30-30 medicine gun
 

Ok I hafta start this thread, an I appologize for it cause I ain't tryin to stir up a stink. But the last couple of years I have fallen more an more in love with the 30-30 and particularly my marlin 336 (nothin wrong with a winchester I ain't sayin that). But I keep hearin and readin people talkin about the useless 30-30 and runnin it down.

We know how old the 30-30 is.
We know that MILLIONS of them have come off the lines.

So there has GOT to be somebody beside myself (and my grandfather when he was alive) that was PROUD to be a 30-30 owner.

That cartridge has taken alot of game in these United States, and I have yet to see it not do the job if the jerk on the trigger did his/her/its job.

So I am standin up an testifyin!

Firearm : Marlin 336 (1975 edition with no safeties) in 30-30 with the front sight hood and iron sights only.
Ammo : 170 grain Remington Core-Lokts or 165 or 170 grain lasercast handloads.

An I am proud ta own it. I saw a deer shot just this season at about 70 yards with a 30-30. He came within an inch of winnin one of the local big bucks contests. He was shot in the right from shoulder, and the round exited his left hip. Not an ideal shot, but he didn't move nary an inch. Myself I woulda probably aimed for the chest on a dead on shot if I couldn't get a good bead right between his eyes. Maybe this year I can get some stand time in and get me a buck.

GoodOlBoy

GOB,

I always admired the .30/30, but in 1958 when I started deer hunting the Sears Catalog carried them for about $70.00. The local surplus store had 1903s for $25.00, British MkIIIs for $16.88 and Italian 7.35mm M38 carbines for $13.88. Brother and I got kitted out for PA deer with a military arm that we each still have.

A few years ago I finally got a Winchester 94 that was made just before WWI and has the saddle ring. My .30/30 is in the range of the "Spruce Guns" Bruce Canfield did an article on in a recent "American Rifleman." My "medicine gun" shows honest wear-almost no blue remains on the receiver- and there are three large "X"s carved into the wrist of the butt stock. With 170 grain Remington ammo, the rear sight in the second notch up from the bottom will print holes on point of aim at 100 yards. I carried my .30/30 afield last deer season and it was "enough gun" for the PA deer woods.

Very good thread.

Adam

In Indiana we call the 30-30 the Redneck ak-47. Everyone has one or two and if china evey invades the better air drop 30-30 rounds along with 223, 308's.

I bought a few with my dad in the late 1970's at the kentucy gun show in louisville, 336 was 125 and 2 win 94's at 150 and 175 each. Seems they go on sale down there each year after deer season and you can go back in the early fall and sell them back to the same people you bought them from that spring. I still have all 3.

I have 2 (both Marlin 336s) and I love em both. I haven't been able to shoot my newer one cuz it's been pretty chilly here but my older one love 150 Federals. I'll carry my .270 if the country is open but I don't think anything beats the 30-30 in the brush.

I`ve got 2 that are set up for nite hunting coyotes. 1 wears a Russian 1 st. nite vision scope and the orthe a lazer sight. Not long range guns, but with a 110 gr. HP it should leave a big hole in one. Now I just have to get the coyotes to cooperate.

I have 3, a Marlin Model 1936, an old H&R SS, and a Savage 219. They are fine firearms. The Savage 219 is my favorite go to sneak hunting gun. It has a 26" barrel, peep sight and carrys like a dream. Long live the 30-30.

Started with my grandfather's winchester 94. Ended up getting a 336 that was old enough not to have the safety. With a low power variable scope, and see-thru mounts, it points better than any other gun I own. As soon as it hits my shoulder, I've got a sight picture. Not the most accurate gun, but it's minute-of-whitetail as far as I need it too be.;)

gd

I bought my first 30-30 a few years back, as a way to learn cast bullet shooting. It's a bolt-action Savage 340. Ugly as a Russian female shot-putter, but it sure is fun!

In truth, the 30-30 is all the deer gun that 90% of us would ever need. Well-kept records show that the very great majority of all deer taken across the whole country are shot inside 150 yards, with most at about half that. Deer are simply not that hard to kill, either.

The 30-30 is just enough for the game, not too much for any hunter and just right for the wallet. What's not to like?

I'm with you, GOB. I have a Marlin 336 and love it.

Ugly as a Russian female shot-putter.

Just added to memory bank. thanks Rocky.

My first firearm was a 30-30 Winchester model 94 my father gave me. He got it used when he was just 13. Its a family treasure that gets pulled out in some of these brushy Ca hunts we go on from time to time. Personally I love the way the model 94 looks and feels, I've decided to start collecting the model 94 s to rid myself of any empty space in my new safe....lol

The only problem with the thuty thuty is like a lot of other things in the shooting world, stupid and/or ignorant shooters or gun writers. It is easier to beat up on a cartridge than it is to sell a new cartridge based on it's own merit.
Ed

My first rifle was a Model 94. In fact, I shot my first deer with it. I was 13 or 14 and it was the last day of the season at about 1 pm. I kicked up a bedded mulie and he took off running and then stopped to see what I was. Bang, head shot. Dead deer:p
muledeer

I shot two very respectable mule deer with my 30-30. they were just as dead as all of the others i shot with my 270- maybe there is a lesson there. The problem I had with my 30-30 was that the magazine would not work I could put one in the chamber and only one in the magazine- otherwise it would jam- lost more than one good deer to that darn jam. Has anybody else had the same problem with a model 94?

30-30 medicine gun
 

A model 94 Win is my main 30-30 along with a Savage Model 219 for strictly fun. Haven't taken anything large with the 219 but it is sure fun to head shoot bunnies with cast bullets. Also another 94 hiding in the recess of the safe but it is the 30-30 bigger brother called the 32 Spec. Alot of respect and worlds of nostalgia.