[mtnman17]

What would be the best size and magnification dimensions for a GI issue M1 carbine, Korean war era, .300, want to use it for deer hunting...

[Silvertip 44]

Check your hunting laws first. The .30 M1 carbine is not legal for deer hunting in most states.

[Gabob]

The M-1 Carbine is not a good choice for deer hunting. The cartridge is underpowered and not legal in most states

[Dcomf]

Perusing a few of the more popular states game sites shows that the carbine round is legal for hunting in most states. With properly loaded ammo it would be adequate for deer within 50 yards or less, not much different than using a 357 Magnum. Stop drinking the cool-aid and do some fact-checking first.

[jpattersonnh]

Originally Posted by Dcomf

Stop drinking the cool-aid and do some fact-checking first.

Even if it is legal, as the others before said, not a good caliber choice. I like Blue Kool-aid!

[Dcomf]

Originally Posted by jpattersonnh

Even if it is legal, as the others before said, not a good caliber choice. I like Blue Kool-aid!

Yeah yeah, I know. My point was to dispel a myth about legality issues with it. No need to follow the herd if it's heading for the cliffs. Besides within 50 yards I wouldn't feel undergunned with it with proper bullets and loads. More ass to it than a 357 Magnum at that range and there has been countless deer killed with that round. The OP never mentioned what deer he would be hunting. It may be an 80 pound Florida Key deer for all we know.

[robocop10mm]

Will it kill a smallish deer? Of course. A .22 LR will kill a deer. Can it be loaded with a decent bullet? You would be hard pressed to find a "good" bullet for the carbine. The HP's are not known for expansion. The SP's are no better. Getting a light spitzer to work right is tricky and difficult to keep length reasonable.
It may well have more "Ass" than a .357 Magnum but it is still with a lighter bullet with much less frontal area.

If you are fortunate enough to have that rare carbine that will shoot an inch at 50 yards and handload a "good" bullet and you are genuinely going to have a 50 yard shot on a small deer, then I would stick to either a red dot or 1-4X variable scope.

[Dcomf]

Originally Posted by robocop10mm

Will it kill a smallish deer? Of course. A .22 LR will kill a deer. Can it be loaded with a decent bullet? You would be hard pressed to find a "good" bullet for the carbine. The HP's are not known for expansion. The SP's are no better. Getting a light spitzer to work right is tricky and difficult to keep length reasonable.
It may well have more "Ass" than a .357 Magnum but it is still with a lighter bullet with much less frontal area.

If you are fortunate enough to have that rare carbine that will shoot an inch at 50 yards and handload a "good" bullet and you are genuinely going to have a 50 yard shot on a small deer, then I would stick to either a red dot or 1-4X variable scope.

You don't need that kind of accuracy at that distance. 2-3" will work just fine. Take a look at the new bullets out there before passing judgment on the carbine round. The Cor-Bon DPX is quite an impressive round with a solid copper bullet from Barnes designed to expand at carbine velocities quite well. There are others as well. Does the cool-aid in the punch bowl ever run out?

[robocop10mm]

Wow! Over $2.00/ rd? It had better be good. Hey if it works for you, go for it.

[Silvertip 44]

Going into the woods with a weapon that we all know is inadequate for the reliable taking of deer is unethical. If you want to go out and kill something then at least use a weapon that is capable of doing the job at 50 + yards. The .22 short will kill deer, but we don't use it. The .30 M1 carbine will surely kill deer but we don't use it either. If you are going to hunt, use something that will put the animal down now and not later after it runs off into the brush to lay down and die.
The .30 carbine just doesn't have enough power to be a reliable game round. that is why most states have rendered it illegal to use for large game animals.