Meet Mr.Stubbs.

[Ugly Sauce]

Well, I couldn't put this under shotguns, because it's a rifle with a shotgun barrel, and I couldn't put it under rifles, because it's a shotgun with a rifle barrel. So hunting it is. I have hunted with this, and even shot a cougar once, (shot him twice, but have only shot one cougar) but this is my Savage 24V-A with .30WCF over 3" 20gauge. This is my trekking, hiking, exploring rifle. Also "backwoods" survival. Not "shoot the bad guys while they try to steal my stuff" type of survival. So, it's two roles, or "mission" is to provide meat if I'm lost and lonely in the wilderness, and for self-defense against an angry wolf, black bear, or cougar. I would hesitate to shoot grizz, but I did hear once of a guy who stopped one with a 20guage shot shell, at very close range. I carry some hot Bernekke slugs in the shot-barrel when I'm not lost and starving.

One of my hobbies is map and compass navigation, so I probably won't get lost enough to starve. But don't spoil my fun.

The rifle barrel is 19.5", and the shot barrel 18.5". It balances perfectly just in front of the trigger guard, is nice and light. The 24V is not perfect of course, and tends to break open on firing with
factory loads or standard pressure handloads. So I load it down to original .30WCF ballistics, around 1800fps with a 170 grain bullet and she stays shut. Interestingly, full power 3" 20 gauge shells do not break it open on firing. ???

The pistol is my S&W .22LR "liteweight". It's very accurate and enhances my small game getting ability, with a minimum weight penalty. 11.6 ounces. It is what I would usually carry along with Stubbs as a side arm. My other Trekking/exploring combo is a .44 mag pistol, and my Little Badger. Mr. Stubbs says: "thanks for listening".

 

[WestKentucky]

Nice gun. I like the idea of it but I never see useful combinations for sale. Yours certainly falls into the useful category, and is likely the combination I would pick as being the one to buy if I had options. I do however think 30-30 and 3” 20ga overlap quite a bit, but with a load of 6s or 4s in the bottom barrel anything from squirrel to turkey is on the menu and nearly anything is on the menu with the 30-30 of you can hit your mark reliably. Functionally I might even flip it by loading 115 gr 30-30 intended for 30 carbine at low velocity and stick a slug or buckshot in the 20 barrel. The 22 revolver though seals the deal as those guns are vastly underrated for acquiring dinner. Very nice setup.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Thanks. Indeed the .30-30 digests light cast bullets well, I have a 90 grain bullet load for it. My ammo-load for it when out is four 20guage slug loads, half a dozen shot loads, and 10 .30-30 cartridges, plus six or so 90 grain loads . That's minimal, but the lighter the load, the further I go. And single shots don't waste ammo. Then at least 25 .22LR's for the pistol, +8.

 

[Armored farmer]

An excellent example of a survival gun.
I feel that the. 30-30 is well suited for Iron sights.
Let's see....i think .30-30 ammo fits in .45colt speed strips.
An elastic ammo sleeve on the stock with an assortment of slugs/shotshells with a sppedstrip of .30-30 under the elastic on the offside..

 

[BreechFace]

Leverage, is probably the answer to why it pops open on the rifle and not the shorty. The rifle is on top hence has more leverage at the fulcrum point (I.e. action hinge).

Very nice example of a suitable and great option for survival, homesteading, pioneering type long gun.

 

[jmorris]

My 24’s are my goto, when I don’t know what I am going after. I have had contenders come open before but none of my 24’s have. Springs can fix the contenders if it’s not a lug problem.