Has anyone hunted deer with 30/30

[Harrynsw]

Has anyone hunted deer with their 30/30? If yes, what are the details? Ie was it successful? What range? What load? What type of deer?

[southeast varmiter]

Heaps, only use 170gr bullets.
Drops them dead out to 50 yards. No scope of course.

[Harrynsw]

Heaps, only use 170gr bullets.
Drops them dead out to 50 yards. No scope of course.

So what are these blokes talking about?

https://www.shootersforum.com/marlin-33 ... -deer.html

[No1Mk3]

G'day Harrynsw,
I grew up in NZ using a Win 94 in 30/30 to take every deer species from Fallow to Wapiti, dozens of Reds and Rusa, as well as Chamois and Thar. The 30/30 never gave me problems and I used from 150g SP on the smaller species up to 180g SP on the larger. I preferred to shoot at 100yds or less, enjoying the stalk as much or more as the kill. The cartridge will take most deer at 200yds but drops energy very quick after that. You have to remember a lever action has a short barrel as well as sight radius and the old 30/30 is not a powerhouse by any stretch but within that 100 yards it will take virtually everything in Australia, Cheers.

[Bill]

Red hind, hit her with an FTX out of Marlin 3030, thought it was well placed but she ended up running around 200m. Would have weigh 150kg and I shot her at around 125m. Wouldnt necessarily take the same shot these day

[Harrynsw]

G'day Harrynsw,
I grew up in NZ using a Win 94 in 30/30 to take every deer species from Fallow to Wapiti, dozens of Reds and Rusa, as well as Chamois and Thar. The 30/30 never gave me problems and I used from 150g SP on the smaller species up to 180g SP on the larger. I preferred to shoot at 100yds or less, enjoying the stalk as much or more as the kill. The cartridge will take most deer at 200yds but drops energy very quick after that. You have to remember a lever action has a short barrel as well as sight radius and the old 30/30 is not a powerhouse by any stretch but within that 100 yards it will take virtually everything in Australia, Cheers.

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks bud.

[Harrynsw]

Red hind, hit her with an FTX out of Marlin 3030, thought it was well placed but she ended up running around 200m. Would have weigh 150kg and I shot her at around 125m. Wouldnt necessarily take the same shot these day

Great info, thanks.

[Bill]

I was chasing pigs at the time Harry, worse bit was the follow up shot saw her tumble down a very steep hill and she landed in what Id describe as a freezing cold gorge like creek. The deer couldnt be recovered. Lessons were learned that day I now use a BLR 358 which has alot more grunt

[Oldbloke]

No experience. But in Vic it was the legal minimum for reds and sambar for many years. (Case length)

[Harrynsw]

I was chasing pigs at the time Harry, worse bit was the follow up shot saw her tumble down a very steep hill and she landed in what Id describe as a freezing cold gorge like creek. The deer couldnt be recovered. Lessons were learned that day I now use a BLR 358 which has alot more grunt

What's the recoil like on the 358?

[Harrynsw]

No experience. But in Vic it was the legal minimum for reds and sambar for many years. (Case length)

That definitely says something

[Bill]

depends on the load Harry, I stoke mine up abit but think something like in between a 308 and 30-06, good recoil pad always helps.

200gr SP were my go to pills for years but I now run 185gr TSX's

[Harrynsw]

depends on the load Harry, I stoke mine up abit but think something like in between a 308 and 30-06, good recoil pad always helps.

200gr SP were my go to pills for years but I now run 185gr TSX's

I'm not at making my own loads...yet, so I'm stuck using the S&B 150 grain SP.

[Archie]

What type of deer is a bit of an issue though isn’t it. I’d assume the guys on the American forum are talking whitetail. Which I’ve never hunted myself but I understand is about half the mass of an adult Sambar and significantly smaller than a Red.

[AusC]

Which I’ve never hunted myself but I understand is about half the mass of an adult Sambar and significantly smaller than a Red.

Something like that.

The does are very small, only about 50kg.

They do get "big bucks" upwards of 150kg, but closer to 100kg is more the norm, as I recall.

[Harrynsw]

What type of deer is a bit of an issue though isn’t it. I’d assume the guys on the American forum are talking whitetail. Which I’ve never hunted myself but I understand is about half the mass of an adult Sambar and significantly smaller than a Red.

100% true

[VICHunter]

What's the endgame here, mate?

Do you have a 30-30 already and you're wondering if you can hunt deer with it?

Or you're looking at buying a new rifle for deer hunting and wondering if 30-30 is a good choice?

[Harrynsw]

What's the endgame here, mate?

Do you have a 30-30 already and you're wondering if you can hunt deer with it?

Or you're looking at buying a new rifle for deer hunting and wondering if 30-30 is a good choice?

End game is I own a 30/30 (that hasn't had much use) and was wondering if I can use it for deer...
Yesterday I put a Bushnell red dot on it and took it to the range, was pleasantly surprised with the results (1.5 inch group at 100m).

So that's where I'm at.

[Stix]

I was hunting/culling a couple of times...came across some deer...trouble is, instead of having a 30-30 in the car with me, i had a bloody idiot with me, one that couldnt stalk a snail if you put one at his bloody feet & told him his life depended on it...
I cant believe why im still astonished at how utterly stupid some people are, especially when it comes to hunting & providing for oneself...

Sorry for the useless digression...but its true, & given its about shooting deer, i thought it is at least a distantly related subject matter...
Trust me, you would all laugh in sympathy for me if you had been a fly in the car that night...!!!...

[Blr243]

I have met two or three completely useless people .....just 5 minutes with them is so painfull. ...mostly we can walk away or drive away from them. But they can never escape themselves, and they have to endure who they are ,every minute of every day, all of their lives

[marksman]

End game is I own a 30/30 (that hasn't had much use) and was wondering if I can use it for deer...
Yesterday I put a Bushnell red dot on it and took it to the range, was pleasantly surprised with the results (1.5 inch group at 100m).

So that's where I'm at.

if you can do that you can hit a deer where it will drop and stay dropped
a very long time ago l did hunt deer with a winchester 30-30 and did ok with 170gr bullets out to 100
it was a pleasure to carry being very light, easy to shoot and swing around
my eyes are to old now to use the barrel sights reliabily but l have thought about it a few times when having to track up big hills
if you can stalk and have patiance you wont have a problem

Stix you know people who cant stalk a snail are going to give you up to the deer mate

[Harrynsw]

I was hunting/culling a couple of times...came across some deer...trouble is, instead of having a 30-30 in the car with me, i had a bloody idiot with me, one that couldnt stalk a snail if you put one at his bloody feet & told him his life depended on it...
I cant believe why im still astonished at how utterly stupid some people are, especially when it comes to hunting & providing for oneself...

Sorry for the useless digression...but its true, & given its about shooting deer, i thought it is at least a distantly related subject matter...
Trust me, you would all laugh in sympathy for me if you had been a fly in the car that night...!!!...

Point made, 30/30 won't get any use unless I can stalk in

[Harrynsw]

End game is I own a 30/30 (that hasn't had much use) and was wondering if I can use it for deer...
Yesterday I put a Bushnell red dot on it and took it to the range, was pleasantly surprised with the results (1.5 inch group at 100m).

So that's where I'm at.

if you can do that you can hit a deer where it will drop and stay dropped
a very long time ago l did hunt deer with a winchester 30-30 and did ok with 170gr bullets out to 100
it was a pleasure to carry being very light, easy to shoot and swing around
my eyes are to old now to use the barrel sights reliabily but l have thought about it a few times when having to track up big hills
if you can stalk and have patiance you wont have a problem

Stix you know people who cant stalk a snail are going to give you up to the deer mate

Thanks marksman

[perentie]

Near the Iraian Jaya border PNG 1969 a bunch of us hired a couple of locals to paddle us down the Bensbach river.
Heaps of Rusa. The locals enjoyed the feed.
Me with mine taken with my 94 in 30-30. Still have it. Cant remember the load but.
deer and 30-30 by Some the others shot.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hraYSq]group deer by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/141809689@N05/]

[Harrynsw]

Nice little hunting adventure there perentie...what sort of ranges were they taken at? (If you remember)

[bigrich]

i've just put my 30-30 on consignment at my LGS . as much as i liked it , i don't have the eye sight to use it reliably as it's a top eject 94 ' with a williams peep . it's fine in good light, but in the shade not so much . i can't use red dots , so off it goes. now i have a empty spot in my safe, what can i fill it with ?

[Harrynsw]

i've just put my 30-30 on consignment at my LGS . as much as i liked it , i don't have the eye sight to use it reliably as it's a top eject 94 ' with a williams peep . it's fine in good light, but in the shade not so much . i can't use red dots , so off it goes. now i have a empty spot in my safe, what can i fill it with ?

Iv got a Sauer 100XT in good condition, slight feeding issue

[bigrich]

Iv got a Sauer 100XT in good condition, slight feeding issue

good on ya harry

[Bugman]

30/30 for deer? Not for me. I'd like to knock em down quick and humanely as possible. I don't consider myself adept to hunt such game with that type of rifle.
However those that can, good for you.

[Harrynsw]

30/30 for deer? Not for me. I'd like to knock em down quick and humanely as possible. I don't consider myself adept to hunt such game with that type of rifle.
However those that can, good for you.

Thanks bugman, what calibre do you like to use?