Anyone here hunt out West with a 30-30?

SeaRun1

FNG
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
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12
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Kitsap Peninsula
I love the .30-30 as well as the .45-70. I just got my dads 1946 Model 94 and am hoping to take a Blacktail with it next year.

Proficient out to 100 yards but can’t see well enough beyond that.

SR1
 

philos

Super Southern Moderator
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Feb 26, 2012
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Behind you
I sold my 30-30 lever to buy a 300 Mashburn Manbun Lazzeroni Ultra Ackley Unimproved Magnum.

Not really... but I did sell the 30-30 and I want it back.
 

OXN939

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Jun 28, 2018
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1,858
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VA
Currently transient courtesy of a training pipeline. Got back home for a week around the holidays and snuck two days of hunting in between a wedding and Xmas. This is the second buck I've taken on the family farm with a .357 lever gun, and there is something really nostalgic and fulfilling about the simplicity of hunting with one... I've fired two rounds since 2019 with this rifle, and have two memories that will be with me til the day I die.

Screenshot_20221227_223454_Gallery.jpg
 

Trackselk

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Joined
Oct 31, 2020
Messages
462
Location
Idaho
I've killed 3 elk and some muleys with my 30-30's. One 336, one contender. All 3 elk were coincidentally around 500 lbs, and one was a 4x5 bull. All 3 died quick with hornady leverevolution ammo. Buffalo bore makes 190(?) Grain ammo for brown bear defense.
I learned the hard way that iron sights are marginal on quartering shots at 100 yards, so I'd keep that in mind. My deep wilderness 4.5lb 30-30 I use for spring blackbear:
 

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eddielasvegas

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Scottsdale, AZ
I've killed 3 elk and some muleys with my 30-30's. One 336, one contender. All 3 elk were coincidentally around 500 lbs, and one was a 4x5 bull. All 3 died quick with hornady leverevolution ammo. Buffalo bore makes 190(?) Grain ammo for brown bear defense.
I learned the hard way that iron sights are marginal on quartering shots at 100 yards, so I'd keep that in mind. My deep wilderness 4.5lb 30-30 I use for spring blackbear:
Good to know the .30-30 will take an elk. I would not have considered it and maybe I'll use it if I draw an elk tag later this year.

What yardages were the elk taken?

Thanks,

Eddie
 

Trackselk

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Joined
Oct 31, 2020
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462
Location
Idaho
Good to know the .30-30 will take an elk. I would not have considered it and maybe I'll use it if I draw an elk tag later this year.

What yardages were the elk taken?

Thanks,

Eddie
20, 30, and somewhere around 150 yards. The 150 yard one was DRT, and the wound looked just like my .308 at 300 yards. Same as 300 win mag at what 5 or 600? Hell, compared to archery it's a cannon.
I switched to .308, now 6.5CM, but I'm sure I'll shoot some more with the 30-30 again, and I'll use copper for better penetration, just in case I hit a shoulder. Actually, going after wild pigs in Texas next month with the 336. 140 grain hornady coppers
 

Ralphie

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Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
389
I’m middle aged. In my life time of hunting in West Ive seen one 30-30 used to kill one doe WT.

Seen a few other levers used savage 99 and blr, but they weren’t 30-30s.
 

MtnMike

FNG
Joined
Jun 23, 2022
Messages
45
Location
Eagle, Id
I got a winchester 94 several years back. I keep telling myself I'm going to head north and shoot a whitetail with it but I somehow can't stay out of the mountains chasing muleys during the season.

Maybe next year... (it's what I've said for the last 5 years hahaha)
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
508
Location
Montana
Funny to find this thread, I was just thinking about getting a 3030 for still hunting deer and elk in timber, or keep handy when packing elk in griz country, or just a general truck gun. I have never owned one, and only shot one or two ten years ago.

For those of you savvy with lever guns, am I on the right track looking for a used winchester 94? granted if I can find one. Don't want anything fancy, just something solid.
 

Nails

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2022
Messages
27
I would never argue against a 94 Winchester. That said, I sure like my Marlin 336. It's a 30-30 Ackley "improved".
I have both, but carry the Marlin the most.
 

SBFD63

FNG
Joined
Apr 22, 2022
Messages
26
Funny to find this thread, I was just thinking about getting a 3030 for still hunting deer and elk in timber, or keep handy when packing elk in griz country, or just a general truck gun. I have never owned one, and only shot one or two ten years ago.

For those of you savvy with lever guns, am I on the right track looking for a used winchester 94? granted if I can find one. Don't want anything fancy, just something solid.
I've got my grandfathers old Winchester. It's accurate. If it wasn't his I'd personally have a Marlin. But I haven't gotten around to buying one since I like having something of his with me in the woods a few times a year.

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk
 

ianpadron

WKR
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
1,951
Location
Montana
Funny to find this thread, I was just thinking about getting a 3030 for still hunting deer and elk in timber, or keep handy when packing elk in griz country, or just a general truck gun. I have never owned one, and only shot one or two ten years ago.

For those of you savvy with lever guns, am I on the right track looking for a used winchester 94? granted if I can find one. Don't want anything fancy, just something solid.
Try and get your hands on a 336 and 1894, and see what chooses you, for me it was an easy choice, Marlin.

If you go that route, look for a JM stamped version or brand new Ruger made Marlin.

The Remington versions were sloppy with loose tolerances and lacking adequate character for a lever gun imho.
 
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