bigcountry

Well, I believe ya. But thats really a small number of deer to count as fact. Killed a quite a few more than that over the years with one.

ELKampMaster

Obviously different "hearts" here.... If deer and neck shots are your thing, then have at it and keep the 30-30 in the "pole position." IMO, I don't sell the 30-30 short, it just doesn't meet my performance standard.

I'm thinkingthe 30-06 cartridgeis also superior to the 30-30 from 0 to 100 yards; You may find the rifle your 30-30 is chambered in to be more preferrable for your dense trees/cover/brush hunting than the rifle your 30-06 is chambered in, but the 30-06 cartridge is superior all the way through.

For me it isn't about the age of the cartridge as JamesB alluded to, assome of the "near 100 year olds" are my favorites;however,the onesI'm talking about,all feature power and versatility on big game and for "my heart" the 30-30 just isn't one of them.

If talking lever action, short range, brush guns then the Marlin 45-70 would be my choice.... load it up for serious business or load it down for plinking (and/or deer).

BTW,
I noticed the slip on recoil pad on the 30-30. I'm sure that is for adjusting stock length and not for recoil purposes. I assume there are other un-named "hard kicking, heavymagnums" other than the 300WSM you mentioned (or it could just be a difference in standards).

Nope, seriously, I had never thought of the mantle thing. It can pay tribute to my father and days gone by and free up room in the back of the safe, because otherwisethat old Win-94will never see the light of day until my kids are sorting through my stuff. [Trust me, they won't want it!]May as well get some mileage out of it along with the bridle, scabbard, and lariat.

JamesB, I'm figuring even if you were properly mounted that it still wouldn't beappropriate for you to hang over your mantle.... "the world is a more interesting place with you in it...."

Hmmm, if the kids aren't going to want it; perhaps, I should just turn it to cash and plow the cash back into a rifle project that more "fits our profile" that we will enjoy now.

Vapodog

The popularity of the 30-30 is largely due to it's use in short light and fast handling lever guns such as the M-94 and M-336. These have been traditional woods guns for a century and are still in use to a surprising degree today.

That said, the 30-30 round has been well suited for the short ranges in those circumstances.

The .30-06 was designed as a military round that actually didn't really have a large following until after WWII and was almost exclusively used in bolt action rifles that were seen as slow to the deer hunters. Soldiers returning from the war was used to the cartridge and when springfields and enfields were "dumped" to the general population the .30-06 became widely popular.

Rifles of all manner have since been produced for the .30-06 and world wide use is the case. Pumps, semiautos, single shots, leveractions and more varieties of boltactions than you can shake a stick at.

Because of the availability of short and relatively light boltactions and even the remington pump with 18 1/2" barrel the old 30-30 has lost favor as a much longer range cartridge is available in short light rifles and the stigma of bolt actions has long sense left. Besides scope sighted bolts can outshoot the old levers anyday and by a substantial margin. For the guy that hunts powerlines in the woods this is very beneficial. For the guy that hunts mountains this is extremely important.

For this reason the .30-06 is a far superior cartridge for most deer hunters contemplating a .30-30 as the alternative. Hunters have long since learned that speed of a followup shot is no where near as important as placement of the first shot and scope sighted bolt action rifles are better at it than the old "30-30".

Frankly I can't find a reason to own a 30-30 anymore.

ELKampMaster

James B

Vap. Thas true but power is not necessarily preference. The 30-30 is as perfect for its intended use as it ever was. The 94 is still a light fast handling rifle that will still be used as long as there are deer and woods.

Sometimes we get lost in thinking only of whats bigger and better and faster. The 30-06 has the 30-30 beat in all catagories EXCEPT for personel preference. The 30-30 is not near as versitils as the 30-06 but as a short range deer gun. Given only one, very few would not choose the 30-30. However it has its nich. ALWAYS will have.

I guess I am not to smart because I just bought a new one a couple weeks ago. (30-30). Sometimes I prefer to use it instead of my 30-06.

Vapodog

Absolutely no disagreement here at all. The 30-30 is as good as ever and it's been used to kill a helluvalotta deer.

My problem with the "intended use" is that every time I go into the woods I wind up standing on an old logging trail where I can see 200 yards in both directions....or on a powerline where I can see 1/2 mile each way or at the edge of a swamp where the shot across is pushing three hundred yards. I'll agree that most often I wind up shooting a deer inside 100 yards even then but the real advantage of the 30-30 is the guns it's chambered in and that advantage is wiped out with such carbines chambered for the higher powered rounds and their superior accuracy.

That said I like hunting with my M-1892 in 44 mag. It's very much like the 30-30 in power and has similar restrictions in range. I use it only when I know I'll be in a place where the chances of long range shooting are slim.

I still like the feel of the short sweet lever guns but in all sincerity their day is historic. They have very little practical place anymore

ELKampMaster

Well the thread started out as a cartridge discussion and of course the direction quickly turned to the cartridge's use, i.e. deer hunting (thankfully, that has been the extent of the so called "big game" hunting applications.)

My position on deer is about the same as it has always been: (1) you can have it, I've had all I want (about 20 years), and (2) it don't take much to whack a deer (and kill cleanly, just as a clarification).

However, back to the original post. 30-06 or 30-30?.... no qualifications. I'll recommend the 30-06 every time. In recommending cartridges I strive to "get people into" cartridges that will be as versatile as possible and will encourage (and allow) them to expand their hunting horizons both geographically and up and down the species scale. The 30-06 does that and in spades. The 30-30 doesn't.... period. Sometimes folks opportunity to go hunting "outside their box" will be limited by the rifle they have as they can't afford another and that alone will stop the trip. Get the 30-06 and odds are that won't happen.

IMHO, the first three long guns should be a 22LR, a 30-06 (or real close equivalent), and a 12 gauge shotgun. Get those three, then branch out.... brush gun? (get one), varmit rifle? (get one of those), heavy duty big game rifle? (get that too)....BUT start out with the foundational building blocks that are most versatile, and THEN get the specialty rifles.

eldeguello

The .30/30 was a great cartridge in 1895!! It will still kill deer. In fact, it will also kill a lot of other critters, some quite large (and tasty, like a moose!!) However, the .30/'06 is an improvement over the .30/30, and is usually chambered in a rifle type which is also an improvement over the rifles usually found chambered for the .30/30.

If you can afford a good .30/'06, why handicap yourself with something less?

You can only shoot as well as you can see thetarget. Most open sights obscure the target, to some degree at least, while a scope does not. I will always opt for a scope sight over irons, if given the opportunity.......

Rebel Hog

IT depends, if you hunt my areas, you need a 12ga W/00buck or a .30-30 carbine.

James B

Get both, I did. Wouldn't part with either. I understand where most of you who recommend the 30-06 are coming from. As I said if I could only have one, it would be the 30-06. I always have to have a 223 as well.