Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Hunting with the .30-30, how fast does it drop them

BTW how many years did I hunt moose in AK with a 30-30. Though it was an old 94 souped up to AI.

Never shot one, but had no qualms with it. Just knew its limitations and dealt with them. Had to add glass to it due to the thick brush and not seeing stuff in the way. I didn't like that, but I didn't want to have to pass a longer shot just because I wasn't sure.

35 Remmy w/ 200 gr RN corelokts

Vic in Va
Did you correct for the elevation difference between Montana and Virginia??? Makes a big difference-
Royce

I've come full circle on the .30-30 cartridge. I killed my first buck as a kid with the Winchester M94 that Dad bought for me the day I was born.

Buck was about 90-100 yards away and I shot him in the neck and he collapsed in his tracks. I shot several more with it and Federal 150 grain loads and none ran more than 30 yards or so.

Then I started believing the stuff I read in the hunting rags that the old .30-30 was marginal for deer, SYo like a dumbazz I started on the bigger,better,faster kick. (Kept the Winchester though)

Over the years I've killed deer with a .218 Bee,.243,.30-06,.308,.250 Savage,.300 Savage, .41 magnum and .45-70, Some dropped on the spot and some ran a bit but I don't ever remember a deer running over 75 yards regardless of caliber.

I would not use the .218 Bee again unless it was the same shot at 20 yards in the forehead. That doe dropped right there but I don't expect to get that shot very often if ever.

I've come back to the .30-30 in a Savage Model 99 and a .303 Savage which is REALLY close to being a .30-30 anyway.

Where I hunt these days I am never going to have a decent shot over 100 yards and the .30-30 excels for me without being overly loud or tough on my wrecked shoulder.

I've killed many critters with the 30-30. Kills were no different than 30-06 or 308 for me. Some were DRT, some had short trails. I distinctly remember 4 nice bucks I took with the cart and none took another step after the shot.

I once shot a ruffed grouse with one. Shot for his head, creased the back of his neck and knocked the feathers off, broke his neck, and didn't even draw blood. My buddy was standing right there, I picked it up and nonchalantly acted like I did it all the time.

I would use a 30-30, but the last one I got, I gave to my daughter. The one before that, I gave to my son.

If I wasn't comfortable with the cartridge, I sure wouldn't let them hunt with it, considering if there is any tracking in briars to do, I'd be doing it.......

Seems odd at first, but if you actually look at the facts instead of the legend it is a true statement. I own a dozen levers made by Marlin and Winchester in calibers including 22, 30-30, 35, 44 mag and 45-70. All things being equal, barrel length etc., levers tend to be among the heaviest repeaters. None of my lever guns are scoped, the lightest centerfire is a Winchester 30-30 at 6.75 lbs. The heaviest is the 45-70 at 7.5 lbs and the rest are all 7 lbs+. The 22's are lighter.

There are plenty of bolt action options weighing from 5 lbs to just over 6 lbs, and far more options for 308's with sub 20" barrels than 30-30's. My heaviest bolt rifle (300 WSM) is lighter than my lightest 30-30. With optics it is a touch heavier, but the rifle its self is lighter. All 3 of my bolt action, scoped 308's weigh the same or less than my 30-30's do with irons only. The Kimber is still under 6 lbs scoped.

Not taking anything away from the 30-30, it kills stuff just fine, but it ain't any better deer killer than the 308. And the 308 will do a lot more.

When I was younger, my deer rifle was a 35 Rem in a Marlin lever gun. Dad and brother both had about the same rifle in 30-30. We argued constantly over which was better, but the truth is that they are about equal. You'll get a good blood trail with either one. They will kill as well as any other caliber you use. The only reason I finally switched to a 270 is that I wanted more range. I was very effective with the 35 to about 150 yards, and it got iffier as I got further away than that. Longest shot with the 35 was about 270. Dropped him like a rock. Still, I wanted something good to longer distances. So buy the 30-30, make the rifle a Marlin, put a 4 power scope on it and make room in the freezer for the deer meat.

O/U 30-30-20 gauge



DRT Hornady Lever ammo 140 gr.

Shot quite a few with the 30-30 using pointy bullets in the single shot H&R Topper. Now to keep it simple use the Hodgdon LeverEvolution load with the Sierra 170 grain FN outlined on the Hodgdon website. Averaging just over 2300 fps. Quite a few drts with this load.

Starting to use the 160FTX load as well, but haven't shot it while hunting yet.

I use the Hornady Leverevolution ammo with good result. I usually find that I can throw a rock farther than the distance of impact to the fallen deer. That is plenty good enough for me. My old Marlin 336 is my favorite gun to hunt deer with.

I have only been on 2 kills (both 1 shot) w/a 30-30, Mine was w/a 170 Speer FP and the other w/a factory 170 gr. Rem CL. Both at about 70 yds, both through the top of the heart, neither left their tracks. I was impressed as I have probably seen 75 deer killed in my life and maybe only 10% died in their tracks no matter where there were initially hit or how many times.-Muddy

The older I've gotten the more practical a 30/30 has become...

its easy to place a shot for most shooters...

and a well placed shot from a 30/30 is definitely more effective that a marginally placed shot off of a bigger, or faster cartridge...

a big reason for this round and the rifles chambered in it, not disappearing decades ago...

90% of all game is still taken at 100 yds or less...right in the world of 30/30 distances...

if I could find a good shaped old Model 54 in 30/30, that would probably be my main hunting cartridge period...

the cartridges I do hunt with each season, are usually loaded to 30/30 speeds anyway, and they just fine... 200 yds and under...

If I may add my $.02: I've used my .30-30s since '75 when first stationed at FT. BENNING. It was the first rifle used for deer, and I haven't found any other cartridge/caliber that will kill 'em any deader. One thing most overlooked as to why it [.30-30] is so efficient at what it does is the bullet construction. It is designed specifically for its velocity range, and there is where and why it is so efficient. ALSO...

CHIP M; Right-on with the mood/demeanor of the deer at the moment of impact. It has the most to do with how the deer behaves when the SHTF for him. (think adrenalin dump when you are in high alert)

ROST495: NOT necessarily velocity, as you stated. Refer to .30-30 bullet construction comment above. Of course, higher velocity with lighter/ stouter constructed bullets in other calibers will create the same hydrostatic shock- perhaps even more-so than the .30-30, but the .30-30 does it at lower velocities with less(GENERALLY)recoil, depending upon bullet choice. and, as far as "Dropping In Their Tracks" is concerned; Every animal killed will 'Drop in their tracks' no matter how far they travel from where they are first hit. Picky? Perhaps, but the correct phrasing/terminology should be used whenever possible; Such as: 'Dropped where the were standing when hit' or something to that effect. 'DRT' is more correctly termed.

Blackheart; You got it right. 'nuff said.

Smokeeater2: You are very close: the .303 Savage and the .30-30 are identical (within .2-.3 grain,.5 at most) in case capacity. Find yourself some 190gr. bullets as used in the .303 Sav. and you can load your own ".30-30 Savage", as it were.

Chainsaw: Right on! Waitin' on my 150 gr. NOSLER Bal. STs for .30-30 (on backorder since July), to load for my H&R ULTRA w/.30-30 Heavy Barrel. Will try them in my Marlins too,along with some HORNADY 125&150 SSTs.

SEAFIRE: You are most correct. When hit in the chest with a well-placed shot, they WILL die: Some more quickly than others but they will die. And, not travel too far, either.

As an aside, I've shot only (one) deer at approx.35yds. with a 170 gr. bullet.... A 156 lb. (on the hoof)buck. The bullet went through both shoulders leaving a caliber-size hole in the near shoulder blade and a nickel-size hole in the off-side shoulder
blade. Took another shot to drop him. Since then I've used the 170s on the hogs on FT. BENNING and saved the 150s for deer. My hand loads (from a '70s DuPont IMR loading manual) give me 2426 FPS in my Marlin 336Cs over Oehler's 35P screens. Hold the chastising--- they've worked for me for going on 39 yrs. in the same 336s. (I loaded 500 rds. in '76 when I had the resources and time. I still have around 170 or so left. I have some 130Gr SPEER FPs loaded to 2716 FPS in the same 336s, and they are deadly on deer also,'cept there is a whole lot of Gawd-awful destruction to edible meat; I leave them mostly to the coyotes and other varmints. All-in-all, I've never had to track any deer/animal more than 10-15 yds hit with the 150gr .30-30 (170 on hogs) BUT.. I will concede "To each their own" and do not intend to press my findings/usage with the .30-30 upon anyone else.... Only relaying my experiences with this cartridge.

One last observation: If you choose to shoot your rifle with sights other than a scope...Do not denigrate that one or any other firearm as 'not accurate, or not accurate past a certain distance', or whatever. My 336s(both) shoot into a nickel at 100yds===>read that as 'covered by completely' with 90% of the loads fed through them. It just took time to find the right ones. In rifles from .223(4),.22-250,.243(3),.25-06, 7x57,.280REM(2), 7REM MAG(3),.308WIN(4),.30-06(4),.300 Wby.,.338WIN MAG,.444 Marlin(2),20Ga.SG,12Ga.SG(3), ALL of which have taken their fair share of deer... [Ga. has very generous limits, and there are families in need around here who readily accept any venison offered, so none is wasted] the .30-30 is the one with which I have taken the most game and the one which is considered first. I even have reduced loads for my .308s and -'06s to.30-30 levels,(w/.30-30 class bullets)
Say what you will about this venerable caliber/cartridge but it will most probably still be around and taking game when we are long-gone and forgotten.
If you have read this far without cussin' me out, I thank you for letting me give my $.02 worth. Be safe, Good Luck and Happy Huntin'.
WILL.

OP, please forgive the rebuild of your post.
But to address your questions clearly I want to be specific to each one.
As to how suddenly it kills, there is no way to calculate any sort of time frame. A calm deer, head down first thing in the morning may drop to a shot that a peaked nervous deer light stepping through dry leaves may bolt after.
To the speed of the drop and a "properly placed" bullet...your properly placed may be double lung, mine might be neck, someone else might try all shoulder... So 0-50 yards depending on eveness of terrain, vegetation and deer's attitude about the shot.
Here's my basic Tennant...
A 30-30 bullet is just a fast expanding 30 caliber, designed so as to provide expansion at lower than 30-06 or 308 velocities.
Every deer has a separate and distinct disposition built upon their exposures. Have they been shot at, hunted hard? Is it the rut, swirling winds, full belly, just rose from bed or out all night? Is it pasture or bottoms? Are there other deer around or is the deer alone?
All these variables weigh more heavily on the equation than that of a caliber.
Get as close as you can and pay attention to where the deer was when hit and listen to direction of travel. If you don't hear it crash wait a few minutes before tracking.
All pretty simple

Marlin 336 with 160gr LeveRevolution bullet.....shot was about 90 yards, deer went 5 feet!

Nice Buck.

Doc

Get the .308 in something like the Remington model 7 or my son's Ruger Compact. You won't find a lever handier than that. A bolt gun is also safer.
If I had to go with a brush caliber, the .38-55 and .35 Rem would be well ahead of the .30-30.

this is a copy of one of my favorite stories, from Gray's sporting journal. Just wanting to share not steal Ed Gray's work in any way. I think most will really enjoy this if you haven't ever read it.

2386936
A couple of years ago Becky and I went up to Norb and Sig's place in Vermont. They were having their annual invitation-only deer hunt; it's about half hunt and half party, but the men who go up every year seem to know why they go, and the year before they had put a half-dozen deer on the pole. Becky and I didn't even buy licenses; all we wanted to do was to shake a few hands, hear one or two of the stories, sort of a tire-kicking trip.
We got there late in the afternoon of the first day of the hunt, an most of the boys were already back at the house. No deer.
"No snow," somebody said.
"Too hot."
"Herd's down."
"Lotta hunters out there."
"Let's eat," somebody said.
The meal was the standard, put-a-lot-of-stuff-in-the-pot-and-let-it-simmer number, and while the simmering part took place the boys fell loosely into the various chairs and benches around the fire and started talking. You know the script.
You really know the script if you know the group. Norb is one of those upper-echelon gun nuts who thinks about firearms the way Eddie Arcaro must think about horses - passionately, but with respect. So the boys who hunt with Norb tend to be cut from a cloth. A cloth anointed with Hoppe's.
Anyway, it didn't take long for the talk to get around to calibers. Tom had his moment then, for he was recently back from a hidden valley in British Columbia where he had reduced a truly large grizzly to possession with a single shot from his new big bore Colt Sauer. He even had pictures, but the
boys sort of tuned out after they agreed that a .458 Win Mag. might have too much stopping power for the Vermont deer woods. Tom didn't have it with him anyway.
An interesting thing to do in any deer camp is to glance across the gun rack, and you could tell right away that the boys in Norb's bunch weren't just deer hunters. All bolt actions and scopes here, and the ordnance leaned a bit to the heavy side of .270. Becky and I weren't really in the thick of the
conversation, and I was having fun imagining where some of those rifles had pointed when Norb's brother Charley came over.
"Where's your gun, Ed?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm not hunting this time," I answered. "Going up to New Hampshire next week."
Charley nodded.
"But I did bring the gun," I said. "My good .30-30. The one Becky gave me. Pre-64, really a good one. You ought to see it."
Charley didn't want to see it. In fact he didn't want to hear about it. "Don't use it," he said.
He was right, of course. If you spend all year working up to your few days in the woods, if you truly love venison, and if your rifle is simply the tool to get the job doen, then you certainly will increase your odds if you put some extra foot-punds behind your bullet. "Just remember," Charley said, "The first time you trail a wounded deer for six miles is the last time you'll use that .30-30."
"Yeah," I said. The problem is that I've never hunted deer with anything but a .30-30. To me it's a part of the package, just like woolen pants, new snow and lunch alone deep in the woods. I wasn't going to change just because it made sense to do so.
Like most of us, I spend the better part of my time on a deer hunt alone, not seeing game, and the only thing along for company is my little rifle. It's the sort of circumstance that turns inanimate things into pets, and the .30-30 that Becky gave me had become that. So I listened to Charley, and I worried a bit about what he had said, but I took the little gun with me anyway.
I took the little gun when Larry and I went back to the cabin near Bog Brook. I, and the rifle, had been there before, and when we got there I hung the rifle on its peg by the back door. Not an event, just one of the little rituals that marks the edges of a regular hunt; a quiet pleasure marked and quickly forgotten, to be remembered much later.
The moment passed as quickly three days later when I took the gun of the peg, a minor act lost in the glow of what had turned out to be the best hunt that I've had yet. I packed the gun in the back of the jeep, in with the duffel and seemingly detached from the trophy it had cleanly taken - the dressed northern whitetail that hit 212 pounds on the scale at West Milan. The deer I'd spent ten years seeking. The deer that people still want to hear about. The deer that hangs next to me in the funny snapshot that Larry took, the picture that shows my day-glow hat that Larry talked me into wearing that day. And it shows the little rifle resting on my knees as I sit there on the porch of the cabin up near Bog Brook. I'll show you the picture. I'll show you the mounted head of the deer, and I'll even show you the funny hat, as long as you don't ask about the rifle.
Because the rifle was stolen ten months later.
So now I spend a lot of time in gun shops, elbows on the counter, peering at the rack where they keep the better used rifles. If Charley were with me he'd smile, I'm sure, as I looked over the nicely-checkered .30-06's and.308's. But he'd have no way of knowing that this was just idle window shopping, a casual glance across the whole selection. I only get serious when I come to the place where they keep the .30-30's, the Model 94's.
When I find them, I stand back a bit and look carefully, searching for the right touch of age, color and grace that marks a good one. If I don't see it, I move on. But if one of the little guns has it, if the patina is right on the stock and the detachable swivels are there, then I pick it up.
I pick it up and turn it over. If you saw me do it you might think that I was checking for rust or dry-rot, feeling the action or checking for wear. No.
When I turn over the .30-30, I'm looking for just one thing. A number.
2386936.
I think Charley would understand.

Ed Gray, October 1979