Author Topic: Thinking of a 30-30 Handi Rifle, thoughts? (Read 1231 times)

demented · « **on:** August 31, 2007, 10:22:47 PM »

I'm a bit leery of these rifles, my only experience was with a stainless .243 that I never got to shoot less than 6" groups at 100 yards. I do have a ton of 30-30 brass, bullets and suitable powders I would like to put to good use. I'd at least like the rifle to offer suitable derr hunting accuracy out to average 3030 ranges. Any advice or opinions will be appreciated. Thanks!

cwlongshot · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2007, 12:03:49 AM »

demented,
Every gun is different and like people there are bad ones. 30-30 is one of the more popular models of handi and most people love theirs. I too have just recently joined the 30-30 majority. But I have yet to shoot it.

I would say it would be a safe bet that you will get a good shooter. If it turns out not to shoot as well as you like, there are many tips in the FAQ's that will likely get it shooting MOA.

Good luck,
CW

EVOC ONE · « **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2007, 12:35:36 AM »

The .30-30 Handi is one of a few Handi's that I have that shot great out of the box without any modifications. I use Remington Core Loct 150's and a Bushnell Banner 3X9X40 with Leupold Rifleman rings.

The rifle offers very light recoil and has a good feel to it.

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2007, 01:22:27 AM »

I have not shot my 30-30 a lot, but what little I have it does well. It is one of the best Handi calibers overall. I have not had a chance yet, but I have some reformed 375 Winchester brass to try out in it. We do not have a hunting season where I am from to use a 30-30 on is why I have been in no hurry to get it thoroughly wrung out. I have been working on my 357 barrel lately with very encouraging results.

greg916 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2007, 01:29:07 AM »

one of the best chamberings in a handi, my favorite.

PeterCartwright · « **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2007, 02:39:35 AM »

The .30-30 is the only Handi I own (yet). This unfinicky little rifle will place 3 Rem. 150 gr. rounds into an inch @ 100 yards (sometimes stretching to an inch and a quarter). It does equally well with Rem. 170 gr. fodder-albeit printing about an inch lower at the same range. The trigger on my gun was reasonable out of the box, and I've done nothing to change it.

I've placed a Youth butt stock on the gun and it now serves primarily as a tool to help new shooters in a special youth hunt weekend in my state. (Our county Wlldlife Unlimited places kids with "guides" in blinds overlooking food plot fields.) Pre-hunt sessions at the range teach kids that mild recoil won't hurt them and the predictable accuracy of the Handi gives them confidence in the field. The short over all length of the Handi design is, well, "handy" in a blind. Lastly, the inherent design of the Handi makes it the perfect rifle for safety and and gun handling instruction.

Of course, the Handi also serves grown ups with lots of experience very, very well

.

wcf3030 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 01, 2007, 03:02:56 AM »

Only if your intent is to buy an accurate,simple(reliable)and cheap to reload rifle, that in capable hands will drop most game.

eskimo36 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 01, 2007, 03:15:55 AM »

i have been reading here since 2002 and i remember very few if any negative 30-30 stories. I just picked one up myself to go with the 700 pieces of 30-30 brass and 1000 lead 165 grain bullets I had sitting in my "fortress of solitude". i might shoot a few factory loads through it but i plan on shooting lead bullets and Trailboss or Unique most of the time.

RickC. · « **Reply #8 on:** September 01, 2007, 04:20:46 AM »

Demented,

Get one.

Mine really likes IMR's Contender loads with the Hormady 130 SP and 3031, MOA with those and 125 Ballistic Tips. I wrote an article about this and my .45-70 Handi that lists velocities and has pics of the groups--

http://aldeer.com

On the main menu scroll down to "Guns!Guns!Guns!" and look at article #3. I call that load my ".308 Roberts" load, and have taken deer with it, haven't gotten a shot with the 125 BTs. I have Simmons shotgun scopes on both of these Handis, 4X with the diamond reticle and long eye relief, got a kill at 185 yards with that setup and the Hornady with a deer on the move-- no heavy variable scope needed.

I've never had any regrets about buying this rifle, if you get one I'll be you won't either.

Rick

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** September 01, 2007, 04:29:37 AM »

Mine too shoots the 150gr Rem ammo real good, I bought a used barrel on ebay 3 yrs ago, did nothing to it but put it on a frame with a syn stock set. As has been said, the 30-30 is one of the must have chamberings in a Handi, get one, you won't be disappointed.

Tim

wcf3030 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 01, 2007, 07:22:44 AM »

Quote from: eskimo36 on September 01, 2007, 03:15:55 AM

i have been reading here since 2002 and i remember very few if any negative 30-30 stories. I just picked one up myself to go with the 700 pieces of 30-30 brass and 1000 lead 165 grain bullets I had sitting in my "fortress of solitude". i might shoot a few factory loads through it but i plan on shooting lead bullets and Trailboss or Unique most of the time.

For small game I hunt with Oregon trails 165gr pb over 9.5gr of Unique about 1250fps. Puts a nice clean .310 dia hole thru and thru.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 01, 2007, 08:14:38 AM »

I have loaded everything from the 90gr Hornady HPs that were intended for the 30 Carb. to the 200gr Speer Spitzers and all will shoot 1" or less @ 100 yards . as a mater of fact the 90 load worked so well that i even took it P-dog shooting and was making shots to 300 yards with it .

By all means get a 30/30 , you will LOVE it .

stimpy

PS --- Rick C , Very good article you did on the Handi's , well worth reading .

RickC. · « **Reply #12 on:** September 01, 2007, 08:24:42 AM »

Thanks Stimpy.

The Aldeer guys changed some wording and left out a couple of things I thought were important, but hey that's life with editors, even with online hunting sites!

Several guys down here have told me they bought Handis after reading that and I get questions about them from time to time, so that makes me feel good.

I appreciate the kind words!

Rick

tallyho · « **Reply #13 on:** September 01, 2007, 10:11:23 AM »

Yeah, get a 30/30.

Those who've been on the forum for awhile will recall that of all the calibers, the 243 seems to be the one that is the most difficult to get shooting accurately, particularly if it comes in an ultra light barrel. There are many reasons and theories for this, but bottom line is that even though some folks have great experiences and love them, the 243 has a reputation of being the most finicky of the Handi calibers.

And as has been pointed out there is the reality that any given rifle/caliber/stock combination may be a jewel, a diamond in the rough, or a dud...
ya pays yer money and takes yer chances...

As you know, regarding accuracy, some of it depends on the shooter, some on the scope, some on the fit, and some on the ammo and load.

In any case, from my own experience (and it seems I'm not the only one, judging by previous posts), every 30/30 Handi I've ever had (I think 5 or 6 over the years) has been suitably hunting accurate, or better - including the one I currently own.

And comparing one to an unsatisfactory performing 243 is pretty much like comparing apples and oranges...

And - pssst - I'm gonna let you in on a secret now: If for some reason you aren't satisfied with the 30/30 Handi, should you get it, put the barrel, or the whole gun, up for sale in the GBO classifieds, then stand by your computer - you will soon be busy answering emails and PM's from the folks here!

And RickC - I second Stimpy's posting - Good article!

I also smiled at your comment about the author/editor thing. I must admit, in years gone by, that in addition to being a columnist, I was also a publisher/editor of a weekly publication and I know how authors and editors can sometimes (often?) get on different sides of an article

Swampman · « **Reply #14 on:** September 01, 2007, 10:15:31 AM »

Next to the .45-70, I think the .30-30 is the best Handi caliber.

Spanky · « **Reply #15 on:** September 01, 2007, 02:32:09 PM »

Do yourself a favor and get one. You won't regret it.

demented · « **Reply #16 on:** September 01, 2007, 06:20:02 PM »

Thanks for all the replies! Looks like there will be one heading my way in the near future. Now, if I may, I'd like to throw a little powder in the fire by asking which model? I've never liked or needed a scope for 30-30's so I'd much prefer the one with iron sights. Is that particular barrel contour suitable? Next, does anyone make a set of fiber optic sights for these? As I get older, I've found these sights to allow my old eyes to do about as well with irons as when I had a lot better eyesight. Also, I really appreciate the friendly attitudes here. A most welcome change!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #17 on:** September 01, 2007, 06:27:37 PM »

You don't have any choice, current production 30-30s only come in a wood stocked configuration with a standard contour barrel with sights, ALL H&R rifles are drilled and tapped for a scope rail.

See the FAQs and Help sticky topic "Peep and Firesights".

Tim

http://hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/youth.aspx

RickC. · « **Reply #18 on:** September 02, 2007, 02:06:30 AM »

Demented,

I guess that all comes down to whether you want to shoot it for fun (and it is fun), or you're after a serious deer rifle. After having to pass up shots at deer in low light when I couldn't see my front sight, and with antler restrictions at clubs (and now being mandated by the state), any rifle I hunt deer with has a scope.

It looks as though you've already decided on that issue, but I've used the Williams Firesights on muzzleloaders with pretty good results in the woods.

Rick

tmccray45 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 02, 2007, 08:28:48 AM »

I got my 30-30 Handi about three weeks ago, but due to family commitments, I couldn't get to the range until today. In the meantime, I threw on a Bushnell Legend 3X9 scope that was left over from a previous rifle. It took about four shots to zero it in and from that point on, even *I* could hit consistent <1" groups. And I'm the first to tell ya that I'm no sniper.

I have purchased a Handi in a .243 and a .308, but wasn't impressed with the groups. Not one to give up easily, I then purchased a Ultra 20-gauge rifled shotgun and a 50-cal Huntsman muzzleloader. Both of these shoot great groups and both go into the woods when deer season comes around. (I live in the shotgun/muzzleloader portion of Maryland).

But if I ever get to go to the western part of Maryland, I'll be taking that little 22 inch 30-30 Handi and leave the Remington .308 and the Stevens 25-06 back home. Nothing wrong with either the Remington or the Stevens - both are great shooters. But that Handi 30-30 groups so well and handles so nicely that it's the rifle of choice.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #20 on:** September 02, 2007, 10:29:41 AM »

One nice thing about the Handi platform, with all of the stock options available, if the factory offering isn't to your liking, it doesn't take much effort to change it to just about any thing that suits your fancy, my 30-30 started out in a synthetic stock set, but I've never been a real synthetic lover, the wood stocks were more to my liking, but the laminate stocks are my favorites, but I also like camo stocks, so I ordered a camo shotgun stock set and put it on the 30-30, it's now making me to want to hunt with it this year the more I work with it, it's well balanced, a dream to carry and shoot!!

Tim

Fazak · « **Reply #21 on:** September 03, 2007, 07:52:01 AM »

I've also decided to have my Handi fitted with a 30-30 barrel.

One question. I only see the rifles offered in 30-30 with fixed sights.

Will NEF supply a 30-30 barrel with no fixed sights and a weaver rail,.. as came standard on my .223?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2007, 08:07:48 AM »

They will, but then you loose the sights which cost an additional $50 to have added. You're better off just ordering a scope rail with the barrel if you ever decide you might want sights or for resale value, then removing the sights if you don't want to use them. They don't discount the cost when you sub a scope rail, you just get the rail in lieu of the sights. The scope rail is $18 with a hammer extension.

Tim

http://hr1871.com/Store/default.aspx

Fazak · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2007, 08:37:16 AM »

okay,... thanks

dpastordan · « **Reply #24 on:** September 03, 2007, 09:25:03 AM »

The .30-30 barrel was my third one for my Handi-Rifle. It was originally a .45-70 and then I added a .243 and a .223. The .223 is scoped with a 6X Tasco and the .30-30 has a 4X Weaver (older, made in El Paso model). I finally found a range and have zeroed the .223 and the .30-30. I'm making another trip Friday for the other two. The .30-30 and the .223 both shot very well - tight groups. For the .30-30, I used the Federal 170 Noslers - my favorite load. I also have some 150 gr Remington and I have handloaded some with 130 grain Speer.

I also have a 20 Gauge NEF in a slug barrel (smooth bore). I ordered a .30-30 barrel insert and will shot that this Friday as well. Should be interesting.