The perfect rifle: The 30-30

[MacAR]

While not always my favorite, I've always kept at least one 30-30 around. Currently have two, a 1972 Winchester 94 with Williams peep sights and a 1974 Marlin 336 that wears an El Paso Weaver 2.5x scope. Someone very near and dear to me refinished the 336 a few years ago, and so it only comes out occasionally. The Winchester I got from an old buddy of mine for cheap and it was a wreck. The metal had been spray painted black and the wood had about 10 layers of shellac on it. I completely dis-assembled it, removed all the finish from metal and wood, re-blued the metal with Oxpho-blue, then re-stained the wood and gave them a couple good coats of BLO. That rifle rides with me just about every day now, it's quite accurate and, in my opinion, the "perfect" truck gun when loaded with my 110gr SP handloads. Varmints don't have a prayer out to 200 yards!

Handloading really wakes the 30-30 up. My hunting load is the run-of-the-mill 150gr RN over a healthy dose of H335, but as I mentioned I like my "varmint load" of 110gr SP's over H332, and they'll fall a deer if necessary. I've played around with shooting round balls over Trailboss or light charges of black powder, and I've loaded up some 180gr RN loads that I'm satisfied would fell a buffalo if the recoil is anything to judge by. Anyway you slice it, handloading really makes the old 30-30 an "all-round" cartridge.

Of course, lots of new things have come down the pike since the old 30WCF was created way back when. Heck, my go-to rifle cartridge is and always will by the 30-06. It's been mighty good for me, taking everything I've ever pointed it at with ease. But then again, I don't hunt anywhere but the Ozarks of Arkansas and there ain't much call for belted magnum elephant rifles in my little corner of the world. But even the greatest fall, and as I get a bit older and my shoulders get more wear, I've gravitated to the 243 as my main hunting rifle. Very little recoil in a very light rifle, but still enough power to sling a 100 gr bullet at a whitetail buck grazing at 250 yards and put him down. Having said that, there is no better rifle for tracking up wounded game than the 30-30. Short, light, quick to the shoulder and quick to reload. For woodlot hunting, the 30-30 has no peer that I've been able to find; at distances of 20 to 120 yards, it excels at putting game on the ground. Perhaps the strangest, but best use that I've found for the cartridge is giving the coup de grace to sick or injured animals both wild and domestic. Over the years, I've dispatched many a sick farm critter with my old 94 and so far have had no complaints. What more could a fella want?

Mac

 

[DMW1116]

Effective? Yes
Fun? Yes
Perfect? Not by a long shot. No such thing. No 1 rifle will do it all.

I wanted a .30-30 since Christmas 1968. More of a "because that is what I seen on TV and movies.". First lever action, Browning BL-22 in '75. Second, Browning B-92 .44 Mag. Then, Marlin .22 Mag and Henry .45C.
Finally, a .30-30 Marlin 336 Centennial in 2017.

Reloading is where .30-30 gets fun. A 110 gr Powder Coated bullet pushed to 2400 fps makes a fun coyote, varmint, pinker round.

How do you accomplish such feats? I don't know I'd want the full power load, but somewhere around 1800-2000 wouldn't be bad I think.

 

[valnar]

I generally like to play that roll. You get some good comments that really make you re think some of your own views. I think it makes me grow in my understanding of....well a great many things.

The non spitzer bullet is not a thing anymore with the hornady bullets.

True...however the pointy Hornady ammo is a relatively new thing. The guns have been around for a lot longer.

I do think romanticizing the old west has a lot to do with it. It's the same reason Italian firms still create SAA clones. And up until recently, western shows and movies were a prominent part of Hollywood which kept it alive in our culture.

Yes, I realize .30-30 has been around since before the first moving picture was ever made, however many other obsolete cartridges have gone away but not the .30-30. I'm sticking with my "the gun is sexy" theory.

 

[.308 Norma]

My uncle did a lot of big game hunting and his 30-30 was mainly for upstate NY deer but he liked a 30-06 for the larger animals. I’m 83, so that was back in the 1940’s when my uncle gave me his advice.

As a handloader, I can make a 30-06 shoot exactly like a 30-30. It doesn't work the other way around.
And I'm a 30-30 fan. It's just that, as I said in my post, I can't imagine why anyone would "need" a 30-30 if they already have a 30-06.

 

[citizenconn]

View attachment 1098066

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That gray rock, aka the harbinger of doom, to the right of the rifle freaks me out, dude. I bet at night it comes alive and flies around on huge wings and terrorizes anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path. I've seen it in my PTSD dreams.

Great rifle and sling, though!!

 

[hawg]

As a handloader, I can make a 30-06 shoot exactly like a 30-30. It doesn't work the other way around.
And I'm a 30-30 fan. It's just that, as I said in my post, I can't imagine why anyone would "need" a 30-30 if they already have a 30-06.

I hunt with a 30-30 and a 30-06 depending on location. The scoped 30-06 with a 26 inch barrel shines across soybean fields but it's not much in dense woods. The 30-30 shines there.

 

[.308 Norma]

I hunt with a 30-30 and a 30-06 depending on location. The scoped 30-06 with a 26 inch barrel shines across soybean fields but it's not much in dense woods. The 30-30 shines there.

Well yeah, I do understand that. But you're talking about two different rifles, not the 30-30 and the 30-06 as cartridges.
I'm saying a non-scoped 30-06 rifle with a 22" or less barrel is just as handy in the dense woods as a 20", non-scoped 30-30. As a matter of fact, I used to hunt with a guy that used one of those Remington 30-06 semi-autos (a Model 760, possibly?) for deer and elk hunting. It had a real short barrel, probably about 20", and it wore a variable, low-powered scope. That little "carbine length" 30-06 was real handy in the heavy timber. It was about as LOUD as any rifle I've ever been around, but it was "handy."

 

[d2wing]

I prefer my Tikka in 7-08 now as I stand hunt. But if I get another opportunity to sneak hunt in the woods again the first rifle I will choose will be my 94 30-30. It is light slim and fast handling and is plenty powerful for any deer within range. Or moose or bear for that matter.

 

[BRatigan]

The 30-30 is legendary. It fits it's niche as well as any caliber. It's versatile and has killed more deer than you can count. It was almost my first rifle caliber but I wanted it's bigger brother the 32 Win Spl in a Win 94. I loved it and still have a 32. It's not as versatile as the 30-30 and has a different rate of twist. It's awesome and without the 30-30 to study I never would have experienced the 32 and the M94. I now have 4 levers from 357 mag to 45-70. It all started with my fascination of the 30-30 in a Winchester Model 94. The 30-30 opened the door for me.

 

[film495]

I have a 30-30 and like it. I'm in the Northeast, and for the most part the entire area is woods and brush and small hills, not a lot of flat open spaces. There are some, but it is much less. A common Deer distance is 50-75. I think if you relaod you could do more with a bolt action 30-06, but if you are good, a 30-30 you load into the chamber by hand will reach out pretty far, just don't put those ones in the tube.

 

[silicosys4]

I have a few 30-30's, none of which get used to hunt with.

Nobody hunts with a 30-30 where I'm at. If you want to limit yourself with a 30-30 here, you might as well go archery or muzzleloading because you are limiting yourself in the same ways, and archery and muzzleloading both have longer seasons and better regulations.

People here use. 243's, 30-06's, 7mm mags, those kind of long reaching cartridges because most deer are shot across 200-600 yards of clear-cut. You can't see past 10 yards in our timber, and you can't move cross country through it without making an unholy racket

You might only get one opportunity all season, and that will likely be a 200+ yard shot on a buck across a clear-cut. I've had many seasons just like that.

I'm from the west coast, and coincidentally have just spent the week driving across the country, ending up in Virginia for the time being.

The part of the country where a 30-30 is "perfect" ends west of the Mississippi and somewhere North of west Virginia.
Outside that you are hamstringing yourself with a 30-30.

 

[Scout21]

I got a Marlin 336 in 30-30 a few years ago. Prior to getting it I was absolutely infatuated with the idea of a lever gun and had wanted one for years. The fast handling characteristics, the quick successive shots, the light recoil of 30-30, all had me hooked. Needless to say, I definitely drank the lever gun Kool-Aid. The thing was exactly what I was wanting. It had no safety, a half-length magazine tube, nice walnut, an end-cap instead of barrel band, I thought it was perfect.

After playing with it for a bit it turns out I hate lever guns. Both the round and the rifle are just so restrictive. It was an absolute bummer because I hyped myself up so much and it wasn't anything I'd hoped it'd be. I've found it inferior in most ways to just about any bolt action I've ever tried. I've tried hard to like the thing, but I just can't. I even considered threading the rifle to make it a little more attractive to use with a silencer, but I figured it would kill its value so I haven't. I really should get rid of the thing. The only two reasons I keep it around is because it's a beautiful rifle, and to remind me to not get another lever action.

My preference for bolt actions was certainly confirmed after getting the Marlin, so I'm not doing much more experimenting anymore. It's pretty much bolt actions from here on out.

 

[sevt_chevelle]

Not for me. Don't own one and no plans to add one either.

 

[Aletheia]

Not perfect at all. When it was created, it was a zoomy thing. Now it is surpassed in any characteristic you want to name by more modern rounds, and the rifle, although very handy, is not as "handy" as the whole "scout rifle" thing that has been beaten to death, and which is actually more "useful" for everything I do in a modern chambering. If it wasn't for romantic nostalgia and hype, it wouldn't be nearly as close to a religious experience for so many. It's a very mediocre round. If I had to have only one rifle/cartridge, it wouldn't be a Model 94 in 30-30.

 

[27hand]

Ummm, I've used a lot of round nosed bullets in a 30-06 over the years.

I was given a box of 180 gr round nose Sierras IIRC.
I was working a load for a gifted National Ordnance 1903A3.
The 180 Sierras, 180 Hdy SSTs and 150gr Hdy Interlocks.

All were minute of deer and I would hunt with any of them. The 150s gave me a sub 2 inch group at 200 yds with the old 1944 2 groove Remmy bbl.
The NO is a crappy build POS and I love shooting it.
I did have the headspace checked first.

This gun and the Marlin 336 in 30-30 are my doe rifles. Pa has an old mans / young kids early rifle doe season in Oct for 3 days. I have 2 doe tags.
The 3rd doe tag is for my straight walled cartridge area. Henry in .44 mag gets that call.

 

[Paul R Zartman]

Will never understand why those who don't like a 3030, would even think about posting to a thread that is about a person's enjoyment of a 3030.... let the man have his enjoyment of his ammo, and let's all help him egg on his joyful experiences.
Paul

 

[valnar]

Will never understand why those who don't like a 3030, would even think about posting to a thread that is about a person's enjoyment of a 3030.... let the man have his enjoyment of his ammo, and let's all help him egg on his joyful experiences.
Paul

Well... a 30-30 being the perfect rifle is quite a bold claim. And it IS a fun thread.

 

[Paul R Zartman]

Well... a 30-30 being the perfect rifle is quite a bold claim. And it IS a fun thread.

Yes indeed it is a bold claim, 3030 rifle been around a long time, and the 3030 ammo was some of the first back on the shelf after this mess we just had. This is a fun thread...

 

[hawg]

With around 13 million 30-30 lever guns being sold I'd say there's more people that like them than don't.

 

[silicosys4]

Will never understand why those who don't like a 3030, would even think about posting to a thread that is about a person's enjoyment of a 3030.... let the man have his enjoyment of his ammo, and let's all help him egg on his joyful experiences.
Paul

Perhaps you'd prefer perusing gun blogs. This is a discussion forum.

 

[hawg]

Perhaps you'd prefer perusing gun blogs. This is a discussion forum.

Well the original poster is from Alabama so your "opinions" are invalid by your own comments.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I was exposed to the 35 Remington before the 30-30 so I hardly know what a 30-30 is.

 

[Remington1911]

True...however the pointy Hornady ammo is a relatively new thing. The guns have been around for a lot longer.

I do think romanticizing the old west has a lot to do with it. It's the same reason Italian firms still create SAA clones. And up until recently, western shows and movies were a prominent part of Hollywood which kept it alive in our culture.

Yes, I realize .30-30 has been around since before the first moving picture was ever made, however many other obsolete cartridges have gone away but not the .30-30. I'm sticking with my "the gun is sexy" theory.

I agree it has a great deal to do with it, and anyone that thinks media has nothing to do with "gun sales" has their head in the sand.

I think it is also the mechanical nature of it.....at least it is that for me. The sounds the gun makes when working the lever, or when cocking a single action. How many of you pick up a single action and in cocking it you go C.....O.....L....T.....yup it is right. There is the nature of the machine, and how it makes you feel....yes feel has a great deal to do with it.

 

[Danaidh]

Folks, I respect your cartridge/rifle choices. You have your reasons. I too very much like the 30/06 and have experimented with many different powder and bullet loads. In addition, one can add the .22, .223, 25/06, .308, 35 Whelan, 300 win mag, 7.62x39, .444 Marlin, .44 magnum Lever, .357 mag lever, etc, etc. All have their place in my heart and shooting/hunting rotation. However, you all NEED a 30-30.

That said and for my purposes and environment, the 30-30 is king and is the PERFECT rifle/cartridge for said environment, game, and targets. It is relatively conservative on powder compared to the larger cartridges. I can cast and load from 125 grain to 190 grain lead bullets. The Ranch Dog (Google it) 170 and 190 molds (or mold clones) & bullets with a large flat meplat are the end-all-be-all killing bullet for the 30-30 and other .30 calibers. He also produced .44 cal molds which are great for that purpose also.

The 30-30 can be found (Antique or other): as a bolt action, single shot, Savage/others produced a 30-30 over/shotgun under, and in the ever popular Lever action.

As stated earlier, I started reloading at about $1.50 or less per 20 ct box. With a stash of free lead and long ago purchased powder, I can still load very inexpensively with the smaller powder requirements of the 30-30. Even with current prices for powder & Primers & such, it is still reasonably priced to hand load the 30-30. there is a plethora of .308 lead or jacketed bullets out there for the 30-30. There is even a powder load for the 30-30 using Unique pistol powder and 700X shotgun powder and they work very well.

Glad to see there are so many other 30-30 enthusiasts out there!

Respectfully,
Danaidh

God bless America and "Alba gu Brath"

 

[Scout21]

Will never understand why those who don't like a 3030, would even think about posting to a thread that is about a person's enjoyment of a 3030.... let the man have his enjoyment of his ammo, and let's all help him egg on his joyful experiences.
Paul

OP posted to a public forum, ostensibly to start a discussion. I don't think anyone has told him that he's wrong for any of his preferences. I also haven't seen any disparaging remarks directed towards him. All I've seen is people adding their personal opinions based on their own experiences. I think it's been a rather productive dialogue so far. If he's happy with his rifle and cartridge selection then I'm happy for him, and I'm sure most everybody else is as well.