Any love for the 30-30 Winchester?

[N7XW]

I chose to hunt archery this year and now that the early season is over, I'm already thinking of next year.  I plan to return to modern firearm and my thoughts have revolved around a new rifle/cartridge.  I've spent hours poring over ballistic tables, gun reviews and recoil tables.  But I currently have and love my old Winchester model 94 30-30.  I think it's a 1978 model and has a little surface rust given I live in Westport where the salt air takes a toll on everything.  I have an old cheap Simmons 3-9 scope side mounted.

I love this little setup - light, able to still use open sights for quick, short shots in the brush.  Best of all, Hornady's new Leverevolution ammo has brought this old cartridge into the 21st century somewhat.  The tables show 1000 ftlb at 300 yards and slightly less than 800 ftlb at 400 yards - much more powerful than the classic flat nose rounds.  And believe it or not, this old gun with the FTX ammo is a real shooter.  I've shot sub MOA groups at 100 yards with it.  I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy to say the least.

So now I'm thinking, do I really need to pack my old 30-06 or get a new rifle/caliber?  With the Hornady ammo, I feel the little 30-30 is sufficient to hunt deer at any range that I'd be comfortable shooting.  Anyone else love the little 30-30, in either model 94 or 336?  Does anyone here still hunt with the 30-30?  I guess my kinship with the gun goes back to using it as my first deer hunting rifle (along with an old 32 Win Special that my grandpa loaned me) and taking my first deer with it.

Thoughts on the 30-30?

PS - I'm only talking about deer hunting here, not elk or other larger game.

[WI to WA]

I opted for my open sight 30-30 last year for MF elk after the prior year’s close encounters where the scope was a hindrance on my 30-06.  It worked as I got my first elk (true spike).  Since you are comfortable with archery & the gun, I would think the transition would be fairly seamless.  Spot, stalk, aim small, & miss small.  Even with my flat nosed Remington shells, it was one shot, double lung, and 20 yards until it dropped over.  I was about 20 yards away when I shot but I would have been comfortable out to about 75 with elk.  It certainly added to the challenge but now my favorite whitetail gun has bagged an elk too.  So, yes, I still love & use my 30-30 – even though, this year I am opting for the 30-06. 

[pianoman9701]

I sold a Sears Model 94 when I thought I was moving to Thailand for a piano gig around 2001. I killed a lot of deer with that back in NH and ME. It was super accurate with open sights and great in close quarters like we have in New England and here on the wet side. I hate that I sold it. Were I a rifle hunter, that's one gun I'd like to be shooting.

[csaaphill]

Got two one 1894 buffalo bill lever action and the other model 94 I think got from my granddad when he died. First gun was the buffalo bill one, never really used the other but might some time.
Still love the 30/30 

[boneaddict]

The 30-30 has probably put more meat on the table than any other gun in the world.   

[JakeLand]

I have my dads old model 94 he bought in'58 and I've shot several deer with it !
My goal is a bear with it and it's open sight . This rifle will go to my daughter

[trophyhunt]

My favorite gun ever, and I don't have one!  as far as classic guns go, damn pretty!  We need pics on this thread!

[dreamunelk]

I switched to deer hunting with my 30 several years ago.  A whole lot different hunting west side black tails with open irons again.  For me it is easy to find and kill a deer with a scoped riffle.  The 30 with open irons makes me have to hunt better.  Honestly I wast thinking today of using a scoped rifle this year just so I can fill a tag. 

[Humptulips]

Great gun and I killed a bunch of deer with it in my youth. Unfortunately my eyes don't work so well with open sights anymore and I don't care for the way a scope has to go on the 94.

[JimmyHoffa]

Really like these in the rifle model, not really the carbine 94.  The model 55 is pretty cool too.

[branches]

After archery elk season this year My daughter and I went back with the 336 Marlin 30-30 to find a very large bear I saw during the season. We never found the bear but it was the first time in over 30 years I had a rifle in the woods. It felt good to still hunt with this rifle. My uncle gave us a pre 64 30-30 Winchester that I still keep in the safe that we might break out to see if our luck will change. Your 30-30 will do just fine with hunting any animal in this state within 150 yards.

[biggfish]

I got an old Marlin 336 in the safe, haven't shot it in years. I've never felt under gunned chasing deer or elk. Always used 170gr corelokt and dropped every deer it hit in their tracks. I've always wanted to do a horse back hunt it will be my go to of that ever happens.

Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk

[j_h_nimrod]

Great gun for the west side hunting, it is not new n shiny but is still a tried n true deer better from way back. Growing up in CO I took a couple deer and an elk with one and never had a problem with it not cleanly taking each animal I shot.

[superdown]

I am hunting with my 336ss this year during general modern using the hornady lever evolution 160grn i shot the deer i got year before last with that ammo and it dropped just as fast as the deer i have shot with my 325wsm.

[Lingcod]

I actually just refell in love with my model 94. I bought it years ago and have never shot it. It's a 1941 that sat in a guys closet and has only had a few rounds through it. It will be hard for me to use it for deer over the other options i have but I'm tempted.   

[Grizzlykiller]

Pictures are always needed yes.
Mine is a 1966 Winchester model 94 .30-.30 and I do have love for it. I saw you'd mentioned for deer hunting only but this is a deer so why not? It does have the ability to knock over the worlds largest deer from over a hundred yards with one shot.
 So yep it's a cool gun

[cbond3318]

Ah yes, the Ol' Dirty 30. I  hunt with 2 , a Marlin and a Winchester. Love them both.

Hornady's Leverevolution is a great choice to extend the possibilities of this rifle.

[HighlandLofts]

Having had both the Winchester 94 and the Marlin 335, I prefer the Marlin with the side ejection plus it just fits me better.  The 30/30 round has been around a loooong time and is here to stay. It is a fine deer or bear cartridge with in it's limits just as some other calibers are limited.

My Marlin 336 will go to one of my sons when I cash in my chips, it has belonged to all three of my bothers before I acquired it years ago in a gun trade. The Winchester I bought it and sold it shortly after buying it.

[T-Bone]

I own a Marlin 336 30-30 Cowboy Model with a 24" octagonal barrel. I put a Lyman peep sight on it and it is very accurate at 100 yards. My wife loves the gun and a friend couldn't get over the gun's accuracy in comparison to his 7mm Rem. Mag. at 100 yards at the range.

[N7XW]

Looks like there is some love 

Thanks guys! 

I'm looking forward to getting back to the range with my old 30-30.  Should be a fun time shooting it again, it's been toooo long.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Great gun and I killed a bunch of deer with it in my youth. Unfortunately my eyes don't work so well with open sights anymore and I don't care for the way a scope has to go on the 94.

My problem too. I installed fiber optic sights on one of my 94s last year after using them on my muzzleloader for a few years.  Working good for me. I'll use my scoped Ruger .06 this year when hunting clearcuts for blacktails, but will use my old 60's era 30-30 when I go in the brush.

[7mm ed]

love my 30-30 best little brush gun ever . and let not forget the 32 w.s. great round . well better get out see if I can still hit anything

[DOUBLELUNG]

I have two Model 94s - my grandfather's that he bought in 1945, and another of unknown vintage that is really my son's (passed down from his maternal grandfather).  I have taken several deer with my grandfather's, he had a 2x Redfield extended relief scope mounted on the barrel, I took that off as I didn't care for the look.  Now that my vision is going the way of other 50+ aged hunters, I will probably put a peep on the rear. 

I always felt the observed terminal performance greatly exceeded the rather anemic ballistics, most of the deer I shot with it dropped in their tracks.