1948 336 30-30

[Keith L]

Thinking about it I don't have a problem with folks taking this point of view.  I got my first Marlin 30-30 from a guy who decided it took a 7MM Mag to hunt deer.  got it cheap too.  And my .357 S&W Model 66 from a guy who knew he needed an auto pistol so he could be like the cops on TV.  That was a good deal as well.  Seems I like the old ways, and will continue to buy the old stuff when it gets "outdated."

[bilmac]

What gets me about guys who say any cartridge is no good is that their evidence is usually based on one deer. Whereas the guy who likes that cartridge has probably killed scores of deer with it.

[filmokentucky]

In the initial post, he makes no mention of having used a .30-30 on a deer hunt himself. Only that he has a friend who had one and after a few hunts that didn't meet his standards, he demanded that his friend get a new rifle and then life was beautiful again for all concerned. Even his attempts at handloading to salvage the poor wimpy .30-30 were to no avail despite the fact that there are many fine handloads possible with this cartridge. I hope he never finds out how many black bear and moose have been taken with the .30-30 over the years--surely he will suffer heart failure at the very idea!

[BOYO43]

In response to the gentleman who was talking about using cast bullets to shoot squirrels with his 30-30. It works really well with the right load. I used the same bullet in an 06 to shoot squirrels with great results and no meat damage. The load was 20 grains of 2400 powder. Try reduced loads and cast bullets. You'll love it.

[filmokentucky]

Or you can make up a load using a .310 ball normally used in a muzzleloading rifle over a few grains of fairly fast burning powder and use that for a small game load. These squib loads are surprisingly effective and are also fun to plink with. But anything they can do, a .22 can do better and maybe even cheaper.

[454Puma]

My question to the OP is if the heart shot by the 30-30 didn't kill that deer -where did the guy shoot it with the 270? Cause with out a heart that deer was just seconds away from dropping anyway!  So then I guess all those guy's that hunt and kill deer with 223's, 243,257's and the like are really not killing any deer? Funny I'd bet they would disagree with you!  Besides if your shooting '06 220 gr bullets at deer they must wt 1000 lbs!! I've never had to use anything bigger then then 180's and they were even to much on Mules!! Heck 165gr plant our 400 Lb Mules right now and your WI whitetails aren't that big!

[PeterCartwright]

Folks have all kinds of opinions about where you should shoot a game animal and what should happen after you shoot it.  Personally, I think we've done a grave disservice to newer hunters by letting them think a deer (or any other game animal) should be Dead Right There at the shot.  I'm a confirmed heart/lung shooter.  Animals shot through the boiler room almost always run a ways--perhaps up to a hundred yards, but more commonly half that distance.  I'm also probably the most bungling woodsman on the planet.  I have no sense of direction and I'm color blind. Still, I've never lost a deer shot through the heart/lungs.  I just watch the general direction in which they run and follow after them.  It ain't rocket science.  Put a .30-30 bullet (150 or 170 gr.--your choice) through the boiler room of any deer (reasonable range assumed) and it won't go far.

Disclaimer:  I don't hunt where hunters outnumber deer (so I'm not worried about someone else claiming a deer I've shot first) AND I don't have to worry about looking for downed deer in poisonous snake country.  Perhaps those two realities would change my "shot placement" philosophy.

PC