Old question, which barrel...again..

[hunt4570]

  Ok first, what I have..14" 30/30, 14" 45/70, 16" 45/410, old style frame and a G2 frame, a couple pistol wood sets, 1 for the G2 and 2 for the older frame, and a nice walnut rifle stock set for the G2. I just sold a 375JDJ carbine barrel and am wanting a new barrel hence this post.
  I've been scouring old threads here, and my reloading manuals and what keeps coming up is the 7x30 Waters, sure I'd like a new SSK barrel in anyone of the smaller JDJ's but can't justify the expenditure...
  I also know if I go 7x30 Waters I may as well retire my trusty 30/30 that I've had for a long time as it will do anything it will and more..maybe I'll trade it for a 22 Match?
  My current endever is mostly a deer gun, with the occaisional pig and possibly an Elk, my 45/70 is great medicine for those two also.
   Next thought is bbl length, thinking maybe a 16 incher that way if my daughter wants to go hunting as she is saying, she can use it as a carbine. Also for playing at the range with a set of bags it would be great.
  How hard is it to find ammo and/or reloading components? I looked around on the internet today and ALL 7x30 Waters ammo was out of stock..something I should know?

   Thoughts, ideas , suggestions? something different maybe? Man I love gun shopping.

[kynardsj]

7-30 Waters, in my understanding is a sweet caliber. Reloading dies aren't too expensive and you already have your 30-30 brass that you can size and fireform to 7-30. Just keep them and the real 30-30's separate from each other. A Super 16 barrel would make a nice, low recoil rifle for you and your daughter.

[hunt4570]

   I started her deer hunting 8 or 10 years ago by getting her a youth stock for my contender, and a 16" 223 barrel. She did very well with it.. then she grew up to be a "lady" and quit hunting. She is now 21, she told me at christmas that she would like to go hunting again next year...I'm so excited!!

[kynardsj]

That's a great thing to hear.

[Slowpoke Slim]

I would think either the 30-30, or the 7-30 Waters barrels would be good for deer and hogs. If you're still thinking 300 yards for elk, I think you need to look at other options. Like maybe catch a wildcat barrel on the classifieds when they come up from time to time. For close range elk, I think they'd both work fine if you stayed out of the shoulders. TC still sells both the 30-30 and the 7-30 Waters barrels new. They are 23" naturally, but they are easy to find.

I would still keep the handgun barrels, just for fun and flexibility. A 30-30 handgun barrel is about as handy as a pocket on a shirt to me. Lots of uses from targets, to varmints, to piggies and deer. I'm planning on taking my 14" 30-30 to the range this Sunday. Lots of fun. Have your daughter try it too, maybe you can "double hook" her, and get her into handgun hunting also.

I started my daughter off on my Contender as a carbine also.

Great news about yours wanting to hunt again.

[hunt4570]

  It would probably be pretty hard to get rid of my 14" 30/30..It has been with me for many years and the center of most of my deer hunting. I would probably never get a chance at a 300 yd elk, I was just thinking out loud earlier. A 300 yd deer... maybe, and that is why I'm thinking about a barrel in this range.
  There are actually quite a few new 14" 7x30 Waters out there also, havent run across a 16 incher though, but I'm looking..new or used..

    I know there are "hunter" bbls, and "super" bbls, maybe more out there..whats the difference?

  And I'm tickled pink about my daughter wanting to try hunting again. She's moving to Austin Texas after she graduates college this year, and I used to run a 1600 acre deer ranch in Lampassas about 80 miles from there..still friends with the owners and so I have a place to take her...