Is the 30-30 still that popular?

[SIGSHR]

Is it? Often read how it's THE deer cartridge, at least in heavily wooded areas, such as the East. I have never been a hunter, and I live in a shotgun only state and most of my shooting acquaintances are paper punchers like me. So is it still the favorite or a favored cartridge, or is it losing ground to
more recent and exotic rounds?

 

[Jimro]

The 30-30 will still be with us a hundred years from now for the same reason it has always been popular.

Low recoil, low cost, loads of economical firearms chambered for it, and it even has a tinge of nostalgia.

Jimro

 

[ISC]

it's the small block chevy of the rifle world.

That being said, none of my vehicles have a small block chevy for the same reason I don't have a 30/30. There are too many newer replacements that can do the same job faster, more reliably, and economically. I have too many guns to list, but none of my safes have a 30/30 in them, but that's not to say that I would discourage anyone from getting one.

My first rifle was a winchester 30/30. I traded it for a Maadi AK47 and haven't regretted it once. That AK will do everything the Winchester did and then some.

 

[dgludwig]

I've always believed that the biggest reason for the 30-30's continued popularity is due to the rifle (carbine) it's mostly been chambered in. It's real hard to beat the handling characteristics offered by the Winchester Model 94- and the 30-30 cartridge is virtually synonymous with Winchester's little carbine.

 

[Martyn4802]

I think it's the combination of the 30-30, and the Winchester Model 94 that has the 30-30 continue to be popular. For me, it's all nostalgia. The 30-30 is a mediocre cartridge at best, by today's standards. 100 years ago, it was good. My son has a Marlin 336 in 30-30; it's his number 3 back up rifle, behind a 7x57 and a 7mm Mag.
However, when I was in my teens, the dream of having a wild west Model 94 in 30-30 was HUGE. As long as that image of a frontiersman with his Model 94 in 30-30 remains, the 30-30 will endure. Young men in their early years, with a huge passion for being frontiersmen, will buy the 30-30 in a Model 94.
And, let's be honest. The 30-30 will kill a Deer at a reasonable distance. My son has killed Deer with his. I never owned one, so I haven't. I went straight to a Remington Model 722 in 300 Savage when I was 15 in 1949, bypassing the 30-30, all because my Step Dad lit that path for me, because he knew a bolt action rifle in 300 Savage was better than a lever in 30-30.
But, I expect the 30-30 will be hanging around a lot longer.

Martyn

 

[MacGille]

I used a Marlin 336 as a truck gun and saddle carbine for over 30 years. I never had cause to wish for anything else. Later I used a Marlin 1895ss in 45-70 as my survival/hunting rifle in Alaska. Again never had reason to wish for anything else. The old calibers may not have all the bells and whistles of the newer "light up the sky and blow out eardrums" calibers, but they work.

 

[TexasFats]

For a lot of deer hunting, the .30-30 is all that is needed. Here in Austin, I see guys come in and buy .300 Winchester Magnums with 3 to 9 variable scopes to shoot a deer at 50 yards from a stand. The sad thing is that they may be more likely to fail to get a clean kill than they would with a 94 Winchester or a Marlin 336 because, first they probably have the scope run up to 9 power and can't even find the deer in it, or, second, the .300 Mag has them in such a raging flinch that they couldn't hit the brouad side of a barn. In either case, they would probably bring home more venison with a .30-30.

Having said that, I would not consider the .30-30 to be an elk cartridge, nor is it a 200-yard plus cartridge. About 150 yards is marginal, and I would hesitate to use it if I anticipated any shooting at over 100 yards.

 

[Slopemeno]

...Maybe the "Slant-6" of the rifle world, but still a pretty practical cartridge.

 

[YukonKid]

umm...i still love my pre-64 winchester model 94. It is a great packing gun and is fun to shoot. Dont compare cartridge age to popularity and usefullness. Rather compare age to current sales and used sales.

YK

 

[Yellowfin]

The deer and other game are still the same as they were 100 years ago and the .30-30 put them down just fine then or we wouldn't have it today. I gave my lady one as her first rifle and it couldn't have been a better fit. It has worked for a lot of people for a long time and not much can change that.

 

[KROIL]

I think Hornady has a new ballistic tip - soft tip round out for the tube feed 30-30's that is supposed to up accuracy and killing power.

 

[Doyle]

The Hornady LeverEvolution round gave the 30/30 a new lease on life. It adds a solid 50 yds of effective range. I have my Win 94 sighted in just under 3" high at 115 yds which puts it dead on at about 200 and 3" low at about 230 to 240.

The only two downsides to this ammunition is that one, not every gun likes it - some guns will shoot large groups with it while others love it. And two, you can't leave it loaded in a tube magazine more than a day before the polymer tips will start deforming due to compression. That makes it unusable for a "truck gun".

 

[RedneckFur]

I've got many rifles, but my go-to deer gun is, and probly always will be my Marlin 336 30-30. I think its an ideal whitetail cartidge, and will perform well on any American game if the shooter does his part.

 

[Hawg]

The 30-30 is a fine short range deer cartridge. The Winchester and Marlin levers are great guns for heavy woods. The venerable 30-30 will be around long after some of the newer hi falutin cartridges are laid to rest.

 

[warrior poet]

Hmmmm.... a light recoiling, fairly cheap bullet that can be relied to do what it was designed to do, all from a fairly light and inexpensive rifle. Nah... it'll never sell.

 

[T-Ray]

yes it is, plus with hornady's new leverrevolution, you can make up to 300 yard shots

The Hornady LeverEvolution round gave the 30/30 a new lease on life. It adds a solid 50 yds of effective range. I have my Win 94 sighted in just under 3" high at 115 yds which puts it dead on at about 200 and 3" low at about 230 to 240.

The only two downsides to this ammunition is that one, not every gun likes it - some guns will shoot large groups with it while others love it. And two, you can't leave it loaded in a tube magazine more than a day before the polymer tips will start deforming due to compression. That makes it unusable for a "truck gun".

i heard somewhere that the leverevolution was made for marlins- maybe explaining the different groups

 

[retrieverman]

The 30-30 will always have a place in the rifle world, but it is not necessarily "hip" to admit to shooting one (and liking it). Magnumitis has infected many hunters, and there are so many new "whiz bang" cartridges to choose from today that I doubt there are half the 30-30 shooters there were 25 or 30 years ago.

I will admit that I abandoned the 30-30 years ago for a "real" deer cartridge (a 270 WCF), but I have come back to my roots and am a proud 30-30 shooter again.

 

[davlandrum]

They will probably have to rename it to the "30-30 Super Short Ultra-Gee-Whiz Magnum" to sell them to today's buyers........

 

[zebulonsmith]

I have drank the Hornady kool-aid. The Lever Evolution rounds make my 336 shoot close to a .308. Can't wait until you can buy the bullets for handloads.

 

[Army GI]

Pfft,

C'mon now. Everyone knows you need a .30000 Super Express Deluxe Ultimate Spartan Magnum to kill a deer

They will probably have to rename it to the "30-30 Super Short Ultra-Gee-Whiz Magnum" to sell them to today's buyers........