30-30

[Matador]

How many of you guys killed your first deer with a 30-30? How far was the shot and was it with open sights. Do you still have the 30-30. I still have mine. I killed a 10pt buck in 1981. Time sure does fly.

 

[tn24]

I killed my first deer in 1978 with a 30-30 Winchester at about 20 yards with open sights.I still have that gun,probably always will.It was just a spike but I was sure proud of it.

 

[deerchaser007]

Yep, it was bought for my brother, passed to me, and I will pass to my son.

 

[Matador]

I figured most that respond will have been hunting awhile. My shot was about 35 yards. I was so tore up that I never levered another round to the chamber. I can still relive every thing that happened. The 30-30 is a fine round. I still hunt with mine occassioally.

 

[mathews338]

My first was with a 264 win mag in 1987, I was 10. My 4th was with a 30-30 because my brother got to take the 264. The 30-30 was a Winchester 94 with open sights. The first round didn't go off and the four point stood there long enough for me to get a second attempt which did go off. That was in 1990 I think. Didn't pick it back up until 97 when I decided to hunt with it for the challenge of hunting with a old open sighted gun, killed a 8 pt with it.

 

[DRSJ35]

a 30 30 will kill just about anything standing in front of it.I just bought one this year. I'm hoping the short marlin i just got will help in all the brush hunting i do.Sometimes its hard at semi close distances to get off a quick shot with a long gun and a scope.

 

[Prowler]

Juvenile hunt in 1999, I was 9 and I'm pretty sure I thought that 7 point was a new state record, With dads Marlin 30-30. It was scoped tho, about 40 yards best I can remember. He still has the gun but it hasn't been hunted with after me and my brother got our first deer.

 

[BSK]

My first deer was killed with a Steven side-by-side double-barreled 16 gauge shotgun (shooting slugs), but I received a Marlin 336C 30-30 for Christmas that year. Killed a ton of deer with that 30-30. It's my daughter's deer rifle now, and she's killed a couple with it, including her first deer.

 

[benellivol]

I killed my first with a Marlin lever action 30-30. I was 10. It got stolen the following spring.

 

[Deerbuster1996]

I killed my first with a single shot 30-30. About a 100 yard shot I think. I do remember I drop her dead with a neck shot.

 

[catman529]

First deer was with a borrowed 30-30 at 8 yards. I was sitting under a maple tree and it was a 5 point buck. The next season I bought my own 30-30 and it has been my only deer rifle to date. Killed a couple out to 100 yards last season with it.


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[Hunter 257W]

I honestly cannot remember which deer was my 1st any more. My 1st years of deer hunting were so chaotic and unorganized because there was no adult to take myself and my cousin. We didn't know squat about what we were doing. :) I did kill what might have been my 1st deer with a 30-30. It was/is a Savage 340 bolt action rather than the more typical Marlin or Winchester lever action. I shot the deer - a little spike - while it was facing away from me at about 50 yards. I was all shaken up from actually seeing a deer and pulled the shot down so that I only hit meat on the rear leg. Tore up the ham pretty good. The deer ran a ways then stopped and started browsing on some brush. :shock: That shook me up even more. I kept moving towards the deer until I was within 50-60 yards again and shot again. No reaction at all from the deer - in fact it kept eating. I shot again. It took off running and soon ran into a blown down tree when it was unable to jump over it. I shot it again and it expired quickly. When I got to it, it had been hit by the previous shots while eating. One in the back of the rib cage while the other - hit in the front of the rib cage in a "normal" desired spot for a quick kill. I was using handloads with 150 grain Hornady round nose "30-30" bullets. Some would have immediately declared the 30-30 inadequate for deer and bought another rifle. I knew better - it was my poor shooting - combined with bad luck that was the problem. But come to think of it, I'm not sure if I ever killed another deer with that rifle or not??? This was in the mid 1970's. The horrible trigger of those Savage 340's was more of the reason for my getting another rifle than any shortcoming of the 30-30 cartridge itself. The 30-30 cartridge is easily capable of 200 yard shots on deer.

 

[BSK]

The next season I bought my own 30-30 and it has been my only deer rifle to date. Killed a couple out to 100 yards last season with it.

To a hundred yards, and with the right bullet, it is a perfectly adequate deer-killer.

I even used my 30-30 on a couple of professional doe cull projects. A lever action can throw some lead fast!

 

[catman529]

The next season I bought my own 30-30 and it has been my only deer rifle to date. Killed a couple out to 100 yards last season with it.

To a hundred yards, and with the right bullet, it is a perfectly adequate deer-killer.

I even used my 30-30 on a couple of professional doe cull projects. A lever action can throw some lead fast!

I love it and the only thing I would want different is a better scope for low light, and a longer range gun for occasional big field shots that I can't pull off. But most of my shots are under 100 so it has served me well.


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[Winchester]

I killed a few with my Dads old Win Mod 94 top eject and iron sights, still sitting quietly in the safe. I feel like the 30-30 is definitely an inferior round compared to so many available these days. Will it kill a deer, sure, but much better choices available imo!

 

[Hunter 257W]

Being a gun, and mainly rifle, nut I only used the 30-30 as my 1st deer rifle because I couldn't afford anything else. In fact, my rifle was so beat up and ugly that I got it for $60. :) Even in 1976, this was dirt cheap! As soon as I could afford to, I moved up in power with flatter trajectories. I didn't want such a rainbow trajectory limiting my hunting. Well, I've finally gone full circle in that I bought a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington a couple years back and am thoroughly enjoying shooting it. Unfortunately I haven't got a chance to shoot a deer that I wanted to shoot with it yet. One thing I have learned about feeling under gunned with a 30-30, or the 35 Remington and others of like ballistics, is that they are plenty of gun for the thickets where deer are most likely to be seen. Personally, I love sitting looking over huge fields, but the deer spend most of their time in thickets where shots are well under 50 yards.

It's kind of funny to see how many hunters are shooting deer or hogs using the 300 Whisper, with complete faith as to it's suitability for the job, while many of the same group would never use a 30-30 because it's "underpowered". :)

 

[BSK]

I killed a few with my Dads old Win Mod 94 top eject and iron sights, still sitting quietly in the safe. I feel like the 30-30 is definitely an inferior round compared to so many available these days. Will it kill a deer, sure, but much better choices available imo!

Unquestionably there are better rounds available. The 30-30 doesn't have the speed/energy to be a consistent "knock-down" round. That's why I now shoot much faster and flatter shooting cartridges like the 7mm-08 and the 308. But that old trusty 30-30 killed a lot of deer and lost very, very few. As we've both commented before, bullet placement is more important than power.

 

[BSK]

One thing I have learned about feeling under gunned with a 30-30, or the 35 Remington and others of like ballistics, is that they are plenty of gun for the thickets where deer are most likely to be seen. Personally, I love sitting looking over huge fields, but the deer spend most of their time in thickets where shots are well under 50 yards.

Over the course of almost 30 years, with 170+ total kills, the average rifle/MZ shot on my ridge-and-hollow wooded property has been 35 yards. I think the longest successful shot has been around 125 yards. For those distances, a 30-30 or 35 Rem is an adequate gun. Not the best by any means, but adequate.

 

[Mike Belt]

I bought a 30-30 in mint condition years ago for $100. I got it with an old Weaver 4 powered scope, a gun case, and a couple of boxes of shells. I already had several other rifles and usually hunt with them instead but year to year I shoot the 30-30 to make sure it's still on. Without fail at 100 yards it consistently stacks bullets and shoots a 1" group without ever having to make an adjustment.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I bought a 30-30 in mint condition years ago for $100. I got it with an old Weaver 4 powered scope, a gun case, and a couple of boxes of shells. I already had several other rifles and usually hunt with them instead but year to year I shoot the 30-30 to make sure it's still on. Without fail at 100 yards it consistently stacks bullets and shoots a 1" group without ever having to make an adjustment.

I'll give you your $100 back for it right now!! :)

 

[rem270]

Killed my first with it. Believe it was in 1996 and i was 9 yrs old. My dad bought the gun new in 1980. I still have it til this day and it's in about 95% condition. It had a Simmons 8pt scope on it at the time. My dad eventually bought me a 270 and i shot it for a little while then went back to the 30 30. I layed it down in about 2007 and never hunted with it til this past yr. I topped it with a Nikon and shot a coyote at about 100 yards with it.

 

[Winchester]

I killed a few with my Dads old Win Mod 94 top eject and iron sights, still sitting quietly in the safe. I feel like the 30-30 is definitely an inferior round compared to so many available these days. Will it kill a deer, sure, but much better choices available imo!

Unquestionably there are better rounds available. The 30-30 doesn't have the speed/energy to be a consistent "knock-down" round. That's why I now shoot much faster and flatter shooting cartridges like the 7mm-08 and the 308. But that old trusty 30-30 killed a lot of deer and lost very, very few. As we've both commented before, bullet placement is more important than power.

I agree 100% if its all you had you could definitely make due! A well placed round from a 30-30 and a good bullet inside say 100 yards will do the job.

 

[Bodine270]

Bought a Marlin 30-30 for $80 and killed by first deer with it. 7 pt at 15 yards, iron sights. He fell over like a ton of bricks and never moved. Longest kill was a 130 yard shot on a doe. I had added a scope by this time. Moved on to a .270 now but still take the old Marlin for an occasional hunt in heavy brush.


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[gta hunter]

Sure did, 1983

 

[Snake]

Had my first buck run off never to be found using a 30/30 so I traded it going up to the 45/70 both Marlins .Probably wasn't the gun's fault but after that I just wasn't comfortable with it no longer . Oh by the way they didn't run off after being hit with slug from the 45/70 !

 

[Matador]

Im a big fan of the 45-70 Snake and you're right, they usually don't run off.

 

[Boone 58]

I HAD one a few years into my hunting career...............I won it in high school selling magazines for the FFA!!! along with about 4 or five other guns. But after reading jack Oconnor's articles on bolt actions and in particular the 270.............I was hooked and sold it to a friend and saved my hay hauling money to buy my first Model 70. ..................and never looked back.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

The 30-30 for most eastern woods hunting is still a fine round with proper ammo. Heck most shots are well under 150 yards and truth be told most under 75 and the 30-30 is right at home in that range. Optic mounting can be a bit on the tricky side if you don't know what your doing. I would hesitate for anyone to side mount a Winchester as the mounts are NOT very well made nor are they very rugged or dependable. I loathe see through site mounts which have been so common on the Marlin 30-30 you see in pawn shops. A good set of Weaver or Leupold Turnstyles and you got yourself a winner.

PMC use to make the Starfire line of 30_30 ammo. Shame they discontinued it as I thought it was the best 30-30 round to ever hit the market.

 

[gator-n-buck]

I own a 30-30 bit never personally killed a deer with one. I have had a lot of buddies that have.

 

[Hunter 257W]

The 30-30 for most eastern woods hunting is still a fine round with proper ammo. Heck most shots are well under 150 yards and truth be told most under 75 and the 30-30 is right at home in that range. Optic mounting can be a bit on the tricky side if you don't know what your doing. I would hesitate for anyone to side mount a Winchester as the mounts are NOT very well made nor are they very rugged or dependable. I loathe see through site mounts which have been so common on the Marlin 30-30 you see in pawn shops. A good set of Weaver or Leupold Turnstyles and you got yourself a winner.

PMC use to make the Starfire line of 30_30 ammo. Shame they discontinued it as I thought it was the best 30-30 round to ever hit the market.

I share your love for see-thru mounts. :) Yet, I've been using them on my Marlin 336 35 Remington for 2 years now. I got the gun with the mounts and a $29.99 walmart special scope installed for $305 on Gunbroker and I figured I'd use them for a while. I used them for a whole season - in spite of sitting in the woods many mornings at 1st light KNOWING that I couldn't see to shoot through my nice hazy, cloudy scope for another 20 minutes. Finally I got tired of that and got a Leupold 3x9 40mm - don't recall but I think it's a VXI. At that time I was still looking at those see-thru rings/mounts with contempt thinking "I'm going to get rid of you soon!" I haven't yet.........never would have believed I would be using such equipment. :shock: