Something between 7.62x39 and .308...

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Newtosavage

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2015
Messages
2,918
I love my Savage 7.62x39 and expect to own it a long, long time.

I also love my Savage .308 and have a lot of very specific reasons to keep it as well.

BUT - the 7.62x39 is "just" lacking for a day-to-day deer rifle, and IMO the .308 is really a bit more than a guy needs. Yes, yes, I know - load the .308 down and call it a day. Been there - done that.

What I'm wondering is that with us 'Merican's love for the .30 cal, and with the proliferation of new cartridges these days, why on earth hasn't someone come up with a practical, modern equivalent of the 30-30 in a bolt action rifle? Something that has plenty of steam for whitetails at any practical range but is a pleasure to shoot all day if a person so desires, and still uses our "beloved" .308 bullets?

I'd love a bolt action rifle that pushed a 150-grain .308 bullet to about 2600 fps. with tolerable recoil.

Seems like it would sell. Or am I way off base?
 
another vote for the 300 savage. you can form them from 308.
also there IS a wildcat out there...308x1.5 that was worked up by frank barnes. its kind of similar to a 30 BR which is another possible choice.
then you have the 300 Whisper / 300 Blackout (I know they are technically different but both have about the same performance) that are based on the 222/223 remington case.

Get you a copy of Cartridges of the World and have fun. :)
D
 
I’m kinda wondering where you get the impression 7.62x39 is lacking for a day to Day deer rifle.

It’s (flame suit on) better ballistically than a 30/30 and everyone knows the 30/30 is a very effective round for deer. The use of more aerodynamic bullets allows the range to be extended over a 30/30 and still retains the energy.

I’ve hunted deer all my life and have used everything from a 357 handgun to a 30-06 to take white tail inside 250 yards. My go to is my 7.62x39 bolt gun these days.
 
Oh, I won't flame you. I've killed plenty of deer with my 7.62x39 as have several friends who shot their first deer with my rifle. It's a very capable deer caliber within practical limits. But I don't feel comfortable taking a 250-yard poke at a deer with my 7.62x39 and it wasn't designed to do that anyway.

Yes, yes - download the .308. I get it.

.300 Savage - please. Not practical or will ever be chambered in a modern rifle ever again. Too close to .308 as well.

A 300 Creedmoor on the other hand... Or perhaps a 7.62x39 AI... LOL

What would a guy use to get 2600 fps. with a 150-grain .308 bullet or 2500 with a 165?

In my experience, slower, heavier bullets do less damage to the meat and leave two holes with easy to follow blood trails. All things a typical whitetail hunter wants.
 
Last edited:
In 30 cal it would be a tiny niche to fill between 7.62x39 and 308, which is probably the reason the 300 Savage isn't available commercially anymore. Besides, if you are going to a smaller action than a standard short action( the only real reason for not using a 308 family cartridge) a mini action in 7.62x39 or 6.5 Grendel is the next logical step down. Otherwise might as well have a 308, or better yet a 7mm-08. Which takes us away from 30 cal components.
I believe the 30-30 is still around mostly because it primarily comes in one of the handiest guns of all time, the lever action carbine. Just my thoughts...
 
You know I love my 7mm-08 and IMO it's the most ideal deer killer ever devised. But Americans love their .30's and as popular as the 7.62x39 remains, and the .308 shall always be, I just figured someone would have come up with something in-between by now. Seems there is a new caliber every week anymore.

As for Leverguns... I'm of course a huge fan like just about everyone else. If only I could get a 7.62x39 lever action... A guy can dream right? :D
 
Newtosavage I have to ask...do you handload?

If you do then the question is really moot as you have at your fingertips a load that can go from a simple plinking gallery load to full house loads that can lay out everything up to a very large bear with a 308 Winchester.
I have played with Trailboss loads, pistol powder loads using 110 gr 30 carbine bullets and with my rifle being a standard mauser action I have worked up special loads using 200 gr bullets seated out using mild 30-06 info and worked up an awesome "hybrid" load. (disclaimer...I don't suggest this and won't give the info because I am a curmudgeon)

Hope this helps :)
D
 
150 gr bullet @ 2600 fps sounds like 6.5 Creedmoor, 147's at 2600 is the norm for factory loads and rifles. ;) Recoil is just slightly more than 243.

But seriously, real world 308 speeds from factory loads is going to be closer to 2700 fps. Worrying about 100 fps seems like you're splitting some mighty fine hairs. The 308 was derived from 300 Savage and both duplicated 30-06 loads of their day in short action rifles.
 
Contender carbine in 30-30. Use Hornaday pointed bullets or handload what ever you want. Performance can be much improved over the lever actions or the AK/SKS.

If that ain't enough you can get a custom barrel in all kinds of different calibers. Including the excellent 30-30 AI.

IronHand
 
Here locally in the high desert of Southwest Idaho we have some really big mule deer and inside of 200 yards the the 7.62x39 is one of the best choices around. As far as your original question of something between the x39 & the 308, other than what's already been mentioned I don't think there's really too many other options that I can think of however you may want to do a little research into the Wildcat cartridges because you might be surprised at what you find . Maybe W.F. Vickery came up with a round you may be interested in. He's a wildcat Legend and he used to live right here in Boise back in the day . I have a Japanese arisaka type 99 that he custom-built and rechambered in 22-250 a long long time ago .
 
Newtosavage said:
Oh, I won't flame you. I've killed plenty of deer with my 7.62x39 as have several friends who shot their first deer with my rifle. It's a very capable deer caliber within practical limits. But I don't feel comfortable taking a 250-yard poke at a deer with my 7.62x39 and it wasn't designed to do that anyway.

Yes, yes - download the .308. I get it.

.300 Savage - please. Not practical or will ever be chambered in a modern rifle ever again. Too close to .308 as well.

A 300 Creedmoor on the other hand... Or perhaps a 7.62x39 AI... LOL

What would a guy use to get 2600 fps. with a 150-grain .308 bullet or 2500 with a 165?

In my experience, slower, heavier bullets do less damage to the meat and leave two holes with easy to follow blood trails. All things a typical whitetail hunter wants.
Click to expand...


The 30tc!!!!


30 Creedmoor basically IS a 300 savage....i read a thread about a gun a guy owned. His smith ran a .240wby reamer into an x39 chamber just far enough to push out the shoulder and body taper. i remember the pictures he posted looked really cool.
 
db_tanker said:
Newtosavage I have to ask...do you handload?

If you do then the question is really moot as you have at your fingertips a load that can go from a simple plinking gallery load to full house loads that can lay out everything up to a very large bear with a 308 Winchester.
I have played with Trailboss loads, pistol powder loads using 110 gr 30 carbine bullets and with my rifle being a standard mauser action I have worked up special loads using 200 gr bullets seated out using mild 30-06 info and worked up an awesome "hybrid" load. (disclaimer...I don't suggest this and won't give the info because I am a curmudgeon)

Hope this helps :)
D
Click to expand...
Yes. I handload and I have developed some really accurate reduced .308 loads. It's one of the main reasons I own a .308!

It is a very versatile caliber for sure. I'm just thinking the "average joe" who doesn't handload is really missing out on a "modern-day 30-30" so to speak.
 
LoonWulf said:
The 30tc!!!!


30 Creedmoor basically IS a 300 savage....i read a thread about a gun a guy owned. His smith ran a .240wby reamer into an x39 chamber just far enough to push out the shoulder and body taper. i remember the pictures he posted looked really cool.
Click to expand...
30 TC! I forgot about that one.

But that's still pretty close to the .308 is it not?
 
Newtosavage said:
I love my Savage 7.62x39 and expect to own it a long, long time.

I also love my Savage .308 and have a lot of very specific reasons to keep it as well.

BUT - the 7.62x39 is "just" lacking for a day-to-day deer rifle, and IMO the .308 is really a bit more than a guy needs. Yes, yes, I know - load the .308 down and call it a day. Been there - done that.

What I'm wondering is that with us 'Merican's love for the .30 cal, and with the proliferation of new cartridges these days, why on earth hasn't someone come up with a practical, modern equivalent of the 30-30 in a bolt action rifle?
Click to expand...

There are two such cartridges -- the .30-30 and the .30 Remington. The .30-30 has been offered in bolt action rifles, and the .30 Remington, designed for the semi-automatic Remington Model 8 (among other rifles) is simply a rimless version of the .30-30.

The problem was, neither the bolt action .30-30s nor the Remington Model 8 and similar rifles sold very well.
 
Vern, I wonder sometimes if an updated version of a mid-sized .30 Cal were introduced today, what success it may have. Or is the .30 just on the way out after 100+ years in favor of higher BC bullets?
 
Newtosavage said:
Vern, I wonder sometimes if an updated version of a mid-sized .30 Cal were introduced today, what success it may have. Or is the .30 just on the way out after 100+ years in favor of higher BC bullets?
Click to expand...
If you look at what sells today, it's mostly faster, bigger, sexier. I've shot a lot of deer with a .30-30 but rarely seen a bolt action .30-30 or Remington Model 8 in the field. It seems that people move directly from the .30-30 to the .308, .30-06 or .300 Win Mag.
 
db_tanker said:
30 BR which is another possible choice.
Click to expand...

That’s not a bad idea if you reload. Not sure how well they feed from a mag though. Hopefully someone with experience shooting this cartridge will chime in.

110-125g .308, +3,000 fps, 1:14 twist, relatively light recoil, extremely accurate, easy to tune, never wear out the barrel

Dang, now I think I want one
 
.277 Wolverine. It's an intermediate cartridge with more reach out and touch than the 7.62x39, it acts a lot like the 6.8 SPC but is more mild in recoil but still pushes a 100 to 110 gr bullet the 2500 to 2700 fps.

Plenty fine for whitetail and any other deer sized game out 200 to 250 yards, and in the right handsuch farther.
 
I've read a little bit about the .277 Wolverine and 6.8 SPC's. Neat ideas. Why there isn't a .30 cal equivalent is strange to me because I keep reading about Americans and their love for the .30 caliber.
 
A 7.62x39 ackley improved loaded to 60,000 psi would be a really nice little deer rifle. I was looking for exactly such a round for a contender and settled on a 30-30 AI but that doesn't work for a bolt gun.
 
There is a 30-223 called the 30 apache. Basically a 300 blackout but at full length. Its not going to get a 150 to 2600 though. I think it would get a 125 there.
 
It just surprises me that as popular as the 30-30 has been for whitetails, someone hasn't come up with it's modern "improved" replacement in a bolt action rifle. Especially considering how popular the LeverEvolution ammo has been for the 30-30. I mean, that's a great improvement and all, but most 30-30's are simply not accurate enough to take full advantage of a 250+ yard round. And there are a lot of folks that don't want to shoot a .308 in a lightweight hunting rifle.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

N
  • Locked
Something between 7.62x39 and .308
2 3 4 5 6 7
Replies
173
Views
10K
Newtosavage
N
N
  • Locked
7.62x39 bolt action finally getting some legs
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
132
Views
16K
jtmaster6
J
greyling22
  • Locked
if you were going to build a bolt rifle
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
d2wing
d2wing
raindog
  • Locked
Recommend a .308 Bolt Action Rifle?
2 3
Replies
59
Views
3K
DMW1116
D
L
  • Locked
.308 Home Defense
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
AlfieB
AlfieB
Back
Top