Author Topic: 30/30 at 200 yds....what do you think.... (Read 8991 times)

john keyes · « **on:** December 25, 2009, 12:14:48 PM »

I know it will hit, will it hit hard enough? (talkin whitetails, hogs and varmints only)

I shoot the speer 170's and H 335 or 4895

Spanky · « **Reply #1 on:** December 25, 2009, 01:20:54 PM »

Quote from: john keyes on December 25, 2009, 12:14:48 PM

will it hit hard enough?

Well it sure as heck ain't gonna bounce off 'em.

Stop worryin' and start shootin'

Spanky

Spanky · « **Reply #2 on:** December 25, 2009, 01:23:33 PM »

While we're on the subject... ask Sourdough what he thinks about it.

If anyone on this site can comment on the performance of a 30-30 it's him. He's been shootin' the same Winchester for 15 years longer than I've been alive.

Spanky

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #3 on:** December 25, 2009, 02:56:11 PM »

John, I have not shot many 170's out of my .30-30 Marlin...But usually use 150's. When shooting antelope, it gives and excellent account of itself...I am not sure I have shot one at 200 yards, but at least several over 150 yards. Reaction is obvious, and usually the game staggers a bit or makes a short run...Not having shot many hogs and those I did take I used the .358 Win. or a .45 Colt...I would guess it would do fine on lung shots...To me the .30's are great calibers.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #4 on:** December 25, 2009, 03:09:15 PM »

I'd expect Dee to have an appropriate response, also. My response is practice until YOU can make the shot. The round to me is capable for that which you ask of it.

Merry Christmas,
Sweetwater

Dee · « **Reply #5 on:** December 25, 2009, 03:30:38 PM »

John, in 1958 Dad bought a brand new Winchester Model 94 in 3030 and gave it to me. That's how long I've been shootin the 3030, and I would not even hesitate at 200 yards on a deer. I shoot the 150 grain Remington bulk soft point at 2400 fps. So after 52 years of 3030. Yep! Take the shot.
By the way, I'm still shootin the same rifle.

S.S. · « **Reply #6 on:** December 25, 2009, 04:46:39 PM »

no problem at all..

beadlescomb · « **Reply #7 on:** December 25, 2009, 05:43:55 PM »

theres no doubt it will but there is the question of why

Spanky · « **Reply #8 on:** December 25, 2009, 05:59:41 PM »

Quote from: beadlescomb on December 25, 2009, 05:43:55 PM

theres no doubt it will but there is the question of why

If there's no doubt then what is to question?

Spanky

beadlescomb · « **Reply #9 on:** December 25, 2009, 06:03:13 PM »

unless the 30-30 is your only rifle why wouldnt you take something a little more suited to shooting 200 hundred or so yards im sure my 200 hornady sabot slug would kill at 200 yards but since alabama has no shotgun season and if i need to shoot that far i pick up a different rifle better suited to that

Mikey · « **Reply #10 on:** December 26, 2009, 01:25:28 AM »

I don't understand what the problem is - at 200 yds your 170 gn 30-30 is still goin' better'n 1600'/sec with near 1,000 ft. lbs of energy. The slug drops about 8-9" at 200 yd if zeroed at 100.

The 30-30 retains enough velocity and energy to cleanly dispatch whitetail or hog to 200 yds.

If you are ever worried about the accuracy and the attendant ability to hit at 200 yds, bore lap your barrel and shoot cast slugs when you hunt, and then use the same rifle and load to shoot metallic silhouette to 500 yds, if you are ever concerned about your 30-30 not havin' enough juice.

My only problem with my 30-30s is that I don't shoot them enough. My 1927 made Winchester in 30WCF just needs a real good cleaning, a ral good shootin' an another good cleaning. My 1975 made M94 has less than 40 rounds through it. My buddy has my reloading dies and I need more powder and boolets but those rifles beg to be shot (Mikey, please take me today, pleeeeezzzzeeee, I won't miss, pleeezzzeee). Just gotta luv'm when they beg to go shootin' like that...........

Dee · « **Reply #11 on:** December 26, 2009, 05:47:38 AM »

Mikey reckon I should fire lap the barrel on my 1958 Model 94?

Seriously, though. What you said is true. The gun rag writers have been selling new guns for money for years. It's their business, and the sad truth is much of it is hogwash, and many have over the years been made to doubt what has worked for them for decades because some guy with a degree in journalism and probably a lot less hunting experience has been PAID to convince them to buy the latest rifle and caliber.

yellowtail3 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 26, 2009, 06:33:04 AM »

Quote from: john keyes on December 25, 2009, 12:14:48 PM

I know it will hit, will it hit hard enough? (talkin whitetails, hogs and varmints only)

I shoot the speer 170's and H 335 or 4895

Can't say from personal experience; my longest shot was about 150ish, on my nicest whitetail yet last week (I'm still reliving it

Conventional Wisdom is that 200 is max for a 30-30; lots of peeps say it's only good to 150, and I've heard a goodly number say it's underpowered for that. I prob thought the same myself before I got one. I think the important thing to seal the deal at 200, is... how is your rifle sighted in, how precisely are your estimating that range, and... can you put it in the right place. This would be a little easier with a .270 or somesuch - no prob with range estimation there! - but I'd take a 200 yard shot with my 30-30, provided i knew it was 200 yards. Get a rock-steady rest, hold toward top of the shoulder - I'm zero'd at fifty yards - and squeeeeeeze...

So what do I think? It's doable, and reasonable to do it. Sight it in at 150ish, know how far it drops, get a steady hold and kill the deer.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #13 on:** December 27, 2009, 10:57:49 AM »

My 1927 Mod94 is a 32WSpl, just a close cousin, and "like conventional wisdom", Grandfather always considered it a "real good 100yd deer rifle". I've later figured it out. He never shot anything beyond 75 yards with it in Eastern Maine. I brought it to Wyoming with me, back in '85, and a few years ago, I dropped a cow elk at near 200 yards with it and cast bullets.
All these rifles need is for the shooter to have a lot of "time behind the trigger". You don't get there overnight, and if you can't or aren't willing to take that much time, than you are better served by the multitude of faster, flatter shooting numbers that have come along to make us believe we don't need to practice.
Know your rifle, take your shot....

Regards,
Sweetwater

Spanky · « **Reply #14 on:** December 27, 2009, 11:42:44 AM »

Quote from: Sweetwater on December 27, 2009, 10:57:49 AM

My 1927 Mod94 is a 32WSpl, just a close cousin, and "like conventional wisdom", Grandfather always considered it a "real good 100yd deer rifle". I've later figured it out. He never shot anything beyond 75 yards with it in Eastern Maine. I brought it to Wyoming with me, back in '85, and a few years ago, I dropped a cow elk at near 200 yards with it and cast bullets.
All these rifles need is for the shooter to have a lot of "time behind the trigger". You don't get there overnight, and if you can't or aren't willing to take that much time, than you are better served by the multitude of faster, flatter shooting numbers that have come along to make us believe we don't need to practice.
Know your rifle, take your shot....

Regards,
Sweetwater

This is one of the best posts I've read in a while. Right on the money.

Spanky

Rayzor · « **Reply #15 on:** December 27, 2009, 12:00:32 PM »

I took a 4x5 bull this year with my winchester 30-30. I got a quartered away shot at exactly 131 yards. I shot for the lungs. The bull fell and got up running about 75 yards across the clearing before he piled up again. He stood wobbly on his feet with his head low. I held just about the top edge of his neck, shot and he folded up done as the bullet hit the neck bone breaking it. I was using the lever evolutions 160 grain. After opening him up the entrance went between ribs hiting the lungs and turned them into jello, the bullet continued threw a rib and came to rest just under the hide. The second shot, the bullet fragged badly after it hit the neck bone so it never made an exit hole. I know that the 30 30 has been questioned as a elk round. But it did its job just fine for me this year. So would I level a shot on a buck at 200 yards you bet. But not with my peep sighted gun, as my vision it not good enough to put that shot exactly were it needs to go. Now if it was a scoped out Marlin, I would not think twice provided I had practiced and knew my bullet trajectory at that range.

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #16 on:** December 27, 2009, 02:11:00 PM »

No experience with it on game yet, but my .30-30 handlaods will place a 170g Nosler Partition RN at the 200 yrd line with less than 3" rise or drop, more than 1600fps and 1000fpe.

It wouldn't be my first choice for elk at that range but I wouldn't turn down a broadside shot either.

Mikey · « **Reply #17 on:** December 27, 2009, 02:32:28 PM »

Dee: I am in total agreement with you. As to lapping your 1958 M94 - I dunno, if it ain't broke I wouldn't fix it. If she shoots good, leave her be. I only lap bores that don't shoot as well as I think they should, and imparting controlled wear to a 52 y/o barrel might be a stretch for me. jmtcw.

Dee · « **Reply #18 on:** December 27, 2009, 04:04:37 PM »

Yea, I was pullin your leg on that one. If it hasn't lapped itself in 52 years I guess it ain't gonna matter.

Mikey · « **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2009, 12:40:28 AM »

Yeah, I was wondering why I was leaning a bit to the left after that one.......................an walkin' in circles.................

crash87 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 28, 2009, 04:51:04 AM »

200 YARDS!! WITH A 30/30!!

Haven't you read anything from the "gun" magazine authors? What you need is a 300 magnum of some sort or the other, except the 300 H&H of course, to old to make any money or get a free hunting trip or 3 on that one. Find your quarry and back up to about 4 or 500 hunert yards and blaze away. Put that antique up for sale, and if you would like, P.M. me, as I know a few guys that would take it off your hands...........errr, strictly for nostalgic puposes, of course.

CRASH87

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #21 on:** December 28, 2009, 05:00:38 AM »

I saw a friend shoot at a deer that was 243 steps across a field . It was a 7 pointer in the 170-180 weight range . We had heard shots from where the deer came from and thought it was wounded from the way it was running . He took the shot and the deer fell stone dead . Seems the deer had hit a fence and cut his leg . I don't have the chart here but what yardage does the energy of a 30-30 170 gr bullet fall below 1000 foot lbs ? Those old writers seem to believe this energy level to be the golden rule on killing game .

Dee · « **Reply #22 on:** December 28, 2009, 05:15:41 AM »

When the 3030 came out in 1895, IT WAS the new long range rifle. Course you didn't have gun rag writers and energy charts to tell you that you were wrong. All you had was dead game. Go figure.

This ain't a Marlin, and I hope I don't get sent to purgatory for showing it, but it "IS" A 3030, and that's the question, and it has been working for me for, 52 years many times "beyond" 200 yards, come January.

Now my point is, that if a half century plus ole Winchester will do it, I'm bettin a Marlin will too. Hell! I ain't prejudice!

john keyes · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2009, 10:34:39 AM »

thanks guys

Sixgun · « **Reply #24 on:** December 28, 2009, 10:57:27 AM »

I have shot lots of deer with a 30-30. Of Course, they were with a model 94 instead of a marlin but I think a marlin would be able to get the job done if you don't get the "Marlin Jam" involved in the mix. (just Kidding there) Some of them were at the 200 yard distance. I havn't shot a 30-30 much lately but I did win the Idaho State Cowboy Rifle Silhouette match in 2005 with a 30-30. To do that you have to shoot the 200m rams a few times. I found it to be very accurate and plenty of power.

Just a side note. If you shoot at a deer and you think it is a long way out, but you are not sure, aim at the top line just above the shoulder. If you are high and the bullet goes over, the deer will run away. If you miss low, the deer will not hear the sound of the bullet passing and you can get another shot, just aim a little higher. This does not work every time but most of the time it will. I learned this back before we had range finders, in fact, most of us didn't use scopes back then either.

Sixgun

Tallwalker · « **Reply #25 on:** December 28, 2009, 03:26:47 PM »

Quote from: Dee on December 25, 2009, 03:30:38 PM

John, in 1958 Dad bought a brand new Winchester Model 94 in 3030 and gave it to me. That's how long I've been shootin the 3030, and I would not even hesitate at 200 yards on a deer. I shoot the 150 grain Remington bulk soft point at 2400 fps. So after 52 years of 3030. Yep! Take the shot.
By the way, I'm still shootin the same rifle.

My dad bought one of the ones I still use a year later, and I've been shooting it since then. One of my sons, and I both got our first deer with it. Actually, come to think of it, the only honest 200 yd deer kill I've seen here in NH was with a Marlin 30-30 wearing a 2 1/2X scope. The deer ( a 4 pointer) did a flip in the air, and came down with his feet about 4" from the tracks he had been standing in.......

Dee · « **Reply #26 on:** December 28, 2009, 03:36:45 PM »

Yea Tallwalker, and I'll bet money couldn't buy that rifle could it?

Tallwalker · « **Reply #27 on:** December 28, 2009, 03:39:03 PM »

Nah, I don't think it's for sale. Just loaded 100 32-20 equivalant loads for it yesterday........ time to get the snowshoes, and go for a hike.

STUMPJMPR · « **Reply #28 on:** December 29, 2009, 02:07:25 AM »

The 30-30 in my opinion is capable at 200 yards but not the best. If my shots were consistently going to be 200 yards I would use something else. Most of your shots are going to be within 75 yards anyhow. Just this weekend I was going to my dad's food plot packing the marlin. He told me that wasn't enough gun. I didn't get a chance to prove him wrong but the buck cam at at 30 yards. He spooked before I even had a chance to raise my gun.

rockrat · « **Reply #29 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:45:13 AM »

If I thought for a minute that I might have a 200yd shot with a 30-30, I would sight in the gun for +3" @100yds. Should put you about 3-4" low at 200yds. I wouldn't hesitate to take the shot if I had a good bullet placement shot.