Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Never had a 30-30, if I want to try one, which maker is the one to try

Probably because they've made a change in the design. Some people don't want an item until they stop making it and then everybody has to have one....like Remington 788's for example.

Yeah, but those 788's don't shoot. Heck, ya gotta ship 'me off ta Alabama to get 'em to work right.

FC

You must be reading a different spec as I see 7 lbs for steel and 8.3 for brass.. DUH!!!!!!!!.

Also, the ones I see out the Cowboy SASS matches, although not 30-30,are not plastic and zinc.

Back when I set up at gun shows I had a 788 on the table and some guy asked me if I knew why Remington stopped making them. I told him it was because of sales and he said, "No. They stopped making the 788 because it shot so much better than the 700's that they were embarrassed by them."

If a person could sit behind a table for a few gun shows it would help them understand the attitude of some of the dealers. I had some new Douglas premium stainless barrels on the table once. If I remember correctly, it was at the Jackson, MS gun show. Some big fat guy asked me about the price and I quoted him dealer price. He said that he contoured his own barrels and he bought his from Douglas, not contoured at all, for $84 each. I just looked at him and wondered if he really expected me to believe that. If you really want an education in barrel making try contouring an unturned blank in a lathe.

I had a 788 in 30-30 and had two in .44 magnum. Like an idiot I sold them.

I can barely walk through a gun show without losing all hope in humanity.

I don't know how you guys sit behind those tables.



Travis

They changed the specs because a few years ago, they showed them over nine pounds. And having handled a few of them, there is absolutely no way they are a mere seven pounds. Heck, I'll bet nine pounds is light. Duh!!!

Yeah, but it's a Savage.....

Well I for one think a .30-30 ought to be used with open sights, so that means pre-64 Winchester 94 to me, but since there any men left in the world who know how to hit anything with open sights, that's why they make Marlins and Angle Eject Winchester 94's.

Here's my piece on the Winchester 94: http://shootersjournal.net/winchester-model-94/

My choice would be a Savage Model 1899 if I could find another one�..my son has the one I grew up with. My Grandfather killed around 10 deer with it�.(not sure how many were killed by my uncles), my Dad over 30 deer and I killed my first ten with the gun. Hopefully my grandson will kill his first buck with the gun. I have only seen a couple of others at gun shows. The gun was very accurate and extremely reliable. I�ll pick one up if I ever find another one in decent condition.

Of course you could go another way and get a Savage 170 or Remington 7600 pump!

carbon12 - In November, it's hard not to love that picture of a Mod 99 and a wood pile.
Savage made the Model 99-G, the 99-T, the 99-H saddle rifle, and the very fancy 99-K in 30/30.
All great rifles and also high dollar.

I guess they could have but I never heard of Remington ever offering a regular production 7600 chambered in 30/30.

There were also Model 54 Winchester bolt actions in .30-30, but they are fairly rare beasts.

The allure of the 30-30 is contained in the Model 94 and the Marlin, not the cartridge itself. If you get away from those two rifles, there is little to nothing to recommend the 30-30 over any other cartridge.

I don't anymore. Got tired of looking at all the "SWAT" guys with no hair and no necks and no money walk around. Most of them were probably donut bakery employees.

Paco Kelly disagrees.

Interesting read:

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/3030again.htm

Many years ago I looked down my nose at the 30-30. In fact, I considered the maximum load in the manual as a good starting point. Now, I've come full circle and embrace the old cartridges with cast bullets. I am convinced that you can take a .358 Winchester with cast bullets and take any animal on the continent. I will admit, however, if I were in big bear country I'd want a .45-70 with cast bullets.

Yeah, but what does it do that something else won't do as well or maybe better? Nothing except that it is chambered in two of the handiest rifles ever to grace the earth. Put the 30-30 in a Remington 700 and while adequate for most anything, it is decidedly inferior in most ways to most other chamberings. But put it in a Winchester 94? Why then you have 75% of the power of a 30-06 in a package scarcely bigger than the Model 92 chambered in pistol cartridges.

Spot, handle a 94 and then the others. You choice will be made for you.

get a nice old 50's marlin 336 SC. get one in 35 and 32 while you're at it.