Old Fashioned 170 Grain .30-30 Stops Wild Hog Dead In His Tracks

[The Real Hawkeye]

I had my Lyman peep-sighted 1953 vintage Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 with non-premium round nosed 220s, and my nephew had my open-sighted 1940s vintage Winchester 94 in .30-30 with non-premium round nosed 170s. Dogs sniffed one out and had a nearly 200 pound hairy brown hog surrounded. I got in to within just a few yards and put one 220 grainer through both shoulders. He was dead on his feet instantly, and dropped as fast as gravity could pull him down. Didn't know what hit him.

Next, my nephew got a chance. Dog's eventually sniffed out another one. This one substantially bigger, and he walked within close range and put one just behind the shoulder, exiting the neck on the other side. Again, like a bolt of lightning, the animal was dead on his feet and went right down. I expected that kind of performance from a 220 grain .30-06, but must admit that I was surprised and very impressed with the performance of the standard Remington, non-premium, 170 grain .30-30 round.

 

[rbernie]

Dropped two smaller hogs yesterday (120lb-ish) with standard 150gr Sierra FPs out of a 16" barrelled 30-30. Both shots were taken between 40 and 50 yards, both shots gave excellent exit wounds - lots of blood and froth - and both hogs dropped cleanly. For the 200+lb stuff, I'd probably want a 170gr bullet in the 30-30, but there's nothing wrong with even a standard 150gr bullet for smaller hogs.

As an aside, I don't know what premium bullets are available for the 30-30 other than a Barnes 150gr offering. If I needed more penetration than a 170gr Sierra RN, I'd probably move to a 180gr hardcast lead bullet.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

As an aside, I don't know what premium bullets are available for the 30-30 other than a Barnes 150gr offering.

170 grainers are available in Nosler Partitions and Federal has a new 160 grain synthetic pointed bullet for it.

 

[dogngun]

THe .30-30 has been doing stuff like that since it was new, and the Remington Core-Loct standard green and yellow box ammo is as good as anything else you can buy.
THere has been a lot of advertising BS to say different.
, for a long time, but it's still hard to beat these old timers.

Mark

 

[Capital Punishment]

People on this board like to underestimate the power of most rounds. Hell, even a .223 could drop a wild hog if shot in the same place as the other rounds.

 

[jefnvk]

I like the philosophy of using what has always worked. Rounds like the .30-30, .30-06, 6.5x55, .45LC, .303, etc. have always worked, and were what people always used before these mags, and super mags, and SSSSSSM's that are out nowadays.

 

[Shooter973]

30-30 !!!

The old 30-30 is a lot more capable than a lot of folks would like to give it credit for!!! I've been shooting mine for years and it has done just about anything I need from a short handy little rifle. I have other more powerful rifles that I use also but I almost always take a 30-30 as a back-up rifle should a scope go nuts or when the weather is not to great. I've taken deer and other same size type animals with it and it has never let me down. Just for laughs I shoot mine at the 300 yrd. gong at the rifle range ands once you get the sight picture right it is easy to make good hits that far away. Fun when some other shooters are using scoped"higher" power rifles and they can't hit it very often. I shoot mostly 170gr. cast bullets out of mine loaded up to factory like ballistics and really enjoy it. Every body should own at least one lever action 30-30. a good 357 handgun and a 12 ga. pump shotgun. It's the Code of the West!!!

 

[Sulaco]

I only own one rifle and it is a 30-30. Infact, I killed an 8pt. with it this morning. I like the 150's but might try the 170's next year.

 

[Onmilo]

170s rule.
I still consider them the best .30/30 bullet made.

 

[Mannlicher]

I am very partial to the Speer 170 grain FP. This bullet over IRM 4320 powder shoots very good in my 30-30 lever guns, and my Savage 170 pump.
This load has never failed me on hogs or deer.

 

[Deer Hunter]

My weapon of choice on Whitetail bucks, and anything else that wants to get in front of me in East Texas, is a Marlin 30-30 with 170 grain Hornady flat point bullets. Best gun I've ever owned, and it's served me well. They're handier than many people give them credit for.

 

[phoglund]

Every body should own at least one lever action 30-30. a good 357 handgun and a 12 ga. pump shotgun. It's the Code of the West!!!

Hmmm...I guess I'm going to have to pick up a lever action 30-30. I have the other two and wouldn't want to break the "Code of the West" !!

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

It seems the 170 gr. round is preferred by many over the 150 gr. round.

I was curious as to why, so looked up the ballistics. It seems that the 170 gr. definitely has the edge in ballistics once you get past the 100 yard mark.

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/comparative_ballistics_results.aspx?data=R30301*R30302

Funny thing is, the trajectory is so close that it's hard to notice a real difference. The 170 gr. even drops less than the 150 gr. after 400 yards!

 

[georgeduz]

i have not touched my 30/30 in years, like 10 years,after reading some of yours posts i pulled it out.cleaned and oiled.just loaded up some rounds for the range.i only had sheer 150gr ,i see if i can track down some 170.thanks for the tips.

 

[JohnKSa]

Of course you could always split the difference and go with a 160gr POINTED bullet round.

Those smart folks at Hornady have come up with a safe way to shoot pointed bullets out of a gun with a tubular magazine...

http://hornady.primediaoutdoors.com/HDstory1.html

BTW, here are a couple of brand-new for 2006 rifles that might get me back in the .30-30 business...

From Winchester:
http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=131&cat=003C

Yes, it IS a takedown. Yes, it DOES come standard with a rear ghostring sight and a forward rail.

From Marlin:
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/xlr/336.aspx

Nope, it DOESN'T have a barrel band. Yes, that IS an all stainless gun with a laminate stock and a 24" barrel.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Of course you could always split the difference and go with a 160gr POINTED bullet round.

Those smart folks at Hornady have come up with a safe way to shoot pointed bullets out of a gun with a tubular magazine...

http://hornady.primediaoutdoors.com/HDstory1.html

BTW, here are a couple of brand-new for 2006 rifles that might get me back in the .30-30 business...

From Winchester:
http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=131&cat=003C

Yes, it IS a takedown. Yes, it DOES come standard with a rear ghostring sight and a forward rail.

From Marlin:
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/xlr/336.aspx

Nope, it DOESN'T have a barrel band. Yes, that IS an all stainless gun with a laminate stock and a 24" barrel.

I have never seen a post '64 Winchester M94 that had a decent trigger, and every 'smith I've consulted has said that they cannot be improved with 'smithing. Too bad, because that take down gun looks awesome. Gunsmiths are, however, able to improve modern made Marlin level action triggers, and stainless is an excellent feature, but I don't get the laminated wood on a lever action. The idea of laminated wood is that its ugly and heavy, compared to walnut, but at least it is more stable in response to humidity, but this is only a factor in one piece stocks, and these guns have two piece stocks, which cannot have any effect on accuracy regardless of how they respond to humidity, so why sacrifice the looks and lightweight of walnut? And who in heck needs a recoil pad on a .30-30?

 

[Deer Hunter]

Haha, rubber butt-plate on a 30-30. That made my day.

I would pick a Marlin over a Winchester any day, but I'm a biased kinda guy, don't mind me.

 

[Preacherman]

Ooooohhhh, mommy!!! I'm a Marlin guy by preference, but that takedown Winchester looks awful tempting... particularly in my two favorite levergun calibers, .30-30 and .44 Magnum!!!

Methinks I'll have to start saving...

 

[saltydog452]

A 'hide-out' 30.30..

Preacherman, that take down looks like it would fit nicely into your rv project.

salty.

 

[joebogey]

Deer Hunter

{Haha, rubber butt-plate on a 30-30. That made my day.}

Uh..my 12 year old daughter does. And she's shooting it pretty darned good right now.

 

[JesseJames]

Oh my God.
That new levergun from Marlin looks sweeeeeet.
I appreciate the laminated look on her, it's pretty. Sometimes beauty can trump function and Marlin actually got away with it in this case. And they offer the same platform chambered in the .450 Marlin.
I am getting one.

 

[JohnKSa]

so why sacrifice the looks and lightweight of walnut?

The Marlin websight lists the same weight for this gun as for their standard model 336. We'll have to see if that's really correct.

I like walnut ok, but if it comes right down to it, I'd rather have a nice laminate stock than rack grade walnut for looks... Also, my first rifle was a laminate/stainless gun, so laminate and stainless just go together in my mind.

I'm more taken with the Winchester, I'll admit although I've had no experience with Winchester lever rifles. I've always wanted a takedown rifle. I'm surprised that no one's offering a drop-in trigger kit (like WWG's Happy Trigger for the Marlins) if the triggers are that bad.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

The Marlin websight lists the same weight for this gun as for their standard model 336. We'll have to see if that's really correct.

I like walnut ok, but if it comes right down to it, I'd rather have a nice laminate stock than rack grade walnut for looks... Also, my first rifle was a laminate/stainless gun, so laminate and stainless just go together in my mind.

I'm more taken with the Winchester, I'll admit although I've had no experience with Winchester lever rifles. I've always wanted a takedown rifle. I'm surprised that no one's offering a drop-in trigger kit (like WWG's Happy Trigger for the Marlins) if the triggers are that bad.

If you know of a source for drop in triggers for the Winchester 94s, please let us know, because the modern 94s have terrible triggers. My two pre-64 M94s have great light crisp triggers. I was told they changed it for legal reasons, and that they are impossible to improve.

 

[MCgunner]

I like the philosophy of using what has always worked. Rounds like the .30-30, .30-06, 6.5x55, .45LC, .303, etc. have always worked, and were what people always used before these mags, and super mags, and SSSSSSM's that are out nowadays.

Well, I ain't puttin' away my .308 for one, but they're very good little carbines, always have been underestimated by the magnum/turn bolt crowd. I've read they were inaccurate, BS. I've read they were limited to 100 yards, BS. If you hand load 'em with spitzers and just load one round in the magazine, it's a 300 yard gun! A scope helps, of course, for that sort of shooting.

I had a M340 Savage turn bolt in .30-30 many years ago that really shot well. I never had one in a lever, though. Only lever gun I've ever owned is my Rossi M92 in .357 mag. I do have a Contender with 12" hunter barrel and 2x scope in .30-30 that I've taken several deer with.

I was up in the Guadeloupe mountains in SE New Mexico chasing mulies first time out there and my bud was all proud of his BAR in .300 win mag and I had my 7 mag thinking I need it. I saw several fellows out there hunting with .30-30s. We got chastised by the locals in a restaurant there wanting to know why we were carrying cannons. :banghead: But, I did take a nice muley at about 350 yards. Couldn't have made that shot with a .30-30, so I guess I was justified somewhat.

 

[JohnKSa]

modern 94s have terrible triggers.

Darn. Someone's gonna have to do something quick. I NEED that takedown rifle...

If you hand load 'em with spitzers and just load one round in the magazine, it's a 300 yard gun!

Look at my earlier post. Now you can shoot spitzers without handloading, and with a full magazine.