Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Most iconic deer cartridge?

I LEFT the 30-30 in 1974........have NOT missed it.

In the east, prolly 30-30; in the west, '06 or 270, historically speaking. Obviously recent trends are other directions.

MM

You may well be right. But in the woods the 30-30 still leaves little to be desired.

Mike, no argument from me on "in the woods". 30-30, 32 Special, 30 Remington, 44 Mag, 444, 45-70, et.al.

When I was a teenager my friend hunted with a model 14 in 32 Remington. He never would sell me that gun.

I prefer power and speed, so this year a 30-06 with a 130 grain Barnes bullet ,my handloads ,reason bigger bucks die hard and in a tamarack swamp in northern Minnesota its best to knock whitetail bucks down permantly. I usally use a 257 Weatherby mag, but I was given a Winchester pre 64 30-06 from a great old vet gunsmith named Harold who will`d me that pre 64,he was a great person so in his honor this year I will be hunting Whitetails with his rifle a 30-06 pre-64 as did Harold used too up north on my property. nothing wrong about a old 30-30 that`s what I started with and still have that lever,but my eye`s are not as good any more so I use a Nightforce scope these days,plus I just like a little more powerbecause bending over look`n for blood now days is harder for me.

A 243 Winchester will flatten them out in their tracks too and without the recoil and muzzle blast.

When I read the title of this thread my mind jumped to 30-06, but honestly I think it would have to be a tie between the 30-06 and 30-30.

30 wcf

Just a repeat of what has been said already. My mind jumped straight to the .30-30. But in PA you predominantly see pump .30-06s. That is slowly changing though and I see more bolts that anything now.

-Jake

YEP

30-06 Nowadays.

I like the 300 Savage model 99, a true deer and elk cart. Worked up a good load for it, I found the loads in a Handloader mag 2002 the lost 30's and rem corelokts 180gr work well also,at 100 yards I can shoot 3 shots touching cloverleaf. Nice a light to carry also, nice action, Something I like about the brass rotary, and the bullet counter window, Savage was ahead of his time. Don't get me wrong the 308 & 30/06 ect... do the job as well. I just like the 300 Savage cart for deer hunting. Aim small hit small.

22lr

30-30 no doubt. It has the history on its side.

1. .30-30 for the easy win.
2. An honorable mention goes to it’s rival, the .303 Savage.

1. .30-30 for the easy win.
2. An honorable mention goes to it’s rival, the .303 Savage.

That's right Elk!

To me, it would be the 300 Savage.

Rifle: Savage 99 with rotary mag, pistol grip and schnabel fore end, 3x Leupold scope.

What a surprise! That was my dad’s deer rifle. He also had a pre-war Win 94 carbine in 30-30. That was the “ starting rifle for deer hunting.” When he brought out the Savage 99, it was “ooh, ahhh time” for me. The big stick. With 180 grain power points in the 300 Savage.

Deer camp in the Catskills mountains, NY had Rem 760’s in 30-06, Marlin 336c’s in 30-30 (late 1960’s - early 1980’s when I was there, south side of the Pepacton Reservoir, ,) . Great guns, but that Savage was just so svelte and classy looking,

30-30, 32Spl.