Author Topic: I just can't decide.. (Read 862 times)

NYRebel13 · « **on:** April 24, 2011, 07:30:11 AM »

I bought a Handi 30-30 a couple years ago that I have only taken out in the woods once. Now that I have seen pics of the Talo .357 I like that now. I have been thinking of a .357 rifle of some kind to go with my revolver in the woods. I just can't decide if I sould just get the accesory 18 3/4 barrel fit to my SB2 or SB1 frame or just sell my 30-30 rifle and order a Talo model. I have my dealer getting me price and availabilty of the Talo and reg model thru him. Has anyone got the 18 3/4 barrel fit since they came available as an accesory? Right now I can't afford to just get the accesory barrel without selling something. How does a .357 handi compare to the 30-30 handi. I don't reload yet so I don't plan on reaming it to .357 max yet. Just looking to get some information so I can decide what I want to do. Thanks for any info you can give.

bikerbeans · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2011, 11:37:00 AM »

NY,

The Talo 357 is on a SB1 frame, so if you sell your 30-30 (I am assuming it is of newer manufacture and is an SB2) you would only be able to buy & have fit shotgun and the 44Mag accessory barrels from H&R. If you sell just your 30-30 barrel I would think you would get a good percentage of the cost of the 357 acc. barrel.

I have the 357 Talo with the SB1 frame and it shoots jacketed bullets very well, but it is reamed to Max. and I haven't shot any factory 357 Mag loads out of it. I don't own a 30-30 but it is significantly more cartridge than the 357 Mag round. IMO, The 357 Mag is probably a 100 yard deer gun, the 357 Maxi maybe another 25 to 50 yards depending on the shooter.

BB

NYRebel13 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2011, 01:43:17 PM »

I forgot about the .357 being on SB1 frame...good point. Now I have some more thinking to do. Thank you for that info...I would have overlooked that completely. That is my problem....I get stuff because I just "gotta have it" and think later that I should have done it a different way.

Spanky · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2011, 04:43:18 PM »

I sold my 30-30 barrel to finance my 357 purchase. The 30-30 is great but it's not as versatile as the 357. You can shoot 38 special ammo for small game and plinking and mag ammo for deer. Wal Mart sells 50 rounds of 38 special ammo for $18 and 50 rounds of 357 mag for $27. That's cheap shooting.

If you decide to get into reloading it will cost less to load the 38/357 than it will the 30-30. If you ream to Maxi it's that much more versatile. The maxi really shines with 180 gr. bullets and makes a good deer gun out to 200 yds.
I'm almost ashamed to say it but since I got my 357 I don't miss my 30-30 handi at all.
Get one... you'll be happy you did.

Spanky

gcrank1 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2011, 05:35:47 PM »

Reloading the 357 or Max with a carbide die will be so sweet you won't miss the lube and case wipe on the 30-30 at all.
Of course, with a single shot in 30-30 you aren't stuck with blunt soft point bullets, so you can reach on out better. IIRC it was T.R. who thought the 30-30 "a fine small bore express".
You can also reload it to 32-20 levels for plinking and varmints too.
Still, you've got that bottleneck case.......
The older I get the less messing about I'm inclined to do and subscribe to the KISS principle if possible. I like Spanky's logic.

NYRebel13 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 24, 2011, 11:45:22 PM »

Another idea I had was to sell the 30-30 barel and buy a Talo .357 and hope the parrel fit the 30-30 reciever and save the sb1 receiver for another project I had in mind. But then there is the problem of what happens if it doesn't fit the reciever.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2011, 02:30:27 AM »

For me the only way I could justify parting with the 30-30 for a 357, would be to ream the mag to maxi. ( I read your not londing just now. But do you load?) Even then I simply like the simplicity of knowing ANYWHERE I go that sells ammo will carry the 30-30... Personally I load 99.9% of what I shoot in centerfires. But it's nice knowing other ammo is but a single short trip to the dealer for more.

I say save a bit longer and get both!! Or sell something else!! Does your dealer offer a lay-A-way plan?

CW

petemi · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2011, 02:55:48 AM »

Having both, I wouldn't part with either the Maxi or da tirty tirty.......for that matter, I wouldn't part with any of them. I do enjoy loading the straight walled pistol calibers with carbide dies and not lubing. Makes life easy for a lazy old man. It cuts down shop time and adds to shooting time.

Pete

NYRebel13 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2011, 02:51:34 PM »

Quote from: cwlongshot on April 25, 2011, 02:30:27 AM

For me the only way I could justify parting with the 30-30 for a 357, would be to ream the mag to maxi. ( I read your not londing just now. But do you load?) Even then I simply like the simplicity of knowing ANYWHERE I go that sells ammo will carry the 30-30... Personally I load 99.9% of what I shoot in centerfires. But it's nice knowing other ammo is but a single short trip to the dealer for more.

I say save a bit longer and get both!! Or sell something else!! Does your dealer offer a lay-A-way plan?

CW

I don't load anything right now. I plan on getting into it soon, I hope. I thought about lay-away with my dealer. I do have some small stuff to sell and some range pick-up brass to get rid of to help fund the new gun. Don't really want to sell any of my guns right now...I finally started getting what I have been wanting for guns in the cabinet. I kinda wanted to keep the 30-30 so when I start reloading I can load some non-round nose ammo...probably use the same bullets as my .308 when I start loading. I am going to my dealers Wednesday so I will see then what I decide to do after I get his prices.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:11:22 PM »

Having as many calibers as I do in handis I don't hunt with the 30-30 much. But its great knowing how well it shoots! A couple years ago I use it for a doe. Not a bang flop, but the then new Hornady FTX 160G bullet worked very well.

Past couple years, I have been using the 454. Before that the Maxi. Last year the 454 scored, but the 45-70 made a return... So many calibers so little time...

Do what you can to keep the 30-30, its a great handi caliber!!

CW

Jimbo47 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:16:56 PM »

You will probably kick yourself pretty much every day if you sell the 30-30 and especially if you decide to reload.

How about saving up and getting the .357 when you have the cash and that way you have the best of both worlds and not have to worry just yet about reloading.

Believe me, once you start reloading you will really wish you hadn't sold the 30-30.

Spanky · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2011, 09:57:36 PM »

I thought I was going to kick myself for getting rid of my 30-30 but I don't. The Maxi is so versatile that it's my "go to" rifle nowadays.
There's no way I'd get rid of my Maxi, it shoots great, carries great and I can hunt everything from chipmunks to bears with it.

Spanky

gcrank1 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 26, 2011, 05:00:05 AM »

As I look back on what I have lost interest in and sold to finance the new love I have regretted selling most of them. At some point I come back around to wanting to play with that rifle or caliber again, and they are always way more expensive to reacquire.
Well, if you gotta, you gotta........

carbineman · « **Reply #13 on:** April 27, 2011, 05:51:27 AM »

NYRebel, While I am very pleased with my 30-30 Toppers, getting a 357 is also a good move and a good caliber.

If you sell your 30-30 you can always purchase another. If you like your 357 you may not want another 30-30. Anyway you do it you can always purchase others, unless they quit producing them.

NYRebel13 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 27, 2011, 04:54:29 PM »

OK...I have gotten mixed opinions on whether to keep or not. What about if I wanted to go to something with a little more kick....like say a 45-70. I don't have any rifles over a 30 caliber and have been thinking of something a little bigger. Just wondering.

As it looks now I will probably be sending either my sb1 or sb2 reciever in for an accessory barrel if I don't trade off or sell one of them first. Couldn't get a price on the Talo model from my dealer but he priced out a standard model with 22 inch barrel at $230. Still don't have the money for either right now but maybe soon.