The 30-30 Winchester — Is Grandpa’s Gun Still Relevant?
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 8 months ago
I watched it all but didn’t have to. Is the 30-30 still relevant? You betcha!
Especially with the newer cartridges. In fact, Ryan’s point at the end was what I’ve known for a long time. The best 30-30 performance approaches (even if it doesn’t exactly equal) the .308.
Inside 200 yards with identical bullet placement – yes, the 30-30 bullet will kill as effectively as the .308 Winchesters bullet. The 30-30 SP bullet is very effective and efficient with the limited velocity of 30-30, helping expansion without blow-up. The pointed bullet’s is better with trajectory at longer ranges than the rounder bullet profile.
Grandpa’s old lever gun is just fine as is.
I own almost every type of old Winchester. Some antiques and some modern. I shoot a Model 1886 in 45/90 WCF caliber. It may not penetrate your level 4+ ceramic plate, but it will push your plate flat to your spine. Yeah Great-grandpa’s Winchester will still get the job done.
Walks over to the chest freezer, looks inside.
Yep, still mostly full of butcher wrapper deer meat.
30-30 seems to be doing fine.
Old news for anyone in the know. Something’s just work . Point of interest my grandfather hated to shoot deer with his .303 savage (damaged to much meat) pretty much identical ballistics as a 30-30. Did all his killing with a 32-20 marlin. Boy deer have gotten to be a lot tougher today. Know we need big magnums to shoot a 150 lb deer. But then again he was a woodsman first and hunter second. Oldbev
I’m not much of a hunter, haven’t taken a deer in decades. However I have seen several deer knocked down and DRT with a 30-30. I’ve also seen a deer shot thru the heart with a .308 run over 75 yards thru brush before collapsing. Even with good bullet placement results can vary. But the old 30-30 is still around for a reason.
Eh. I have a Marlin .30-30 and a stainless Remington 700 .308. The bolt action shoots farther, handles better, carries better, is lighter and has better weather resistance. Chambering a second shot with the bolt is more natural for me than with the lever.
I only grab the .30-30 after there’s already meat in the freezer and I’m just looking to fill more tags.
In addition to the .30-.30, don’t overlook .357 mag ballistics when cycled in a lever action (upwards of 45 ft/sec per extra inch of barrel length over a 6″ wheel gun) that approach those of the former at the muzzle, and very effective within 100 yards; not much kick either.
Love the 30-30. With handloads, from fast low recoil 100 grainers to 200 gr hardcast GC bullets, there’s not much it can’t do.
The 30-30 round has put more venison on more tables than any other modern cartridge. You just have to know how to HUNT.
Long ago I was given what was left of a modern 336 Marlin 30-30. A few parts were missing, like the buttstock. My first thought was to just part it out, but then the light bulb went off, and I called 1-800-Marlin. I had them install “cowboy” parts to include an octagon barrel in 38-55, the parent cartridge of 30-30. Thankfully I am well stocked to handload for it because off the shelf ammo is literally unobtanium.
If 30/30 was outlawed today from hunting in all 50 states it would take a century for all the others to catch up to the game the 30/30 has harvested.
It baffles me that in my new state in the Godless North I can not hunt with my 30-30 but 45/70 and any of the new straight wall wunderrounds are all vegan kosher.
Of course its still valid and I love my old worn in silky smooth leverguns.