Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Moment of Insanity: 30-30 Bolt Action Rifle

I believe there are at least 2 different scope mount hole spacings for the 340 series of rifles, with 2 correspondingly different scope mounts. I have one that does not fit my 340 that your welcome to. Maybe it will fit yours. If you want it, pm me your mailing address and I'll send it off to you.

Chris

Denton, you want to come over and load some? Have bullets, have dies, have all you need.

PM sent. Thank you very much!!



Yes I do. That's a great offer, and it sounds like a lot more fun than what I'm committed to doing this week. Sadly, I'm pretty locked in until Monday. Thanks very much, though.

single load 150-grain nosler BTs or hornady spire points at 2,500 fps. they'll do ...

I had one of them as my first deer rifle, way back in 1967. Foolishly sold it when I graduated from college and got a Sako .270 as a graduation present.

When my twins were old enough to deer hunt, I bought two of the 20 inch versions, one Savage marked and one Stevens marked. The Stevens has the flat bolt. They used them a bit before quitting hunting, but I kept the rifles in case I someday become a grandfather.

Since those two were the boys' rifles, I decided I needed one of my own. So, after looking around Gunbroker/AuctionArms/GunsInternational for a while, I found one of the early 24(? - have CRS disease again) inch barrel versions, which now also lives at my house. Topped with a post and crosshair 2-1/2X Weaver of considerable age, it will keep 5 shots under 2 inches at 100, if I do my part.

You can load these with 150 grain spitzer type bullets, but given the kinds of woods I hunt in, 100 yards is a long shot and 200 yards virtually unheard of. For that type of hunting, a standard 150 grain flatpoint works fine. I suspect the Hornady Leverevolution 160 grain ammo is exactly the product for these rifles. According to Hornady's published ballistics, the bullet holds dead on at 200 if sighted 3 inches high at 100. For my hunting, I'd go 2 inches high at 100 and take the 2 inches low at 200 in return.

I've often thought that one of those old Savage bolts, a 12 gauge pump and a single shot .22 would equip a man for almost any hunting he'd care to do, up to elk and moose if he chose his bullets well and handloaded properly. They really are nicely fit and finished for what they cost back in the day. Blue steel and real walnut still make my heart go pitty-pat.

Denton,

If you are still feeling that "insanity", one of my local gun shops has a Marlin Levermatic in .30 Carbine...

Chris

A lever in 30 carbine would be an absolute blast to shoot.

Unfortunately, my pocketbook says that I cannot have another moment of insanity for another 63 days.

Any day next week, bud. Come over and we'll yank handles. Call me whenever.

There is a very good chance that I'm going to have a little free time early in the week. My Mon-Thu commitment just postponed.

I'll bring some of that 30-06 brass that I know you covet.