The perfect rifle: The 30-30

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For me I wouldn’t say it’s purely nostalgic. I had one and was foolish enough to let it get away. I was temporarily more excited by other things. I learned to shoot with a 39a golden Mountie. So I handle a lever very comfortably. I also think for southern white tail it’s hard to beat in many scenarios I hunt. It’s not the best for a 12 year old boy. But I’m sure more than a few have used it for first big game. It’s very effective still for self defense. Maybe not AR fast. But quick enough to save the farm.
 
Aletheia said:
It's pretty easy to see that the "love" of the .30-30 is a largely emotional reaction.
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Question for you then, since you believe love of the .30-30 is "largely emotional" -- did you even read all of the previous posts (including mine, in which I laid out what I think are some logical -- not emotional -- considerations)?
 
I kind of also like the age of the 30-30. Shooting the first commercially available smokeless powders cartridge is pretty cool. It falls in the same category for me as 30-06, 45-70, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 9mm and a few other that are over a century old and still going.
 
Yeah there's a degree of nostalgia with the 30-30 but it's still a good medium range cartridge. It has the reputation of taking more deer than any other cartridge and I don't doubt it. I doubt the 30-06 even comes close. It may be a regional thing but in the south and southeast I'm sure you'll find a 30-30 in just about every gun cabinet, safe or closet. Yeah there's lot of hotshot calibers that do what it does only better but IMO the 30-30 will still be putting deer in the freezer long after those others are distant memories.
 
Old Dog said:
Question for you then, since you believe love of the .30-30 is "largely emotional" -- did you even read all of the previous posts (including mine, in which I laid out what I think are some logical -- not emotional -- considerations)?
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I just sold (about 3 months ago) the very first rifle I ever owned, a model 94 in 30-30. I sold it because, although I had shot several deer with it in my early years, I'm now 74 years old and that rifle hadn't been out of the safe in so long I can't actually be certain about the last time I shot it. I realized I likely would never take it hunting again, because there were several other rifle/cartridges in the same safe that would do anything I wanted done, and do it better than the old 30-30. So I sold it to someone who wanted it as soon as I said I would sell it. Emotion, and nostalgia were his reasons, and that was all that kept it in the safe for that long. I KNOW what it was. I also know what it isn't.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to use one. But it is not a perfect rifle.
 
Aletheia said:
I just sold (about 3 months ago) the very first rifle I ever owned, a model 94 in 30-30. I sold it because, although I had shot several deer with it in my early years, I'm now 74 years old and that rifle hadn't been out of the safe in so long I can't actually be certain about the last time I shot it. I realized I likely would never take it hunting again, because there were several other rifle/cartridges in the same safe that would do anything I wanted done, and do it better than the old 30-30. So I sold it to someone who wanted it as soon as I said I would sell it. Emotion, and nostalgia were his reasons, and that was all that kept it in the safe for that long. I KNOW what it was. I also know what it isn't.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to use one. But it is not a perfect rifle.
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Yikes! You didn't even answer my questions, or address the point(s) that I was trying to make. You seem to be focused on the hunting aspect, but that's not all we -- and I --- were talking about...
 
DMW1116 said:
I kind of also like the age of the 30-30. Shooting the first commercially available smokeless powders cartridge is pretty cool. It falls in the same category for me as 30-06, 45-70, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 9mm and a few other that are over a century old and still going.
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And the 30-30 was the leader of the pack, as far as smokeless!
The 270 was was Americans first try at compromise with European calibers, 6.5 to 7mm. We've had for the most part, kinda stayed in .5" increments +- a little, which made sense in what was really needful. .50, 45, 40, 35, 30, and old Ned Robert's had a winner in the 257 Robert's. We had the 22 way back in 1800's.
They ought to dig Jack O'Connor up and hang him, for getting all this BS started! Whelen and Keith had it right! But everyone fell for good words, made an almost God out of a English teacher!
I remember reading that O'Connor said, he knew a guy in, Nevada? Utah?, who had killed 17 Elk with one 20ct box of 30-30 Cartridges!
Doug Turnbull killed a Dall Sheep just 2-3 years ago with an restored Mod 86 Win in 475 Turnbull. All the TV and magazine hype, you gotta have a flat shooting .6 bullet 3" long with a HIGH B.C. guided by a scope that ranges then a red dot appears for your target, then just squeeze the trigger. And all this, start to finish is $50,000 +!
Whelen killed one and goat to on his first trip to BC, with a 40-72 Lever Blackpowder rifle, the goat he climbed to by stripping down to bare essentials, while his partner cooked breakfast, the goat almost fell on him, less than a few feet! They kill sheep often with bows. Guarantee you been some killed with a 30-30, I believe the World Record Grizzly??
 
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I love the 30-30 in a lever gun for a couple of reasons and yes, nostalgia is one of those reasons.
It is not a perfect cartridge, no cartridge is. If there were there wouldn’t be so many to choose from.

Discussions on the 30-30 and leverguns usually devolve the way discussions go between folks that either like Glocks or 1911s. It’s kind of a shame really, but what really is a shame is that it’s almost expected.

It’s no wonder the “Anti’s” hold such sway over us. We can’t even get along having a discussion regarding an old rifle round and the guns that shoot it.
 
I think the 30-30 is the perfect rifle for some people and in some areas. I used a model 94 to shoot the first 2 deer I killed with a rifle a six point whitetail and a doe that weight more than the buck. Both deer were less than 75 yards and dropped within a few feet of were they were shot.
My personal choice for the perfect rifle would be a 308 win....
Time to buy one again :D
 
Just came from my LGS and saw a very clean Marlin 336 from the mid-'70s.

They are asking an eye-popping $950 for it!


That sure ain't the perfect price...
 
tubeshooter said:
Just came from my LGS and saw a very clean Marlin 336 from the mid-'70s.

They are asking an eye-popping $950 for it!


That sure ain't the perfect price...
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No it's not for the past, but in the past year, especially last 6 months, it's about the norm, +- a little, and if it's in really good shape, they'll get it IMO! I have one from 77, they're my favorites!
 
I have one from '78 or '79 and it's been great!

Past 6 months must have done a real number on prices. I had been seeing more like ~$650 post-pandemic, but I don't pay too much attention since I already have the above. Sure made my eyes water...
 
Also in Alabama. And my preferred (and first) deer slayer cartridge is the 35Remington. Because it is getting hard to find brass for it, I am looking into others. Namely a lever action in 30-30 because ammo is plentiful even now. I recently ordered a commemorative (1 of 300ish) Henry Golden boy in 30-30 but it will not be used for hunting. I have no intention of using an heirloom rifle in that regard. I want to track down another 30-30 to use as a hard use hunting rifle. Preferably something in a synthetic stock and SS barrel. But I'll try to not be picky.
 
you know before them there Evil-utionary Gummy tip bullets were available, There were folks that hunted with Two Shot ‘94s and 336s.

Yep, some handloaders would load a Spitzer type SP and have one round in the chamber and one in the magazine.

it Worked.

When I was in the Service in the early ‘70s we had an NCO that took his privately owned Marlin 336 in .30-30 to rifle ranges. He was a Sinner in that he had a bit of Tasco glass on top of that 336. He would topple knock down/pop up targets all the way out to 300 meters with factory 150grain RN SP ammo.

It was fun to watch, especially after someone new to the unit had to opine that “everyone knows a .30-30 is stretching it at even 150 yards”

Won a fiver off a new E-6 with that attitude.

Yeah I know a Type E kneeling man target is a lot bigger than a white tail’s vital zone, but still….

Yeah it was a different Army back then, too.

-kBob
 
kBob said:
you know before them there Evil-utionary Gummy tip bullets were available, There were folks that hunted with Two Shot ‘94s and 336s.

Yep, some handloaders would load a Spitzer type SP and have one round in the chamber and one in the magazine.

it Worked.

When I was in the Service in the early ‘70s we had an NCO that took his privately owned Marlin 336 in .30-30 to rifle ranges. He was a Sinner in that he had a bit of Tasco glass on top of that 336. He would topple knock down/pop up targets all the way out to 300 meters with factory 150grain RN SP ammo.

It was fun to watch, especially after someone new to the unit had to opine that “everyone knows a .30-30 is stretching it at even 150 yards”

Won a fiver off a new E-6 with that attitude.

Yeah I know a Type E kneeling man target is a lot bigger than a white tail’s vital zone, but still….

Yeah it was a different Army back then, too.

-kBob
Click to expand...
Thats how I load my my Spitzer Silver Tips...2 shot lever action, of course I have the RN too...
20220825_175005.jpg
 
Years ago I thought the 30-30 was "so-so" because things like the .308 offered more range & power. Then I got older and knew guys who were using the 30-30 quite successfully on deer. Then started to realize that at the moderate distance most deer are taken the 30-30 is actually sort of a "just right" proposition. It gets the job done without nasty recoil, big amounts of powder, or big time muzzle blast. Inherited a 30-30 Marlin model 30-AS (economy model 336) 21 years ago and its now one of my favorites for deer in the woods. In that environment it has a proven track record going back over a century. Most of my woods hunting rarely offers a shot over 100 yards so I never even tried to stretch the range out with the gummy tip pointed bullets. Just kept it "old school" with 170 gr. Hornady flat points that offer stellar performance & good accuracy at those distances. Just like the old 30-30 bullets always did. If I need a cartridge with greater reach I can use a 257 Weatherby, a 6.5x55, a 7mm-08 or even a 300 WSM. I like the concept of a "woods cartridge" and the 30-30 fills that role nicely. Along with Marlin lever guns being so easy to put on a smaller, low powered scope that still looks not too out of place on a lever gun but makes a difference for older eyes.
 
I don’t have anything against scoping a lever action, but a 336 is one rifle where it’s easy to make it look like you bought a scope and it came with a rifle.

I chose poorly and now my 30-30 scope sits on my first AR and my 336 wears Williams FP target sights and a Skinner front Patridge blade. Overall I enjoy shooting iron sights more than scopes so it worked out.
 
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