[RL357Mag]

Originally Posted by c3shooter

RL- C'mon over to Virginia. My CCW took 3 DAYS.

That's because Virginia doesn't try to discourage the law abiding from excercising their rights. Three months in NY is fast. Less than 1/2 a mile down the street from me is the Vermont border - they don't even require permits, and Vermont is a left-wing haven!

[varmint_hunter]

Why get a 30-30?

I can think of so many other caliber rifles I would look at.

The 30-30 ammo is essentially a handgun round. Slow, not much stopping power.

If you ever want to do something cool like long range hunting in Colorado or Montana or Wyoming, you can leave the 30-30 out of that conversation.

Beyond the ammo, the lever action is not as dimensionally repeatable as a bolt, which plays a part in your group size.

Why no look at a .270 or 30-06?

Now that's some accurate equipment, deadly at 1000 yards, real reloading potential there too.

Well what ever you get - have fun with it.

[Dee]

As I stated in another forum I was given a brand new Winchester Model 94 3030 in 1958 at age 8. I have now been shooting this same rifle for 53 years, and killed my first called in coyote with it in 1969. I carried this same rifle and round in a patrol unit, and carried it as a tracker of escapees. I still practice with this rifle and will hit 1 gallon water jugs laid on their sides with the 7 inch bottom as the target at 250 yards all day long. A three hundred yard shot on a deer is no big deal AT ALL, and I have seldom used anything other than the 150 grain jacketed RN, loaded to 2400 fps.
3030 ammo essentially a handgun round? Well then I suppose 45-70 is also essentially a handgun round also.
As far as a hunting round on big game, it will take anything on the north American continent. I think I shot this round enough to know, and being a former police firearms instructor for 19 years, a SWAT team trainer, and leader, and a Tactical K-9 trainer handler, and handler trainer, I have used the 3030 longer than most, and have shot about everything considered lethal.
I have used other weapons more appropriate for the situations at the time, but for day in and day out, for the civilian, you can't do much better. You can do bigger, and louder, and more expensive, but not necessarily better.
Enjoy your rifle my friend, and understand that you have plenty of rifle and there are plenty of opinions that aren't necessarily based on practical experience concerning the round, nor the rifle. No offense intended.

[c3shooter]

To what Dee said up there^^^, I would add- the most popular deer rifle in the US is the Winchester 94 in 30-30. The second most popular, is the Marlin 336, also in 30-30. I do not consider a 1000 yard shot on any game to be reasonable with any firearm. A difference of 2 mph in wind speed can be the difference between a wounded deer, and a dead deer. I hunt in some areas in the Eastern mountains where you are in laurel thickets- and 50 yards is a LONG shot.

A 30-30 would not be my choice for taking a Dall Sheep in Alaska, or for antelope in Wyoming, but within it's limits, there are some very good guns out there.

[powg]

The 30-30 is the probably the best all around cartridge ever devised .It has accounted for more ''full'' bellies than all other cartridges combined. Useing the new leverevevolution ammo and the ''30-30'' ballistic scope..100.00 from cabelas.It is 300 yrd capable. I love my marlin and I really like to make people who think it inadequate look like a dumbass,at the range or at the skinning pole .

[Txhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Ineffable

I appreciate the info. I just need to find a Wal-Mart that sells 'em. The ones in my are don't. But then I live in the only dry city in Texas, methinks.

Dang,Are you still living in the former home of the Cowboys? Just drive on over to Grapevine,and go to Bass Pro,they got all the guns and ammo you will need.

Hey are you still planning on going to the M&G next month?

[jismail]

I have a 1945 "C" stamp Marlin 36 that my Dad left me as the sole rememberence of him. It is the rifle he taught me to hunt with, and I have plinked with it for years. I ended up having it fully restored a few years back and it holds a place of honor in my gun cabinet.

I consider it to be an exceptional piece of equipment for what I believe the 3030 carbine was typically used for- general ranch usage and closer quarter hunting against the wild game of North America, where a longer firearm was impractical to use or effecively carry, but where good knockdown power was still required. Remember, back in the day, folks couldn't afford a large array of weapons and if they could only have one, this rifle was one of the rifles of choice.

Due to the bullet design, I wouldn't consider it highly accurate beyond the cartridge's sweet spot range, but it would be the rifle I grab first if I want to hunt in the typical hunting geography I grew up in which was primarily brush filled foothills with less than 100 yds of clear line of sight to work with.

I think there is a reason the 3030 lever carbine is still around after all these years - it fit's a need and does it well.

[lonyaeger]

Originally Posted by varmint_hunter

Why get a 30-30?

Well, that would be my first question, too....

[pioneer461]

Originally Posted by Ineffable

I appreciate the info. I just need to find a Wal-Mart that sells 'em. The ones in my are don't. But then I live in the only dry city in Texas, methinks.

Why Walmart? Lower prices? I'd rather spend a few more bucks and get mine at a local gun store. If we keep buying guns and ammo at Wally World, many of the local gun stores will become a thing of the past.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-Walmart snob. We shop there often. When it comes to firearms and ammo however, I would rather support my local gun shop, a local small business. Your local gun shop may have used rifles in great shape, for less than you might spend at WM.

If local shops go out of business, and then Wally World decides to not sell guns any longer, then where are we going to go? Walmart doesn't give a rat's rear-end about the 2nd Amendment, and if they can turn more of a profit by selling left handed widgets in that same floor space, you can wave good bye to the guns & ammo. It has already happened.

Furthermore, Walmart signed up for NYC Mayor Bloomberg's "Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership." Under that agreement, your gun and ammo purchases are video recorded and separate records are created, "...just in case the gun is later used in a crime." Not my idea of freedom.

[pioneer461]

Originally Posted by varmint_hunter

Why get a 30-30?

What's wrong with a .30-30? There have been more deer taken with a .30-30 than any other cartridge. Sure, it isn't a mucho-macho short-stroke magnum, tactical, Binford 3000 sniper rifle, but they are more than adequate for any deer and most other N. American game.