30/30 Rifle Cartridge
- Thread starter dts686
- Start date
I shot my first deer with a 30/30, and IMO it is a very good centerfire cartridge for a new shooter (young or old) to use on deer. A few years later, I bought my own rifle (30-06), but I still have fond memories of that 30/30. Some have claimed the 30/30 has taken more deer than any other cartridge. Hornady says their Leverevolution ammo makes the 30/30 a 300 yard deer rifle. Use what you want, but I like the idea of a deer rifle that is not a 500 yard deer rifle for a new shooter. That said, how many people posting on this thread have taken deer over 200 yards, and what percentage of total deer have you taken over 200 yards? How many actually have the shooting skills to consistently hit a 3" or 4" target past 200 yards?
thedaddycat
New member
Many factors can effect recoil, weight of the rifle is one. When he was a youngster, my son shot the 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser and thought it "kicked too much" but was fine with the M17 Enfield in .30-06. Go figure...
I have no issues with recoil from my M94 Winchester, it's my favorite woods gun for deer. Light, easy to carry, balances at the receiver and fast follow up shots. The .30-30 is a pretty good GP chambering for ranges under 150 yards on most game. I got a black bear with mine at about 30 yards and many deer. I've even shot a few woodchucks on a friend's farm out in the hay fields, where they dig up the field and leave holes that interfere with haying.
If recoil is an issue, a slip on pad will help as will wearing a jacket.
I have no issues with recoil from my M94 Winchester, it's my favorite woods gun for deer. Light, easy to carry, balances at the receiver and fast follow up shots. The .30-30 is a pretty good GP chambering for ranges under 150 yards on most game. I got a black bear with mine at about 30 yards and many deer. I've even shot a few woodchucks on a friend's farm out in the hay fields, where they dig up the field and leave holes that interfere with haying.
If recoil is an issue, a slip on pad will help as will wearing a jacket.
The .30-30 round has the power to take game at cleanly at 300 yards and even beyond. BUT, the common rifles for the .30-30 make hitting the vitals at that kind of distance very difficult. Plenty good enough for shorter ranges, though.
The old boys in my neck of the woods used the paper plate method. Shooting from a field position (offhand, kneeling, or rested) if the young hunter could hit near the middle of a paper plate, he could take a deer (broadside shot) at that range. For some that was 50yds. For a few it was 150yds! It's the shooter, the rifle and its sights more than the cartridge.
In its day, the .30-30 was a speed demon and flat shooting! Compared to other common rifles. Today it is slow and has too much drop...but you know what? The deer don't know that!
The rifle makes a huge difference. Every Winchester 94 I've ever shot has kicked the snot out of me, felt worse than more powerfully kicking rounds in other guns. Its the stock design and the way it fits me.
The Marlin 336, on the other hand, is a pussycat. Its a little heavier and has a different shape stock than the Winchester.
The old boys in my neck of the woods used the paper plate method. Shooting from a field position (offhand, kneeling, or rested) if the young hunter could hit near the middle of a paper plate, he could take a deer (broadside shot) at that range. For some that was 50yds. For a few it was 150yds! It's the shooter, the rifle and its sights more than the cartridge.
In its day, the .30-30 was a speed demon and flat shooting! Compared to other common rifles. Today it is slow and has too much drop...but you know what? The deer don't know that!
The rifle makes a huge difference. Every Winchester 94 I've ever shot has kicked the snot out of me, felt worse than more powerfully kicking rounds in other guns. Its the stock design and the way it fits me.
The Marlin 336, on the other hand, is a pussycat. Its a little heavier and has a different shape stock than the Winchester.
To add a little perspective, the idea that the rifle is just as responsible for "kick" as the cartridge is totally correct.
I refer to the .243, but personally, I don't like shooting mine often. The stock doesn't work for me, and the rifle is light. A box of shells through it breaks capillaries in my shoulder when fired off of a bench. Do my other rifles? none of them. once, I came up with the idea of using a piece of foam pipe insulation slipped on the buttplate, and gee, I went home without blood showing under the skin.
I refer to the .243, but personally, I don't like shooting mine often. The stock doesn't work for me, and the rifle is light. A box of shells through it breaks capillaries in my shoulder when fired off of a bench. Do my other rifles? none of them. once, I came up with the idea of using a piece of foam pipe insulation slipped on the buttplate, and gee, I went home without blood showing under the skin.
musicmatty
New member
A 30-30 will take any game in North America within a respectable range..a range that most people often have there most success..and thats not at 300yrds 
If your skilled with your riffle, then a well placed shot will alway's do the job..placement over power. I've seen big game escape shots from a high powered rifle with a poorly placed shot
Another thing...I would rather have a lever action in my hands out in Grizzly country walking as opposed to a bolt action..the lever is much quicker for follow up shots...just my opinion and experience.
If your skilled with your riffle, then a well placed shot will alway's do the job..placement over power. I've seen big game escape shots from a high powered rifle with a poorly placed shot
Another thing...I would rather have a lever action in my hands out in Grizzly country walking as opposed to a bolt action..the lever is much quicker for follow up shots...just my opinion and experience.
black mamba
New member
The 30/30's fame is more about the short, light handling rifles it's chambered in than the ballistics of the cartridge. It kills OK out to about 150 yds, unless you get a particularly accurate one, and/or mount a scope on it, which ruins the handling it's famous for.
A lightweight bolt gun in .250 Savage, .260 Remington or 7mm-08 Remington with a compact 2-7x scope will outperform a 30/30 by miles with less recoil.
A lightweight bolt gun in .250 Savage, .260 Remington or 7mm-08 Remington with a compact 2-7x scope will outperform a 30/30 by miles with less recoil.
I keep seeing this trend of people says that the 30-30 lever is old news and there are better. Sure technology advances everyday, but that 30-30 will still put down the animal you are hunting. No it may not be that accurate beyond 150 yards, but within that it's deadly. That flat point will destroy the shoulder or the heart.
To me (any only me) part of the hunt is actually going out and actually sneaking up on the game and getting within 100-125 yards and then taking the shot. If I have a rifle that shoots 500 yards, it would be a waste. no sportsmanship in sitting and taking a 500 yards shot, might as well just target shoot and a 200 yarsd range. Might as well just hunt 10 yards from a corn feeder and say your hunting or go on the internet like a few years ago and virtual hunt and kill a real dear.
Most shots taken are at 200 yards are less, and in the woods, there about 50-75 yards.
No need for anyone to bash the 30-30, it's solid out to 150-175 yards with $12.95 boxes of ammo- 150 gr Core-lockt, dependable, easy to clean, great iron sights. Reloading for it is cheap and very accurate.
To me (any only me) part of the hunt is actually going out and actually sneaking up on the game and getting within 100-125 yards and then taking the shot. If I have a rifle that shoots 500 yards, it would be a waste. no sportsmanship in sitting and taking a 500 yards shot, might as well just target shoot and a 200 yarsd range. Might as well just hunt 10 yards from a corn feeder and say your hunting or go on the internet like a few years ago and virtual hunt and kill a real dear.
Most shots taken are at 200 yards are less, and in the woods, there about 50-75 yards.
No need for anyone to bash the 30-30, it's solid out to 150-175 yards with $12.95 boxes of ammo- 150 gr Core-lockt, dependable, easy to clean, great iron sights. Reloading for it is cheap and very accurate.
Often it is not a matter of whether or not it CAN be done, but is there a better way or tool? If only deer and antelope are the animals to be hunted then the .243 is much better in my view. If you wanted a gun that had better capabilities and not a lot of recoil then a .260 would be an excellent choice.
Considering the relatively short seasons, availability of game, and number of hunters in the "woods" I want the best, and not an also ran that I could make do with.
But if you have a 30-30 and like it then go for it. Yes, it will kill anything on this continent, but it is far from being good, and would not be my choice except for close range shots on deer. Why use a gun that may not do the job with the limited number of chances we have today? I would not even consider it for large bear.
Jerry
Considering the relatively short seasons, availability of game, and number of hunters in the "woods" I want the best, and not an also ran that I could make do with.
But if you have a 30-30 and like it then go for it. Yes, it will kill anything on this continent, but it is far from being good, and would not be my choice except for close range shots on deer. Why use a gun that may not do the job with the limited number of chances we have today? I would not even consider it for large bear.
Jerry
L_Killkenny
New member
I'm gonna try to take this one step at at a time.
Yes the .30-30 is powerfull enough to cleanly take all game in NA. No, I wouldn't want to take a Texas heart shot on Elk or Moose nor do I want to shoot game THAT BIG any farther than 100 yards or so with one. You also can't compare the .30-30 to rounds like the .243. Due to a whole bunch of factors the .30-30 kills better than a .243 when game gets bigger. The numbers don't add up but lets face it if all we looked at was numbers than they would tell us that a .45acp is much worse than a .357 for SD. I think we all know the truth on that one.
Recoil: The worst recoiling rifle I've shot was a tupperwear stocked .30-06. Shot it prone while sighting it in for a friend and can't say it was much fun. I will say second place has been a 16" Win 94 I used to have. The gun was light and short and kicked more than I expected. The 20" Win 94 I had years latter was much better, more along the lines of a 7mm-08. None of the above rifles kick as much as my 870 slug gun, not by half IMO.
What I'd recommend. The OP has people telling him to get a .30-06 and he's jumping to the .30-30. There's a whole bunch not being covered. I like the .30-30. I think it's neat, the guns it comes in are neat and it plain a$$ gets the job done. But if I was looking for a moderate to light recoiling gun to hunt all game with for the rest of my life I wouldn't look at the .30-30 at all and to be frank I'd cross the .30-06 off the list also. I'm a big fan of the 7mm-08. It has less recoil than the .30-06 and has great ballistics. I think some of the older rounds like the 6.5 Swede, .300 Savage, and maybe the .303 brit or the 7mm mauser (last 2 I would question the recoil for sensitve shooters) are worth looking at. Might even toss in the .270 and .25-06 which due to lighter bullets should recoil less than their parent cartridge in equal guns.
Would I want to go after BIG bears with any of the cartridges I just mentioned. Not real sure. But then I'm not real sure I'd want to go after BIG bears with a .30-06 either and I doubt I'll ever hunt them anyway.
IMO, hands down the 7mm-08 is at the top of my list for a NA rifle to own.
Good luck, LK
Yes the .30-30 is powerfull enough to cleanly take all game in NA. No, I wouldn't want to take a Texas heart shot on Elk or Moose nor do I want to shoot game THAT BIG any farther than 100 yards or so with one. You also can't compare the .30-30 to rounds like the .243. Due to a whole bunch of factors the .30-30 kills better than a .243 when game gets bigger. The numbers don't add up but lets face it if all we looked at was numbers than they would tell us that a .45acp is much worse than a .357 for SD. I think we all know the truth on that one.
Recoil: The worst recoiling rifle I've shot was a tupperwear stocked .30-06. Shot it prone while sighting it in for a friend and can't say it was much fun. I will say second place has been a 16" Win 94 I used to have. The gun was light and short and kicked more than I expected. The 20" Win 94 I had years latter was much better, more along the lines of a 7mm-08. None of the above rifles kick as much as my 870 slug gun, not by half IMO.
What I'd recommend. The OP has people telling him to get a .30-06 and he's jumping to the .30-30. There's a whole bunch not being covered. I like the .30-30. I think it's neat, the guns it comes in are neat and it plain a$$ gets the job done. But if I was looking for a moderate to light recoiling gun to hunt all game with for the rest of my life I wouldn't look at the .30-30 at all and to be frank I'd cross the .30-06 off the list also. I'm a big fan of the 7mm-08. It has less recoil than the .30-06 and has great ballistics. I think some of the older rounds like the 6.5 Swede, .300 Savage, and maybe the .303 brit or the 7mm mauser (last 2 I would question the recoil for sensitve shooters) are worth looking at. Might even toss in the .270 and .25-06 which due to lighter bullets should recoil less than their parent cartridge in equal guns.
Would I want to go after BIG bears with any of the cartridges I just mentioned. Not real sure. But then I'm not real sure I'd want to go after BIG bears with a .30-06 either and I doubt I'll ever hunt them anyway.
IMO, hands down the 7mm-08 is at the top of my list for a NA rifle to own.
Good luck, LK
Another vote for the 308 over the 30/30 given the requirements you laid out.
My son is 11 & lightly built. He spent this summer shooting a 308 at steel plates and took his first moose with it at 200+ yards this fall. He regularly ran through 30+ rounds at a sitting with the gun at the range, so I don't think recoil was a problem for him.
Unless your son is a big boy you're going to run into problems having him shoot the same gun you use when he's 10-12.
A factory gun is usually stocked around 13.5-13.75 length of pull. To get a good fit on the gun for my son, I had to stock it with about a 10.75 length of pull. At this length, I also had to add lead inside the butt to rebalance the gun.
Shooting with a gun that doesn't fit can make recoil intolerable even in relatively mild cartridges.
I wonder if your "any game in North America" requirement is unrealistic though. I'd suggest also considering:
1. Any game in NA gun for you, a different gun for the boy suitable for game/typical shooting situations in your area
2. A gun suitable for game/typical shooting situations in your area + a second stock for the boy when he uses it.
Not too familiar with hunting in Northern California.
My son is 11 & lightly built. He spent this summer shooting a 308 at steel plates and took his first moose with it at 200+ yards this fall. He regularly ran through 30+ rounds at a sitting with the gun at the range, so I don't think recoil was a problem for him.
Unless your son is a big boy you're going to run into problems having him shoot the same gun you use when he's 10-12.
A factory gun is usually stocked around 13.5-13.75 length of pull. To get a good fit on the gun for my son, I had to stock it with about a 10.75 length of pull. At this length, I also had to add lead inside the butt to rebalance the gun.
Shooting with a gun that doesn't fit can make recoil intolerable even in relatively mild cartridges.
I wonder if your "any game in North America" requirement is unrealistic though. I'd suggest also considering:
1. Any game in NA gun for you, a different gun for the boy suitable for game/typical shooting situations in your area
2. A gun suitable for game/typical shooting situations in your area + a second stock for the boy when he uses it.
Not too familiar with hunting in Northern California.
tahunua001
New member
when I was just a young buck starting up hunting for the first time on my own, my best friend who was also starting out borrowed his dads 30/30 while I was using a 243 that I inherited from my dad. he got his first buck that year and it was a monster at about 200 yards...a little beyond accurate range of the cartridge but it dropped him like a sack of stones despite it being at a full run. a 30/30 is very effective at deer hunting if you know where to place the shot. I would even trust it for black bear, coyotes, wolf, cougar and wild hogs. it's also very effecting for vermin but it's a little large for turkeys IMO. I would rather have a nice 243 since I like to have the option of long range shots but I after seeing one in action I wouldn't flinch at a 30/30 either, recoil is comparable to a 7.62x39, so it's within the realm of a starter rifle so your son would be all set with it. I doubt you'd want your son to start hunting for anything bigger than what I've named until he was a bit older anyway.
Just for fun I started carrying a 30-30 last year since most of my shots are less than 100yds. It was fun. Will probably do it again this year. I shot 180gr core lokts. I can't think of anything in the lower 48 Id be scared of shooting under 100yds with a 30-30. As it's been said before, shot placement is key. Would I want it as a primary weapon or back up in Alaska? No. Would I let it bark if a brownie was closing the distance and got within 10yds of me? Absolutely.
black mamba
New member
Justin, I'd start shooting at that brownie when he was at 50 yds rather than at 10. It'd kill him, but maybe not before he got you!
30-30remchester
New member
If you can tell by my online name I am a fan of the old 30WCF aka 30-30. I have shot only one elk with the 30-30. The range was 200 yards and can attest that NOW I realise the distance was too far. I also finished of a very large buffalo with the same rifle, though the range was near muzzle. Both animals were taken with the original controlled expansion bullet from Remington. The 170 grain Mushroom Cor-Lokt. Definately NOT the modern day Cor-Lokt. While the new Hornaday Flex tip bullet extends the range of this grand old cartridge, I question its bone brakeing abilities. I hope some first hand experences get posted soon of its game taking abilities.
The 30-30 will take anything in North America, but I wouldn't want to use it on most of the truly large animals. Not very good if you have to shoot at extended ranges.
It can be made to work, and if anyone likes the round they should use it, but there are many, many better all around choices that will recoil less. With the right loads a 30-06 will recoil less and still offer better performance. As will many other rounds. As others have said the shape of the rifle stock is as important as the round. All lever actions recoil worse than they should in relation to the power of the rounds they are firing.
It can be made to work, and if anyone likes the round they should use it, but there are many, many better all around choices that will recoil less. With the right loads a 30-06 will recoil less and still offer better performance. As will many other rounds. As others have said the shape of the rifle stock is as important as the round. All lever actions recoil worse than they should in relation to the power of the rounds they are firing.