M1 30 carbine question
- Thread starter OttoJara
- Start date
ar15man2009
New member
30 carbine
On one of my die sets for 30 carbine it gives a background of the round,and also states that it is a bad choice to try hunting deer sized game with. I personally agree with this since the cartridge doesnt really seem to have a great deal of power.
On one of my die sets for 30 carbine it gives a background of the round,and also states that it is a bad choice to try hunting deer sized game with. I personally agree with this since the cartridge doesnt really seem to have a great deal of power.
Rottweiler
New member
Does just fine on our smaller deer here in Texas, out to 100 yards. On a BIG Alberta or Minnesota deer, I'd look for something with a heavier and/or faster bullet
There are some states (I know GA used to be one but removed the restriction) that specifically prohibit the .30 M1 as a deer round. Just not enough energy.
Also, even if you try to use one in FL be aware that you cannot use FMJ bullets for deer. It can be hard to find .30 ammo in anything other than FMJ.
Also, even if you try to use one in FL be aware that you cannot use FMJ bullets for deer. It can be hard to find .30 ammo in anything other than FMJ.
Just not enough bullet mass for the speed it's going. A slow bullet is OK if it's big and a light bullet is OK if it's fast but the .30 Carbine just doesn't have enough in either camp.
There are plenty of light handy soft recoiling rifles out there chambered in something more suited to the job.
And it's always worth remembering that proper respect for the animal dictates that we consider, to at least some extent, the undue suffering we cause when we do not kill it quickly.
There are plenty of light handy soft recoiling rifles out there chambered in something more suited to the job.
And it's always worth remembering that proper respect for the animal dictates that we consider, to at least some extent, the undue suffering we cause when we do not kill it quickly.
Take a deer
A .22 will take a deer. Not ethically, though. The .30 M1 Carbine was the rifle I started carrying to hunt deer with. I carried it until I saved enough money to buy a .30-30. In retrospect, I don't think it was enough gun for an inexperienced hunter to be carrying. I had one chance at a decent shot at a doe with it one year. My brother and I were walking down an access road to a small blueberry field when we spotted a doe with two fawns. I laid on my stomach and crawled up the road to get into what I figured was decent range for the M1 Carbine. Put the crosshairs on her throat, fired and watched all three deer run into the woods. The bullet kicked up dirt in front of her by about 20 feet. Come to find out, the scope mount screw on the side of the front of the mount was stripped out and the scope was loose. The scope was high on front. Would have been neat to tag a deer with that gun but still stood a chance of merely wounding. I'd use it to hunt rabbits or other small game but I'd shy away from it for deer.
A .22 will take a deer. Not ethically, though. The .30 M1 Carbine was the rifle I started carrying to hunt deer with. I carried it until I saved enough money to buy a .30-30. In retrospect, I don't think it was enough gun for an inexperienced hunter to be carrying. I had one chance at a decent shot at a doe with it one year. My brother and I were walking down an access road to a small blueberry field when we spotted a doe with two fawns. I laid on my stomach and crawled up the road to get into what I figured was decent range for the M1 Carbine. Put the crosshairs on her throat, fired and watched all three deer run into the woods. The bullet kicked up dirt in front of her by about 20 feet. Come to find out, the scope mount screw on the side of the front of the mount was stripped out and the scope was loose. The scope was high on front. Would have been neat to tag a deer with that gun but still stood a chance of merely wounding. I'd use it to hunt rabbits or other small game but I'd shy away from it for deer.
As explained here by several it will do the job, but isn't an ideal caliber for deer hunting. It isn't legal here in CO as a rifle hunting cartridge as it doesn't meet the minimum ft-lbs requirements of 1K at 100 yards. It might not even be legal out of a pistol as they need 500 ft-lbs at 50 yards to be legal, and depending on barrel length it may not make it since it isn't quite 600 ft-lbs out of a carbine.
Just not a good choice for any animal the size of deer and hog in my opinion. You could probably get away with it if you are around 50 yards hunting over a feeder or bait. Even then I'd have to pick my shots very carefully, because the cartridge isn't going to allow for a whole lot of penetration.
Just not a good choice for any animal the size of deer and hog in my opinion. You could probably get away with it if you are around 50 yards hunting over a feeder or bait. Even then I'd have to pick my shots very carefully, because the cartridge isn't going to allow for a whole lot of penetration.
bamafan4life
New member
Killed a 4 pointer with one. one shot one kill, 63 steps, great for the georgia brush. but i was intending on using it we had 2 30.06s in the truck and carbine and i couldnt find the clip to my 30.06 so i just took the carbine with some hollow points.
wun_8_seven
New member
i've shot 4 deer with a 30 carbine, two with a ruger blackhawk and two with a GI carbine. all 4 under 50 yards with corbon sp ammo. worked fine under those circumstances. but there are much better choices unless thats all you've got
The .30 carbine was listed as underpowered in MN and could only be used by someone with a doctors order for a light recoil gun. The legal firearms requirement has changed allowing any center fire cartridge .22 and up. The DNR encourages premium hunting bullets in all calibers.
We need to keep in mind that FMJ bullets and rifles like the .30 carbine were only meant to wound an enemy. Deer are not our enemy, we must kill them cleanly for the sake of animal suffering, some call this "Humanly" I fear that what we refer to as humanly could be (R)evolving into the sewer!
All we can do now is Pray hunters will do the right thing and use these light underpowered guns on close targets with good bullets.
On the up-side, I can now carry something like a .380 and use it to put one into the ear for safety. A .22 rimfire would still be illegal.
We need to keep in mind that FMJ bullets and rifles like the .30 carbine were only meant to wound an enemy. Deer are not our enemy, we must kill them cleanly for the sake of animal suffering, some call this "Humanly" I fear that what we refer to as humanly could be (R)evolving into the sewer!
All we can do now is Pray hunters will do the right thing and use these light underpowered guns on close targets with good bullets.
On the up-side, I can now carry something like a .380 and use it to put one into the ear for safety. A .22 rimfire would still be illegal.
Last edited:
Cal .30 M1 Carbine
I trained on the US Carbine M1 in 1954. Please be sure that the carbine could, and did, kill. That was its' purpose. The carbine was issued to tank crews and other weapons operators in lieu of the cal. .45 US Pistol.
It was determined that most troops could not take the time to learn to accurately shoot the .45 in a SHTF situation, but they could make do with the M1 Carbine quite nicely.
I hunt with a cal. 30 M1 Carbine using soft point, unjacketed hollow points. They'll take a pig out at under 100 yards. Most piggy kills hereabouts are done at lesser ranges.
Zip
I trained on the US Carbine M1 in 1954. Please be sure that the carbine could, and did, kill. That was its' purpose. The carbine was issued to tank crews and other weapons operators in lieu of the cal. .45 US Pistol.
It was determined that most troops could not take the time to learn to accurately shoot the .45 in a SHTF situation, but they could make do with the M1 Carbine quite nicely.
I hunt with a cal. 30 M1 Carbine using soft point, unjacketed hollow points. They'll take a pig out at under 100 yards. Most piggy kills hereabouts are done at lesser ranges.
Zip
30-30remchester
New member
I shot my first deer with a 30 carbine using 110 grain hollowpoint bullets. Range @100 yards. Very small mule deer buck. Broadside heart shot. Bullet was recovered in the heart.Penatration was just a few inches. So in conclusion from one experence, the 30 carbine is too weak to make a humane deer cartridge.
