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View Poll Results: Maximum Accuracy Distance for a 30-30?

Voters
548. You may not vote on this poll
  • 100yds

    86 15.69%
  • 200yds

    260 47.45%
  • 200yds

    93 16.97%
  • 400yds

    32 5.84%
  • 500yds

    19 3.47%
  • 600yds

    58 10.58%
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Thread: 30-30 Maximum Distance With Accuracy

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    30-30 Maximum Distance With Accuracy

    What distance can one shoot a 170gr bullet in a smokeless charged 30-30 with a 24" barrel ... with accuracy?
    Regards
    John

  2. #2
    In Remembrance
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    Are we talking hunting or paper.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    btroj's Avatar
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    Define accuracy. How big or small a 5 shot group are you talking?

    I have no doubt that in a good bolt action a 30-30 isplenty accurate way past any range where it would be ideal for hunting deer.

    I wouldn't shoot my 336 past 150 for deer but that is my limit. I have a receiver sight on it and don't feel comfortable beyond that range.

    A 30-30 is a max 200 yard deer gun because of velocity, not accuracy.

  5. #5
    Banned 45 2.1's Avatar
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    A whole lot of people could be seperated from their money on this question.......

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Well if a 45/70 can be shot with accuracy to and beyond 1000 yards why not a 30/30.
    I think you need to add more yardage or narrow down the possibilities.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
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    My shooting partner and I host a long range BPCR match on his ranch. Last summer, in practice, he used his 336 Marlin .30-30 with 20 inch barrel mounted with Lyman 17A front and a Hoch Long Range tang sight to consistantly hit a 4'x7' steel buffalo at a bit over a thousand yards. Once he got the elevation and cross wind worked out, the hits were consistently 7 or 8 for 10 shots. We did not try for a group as the wind was up and required 20-24 minutes of correction. The load was 30 grains of R15 under a 175 grain Lyman 311041 bullet shot as cast with aluminum FreeChex gas check. He hit the target 15 or so times before we ran out of ammo.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy

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    I mentally phrased the question in terms of puttin meat on the table with one shot. I think 200 yds is the practical/ ethical limit for this cartridge on medium size game. It would be fun on a steel buffalo at 1000 yds, but is it practical/ ethical on a live one? I think the poll would have more value if it were better defined. Just my opinion, and worth every penny you paid for it.

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  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    170gr bullet in a smokeless charged 30-30 with a 24" barrel ... with accuracy?
    Personally I wouldn't shoot at anything beyond the 150 mark with one. I've tried to tighten my non-scoped 1894s long barrel groupings up at the 200 yard once. I do reload so switching to different powder recipes in hopes of finding its sweet spot (best placement) at that 200 distance never happened for me. Great little 100-150 yard cartridge for pushing cast boolits thru paper though. Out beyond the 150 mark I consider this cartridge very marginal with whatever boolit tip is used. Cast or the J-word. Especially so on large game animals. Just my opinion nothing more.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
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    My best groups at 200 run in the 4 to 6 inch range. That is the farthest that I would ever consider shooting at game, and I'd be a lot more comfy if I colud slice another 50 or 60 yards off that.

    However, for just shooting at paper or a gong, the sky's the limit! I put 5 out of 5 on a silhouette target at 385 meters once. With a good scoped 30-30 that would be a snap.
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  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Id question a 223 at 600 yards for hunting. Much less a 3030. 200 yards imo.

  12. #12
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    I would question any gun at 600 yards for hunting.
    I think most that use a 30/30 in the field hardly ever shoot at a game animal over a hundred yards. Most folks that use and like a 30/30, hunt in country that doesn't present many long range shots.
    With my eyes and iron sights 150 yards would be the absolute max.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by starmac View Post
    I would question any gun at 600 yards for hunting.
    I think most that use a 30/30 in the field hardly ever shoot at a game animal over a hundred yards. Most folks that use and like a 30/30, hunt in country that doesn't present many long range shots.
    With my eyes and iron sights 150 yards would be the absolute max.

    Agree 100%. Shooting at game at long distance is a measure of ones shooting skill not your HUNTING skill.

    Larry

  14. #14
    Banned

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    i'm gonna go with untill you run out of shim space, canted base, and elevation in the scope far.
    or talent for reading the wind far.
    whichever comes first.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master







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    With a scoped 30-30, I MIGHT go 200 yd. With open sights and old eyes, I would limit myself to 100. With receiver sights, might consider 125-150. Regardless of range, it is a matter of proper shot placement. Also it is a factor of a stationary target or a moving target. Figures above are on a standing deer, broadside shot.
    On a moving animal, such as a spooked deer, would want 50 yds or less, however am not real fond of cleaning a Texas heart shot!
    1Shirt!
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  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    I would question any gun at 600 yards for hunting.
    At Ridgway R&P Club, a very skilled shooter will be sitting at the bench on the firing line in the AM and before dark with a Lazzeroni Tomahawk waiting on doe days for one to cross the end of the range in the 1000+ yard range. Mel said - 'A head shot only!'
    I have personally witnessed Mel put a hole in the middle of an egg at 987 yds.
    http://www.ammo-one.com/LazzeroniTomahawk.html

    At the Grand Canyon in eastern PA, there are a group of bench rest shooters that set up during deer season. The distance across the gorge is 1000+ meters where they set up
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Creek_Gorge

    I stated this thread for target accuracy not hunting killing power though the bullet can be used for hunting. I'm going to let the poll run a few more days and then post my 1st range experience with a GG Pb bullet in a 30-30 ... with iron sights
    Regards
    John

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Bullet drop with a 3030 at 5 or 600 yards could probably be measured in feet, 3, 4, 5 feet or more. Ditto for wind drift, especially in areas where 600 yard shots are actually possible or merited. Practical accuracy of the openended type you reference specifies repeatability and feasibility. We all know the guy who can bullseye quarters at 200 yards, but they are few and far between.

  18. #18
    Banned 45 2.1's Avatar
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    Bullet drop with a 3030 at 5 or 600 yards could probably be measured in feet, 3, 4, 5 feet or more. Your about halfway there. Ditto for wind drift, especially in areas where 600 yard shots are actually possible or merited. Practical accuracy of the openended type you reference specifies repeatability and feasibility. We all know the guy who can bullseye quarters at 200 yards, but they are few and far between. A lot of people loose quite a bit of money from assuming things like that. There are some real riflemen, not just a few, around who can shoot much better than you assume.

    My answer: Most of the 170 gr. bullets are flatnose and have a BC of a little over 0.30..... with those ballistics and manual data, the bullet goes transonic at around 500 yards which is the point where most bullets have trouble being accurate any more. So mine is 500 yds....... Or let me choose the bullet or boolit and i'll change the results.
    Last edited by 45 2.1; 10-15-2012 at 08:33 PM.

  19. #19
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    The distance shooting targets would be considerably than my hunting distance, but there again my eyes would limit me. I have to at least see the target to TRY to hit it. lol

    With a 30/30, I'm sure there are guys that have gone 600 and beyond.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master helice's Avatar
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    This seems more a factor of instruction, technique, practice, physical ability, plus rifle. The 30-30 cartridge in my Trapper 94 won't shoot like a falling block target rifle. I've sat next to men at the range who can do marvelous things with a rifle. Seems to be a lot of variables here.

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