Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .30-30

Funny, but of all the guns I've hunted deer with over the years, the only one I never killed a deer with was a well worn model 94 Winchester. Mine was chambered for .32 Winchester Special. Just reading this makes me want to go find an old Marlin and carry it next fall. I like the old beat up ones. Dad was never one for dressed out guns. Guns were tools and meant to be used as such. Dad would look at a tired old rifle sitting on a gun rack in some little gun shop out in the middle of nowhere and say, "look at those scratches son-every one of them was earned."

Years ago I hunted with a Marlin 30-30 due to being left handed.In 1992 I acquired a bolt action .308.Later traded the 30-30 off.This year I bought me for Christmas a Winchester 94 trapper in 30-30.Gonna hunt with it next year.


Dtan in SC

While I've killed deer and elk with my Marlin 1875 in .45-70, antelope with my Marlin 375 in .375 Win and deer with my Browning B92 in .44 Mag, my Marlin 336 .30-30 remains a vigin.

I've been shooting various bullets in it at the range but my hunting loads have been 170 Speer FP and Nosler Partition RNs. Last weekend I tried the Hornady 165g FTX and was surprised that accuracy improved significantly (several 4-shot strings under 1" at 100 using two different powders and 0.5g increments between loads).

I think I've found a new hunting bullet and hope to "break in" the .30-30 this fall.

I broke in my Marlin Christmas present yesterday on a doe. Will have to get a scope mounted. My olds eyes are just not as good as they used to be. The gun did just fine, just the operator didn't want to miss. About an 90 yard shot. Did not have time for the range, so was just hoping this rifle shot where I pointed it. Used 30/30 Winchester 150 grain BT factory loads.

I've wanted a Model 54 Win for a long time in 30/30.

1965 with Savage 99.

March 09

Grand little carbine and cartridge.

Veddy cool cmg

I didnt scroll back through the whole thread, but I have liked the .30-30 for a LONG time..
Have used one in four different configurations, a Single Shot Savage 219, A Rem 788, a Win 94 and my fave a Win.M64....

Shot a couple literal tons of deer with them, and I feel the 30-30 is pretty much what the old gun books touted it to be...a near perfect close range ( under 200 yds) deer cartridge...

Kills cleanly, leaves a good blood trail, doesnt mess up too much meat...




Ingwe

I have never shot a deer with the 30-30 but have used it a lot hunting pigs in lignum swamps. It was/is a great round for those conditions where 1oo yards would be a long shot. My last 30-30 was a Winchester 94 and I have just passed it on to my 18 year old son. May he now have fun with it.

The .30-30 is (probably) still the #1 deer rifle in Michigan, with the .30-06 a near second. I still occasionally carry my Stevens model 325 (that my dad bought new in 1946). A great gun for Michigan woods (mostly <100 yard shots) especially if you're going to climb up in a tree - although it doesn't have that sweet levergun look. That Stevens has taken around 40 deer in it's 63 years and will be my son or daughter's first deer rifle in about 6 more years.

Good question.

The last deer that I shot with a .30-30 that I tagged was probably 1980. It was probably also the first deer I tagged that I shot myself.

Times 'n' attitude change, huh?

The rifle was a Savage/Stevens 840 wearing a Western Field brand. Dad had bought 2, one for Mom, one for Grandma, for Valentines Day. (Takes nuts or is nuts, you decide for yourself.) Grandma didn't hunt so I inherited hers. Being a box magazine, we loaded pointy bullets. The load was 150 grain Sierra flat base spitzer over 30.3 grains of IMR 3031. Expansion was basically non-existent.

I've shot several deer with lever actions in more recent years but none were .30-30. I've used .38-55, .44 mag, and .45-70 that I can think of right off. I wouldn't mind a good .30-30 but there hasn't been a configuration I'd buy offered in several years. The most recent was the Marlin Cowboy 336.

Tom

Used my 30-30 for the first time in three years today. All I can say is its still got it.

Pretty sweet see-thrus....

You somewhere in Wisconsin???


Lookin like good eats at your place this winter!!!


Ingwe

That is a sweet day!

Yeah I put the see thrus on it before I knew any better as a kid, its getting a makeover this summer. I am thinking williams peep sight.

You can probably guess what I think of THAT idea by looking at my .30-30!



But don't let me or anybody else kid you, the see thrus are apparently working!
Meat on the ground!


Ingwe

Those 64s are, without a doubt, the best looking M94s ever to come down the pike.

Thanks...me all time fave too...

" Deer Hunters Special"

Put on the Red Plaid, Knee high lace up boots, and you are GTG!!

Ingwe

And a Stormy Kromer cap. Then you must be vewy, vewy quiet.

I have one of those Stormy Kromers, and I hear that all the time.

I've hunted with a 336 in .30-30 a fair number of years but never got a shot with it. I just killed a doe with a .25-06 but even before I got home was thinking I'd tote that .30-30 next year. I reckon I will.