Do people still hunt deer with 30/30s

[bwells]

its still cheap enough to go do a little fun shooten with

I picked up three boxes of blue box federal 170's fir $13 a box three days ago.

 

[kian1100]

Excellent brush gun. Slow, big and doesnt deflect from small branches and such like the faster rounds do. 30/30 is what I hunted with for years. Great gun, still have it. Your good to go with it to 250 yards or so.

 

[gallogiro]

Great gun, I was hoping to get a marlin 30/30 myself, I hope before hunting season starts.

So I got it!! Got a marlin 336 in 30/30. Love it, just need to take it out to shoot.

 

[eriknemily]

So I got it!! Got a marlin 336 in 30/30. Love it, just need to take it out to shoot.

Congrats!!! Happy Hunting:gun21:

 

[Logical1]

I have winchester and a marlin, why two. because they are great guns and you can loan one to a buddy. and if you drop it you wont cry because its built like a tank and didnt cost $800.00 bucks.

 

[Nightshade]

have 2 pre 64 winchesters 30/30's great brush guns still keep one loaded up in bedroom
no kids at home anymore

 

[soberups]

Excellent brush gun. Slow, big and doesnt deflect from small branches and such like the faster rounds do. 30/30 is what I hunted with for years. Great gun, still have it. Your good to go with it to 250 yards or so.

Yes its a great gun, but you cannot take an ethical hunting shot with one at 250 yards. 150 yards maybe, beyond that the round is losing energy fast and dropping like a rock.

 

[eriknemily]

Yes its a great gun, but you cannot take an ethical hunting shot with one at 250 yards. 150 yards maybe, beyond that the round is losing energy fast and dropping like a rock.

Soberups is right. Check out winchester's ballistic calculator. Compare the 30-30 with a 30-06 or 270. After 200 yds the 30-30 drops fast. At 500 yds it drops about 10 feet according to their calculator. I haven't done any of my own field testing on how these rounds perform but I assume winchester's program is pretty accurate.

I have to add that this site doesn't show the energy of the bullet at all. It is simply trajectory and speed. So I guess if you know the math you could figure it out based on the speed and weight of the bullet.

 

[johnboy]

Yes great gun simple,inexpensive, lightweight. 150yds is about the ethical limit I agree. Just have to keep that in mind when you see one past that......get closer...you can with cover......

 

[bwells]

I only ever take my 30-30 when I'm hunting in thick stuff or the weather is real nasty, where a 100 yard shot is the longest I'm likely to get. This is the ammo I use in mine, with bullet drop and energy.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=29

At 200 yards it's already under 1000 ft. lbs. and 8.4 inches low. I shoot my 30-30 with open sights, and I've got them set for 100 yards. I've never shot it at 200 yards, but I'm guessing the target would be at least partially subtended by the sights.

 

[Gunner3456]

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that more deer have been killed with a 30-30 than any other gun. ??

I'd still prefer a 30.06 or .308 with iron sights for a brush gun "just in case" the shot was farther than 150 yards, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a 30-30 either.

For open country it's my venerable .270.

 

[gallogiro]

So my father in Law and I went to the 4 corners rod and gun for the rifle sight in. Last year he bought the stainless steel/laminate stock marlin with the longer barrel in .30-30. Did real good at 100 yds, then we moved in to the 200 yd steel target and hit it 1st shot. Did I mention he was shooting with iron sights?

I didn't get a chance to try mine because I had it at Ole's getting a limbsaver buttpad installed.

 

[smonk]

If you're up to the challenge, a 30-30 would be OK. I've heard it's killed more deer than any other cartridge. That being said, I know a hunter who wounded some animals with a 30-30 and then moved up to a 30-06. Now he kills them.

 

[Marshall Tall Eagle]

I used to live in Eastern Oregon and have used my 30-30 Winchester for deer, elk and one time shot a bear with it, shot at a cougar but it got away, I missed the shot, oh well. Hey 30-30s are the best I even use it as a everyday carry in my pick up.

 

[dario541]

I, personally, like the 30-30. I have both Winchester and Marlin. I have used both while hunting. I saw a Marlin recently at the local Bi-Mart for around $350. It was ready to go, including a sling (I never leave home without one). One thing that will expand the range of this gun is to use Hornady "Leverevolution" ammo (alluded to on an earlier post). This "Flex-Tip" ammo works realy well in lever action firearms, where the point of a cartridge rests against the primer of the cartridge in front of it. I wonder why it took so long for someone to think of it?

 

[FrontierFritz]

Absolutely!!!
30-30 lever is about as traditional as one can get!