What is the deal with 30-30?

"...without an outrageous price..." That applies to everything.
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Exacly!!! When a Yugo SKS that we paid less than a hundred bucks for just a few years ago goes for $300-$400. $75-$100 Mosins going for double, triple, even quadruple. Even a MAS 36 that I bought from Numrich fifteen years ago, delivered to my door for $41 has increased in price nearly 10X.
Why would you think any other gun wouldn't have a "crazy price" attached to it.
There are some decent, to very good deals to be had. But you have to work at finding them. But with luck, sometimes they do just pop up.
Good luckl
 
Got my marlin 336 30-30 at Wally world for around $400 IIRC. They have a pleasant habit of knocking down prices just to get rid of inventory. It was a bit of a crap shoot but it shoots just fine.
 
The 30/30 is "traditional", that is often a big selling point with shooters. I am not a hunter, bought a Marlin 336C in 1978 for a very good price, it has been a good shooter with both factory ammo and reloads.
 
I was in Cabelas yesterday and the only rifle ammunition on the shelf was 300 Savage and 300 Mag. The only pistol ammo available was .25.

Several Walmarts were out of everything except #8 birdshot.

The fact that hunting season is here isn't helping availability.
 
I was able to get the rifle for $670, and from what I have seen I think that is a pretty good deal. Also has the oversized loop and laminated stock. Found some Fusion ammo for around $33 a box. My LGS said get on it, because new Marlin's are going to be harder and harder to find until they start production again under Ruger.
 
Found some Fusion ammo for around $33 a box.
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:eek:

Wow .... just wow ..... was just at Wallyworld in Nebraska City ..... 30-30WIN was less than half that $15 and change?) .... and plenty to be had. Picked up two boxes of 270WIN Remington Corlokt 130 grain for $17.94, so my nephew can get some practice in (and all my 270 brass is fireformed to my gun) before deer season....
 
I think the Fusion ammo is some of the high dollar stuff. My 30-30s all shot their best with plain ole Remington Green Box Core Lock ammo. And the 170gr always seemed to shoot the best.

I made my first 30-30 kill a couple of years ago and used the 170gr Remington bullet and was really impressed with the job it did on that deer. The range was only about 60 yards but that deer was down for the count with the bullet crossing the chest. I don't know the exact load but most likely the common 30grs of 3031 powder. Sort of a standard 30-30 load used for years.

My other favorite bullet is a 170gr Hornady interlock bullet. Those sure are accurate. I need to try some 170gr Sierra bullets in my guns.
 
jimbob86 said:
:eek:

Wow .... just wow ..... was just at Wallyworld in Nebraska City ..... 30-30WIN was less than half that $15 and change?) .... and plenty to be had. Picked up two boxes of 270WIN Remington Corlokt 130 grain for $17.94, so my nephew can get some practice in (and all my 270 brass is fireformed to my gun) before deer season....
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+1, I've used Remington Core-Lokt for many years. It kills deer dead. I wouldn't waste the money on Fusion. Federal Power-Shok is good too.
 
USAF Ret said:
Any thoughts on 44 Mag for deer hunting? They had 2 at the LGS. I hear conflicts on range, but standard looks to be no more than 100 yards.
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Mine works just fine, but as you said, I never shoot past 100 yards. I have a Win 94 AE. I The action isn't that smooth compared to older models, but it's plenty accurate with open sights. It usually wears a Weaver K4 when I'm in the stand.

I usually roll my own hunting loads, but Underwood makes some pretty spunky stuff that will take down pretty much everything.
 
44 mag is a great cartridge--I can whip them out faster and easier (using a carbide die) than any other cartridge and the brass lasts forever. A 240 gr bullet driven fast is more than enough for most game to at least 100 yds, in the woods of Maine a clear shot of even 50 yds is rare. My 2 Rossi 44 mag 92 carbines weigh all of 5 lbs each.
 
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Since you have already purchased a gun, this is just a side note. I have been a Winchester 94 fan for years (both 30-30 and my 25-35) but a few years ago I borrowed my brothers Savage 1899 in 30-30 and really fell in love with it. I still love my old Winchester, but the Savage is really a much nicer rifle. Of course, Savage has not sold a 99 in 30-30 for a half century or more, but dear rifles often have not been shot a lot over the years and may still be a 100 years old and nice and tight. My brothers rifle is functionally like brand new. I have an 1899 that wasnt fired for 60 years that I know about, and looks rough. I have been trying to fix it up, but the primers back out with factory ammo, so I may give up and call it a wall hanger.(darn). Unless you hunt wide open spaces, a 30-30 is a fine hunting cartridge. Just another opinion. Grant..
 
Not much ammo to choose from on the interweb. Got what I could get. If I see more locally, I will definitely purchase.
 
Well, for a very long time I've considered the 30-30a fun gun cartridge. I killed my forst deer with the 30-30 when I was at the ripe old age of eleven. That was 71 years ago come next Labor day weekend. These days. most if not all shooting with the 30-30 is with my home cast bullets at targets for fun. They work just fine for deer hunting as well. It got to be all I used was cast in the 30-30 when I went hunting and no deer ever lived long enough to complain. When I moved to states where hunting required rifle that did better at longer ranges the 30-30 became a recreational tool more than for hunting.

When I'm feeling on the nostalgic side, I'll cast up a few bullets, use the old Lyman Tong Tool to make my ammo and head out to the desert to wander a bit and harass the jackrabbits and occasional coyote. Favorite bullet for the 30-30 is the Lyman #311291, about 175 gr. in my alloy. I took quite a few deer with that bullet.
Paul B.
 
Most abundant ammo (and I mean a lot of it) currently at the three Walmarts in my area is 350 Legend for whatever that is worth. No 30-30.
 
Most abundant ammo (and I mean a lot of it) currently at the three Walmarts in my area is 350 Legend for whatever that is worth. No 30-30.
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They probably would have trouble giving the stuff away (350 L).:D:D
 
"30-30. Good cartridge for all size deer except moose."

Multiple Train loads of dead moose in Maine and Canada over the past century or so would disagree. :D
 
It's hard to beat a Savage 1899. I had a 1922 vintage 30.30 1899 that was a takedown.
Sadly a former friend stole it. Love those old Savages, I've been keeping my eyes open, Savage made the 1899 in a lot of calibers.
The 30.30 is fairly hard to find. Most are found in .303
 
At one point I had a very high grade 1899 Savage in 303 Savage, but it had a broken butt stock (common in 99s) and ammo was unobtainable so I traded it off. I dont know what year they discontinued the 30-30, but it was a long time ago. Grant.
 
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