Bashing the 30-30

[Greysky]

I'm one of the first to say the 30-30 is obsolete, yet I own two.  A Marlin 336 and a TC Contender.  I leave the Marlin in Tennessee to use when I go there to hunt Whitetail.  Of course my brothers are always borrowing it to go hunting, since their wives don't allow guns in their homes.  (Boy are they whipped bad).  The Contender I use here in Alaska for hunting, I've taken a nice Caribou with it several years ago.  For an obsolete cartridge, it is still the most populer cartridge sold in the US.  As my Dad and many others say (It was good enough for Granddad, It's good enough for me).  My Dad has one that was built around the turn of the last century, it belonged to his grandfather.  It's been reblued several times, had the stock replaced once, and several internal parts have worn out and been replaced.  Yet it still shoots, and he takes a deer with it "every once in a while" as he says.  Every store back there in the hills carry the 30-30 cartridges, and some places that is the only cartridge they carry.  There is never a shortage of that ammo.

I respect your right to express your opinion, but if the 30-30 is still popular, and serves a useful purpose, (As it obviously is, and does.) then why do you consider it obsolete?

[mr.frosty]

had a .22 model 60 when I was ten and then my second gun was a 30-30
that is a 336 and it shoots just as good today as it did then always used
170 gr remington federal and winchester and no problem.

[Varminter]

Mr. frosty where are you located in east TN

[Major]

Major,

What kind of velocities have you gotten with the .30-30 AI?  I've considered buying a Handi in .30-30 just to convert, so it would be nice to hear from someone with first hand experience.

jason280,

I can’t give you exact data but I have read that it will add about 200 to 300 FPS with less back thrust, thereby working the brass less, hence requiring fewer trimmings and allowing more reloadings.  (This is from a website, © Copyright Gregory J Mushial 1997-2003)

I wasn’t worried so much about the pressure in an old lever action as I was the spire point bullets being put into a tubular magazine.

All I can say is a buddy shoots the .30-30 AI in a T/C Contender and was so impressed with it that he turned me on to it.   All I can say is I like it a lot.

[Coastwatcher]

If they still manufacture rifles and brass etc. in the calibre it's not obsolete.

[quickdtoo]

The 30-30 may be a bit dated, but so am I....and I don't consider myself obsolete......yet!!! :-D  :-D  :-D

Tim

[mr.frosty]

Mr. frosty where are you located in east TN

Unicoi, where you be?

[Major]

If they still manufacture rifles and brass etc. in the calibre it's not obsolete.

Not only is the .30-30 still made but it is one of the top selling ammo's.   Last time I saw numbers I think it was one of the top 5 best selling cartridges.

[Varminter]

Frosty im in morristown.

[JPH45]

If they still manufacture rifles and brass etc. in the calibre it's not obsolete.

An interesting point of view and probably the single most accurate evidence that can be offered to support the life or death of a cartridge. Another is how many loadings is the chambering offered in. All the major ammo makers offer 2 if not 3 or 4 loadings for the 30-30. Several loadings are offered in 243 Winchester, but go looking for 257 Roberts. Yet the 257 in full pressure loadings is superior to either of these.

That is where basing the obsolesence of a cartridge on ballistics fails. Teh 284 Winchester is another example of a cartridge ofering superior ballistics yet is for practical purposes dead, the 6mm Remington is yet another example. There is a long list of cartridges that have been offered and failed the test of time.

Ballistics are not the only criteria that make or break a cartridge. The 284 Winchester doesn't do anything I can't do with a 270. If I owned a 270, I wouldn't trade it for a 284, whats the point? Same can be said of several of the latest "magnum" offerings. I figure we will see several of those fall by the wayside pretty quick.

The 30-30 continues to succeed because of two reasons. First, the rifles it is chambered in. By and large, say 30-30 and images of light easy handling easy carrying lever actions come to mind. Although the 30-30 has been chambered in every action type except an auto, it is the levergun we think about. The second reason is that it is quite mild mannered. Light in recoil, yet packing plenty of punch, it has a well earned reputation as a deer rifle that far exceeds its paper ballistics.

In fifty years of ballistically superior cartridges, the 30-30 keeps bringig home the venison while so many of the latest greatest offerings become mere flashes in the pan. No need to trouble with singing the praises of the 30-30 to the uninitiated. If you have to explain it, they won't understand anyway.  The success of the 30-30 doesn't lie with curing those with magnumitis. The success of the 30-30 lies in it's being carried by those who have the choice of carrying something else.

[Varminter]

Theres always gonna be people out there that bash this caliber, but there is no denying that this is a tryed and true cartridge. The 30-30 is just a nastalgic cartridge. There is always gonna be rounds out there that are balistically better than the 30-30 but there will never be one that will duplicate the history of the 30-30. I would have to say if you dont own one you need to go buy one. The 30-30 is gonna be the next barrel i add to my handi and my marlin 336 30-30 will never leave my collection.