30-30 Utility/Tactical rifle...

D

Dave McC

Staff In Memoriam
Some time ago I had posted here about a tactical/using rifle projest, a 94 Winchester in 30-30 for some hunting,some varmint control and as a WIHTF standby. Response was pretty good.

Well, I finally picked up my 30-30 from Guns R Us. This 94 is close to stock, with a Williams peep sight and hooded front, and sling swivels. While practically new, it's pre crossbar safety, which I regard as necessary as a parachute on a submarine.

Having gotten some interesting input here, I modified the piece as follows:

First, I sat in front of the TV and watched American Shooter, working the action in. After a coupla hundred reps, I used a little CLP to lube it. Action's not silky smooth yet, but closer.

Also,the forearm wood was relieved, and the bbl band also, to reduce pressure on the bbl. The mag screw at the muzzle was loosened until it just barely held the threads, same reason, and Loctited.

Range work will wait until it warms up, I can't take as much cold as I used to,but I've some ammo to test and zero with.

The first test on game will be late summer, when I do some herd control doe shooting at my friends lease. Meanwhile, I might hit a Practical course and see just how well it works as a "Scout" or E&E rifle.

I'll keep you posted, since plenty of folks semeed interested. Thanks...
 
Dave McC,

Hearty congrats on you're new acquisition.
Looks like it's found a good home!

I, too, am looking for a .30-30 utility rifle (as I've posted here about a week ago).
I've almost settled on a Marlin 336CS, though the Winchester did have a good 'feel' about it.

Keep us posted, and I'll try and do the same.

Happy hunting..... :)

------------------
...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...

[This message has been edited by foxfire (edited February 01, 2000).]
 
Thnaks, Foxfire, good luck with your Marlin.
Here's why I picked the 94 instead, but these are quite subjective.I like the Marlin also, just wasn't optimum for my use.

First, the piece was to serve as a walking around piece, and would not be scoped. I wanted light and handy, and the Marlin is slightly larger/heavier.The 94, to coin an analogy, is like a quail gun while the Marlin seems to be a pass shooting magnum 12.

Second, on my budget, any weapon that can be multi purpose is an intelligent use of funds. My HD 870 is also one fine deer gun.
This could be a good brush country deer rifle as well as a WIHTF insurance policy. It won't be a HD tool, I've better choices.

And, since I live in Md, one rabidly anti gun state,it's less likely to become the immediate target of the Hoplophobes,unlike the tricked SKS that I had that upset even hunters at the range.

For either,ammo is plentiful and relatively cheap,another consideration.

Total cost of the project,with 40 rounds of the time honored Remington 150 gr load, was about $280.
 
You guys may or may not be interested, but the Win.94 in 30-30 is a great cast bullet rifle. The design of the 30-30 case, with it's long neck and relativley small powder capacity is well-suited for cast bullet loads. Lyman's 311041 gas check bullet was designed for the 30-30, feeds smoothly through the magazine, shoots well in all the '94's I've tried it in, and weighs about 172grs. when cast from wheel weights with 2% tin added. This alloy is strong enough for loads up to around 1700fps. This is no pud load, with plenty of power for practicing with loads that come close to factory loads as far as trajectory is concerned. The recoil is a little more pleasant with loads at or below this level, making it easier to introduce a young shooter or woman to centerfire rifle shooting. You can stockpile a good supply of cast bullets for pennies, compared to the cost of jacketed. I've been amazed at the accuracy of cast loads in several '94 carbines with good clean bores. The only fly in the ointment is the microgroove barrels on Marlin rifles. Some cast bullet shooters report very good accuracy if a bullet of Loverin design is used - one with a long body and many lube grooves. The neat thing about shooting cast bullets is that you can tailor a load to do whatever you need - from deer hunting to plinking tin cans, all without spending a fortune on jacketed bullets or without shooting the rifling out of your barrel.
 
Thanks, I'm aware of the many bennies of cast bullet shooting but many aren't. Someplace in my old load data is a recipe for a 30-30 plinker load that uses a sized down 00 buck and some 2400 behind a filler for a no recoil, low noise squirrel and pest load.

Worked it up from an article in American Rifleman,and at the request of a friend with a 1916 94. He stated it worked on small game up to chucks with good placement at moderate range.
 
I think that this is going to be one of the bigger trends this decade, lever action multipurpose rifles.

They fit basically the same role as an assault rifle, with many of the same benefits and drawbacks.

Once the manufacturers and gun magazines get going on this trend, look for some interesting accessories and factory rifles over the next few years. Just my $.02.
 
Multi purpose anything in the gun world will be popular, Artech. As for lever actions, they're made for effective work in a variety of applications,and a pistol caliber lever action may be one of the best choices for HD in those cursed places that frown on Autos and black guns.

As for mine,here's something ballistically similiar to the 7.62X39 Russian round, effective out past 200 yds on human targets, in a reliable,lightweight package that carries like an M-1 carbine, fires 6 or 7 rounds in moments,has good hit probability by non expert users,AND can penetrate most body armor with a SP load. Ammo is readily available,relatively inexpensive,and reloads readily.

And it's a classic deer gun too, with varmint and small game potential. Recoil is way less than a 12 ga, and the piece is easily user maintained w/o the services of an armorer.

Whew! Did I miss anything(G)?....
 
Flatlander. Why limit your cast bullet loads in the 30-30 to 1700 FPS? You can duplicate factory ammo with 311041, (my molds are older and are marked 31141) It is a modification of Lymans 311291, designed in 1905 for the 30-30. It shoots very well too.
I don't even use jacketed bullets at all anymore in 30-30, not even for deer hunting.
Here is something for you to try. Get an RCBS 30-180FN mold. It'll cast out at about 190 gr. with wheel weight metal. (My alloy is 10 pounds of wheel weights and 1 pound of linotype, just to give it a bit more tin and antimony) Scrounge up some data for the old .303 Savage and try it on game(deer).
Some old timers I knew swore that the .303 savage was a better game cartridge than the 30-30 because of the better penetration of the heavier bullet. Factory velocity of the .303 Savage was about 1850 FPS.
Marlins with the Micro-Groove barrels are a bit trickier with cast lead. What I have done in my Marlin, is size the bullet to .310 inch. Right now, I am experimenting with bullets whose hardness is as cast and bullets that have been heat treated. The jury is still out on that subject. But I can get groups that equal factory ammo with the Marlin and the Winchesters with bullets in both styles.
There are two good articles on the 30-30 on the web. (www.earp.com/30-30html) and (www.sixgunner.com/paco/3030.htm)
I felt they were good enough to print out copies for my files. Good reads both.
Paul B.
 
Thanks,Paul.Many modern shooters haven't a clue about the use of cast bullets in Centerfire rifles.

Someplace downstairs I may have an old Lee Loader amongst the detritus of an active shooting life. I may set up handloading with that, but either I'll use that really light load for pests or the Remington for now. Later, I might try a gas check like the old Lyman job for the 32-40,but swages down to .308,can't recall the number.Or, maybe the M-1 Carbine 110 gr job, I seem to recall that made a nice varmint load with some 3031 behind it.

However, most shooting will be with the Remington fodder,unless I can find another factory load it likes better.
 
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