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The .30-30 Should Have Died 50 Years Ago! — #341

GUNS and American Handgunner Magazines

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Gun writers and manufacturers have been trying to kill off the .30-30 Winchester for over 50 years. From the magnum craze to the 6.5 Creedmoor, new calibers are constantly hyped as the ultimate replacement. Yet the humble .30-30 lever gun remains one of the most popular deer-hunting setups in America.

In this episode, Brent Wheat and Roy Huntington discuss why this 130-year-old classic is still the "adjustable wrench" of the firearms world, debunk the myths about lever-action accuracy and explain why basic hunting skills matter far more than ballistic spreadsheets.

Key Takeaways:
● The .30-30 Winchester remains commercially viable and highly popular because it perfectly fits the real-world parameters of most deer hunters.
● Modern manufacturing (like Ruger-built Marlins) and polymer-tipped ammunition have disproven the old myth that lever guns are inherently inaccurate.
● Basic woodcraft and getting close to game are more effective than relying on hyper-velocity cartridges designed for extreme distances.

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20 Comments

@jeffhutchins7048 3 months ago (edited)

I had an older, farmer, customer come in and talk about all of the deer he shot with his 26" 30-30 Winchester rifle.
Some of the ranges were 100 yards more than most people would expect to hear. It was his ONLY hunting rifle.
My coworker asked me how he did that. I said, "nobody ever told him he couldn't."
Brings to mind the old adage: BEWARE OF THE MAN WITH ONE RIFLE.

@rickeytouchstone4702 3 months ago

At the range most deer are taken a 30:30 works very well.

@chacal1129 3 months ago

Paul Harrell always endorsed the 30-30. He did several videos featuring it and talking about how it's still a perfectly adequate cartridge today.

@billwright9256 3 months ago

I bought my Marlin 336 30-30 at K Mart with 2 boxes of shells and a Soft case for $102.00

@yomamaaintmymama 3 months ago (edited)

In the dinky insignificant town i own a home in...way up north in Ft.Fairfield Maine...about 3/4 of a mile from Perth -Andover New Brunswick Canada....is a little IGA grocery....its the only store in town. You get 7 isles of mostly generic foods..you have a tiny produce selection thats dominated by potato varieties...and the liquore selection is extensive. But do you know what the most important thing in in the store is....? You can buy 30-30 ammo. 12 ga and .22 lr and MAG right next to the tobacco. There is a VERY VERY good reason for that. Those 4 cartridges have kept people in Aroostook county and places just like it ...fed for over a 100 years. I have seen moose taken and weighed in that town that exceeded 1200 lbs. I have seen deer every year hung for the winters meat that dropped in their tracks and never even blinked after impact. I have seen a dozen coyotes taken in one morning. ...every one of these things were taken by 30-30 and most of the shells were bought with a gallon of milk and a sack of taters and some side bacon at the HILLSIDE IGA on the way to camp. 30-30 is around after all this time because it works. Its reliable in the platforms its produced in and its versitile enough to be the only rifle you own. Prove me wrong...

@danielburch436 3 months ago

Deer don't look at or understand ballistic charts.

@Xileph410 3 months ago

The first (not 22) rifle I ever shoot was a 30-30 Winchester when I was 14 year old and I love it. What a great cartridge and rifle.

@kentreichow7567 3 months ago

Happy 4th everyone Happy Birthday America 🇺🇸

@enjoypool4052 3 months ago

I was visiting with an “old timer” his story (found to be true) was about he had gotten an elk tag. First he got the tag on his first attempt which was hard to do and second he showed up with a Winchester 94 30-30. Other hunters thought it was not likely he would have any luck. First day out he shot a 6x6 elk at about 35 yards. He wasn’t to impressed with elk hunting

@jeffhutchins7048 3 months ago (edited)

One of the BIG advantages of the 30-30 is that the bullets are OPTIMIZED for the cartridge.
They are made to WORK at those velocities. They aren't made to work at 308, 30-06, 300 Winchester Magnum AND 300 RUM velocities. Thats a BIG spread, optimized for NONE of those calibers.

@jeffhutchins7048 3 months ago

Not to long ago it wasn't uncommon to see a 30-30 in a Sheriff's Deputy's patrol vehicle. Probably still CAN in some areas.

@IrishDevil78 3 months ago

I’m 47, and growing up we had exactly 2 deer rifles that my father and I shared. One was a Model 94 in 30-30 with a peep sight, and the other was a Rem 700 in 30-06 with a 3-9 Bushnell on it. We killed a couple deer every year to fill the freezer. Both guns are well worn and in my possession today. They don’t see the hunt time they used to, but each still takes at least one deer or hog a year to this day. All of the whiz bang new cartridges are cool and all, but 99% don’t do anything better than cartridges that were developed up to 130 years ago.

@billfischer9887 3 months ago

The preferred round of the " lethal fudd".

@timothyevans2183 3 months ago

My family rifle was model 94 Winchester manufactured in 1951. My brother and I did every thing from shooting tin cans , ground hogs, to Pennsylvania whitetail. What a great practical tool.

@DavePowell-y1m 15 hours ago

Your example of the old guy with one box of shells , sound like my dad he is 95 now and hasn't been out in 4 years , he used the 32 special.. since 1958..

@robertcaudle5683 2 months ago

Growing up in the 1970s I would hunt with my Dad’s 30-30 Marlin 336. Loved the gun. I was excited to learn that Ruger is making the 336 again. Sadly, availability is pretty limited and I haven’t found one yet.

@gregoryrekitt9375 2 months ago

I am in my mid-60s and have hunted deer since 12 yrs old. I have harvested deer with a 12ga., a compound bow, a 308 bolt action with a scope and a crossbow with a scope, but my Savage 30-30 bolt and Marlin 336 lever action has harvested by far the most deer when hunting with a rifle. They don't fail. They both only have iron sights, and they both always produce a deer in the freezer. They are easy on the shoulder. Easy on the wallet, and a pleasure to carry through the woods!😊