's family inherited it, and didn't want it. Knowing that he was into shooting, they offered it to him for $200. He was smart enough to grab the deal on the spot, even before he could ask me about it. I have several M-99s, but I have never had an H Carbine. Now I need one.

I had the solid frame carbine but, sold it years ago because I had the better .300 Savage. Reaching maturity is sometimes a painful experience!

When I first moved to Omaha, I used to make pocket money buying Savage 340 series rifles in 30-30 and 223 for under $150 and selling them to a pawn shop in Wisconsin for $50 more per unit than I paid for them. The pawn broker told me that he had pawned and resold some of those rifle four or five times, making a significantly greater ROI than the 25% to 50% that I made.

The 340s are an excellent value. I get good accuracy from the 340 30-30s I have. The early ones had nice walnut stocks and good irons, later models drilled and tapped for a scope mount. They also have the benefit of being able to use pointed bullets.

Dennis.

I thought that they were OK in 22 Hornet, 222, 223, and 30-30, but they always seemed a little on the "iffy" side for the 225.

I had a new Savage 342-S in 22 Hornet for awhile. I sold it to a fellow in northern NY to collected them and who used to post here, but cancer caught up with him. The 342-S have a cut checkered walnut stock and came with the factory peep sight.

I've have a 225 now that I haven't had a chance to shoot. Need to mount a scope and get it to the range.

Dennis.

The Cabela's in LaVista, NE, has a 340V with a low grade scope in a Weaver side-mount in the used guns rack for $350. For some reason, I have 2 340s around, a 223 and a 30-30.

I imagine the 140 grain Monoflex turns the .30-30 into a different animal. I might have to find out this year.

just proper handloading in general does that

No reason other than a want, but I have always had the urge for an inexpensive single shot 30-30.

I have a custom 336 done by DRC and David Henry.
Barrel cut to 17", HD mag tube and spring/ follower, trigger and action job, metal melted down, wood thinned and reblued to 650 grit polish... Probably 1600 into it without the Leupold 1.75-6.
You'd better belive it gets hunted.

My experience with the .30/30 has all been with the Winchester 94 carbine and I love them as much as the cartridge. This is one of my .30/30's, a 1952 '94 carbine.



This was the next day -




The next picture doesn't show much, it's the last one I shot with a .30/30.

This one is a 1970's Winchester, which was a good vintage for '94's too I reckon.



Here is another one: it's also from 1970's, and is pretty much mint. It is the most accurate '94 carbine I have used. With 170 grain bullet I get 2120fps and with 150's I get 2231fps. At 100 metres with factory sights it will shoot five rounds into 1.5 inches of both loads. (As well as the only brand of factory ammo I tried in it.)
This is good, but the others have all shoot two 2.5 inch groups at 100. I have had four '94 carbines and they all shot well, never had one that didn't, and all with factory open sights.
I shoot very well with the bead and round rear sight on a winchester, and no less well than with the Lyman or Williams receiver sights, which I no longer use as I think for a hunting rifle the open sights with a bead is better.

Love those pics CH! Makes me want to dust off my '94 which hasn't been in the woods for a decade.

JDK - "...inexpensive single shot 30-30. " Do they still make the H&R/NEF Handi-Rifle in .30/30? Can they be found? Neat little rifles...have an H&R in .357 Magnum now rechambered to .357 Maximum for grins and have a blast with it. Homesteader

remington shut H&R down sometime back.
there are lots of firearms to be had, but
no new production from remington. i have
a suspicion they'll shut marlin down too.

For a long time our local shops had all sorts of them on the racks. Usually for pretty short $$. Now I hardly ever see them.

I have heard that Henry is (or will be) making a single shot in the near future.

I had a pair of H&R 158 Topper mannlichers in 22 Hornet and 30-30 in the mid-1980s. They were reasonably well balanced, shot OK, and were fun to shoot woods loafing rifles, but the triggers were crappy.

That won't happen. They just completely retooled Marlin.

I inherited a 30-30 that my dad bought for a deer hunt in Alabama back in the early '90s. It killed it's first deer this year, my son's first buck!


He handles it well enough and the property lays out such that I'm seriously second guessing getting him a bolt action 243 this year...

Most excellent pointer. I've learned to not fix anything that ain't broke.

My first cf rifle given to me was a Marlin 336c in 30-30 for my 12th Christmas. My dad worked for Marlin back in the 50;s and 60's and smoothed the action for me and had friends at Marlin restock it in some nice wood and checkered. Shot my first deer with it and a rifle I will never get rid of, even though I have been offered good money for it. It takes an occasional walk in the woods every year, really should use it more.

Over the years I have owned a few Marlins, a couple of Winchesters and all shot well for the majority of hunting here in the Northeast(would work for 90% of shots presented). Just went to LW bolt actions about 15 years ago and never looked back.

I have handloaded the 170 partitions and would have confidence in shooting most game animals with them but for deer hunting, factory ammo is cheap and at 2000-2200 fps the C&C bullets work just fine.

I have a 336BL sitting in the safe never shot from the North Haven factory and asking myself whether I should set it up and shoot it or sell and pass it to someone to put to good use.

As for a pump gun, the Savage 170 has a loyal following and looking for one at the right price to play with.

JDK - "No reason other than a want, but I have always had the urge for an inexpensive single shot 30-30." Have 2 Marlin 336's but still purchased a new H&R Handi-Rifle in .30/30 a few years back...great fun. Nowday's I understand H&R's are no longer available. Progress I guess. Homesteader

Carried one every fall in AK for moose until 2 years ago. Had some issues with irons and not being able to see between the sticks and stems to make a clean shot.

I use 30-30 rifles and a contender now and again, because I want to.

Yes I have needed one with more range once... but it wasn't that big of a deal really.. just didn't shoot that one.

When I'm in a situation that I feel the need to kill regardless I bring a much bigger stick that has some extra range to it.

I don't often have that situation anymore.

If you can, try to get the seller to let you run a few cartridges through it to insure that it will extract and eject, before you buy a Savage 170. GPC still has the extractor parts, but they are pricey, and although I looked, I couldn't find anyone who had the ejector parts.

I know this because last year I ended up buying three Savage 170s so that I could borrow parts from one to make the other two fully functional.

When we were teens my buddy hunted with a Savage 170 30/30. That gun had a great feel to it although the trigger was really stiff. Still, I'd probably snag one if one came my way. Same way I feel about a Glenfield 30 with the half magazine.

For a rattly tinny el-cheapo pump gun, the 170's I've been exposed to were rather accurate shooters. One kid comported himself well with one 35+ years ago at the Cast Bullet Assoc. National Matches, production class.