trigger45
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which is the better weight? my m94 gets 3 inches with 1760gr. bullets but which is better for Texas deer?
.30-30 bullets,150gr. or 170gr.
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mustanger98
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150 vs. 170. I understand Texas deer are generally smaller than in other parts of the country. They are around here too. Assuming that 3" group is at 100yds, that's plenty good. I opt for Hornady's 150grain SP- that's plenty and the 170grain only gives you about 100 more ft.lbs at 100yds, but if you're more comfortable with the 170s, use them.
I used 170's as a kid... but that was for elk. It did just fine on antelope too.
mtnboomer
Member
You won't see much of a difference using either weight. My dad uses a Marlin 30-30 and which ever weight bullet Wal-Mart has on sale at the time. At 100 yards the change in impact point is only a couple of inches so you're going to be point-blank with either one. 
KaceCoyote
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Go for 170, my issue with buckhunting is the brush is brute force. At the range I hear ya'll down there 'enguage' the deer its not a range where you can afford to play sniper. Much like alot've Missouri's hunting. The .30-30 and .35 rem in such sort distances should be taken with careful attention to get the max grain count possible. Most of the time you and the deer will have 1-2 seconds together where you'll have to squeeze off a round. In such short of time its nice to say you could drop a 120 whatever right through its ribcage and drop the buck like so many bricks there and then but thats fantasy.
Hunt with the maximum margin of error possible. Get close, acquire and fire fast. Take too much time and you risk loosing your shot. Thats where the 170+ grain rounds come in. Though the difference is in practice rather small, you should allow yourself every single advantage you can spare. If you cant make the killing hearshot with a 150 or 170, the 170 has an advantage in creating more secondary projectiles after smashing the ribcage. As a tip if your new to this sort've hunting you should make your shot and immediately pursue. Charge after the buck with as much haste as you care to offer. Also, fire and (assuming you have a levergun) dont chamber the second round until your right onto the buck. This will help to cut down the risk of an accidental discharge. Remember, he cant shoot back.
Hunt with the maximum margin of error possible. Get close, acquire and fire fast. Take too much time and you risk loosing your shot. Thats where the 170+ grain rounds come in. Though the difference is in practice rather small, you should allow yourself every single advantage you can spare. If you cant make the killing hearshot with a 150 or 170, the 170 has an advantage in creating more secondary projectiles after smashing the ribcage. As a tip if your new to this sort've hunting you should make your shot and immediately pursue. Charge after the buck with as much haste as you care to offer. Also, fire and (assuming you have a levergun) dont chamber the second round until your right onto the buck. This will help to cut down the risk of an accidental discharge. Remember, he cant shoot back.
mustanger98
Member
Actually, it's prudent in my opinion to pick a spot where you have a good field of fire and let the does or naturally occuring feed/forage lure the buck out in the open where you have a clear shot. That is unless you can set up by a well used game trail in the thick stuff knowing bucks are using that trail regularly.
To illustrate my point, my blind is situated in intermediate cover- big trees and very little brush between an open field and thick cover. If I sit still, the deer will generally take their time between the thick stuff and the open field. However, seeing that while the does will walk right by make taking their own time, the bucks will come in behind me and decline my invitation- calls and scent lure- to circle around. Because of this, about two weeks into open firearms season, I'll be pulling back about 100yds across the open field to another blind and be downwind of everything. From there, it'll be probably 140yds to the thick stuff. I've observed bucks- some pretty nice ones too- taking their time across that field when they didn't know I was there. So, "playing sniper" should work out well in the scenario I'm setting up.
As to bullet weight, everybody has a preference. I know in my own case, I can put three rounds of Remington greenbox 150grain .30-30 in a 5" circle at 100yds with room to spare. If I were dealing with bigger deer, I'd probably be thinking of a bigger caliber in that same '94, like maybe .375Winchester.
As for "charging after the deer" after firing the first shot, all that is to me is giving the deer an adrenaline dump. It ain't a clean kill and it ain't gonna taste good. Nope, I figure the best course of action is to pick an upper-lung/spinal shot. It'll drop the buck in it's tracks and fill the lungs up with blood and death occurs pretty fast- usually in about 45seconds from what I understand. Personally, I'd rather the deer never knew what hit it.
To illustrate my point, my blind is situated in intermediate cover- big trees and very little brush between an open field and thick cover. If I sit still, the deer will generally take their time between the thick stuff and the open field. However, seeing that while the does will walk right by make taking their own time, the bucks will come in behind me and decline my invitation- calls and scent lure- to circle around. Because of this, about two weeks into open firearms season, I'll be pulling back about 100yds across the open field to another blind and be downwind of everything. From there, it'll be probably 140yds to the thick stuff. I've observed bucks- some pretty nice ones too- taking their time across that field when they didn't know I was there. So, "playing sniper" should work out well in the scenario I'm setting up.
As to bullet weight, everybody has a preference. I know in my own case, I can put three rounds of Remington greenbox 150grain .30-30 in a 5" circle at 100yds with room to spare. If I were dealing with bigger deer, I'd probably be thinking of a bigger caliber in that same '94, like maybe .375Winchester.
As for "charging after the deer" after firing the first shot, all that is to me is giving the deer an adrenaline dump. It ain't a clean kill and it ain't gonna taste good. Nope, I figure the best course of action is to pick an upper-lung/spinal shot. It'll drop the buck in it's tracks and fill the lungs up with blood and death occurs pretty fast- usually in about 45seconds from what I understand. Personally, I'd rather the deer never knew what hit it.
KaceCoyote
Member
On the subject of deer charging...
I go running after the deer because where I hunt there are few clearings, game trails are tight and twisting affairs. The brush is extremely thick, and its exceedingly easy to loose a buck here. If I had the luxury of dropping him, I would really love to do so however I'm happy to take a deer period. Reguardless of this the fastest I've charged after a deer is about 50 yards before he bit the dust. Hunting style discussions in a forum like this is tough, because I cant see the terrain your hunting in nor can you see mine so its difficult to see the rhyme and reason for X,Y and Z.
As for the ballistics, I stick by 170 grain. Youshould grab a box've 150,170 and maybe 120. shoot about 10rnds of each then sit the rest away and load up accordingly when you see your spot. Allow yourself flexibility.
I go running after the deer because where I hunt there are few clearings, game trails are tight and twisting affairs. The brush is extremely thick, and its exceedingly easy to loose a buck here. If I had the luxury of dropping him, I would really love to do so however I'm happy to take a deer period. Reguardless of this the fastest I've charged after a deer is about 50 yards before he bit the dust. Hunting style discussions in a forum like this is tough, because I cant see the terrain your hunting in nor can you see mine so its difficult to see the rhyme and reason for X,Y and Z.
As for the ballistics, I stick by 170 grain. Youshould grab a box've 150,170 and maybe 120. shoot about 10rnds of each then sit the rest away and load up accordingly when you see your spot. Allow yourself flexibility.
mustanger98
Member
Yeah, I know. And too, if it makes any difference, I'm hunting in my own backyard. I'm probably on a first name basis with half the does in this place.
Does: "There's mustanger98 sitting right where he was yesterday/last-year."
Me: "I'm not here."
Does: "Yeah right."
That's how it is once you hit the thick stuff here. In fact, there are NO clearings back in there till you hit the hunt club lease that backs up to my place. I've walked those game trails to know. Back in there, a heavy brushbuster bullet is a must. And here, it's all up and down hill through ravines and what all. I mean it's a serious thicket.
I do shoot heavier bullets- Hornady 165grain SP in the .30-06 loaded to be good in the M1, and PMP's 174grain SP offering in .303British, but those are Spitzers. I have a couple of boxes of 170grain Hornady factory .30-30 loads. I just tend to shoot more 150's when I shoot.
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