Author Topic: stir...stir...stir... (Read 1285 times)

ironglow · « **on:** January 27, 2007, 02:48:27 PM »

It is fun to discuss the latest super-duper magnum rounds and rifles...but..for deer hunting in the eastern woodlands, itv is hard to beat the venerable , old 30/30...especially in one of those handy lever rifles (e.g. 336 marlin)...Agreed ?

oso45-70 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2007, 03:19:20 PM »

ironglow

Yes Sir, It's hard to beat the old 30-30 in dense wooded areas. Too many times people over gun on deer and the results is a bunch of messed up meat. Personally i like to eat the meat rather than throw it away.........Joe.......

holahead · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2007, 04:03:11 PM »

I love the ole 30-30 it is my favorite round. I took my first deer with a model 94 in 30-30 that belonged to my granddad he later gave me this great little rifle. I used it the last two hunting seasons but I have found a new love in the 30-30 its the nef single shot I have used it everytime out this year great little rifle. I am hopeing to let my son ues the 94 on his first deer.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2007, 05:23:50 PM »

No I don't agree. There's a lot of rifle/cartridges I'd rather have. None of them right or wrong. First off if I wanted a lever, which I don't, I would go for a Savage 99; I think the Browning BLR is ugly. Then I'd like to have it in 250-3000 and have a 2 3/4x scope on it. If the 250-3000 couldn't be had, I'd go with a 300 Sav. But of the rifles I've had, what I would take is one of two.

Remingtom Mod 660 in 308 w/ 2 3/4x Redfield or Win Mod 70 featherweight in 6.5x55 w/ 1-4x Redfield. If All I had was a Mod 94 in 30-30 I'd sure use it but lever's just don't do it for me.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2007, 06:50:34 AM »

If I ended up with a lever gun, it certainly wouldn't be a 30-30. Now the .35 Rem is another story.
And it would have a 2.5X scope on it. Or, at least, a peep.
An interesting side bar: Finn Aagard had scopes on all his rifles. Even his dangerous game rifles. He was of he opinion that a low powered scope was just as fast or faster than open sights. Since I agree with him,

, I think he's one smart fellow.

SDS-GEN · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2007, 07:54:23 AM »

Sure, its only a deer not a cape buffalo. Any of the lever actions with their modest velocity bullets work great, 100+ years of killing deer can't be wrong.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2007, 08:14:32 AM »

Years ago I wanted a lever but not a 3030, so the obvious choice was 4570. I love the feel of carrying an iron sighted lever rifle. I have shot the biggest deer with this 4570, what a buck buster. Just today I put a Williams peep sight on it, this will be very interesting.

Cheese

rockbilly · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2007, 09:14:45 AM »

It would be a toss up to determine which has taken more deer, the old lever action 30-30, or a bolt 30-06. Then there has been a lot of 30-30s other than the lever produced that are responsible for lots of meat in the locker. I have used the 30-30 with some degree of success, but according to something I once read, there have been more deer shot and LOST wiith the 30-30 than any other cartridge, but that article was written long before the .222, .223, 22-250s hit the market. In the hands of a responsible hunter the 30-30 will do the job, but lets face it, too many of todays hunters have been watching too much TV, and try to take the gun (cartridge) beyond it's limit.

Oh, and by the way, the 30-30 in my super 14 contender is one of my favorite deer guns. I keep the shots to below 75 yards, shoot at nothing moving, and don't try to shoot through the forest to hit a deer.

SDS-GEN · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2007, 01:21:49 PM »

Is there any rifle that feels as good in your hands as a lever action, for me it will always be a Marlin 336(my first gun), for others a Browning or Winchester, or even a Henry. You could probably make a debate about the finer double rifles, but who can afford to even own one of those, let alone take it out in the field and hunt with it.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2007, 01:29:14 PM »

There is no way a person could say with certainty that the 30-30 has wounded and lost more deer than any other. (don't forget the .243 would be in contention for that honour also) I don't know of any records that address that sort of data. Folks just report the good (aka lucky) shots they make. BUT considering that the 94 appeals to the pray and spray crowd, it wouldn't surprise me.
If it wasn't for the saturday morning double features and Roy Rogers, the 30-30 and the 94 would be long gone.

ironglow · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2007, 02:16:05 PM »

..Heh..Heh...As I said; it is just a stir..stir question, even though I do believe that the 30/30 is an ideal round for eastern woodlands..

It is indeed possible that more deer have been wounded and lost by a 30/30 than any other round...much the same as probably more squirrels have been wounded and lost to.22 LR than have been lost to the 45/70...simply because the .22 is used on squirrel much more often than the 45/70 ...LOL

It has often been said that more deer have been taken with the 30/30 than any other round..not because the .270, 30-06 or 44 mag won't work as well,but because there are undoubtedly, more 30/30s out there seeking deer than any other caliber..

..But hey; thanks for the replies guys...all were excellent, valid choices and that's what makes our sport interesting..

Don Fischer · « **Reply #11 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:49:32 AM »

The 30-30 is a cartridge and has never, make that NEVER, wounded even one animal. For it to do so requires it chamber itself, aim the weapon and launch itself. Now have more shooter's that wounded game used a 30-30, maybe! Then if other cartridges had been fired at animals as much as the 30-30, especially by less than serious shooters, couldn't the same be said for some of them? What can't be measured here is the truth in the statement that the 30-30 has wounded more animals than others.

flintlock · « **Reply #12 on:** January 29, 2007, 05:52:13 AM »

The only problem I have with the 30-30 as a eastern deer round, is hunting over fields or power lines, where the shots could be 150-300 yards...If I hunter restricts himself to woods hunting only, the 30-30 is fine...

K.K · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:02:21 AM »

I think that it is a great old round, and I love the rifles chambered for them. However, even with the LEver-Evolution ammo, there are limits. Here in New York, I use leverguns a lot, but when I go out to the more open areas of Pa, I'll choose a bolt gun, often in a magnum cartridge. For most of the hunting situations here in the East, the 30-30 will do just fine, and is a sensible choice.

LEO · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:50:17 AM »

Well, I've stayed out of this long enough. I too like the 30-30 and it is a fine deer round for the east, and many parts of the west as well. It has its limitations but all cartiridges do and if used within its limitations it does a good job as long as the shooter does theirs. I know it doesn't have the range of some of the other cartridges but I have killed a bunch of deer in my life and I have shot 2 at ranges past 150 yards and one of those I could have shot at 10 yards decided not to and then changed my mind a few minutes later. So I would not have been at any disadvantage if I had never hunted with anythig other than a 30-30, I have shot several deer with the 30-30 and have never lost one but I choose my shots and will let a deer walk if I don't have a decent shot. Is it the perfect deer cartiridge, probably not but it does as good or better a job as a lot of newer gee-whiz rounds. It is interesting to be at the range just before opening day and watch a lot of the folks with their super duper magnums "sight in" their rifles, they can't consistantly hit a paper plate at 100 yards because they flinch so bad, it makes little difference if you have a 500 yard deer rifle if you can't shoot well enough to hit a deer at 100 yards. Nothing against the super duper magnums but they aren't for everyone and you have to take the time to learn to shoot them to take advantage of them.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:58:52 AM »

LEO

I appreciate your candid and refreshing comments. It was about time some one came up with something intelligent about the 30-30 and the super duper magnums and their relationship. can't there be a conversation about guns with out all the fuss. I think all here know the difference between a 30-30 and a super duper mag.
I have several 30-30s and also have some SUPER DUPER MAGs and know when to use each one. Back in line with the original post, Yes i think a 30-30 is a great gun in some situations such as mountians and dence cover, Wooded and thick cover, Thanks again Leo for your insight..........Joe............

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 29, 2007, 10:05:33 AM »

I like all the guns, not just the good old 30-30. I have a lever action 30-30 and a 45-70, I also have a bunch of super duper magnum guns and some flat shooting 22-24 cals. I love all my guns and use them all. My biggest problem is, which one do I take. Not a bad problem to have though.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #17 on:** January 29, 2007, 01:12:16 PM »

I'd take my .243 over a 30-30. I won't say it's better but I do believe it's just as good.

DavOh · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2007, 04:50:33 AM »

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Don's right.... by gross numbers, the .30-30 may very well have wounded more deer than any other rifle... HOWEVER, percentage wise, it's no more so than the mags or even the "standard" calibers like .308 and .30-06

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2007, 11:38:02 AM »

Quote from: DavOh on January 30, 2007, 04:50:33 AM

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Don's right.... by gross numbers, the .30-30 may very well have wounded more deer than any other rifle... HOWEVER, percentage wise, it's no more so than the mags or even the "standard" calibers like .308 and .30-06

It is not the caliber that wounds animals, it is the non-shooter behind the gun. Nothing to do with the round itself.

DavOh · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2007, 03:42:59 AM »

That was kinda my point. The common component between a 7mm Mag and a .30-30(the only common component) is the fact that a person must shoot it. In ANY system, mechanical, electrical or otherwise, the weakest link will be the human opperating it.

That makes the "30-30 wounded more deer" statement the kind of half-truths the anti's take to heart.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #21 on:** January 31, 2007, 05:19:33 AM »

Quote from: DavOh on January 31, 2007, 03:42:59 AM

That was kinda my point. The common component between a 7mm Mag and a .30-30(the only common component) is the fact that a person must shoot it. In ANY system, mechanical, electrical or otherwise, the weakest link will be the human opperating it.

That makes the "30-30 wounded more deer" statement the kind of half-truths the anti's take to heart.

Actually I think the statement let's some people move the responsibility for bad shooting to a cartridge that does nothing other than what the shooter directs it to do. Wouldn't it be something if a 30-30 could talk and defend itself!!!!!