Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A Close-in Deer Rifle

That SxS .30-30 hammer gun strikes a lot of the right notes for me: caliber, style, origins.... just so nice.

Don't currently have a .30-30 and all the ones I've had in the past were 94's. I probably won't ever have another, unless the next time I ask my usual question at the LGS, "What caliber is that No. 1 on the consignment rack?" and the answer is .30-30 and the bore is bright and condition very good. Then it will come home with me for no good reason. I already have too many rifles, which I am trying to do something about, and am saving up for another nice Italian shotgun (because I only have enough of those, not too many, and let's not even let S&W revolvers enter into the discussion.) Anyway...

there is no cartridge better than the .30-30 for killing deer in the woods (unless it's the .303 Savage.) The bullets made for it are made for it, not for whatever .308 caliber cartridge they might be loaded into. They've been refined for killing deer from that cartridge for over 100 years. It uses a very little powder, makes very little noise, has very little recoil and just plain works.