What's the range for a 30-30?

[wuchak]

1000 ft lbs for a white tail? Those are some super tough deer in your neck of the woods.

A top load 158 gr .357 magnum gives 688 ft lbs at the muzzle so a .357 with this round jammed into bambi, at any angle, wouldn't be enough to kill it humanely?

Even the old Remington 30-30 170 gr core-lokt has a MPBR of 200 yards for deer and it still has 990 ft lbs of energy. At 300 yards it will have dropped 21.8 inches and have 719 ft lbs of energy.

The bullet has plenty left to do what's needed at 300 yards if you have the skills to put it on target (which many claim to have but few actually can do it at the range and even fewer can do it in the field, your claim of "I think I can" tells me where you current skill level is.). A 45-70 would be even harder to hit with at 300 yards since it's trajectory is much more rainbow like. With a 300 grain bullet a 45-70 has a point blank range of 164 yards for deer. At 300 yards it will have 768 ft lbs of energy left and will have dropped 43.47 inches. Move to a 405gr bullet and the MPBR drops to 130 yards and a 300 yards you'll have 860 ft lbs of energy and will have dropped 68.85 inches.

Go to Remington's site and download a copy of the Shoot program. Spend some time playing with the various settings and checking the trajectories for various calibers and loads. An hour with that program and you'll have a better understanding of trajectory and energy than the vast majority of hunters.

 

[Lovesbeer99]

So I appreciate all the replies but I need to clarify my question. I want to know what the effective range of a 30-30 is with spitzer bullets for a white tail deer. If it's not 300 yards no biggie, I just need to know what the rang actually is.

Now for the 300 yard line. I do plan to shoot out to 300 yards, but only on paper. This is paper target shooting.

And just for the record, I agree that each shooter needs to know his/her own limits. If you can't shoot a white tail deer at 300 yards with open sights then don't try. If you can't do it with a scope, then don't try. If you can't do it at 100 yards with a scope, then don't try. But also remember that just because you can't doesn't mean that someone else can't also.

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[GooseGestapo]

What everyone is saying is.......IT DEPENDS....
ON:

1. WHAT SIGHTS YOU HAVE
2. WHAT AMMO YOU HAVE
3. WHAT SIGHT SETTING YOU HAVE
4. WHAT SIZE GAME YOU'RE SHOOTING
5. WHAT DESIGN RIFLE YOU'RE SHOOTING

The only "spitzer" or pointed ammo available that is usable in TUBULAR magazines is the Hornady FTX or "LeverEvolution" ammo.

"IF" you're using a scopesighted boltaction with handloaded ammo using something such as the excellent Nosler 125gr BallisticTip bullet, 300yds isn't a real stretch assuming you're sighted in something like 3" high at 100yds.

However, if you're using an iron sighted leveraction, with conventional 170gr RN ammo, then perhaps 200yds IS a stretch; assuming you're sighted in at the "conventional" 100yds.

Personally, the longest shot I've ever made on a deer with a .30/30 is ~170yds. Two years ago come Jan 29, I shot a 110lb doe. Actually hit it twice. It was one of two I jumped in some open pines (very open with 120' tall trees- perhaps 8-10 per acre- open quail habititat, if you will). My first shot on the fleeing deer (not quite a full tilt run) hit the deers left front leg, breaking it. The second missed, the third connected mid torso-right side, and exited the left shoulder breaking the humerous (leg bone). The Remington 170 Corlokt (handload at 2,300fps) left a 2" dia. exit wound. The deer "dashed" another 25yds and dropped.

The rifle is a scoped sighted Glenfield/Marlin M30 (20"bbl w/half magazine) with a 4x scope; and was sighted in 3" high at 100yds. Zero is approx. the 170yds I shot the deer at.

Worked for ME !!!!

Another 50-75yds wouldn't have mattered. 250+yds, and I wouldn't have tried, even with one of my "Magnums".............Wouldn't have even attempted a second shot with a boltaction as deer would have been out of sight by the time I'd "bolted" another round......

 

[Lovesbeer99]

Sorry for any confusion as I looked back at my original post and I didn't make it clear. The 1885 I refer to is an 1885 Winchester Highwall Singleshot. I would handload the 30-30 with spitzer bullets for this rifle to shoot at paper and plastic targets out to 300 yards. I would never use this type of bullet in a tube fed mag. What I was trying to say was that I already have a mod 94 in 30-30 and I already reload for it. So if my next gun is also a 30-30, I'm already set to relaod.

I'm curious about the ballistics of the round. If 170 yards is the max practical hunting for white tail, so be it, no biggie. If 500 yards is max on paper, so be it. I just want it to be accurate

So sights, scopes, light are not the question. What is the round capable of?

So I think I've got it based on all the responses. It doesn't sound like anyone uses a 30-30 for target shooting to 300 so I'll find a different caliber. 45-70 is also an option. I'd just have to buy some new dies and learn to reload for it. Thanks again.

 

[wuchak]

The original post seemed to indicate you were interested in hunting at that distance. Thanks for clarifying.

There is no reason not to go for target practice at 300 yds with a 30-30. Keep in mind that you can shoot any spitzer bullet out of a gun with a tube mag. You just limit yourself to one in the chamber and one in the mag. You get a shot and follow-up which is one more than needed for a good hunter.

 

[Squibster]

The 30-30 is a great, fantastic, super duper, round! I am a fan. After toting that 678 Supershortmagnumloudenboomer around with its 24x scope in the deep woods, I began to wonder if the good ol' boys on Madison Ave. haden't pulled another one on me! And after my poor stretched out arm got back to normal, a light 30-30 seemed like just the ticket! I Shoot it at deer sized game within a hundred yards...and if I do my part that deer always dies! If paper tigers are your game, have at it! I like to shoot phone poles 500 yards away with my 22lr, so I imagine a 30-30 could do it too! Just don't get too carried away!

The older you get, the less blast, heavy rifles, and bells and whistles appeal to you. Or maybe just me...for me, I like my deer guns to serve double duty. I take them rabbit hunting! I use a lead buck shot sized 0 (.32) in me thutty-thutty, a little bit of Unique and pow! I have my rabbit, or squirrel, or duck, or turkey...you get the picture. Versatility! Try doing that with a 678 suckerwithtoomuchmoneyloudenboomer! It's huge case is pretty well useless except for burning lots, and lots of powder...for what? To kill the same deer or paper tiger? I have hunted over 40 years from Alaska to Florida and I have never, not one time shot a large game animal at over 150 yards!

Have fun and good shootin!

 

[Squibster]

Just read post 29. Shoot sonny...that rifle could take a heap more pressure than the stretchy 94 action can!! You could absolutely bury a lead ball so deep in a paper plate at 300 yards, and do it so efficiently that I dare say you must find a guru of the highwall to help give you some proper loads! Do not, I repeat do not find another caliber...seek and ye shall find. That 30-30 can do it!

 

[UpTheIrons]

Ammo Choices in .30-30 Win and their range

I have been shooting Remington Core-Lokt 150 gr PSPs out of my 1959 model 94 since I 'inherited' it from my Dad. I've had no problems bagging our scrawny Texas whitetails out to 125 yards. Where we hunt, most shots aren't much longer, but there are a few spots where 200+ is possible.

Not long ago. I got some of the Hornady LE (160 grain) just to see what it would do. It was getting windy at the range that day, so I didn't have time for more than one group of each, and the Hornady grouped 4.5" higher than the Remington at 100 yards. Next time I'll try 200, too, but I think I've found a new ammo for this old gun.