Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General 30-30 inside 100 yards

I haven't killed a deer with my 30-30 since I was a kid in WI 28 years ago, and then it was my only one with that rifle and it was a big old grizzled 10 point buck with a 23" spread at about 10 yards - still my biggest one. After that season, I just had to get an '06 like my dad. For those of you that have shot deer with both the 30-30 and cartridges like the '06, .270, etc., do you see much difference in the 30-30 and the others' lethality inside 100 yards? I think I'm going to pull it out for this season, and try the Federal Premium 170 gr Nosler. I know the NP is not really necessary for deer, but I bought the ammo at a really cut rate price, so I thought I'd try it. Thanks.

At close range the .30-30 can get the job done. I have taken Moose & Black Bear with the .30-30 in the past, as well as with other cartridges of similar power. I took my first Bull Moose on my 14th birthday with an old .303 Lee Enfield that dated back to before the first world war.

I don't have my old .303 or my old .30-30 any more having moved on to calibers that interested me more, & no the .30-06 is not in my collection either.

Practice lots with your chosen wepon, keep your shots within a comforable range & the .30-30 will still get the job done.

I've shot antelope, deer and elk with the 30-30 . Inside 100 yards I've not noticed and real difference in performance. Its a fine cartridge that despite the best efforts of some of the gun guru's refuses to die. Plus with some of the newer powders it gets pretty versatile if you want to push things a bit.

I haven't seen a nickles worth of differance within 100 yards and I did drop a large whitetail doe in her tracks at 211 yards with a 30-30 and the bullet exited on an angling shot. I usually use other rifles now but we still have a 30-30 that goes to the woods every year. reflex264

Put the bullet where it is supposed to go, and there will be no difference in killing at 100 yards on a deer, moose, or black bear. No problem, no worries....
Catnthehat

Last deer my 30-30 killed was a doe 2 seasons ago.... Perfect broadside shot at 15-20 yards (no range finder on this one <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) with 150gr Rem Core-Lokt, bullet went in and out and did it's job well. The only moving the deer did was falling down the hillside. It was the quickest non-CNS shot kill I've had....

I know it's just a fluke, but yes. I did notice a difference in the lethality of the 30-30 at close range. Normally I hunt with an 30-06. Two years ago I tried a 30-30; I wanted to try a lever. Last year I switched back-- this time to a Savage 99 in 308 Win.

Here's the long version of the story:

Ode to a 30-30

Part III has the actual misadventure.

Mind you, I'm not giving up on the 30-30. I'm just going to let the kids use it for a few years and then go back. When I do, it'll be with a different load.

Please don't flame me for ragging on the 30 WCF. I'm still a believer. If anything, I think the deer was too small for the round rather than the other way around. One thing is for sure: if I hadn't seen the ragged hole with the arterial spurter, I'd have been sure I'd grabbed the kid's cap gun.

What's more, after the doe was bagged, tagged and on the way to the processor, I couldn't help but remember that snobby Scotsman over on .Shooters.com (Roebuck(?)) and his rants about one-shot kills and how American hunters go out in the woods unprepared and on and on. . . It just made me want to go out in the woods and shoot something.

Oh, I guess I did. Never mind.

For me, the .30-30 has been at least as effective as anything else I've used on deer inside 100 yards. Much fun to hunt with, too. My favorite load uses a 150 grain Speer flat-point, but I expect those Noslers will do just fine, if your rifle likes 'em.

Hmmmm..............nope the 30-30 is fine for moose/elk/blackies/deer out to150 yards or so.
In northern Alberta and the NWT many bison get shot every year with the 30-30.

Shaman, thank you for posting a link to "Ode to a 30-30." I thoroughly enjoyed the story. If a person hunts long enough and hard enough, some day he or she will see at least one incident that plainly shouldn't happen. But that's the point: should and is are different concepts. Even uncommon things happen now and then. Good luck and good hunting!

BMR,

I have used an old marlin 30-30 for a long time and have never seen a diff. inside 100-125yrds. I have killed deer and hog with .223, 22-250, 243, 6mm rem, 25-06, 270, 30-06, 338 win mag, 7mag, 264 win mag. Most of the hogs and all of the deer never gone over 15 yrds and several of them droped at the shot. I hand load 170 hornady's with w748 behind them and they work great. Heck that old rifle shoots pretty well with them too I can keep them under 2" all day.

I would say pull it out and have some fun. I got into to the hole got to have the one hole gun thing and the gun the I can shoot today and kill tomorrow with. Now I have made a full circle and take that old 30-30 out several times a year.

The 30-30 is not great at much of anything there are stores full of guns that are better for this or that. But the 30-30 has killed everthing that I have shot with it better than a rifle with its ballistics ever should, and that what makes it a great round. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> So knock the dust off of it and take it shooting.

sako

My first deer rifle was the Marlin 30-30.
It has taken lots of deer here in Mississippi.
I've only lost a couple of deer due to heavy brush shots. That's my reason for my new Marlin 45-70.

Once I shot 2 times at a deer well over 175 yards. He spun around between shots and disappeared. I thought that he had jumped a fence but in fact he fell down. He must have crawled in the ditch to a nearby hedge row where I later found him. I was home sick that day looking out the front door window and there he was trotting across the bean fields.
One shot was in the lungs and the other in the heart. Off hand shooting I might add...
I was shooting WW 150 grain. The Horizontal Cross hairs were even with his back, so the bullet drop was right on.

I plan on reloading for the 30-30 this fall.
Now to choose a bullet.
I know that I'll be using BL-C (2) powder.

No doubt the 30-30 is hard to beat inside 100 yards.

regards,
Perry

Perry the bullet I use the most in the 30-30 is speer's 150 gr flatpoint. In my rifles it has consistently given the best velocity and accuracy, and has preformed well on game.

See the URL below for the next bullets I'm going to try out. Mainly for my son that is 12.
http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/applications/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?SaleItemID=336780

MidwayUSA also sells a Sierra 125 grain bullet I may load up as well.
regards,
Perry

Perry,

Are you using the Speer 110's for your son's plinking loads? I'm asking since this seems to be a big games thread, and the jacket on those bullets are pretty wimpy...

JOG,



We'll be using the 110gr. Speer bullet for whitetail deer.

Perry



check out the reviews on this bullet. "Allen Green from Texas"

Those 110 gr bullets are terribly fragile. I would strongly suggest you chose one that is designed for shooting game instead of varmints. You might get away with them on deer but if the bullet gets into something like the shoulder you may have a disaster on your hands.

You guys are right. I should be using the Speer 130 grain bullet and not the 110.
The 110 may work for a while but the fact that the bullet has the thinner jacket will eventually become a problem, (lost deer).

Thanks for ther heads up guys.

Perry

That 32 Win. special sure does kill better than the 30-30 does inside 100 yards. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have a bullet recovered from a river otter which started its journey in a 30-30 case. I don't know exactly whatthe bullet was to begin with as I had a magazine full of miscellaneous loads when I got the opportunity. I do know the bullet wasn't lighter than the 130 Speer and it could easily have been a 150 grain bullet. In any case it angled through the flank of a puny little - okay, actually a large otter, but puny when compared to deer - and lodged in the offside shoulder. Sound bullets make the 30-30 useful, as has been noted, for animals the size of moose if proper judgment is used. I also encourage the use of bullets which enhance the reputation of the old round rather than detract from it.