I know the 30-30 has killed an untold amount of elk. That's not really what I'm after. I am wondering what your personal experience has been with the 30-30 on elk. Personal range limit, load choice, optic set up and so on.

I'm trying to put together a two gun rifle battery with an old school theme. These guns will be used on whitetail 90% of their lives but elk will be on the table at some point. I have the first rifle taken care of. A bolt action with a variable scope that can take game from 0-300yds no problem. I went with a weatherby vanguard in 30-06 and a 3x9x40.

The second rifle will be a brush to mid range rifle for deer and a under 100yd rifle for that elk hunt down the road. I'm leaning heavily towards a Marlin 336 in 30-30 with a set of XS ghost rings and a fixed 4x mounted on the XS Lever rail.

I know some would suggest a 300WM and 45/70 would be better suited, but I'm happy with the '06 and the 30-30 has a better range for whitetail sized critters.


Sorry to be so long winded on this, bottom line is I'd like to hear your stories of elk hunting with a 30-30.

Cow elk, up close, in the dark nasty woods. Federal 170 grain Partition load. These days my tired old eyes look through an old friction plate 1.5x-5x Leupold that's always set on 1.5x. In the dark nasty shots are easily under 100 yards.

Neighbor kid shot this one a couple years back, it ain't no cow, and it wasn't upclose in the timber. The 30-30 will work just fine, find the 150 or 170 gr bullet your rifle likes best and go have a good time
[img][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/Ranch137/leviselk.jpg[/img][/img]

Shot one elk a couple decades ago with a .30-30 and handloaded Hornady 150 grainers. Range was 50 yds. Spike bull...he tasted great, would probably use a 170 if I were to do it again, though the 150 obviously worked...
Ingwe

Nothing wrong with your current thoughts.

Might want to consider a Lee-Enfield (No.1 or No.4) in .303 British, or something in .30-40 Krag for the other rifle, just in case you really want to go nostalgic. No doubt as to whether either of those two will out range a .30-30, and out punch it, too.

No personal experience with the .30-30 and elk--unless you count the old Montana outfitter I knew back in the 80's. He outfitted in the Bob Marshall Wilderness for decades, and his only rifle during that time was a Savage 99 in .30-30. Among a pile of deer and elk, he also killed five grizzlies. He took his last elk with the rifle when he was 80, a 6x6 bull shot at about 100 yards in a near-blizzard. One shot, one elk.

my first elk rifle was a marlin 336 in 30-30. I took 2 elk, a cow and a big old bull. I set my personal limit at 100 yards with it, I knew I could kill beyond that, but I KNEW 100 yards was a safe bet. I used 150 grain corlocts(sp). never had an elk go more then 20' after shooting them, the bull dropped on the spot and the bullet passed through.

both were under 60 yards when I shot them

I'd say you have an excellent direction and the 336 is a great rifle. good luck!

I wouldn't hesitate to use the 30-30 for Elk in the Timber . The only place you would handicap yourself would be in the open parks. If you handload your own ammo then i would use the Nosler 170 Partition for added insurance.

I worked for an outfitter in Idaho who only used a 30-30 for elk & deer. He had a 7mm Weatherby Mag that he had won in a raffle that "spoiled to much meat". 30-30 will do fine for what you have described.

The biggest bull that was killed while I worked in Idaho was killed with a little lever action Marlin in 357. We were not into inches back in those days so I couldnt tell you what it would score, but this bull was BIG.

+1 for the Nosler!
Ingwe

There is your answer.

Proof defeats theory every time.

BMT

Growing up in a ranching family, and we always hunted deer and elk horseback in those days...I shot my first few elk with a 25-35, then a number with a 30-30 and a 250-3000 M-99...I don't recall a shot beyond 200 yards and if the bullet was place right they made few tracks with any of the above calibers..What I do know is that you are considerably limited in range and angle angle of the shot and in todays elk hunting that could mean a hunt that is unsuccessful. Back then my family all camped out for the total season, usually about 30 days I guess, so if you missed an opertunity, you plenty of time to fix it..Most folks don't have that leasure these days.

Today I would probably choose the 30-06 or .308 and in a lever gun the Win 95 and 99 Savages always suited me. I suppose the 358 Win would work, but I have only used it on deer and the 06 or 308 are just as good or better IMO.

Today I do my elk hunting with a bolt action sporter in 300 H&H, 375 H&H, or 338 Win. but I mostly hunt in black timber and the shots are fast running South..

Also you cannot put cow elk in the same catagory as a big bull elk, the bulls are tougher by far and can take a lot of killing under some circumstances.

Really enjoying these posts guys, keep 'em comming. Nice to hear about fellas still taking elk with the 30-30. Anybody have a strong preference scopes vs peep sites? Boy that should stir the pot...

I use iron sights that came on it from the factory

On a Marlin you can't screw up the handling, so a nice 4x scope is good.
On the Winchesters I prefer the One Ragged Hole sight.

Shooting a Win. M64 with a Lyman receiver sight!
Ingwe

On the subject of 30-30's and killing animals; that 170 grain Nosler Partition bullet designed for the 30-30 is a very accurate bullet in one of our Marlin 336 rifles so chambered. Will try that bullet in another 336 as soon as the snow goes.

I've switched to LeverEvolution for my 30.30.

I would not hesitate on an elk out to 200 yds...and perhaps even further if the shot opportunity was right.

Check out the ballistics here...

https://www.hornady.com/shop/?page=ballistics/popup&product_sku=82730

3" high at 100 yds, my 336 Marlin, with Leupold FX-II 6x, is dead on at 200...and groups far better than anything else I've ever used. Three shots into 1" at 100 yds is not tough to do with these.

No other way to go, IMHO.


...unless, of course, you look at either the 308 or 338 Marlin Express.

My good old Winchester 94 in 30-30 with William Peep sights.

Nice! I'm a Marlin guy, but wow that 94 sure looks clean. Williams Peeps just look so right on those guns.

I also have the Marlin 336 in 30-30

Thats about as classic looking as they get. Cool stuff!
Ingwe

The rumor mill down here in the states says the leverevolution boolits should be available to reloaders soon!
Heard nothing but good things about them so far..
Ingwe

As long as you are aware of the range limitations, and you obviously are, mount a Lyman 57 to the 336, load up some 170 grain Partitions and go forth and slay elk.

Wayne

I've hunted elk with my 30-30, but never had the chance to take a shot with it. I would do so again without hesitation.

Well, I like my .30-30 but my .45-70 has better range. The .30-30 shoots flatter runs out of thump much sooner. Took a 6x6 bull elk at 213 lasered yards with my .45-70 and would have pulled the trigger at 300 (just like I do at the range).

Consider these calculations: At 300 yards my .45-70 handloads (350g North fork @ 2183fps) retain about 1675fpe and are down about 22� (measured) with a MPBR zero for a 6� diameter target (3� max rise or drop). Compare that against my .30-30 loads, a 170g Speer running 2260fps, with the same 6� MPBR zero. At 300 yards the .30-30 is down only 17� or so but retains only 921fpe.

Not discounting the .30-30, just pointing out that trajectory isn�t everything. Of course you pay for that kind of.45-70 performance with significantly increased recoil (about 3x).

444Matt,

The 444 marlin is kinda nostalgic too. Kicks less than the 45-70.

Beanman

The best man at my wedding in Yellowpine Idaho uses nothing but a 30-30 for anything he hunts here in Idaho and scores Elk almost every year with it still, and rarely goes without, as do several others I know that live and work in the center of Idaho who refuse to understand how outdated and un-cool the little carbine is. One could never get them to read ballistic tables or the internet or they would definitely know they are using the wrong tool for Idaho game that feeds there family year after year.

I had two Winchester '94's for ever, it seems, and traded one for a muzzle loader a couple years ago and kept the most accurate one to today.Like other calibers, shot placement is #1 and bullet choice is #2.My old 30-30 has seen most of Idaho's back country/several horses/Jeeps/logging crummies and trucks and put a fair amount of game in my freezer.I would never hesitate to use it in the thick timber Idaho has for any game I was after and it particularly likes Bears for some reason but my family doesn't.

Jayco

Ya, the 444 was my first introduction into big bore Marlins. Got a real good case of Marlinitis from that gun. I now favor the 45/70 over the 444 for my big bore needs, but will always hold a special place in my heart for the fo forty fo!

And Ron, thanks for the encouragement with the 3030. This gun will do 90% of its life hunting Whitetails here in Alabama, but one day I hope to take it for a elk hunt timber gun, with a good bolt action along for the trip and longer ranges.

I agree with you, but this rifle is just for under 100yd thick stuff. 90% of its life will be hunting whitetail. Whenever this elk trip happens, the 30-06 will be along to handle the longer range work.

My Marlin 336 and a Hornady 30-30 LeverEvolution round took a 6x6 bull at 110 yards. He dropped where he stood.