30-30 Maximum Distance With Accuracy

[snaketail]

I didn't real all 7 pages of this thread - but the .30-30 is on the same power level as 7.62x39 (AK47 round). Works very well on hogs. We use 'em in 200 yard silhouette matches. Lever guns are less accurate than breach loaders that have a solid lock up (bolt actions, rolling blocks, falling blocks, etc.).
A good lever gun should group about 2" at 200 yards. Average lever guns will group around 6" at 200 yards - varies with the load, the sight, the shooter and all the other variables.
Buckhorn sight - good luck hitting the general area twice at 200 yards
Tang and Receiver sights - should give you a nice tight group at 200 yards
9 power scope with fine crosshairs - 2" groups at 200 yards
Red dot sight - good for that charging hog at 20 yards

[GabbyM]

one of my pet peeve myths.
Just one thing snaketail. The 7.62 x 39mm falls way short of matching 30-30 energy. Especially now with LeveRevolution powder to use. Lots of fans of the 7.62x39 like to think they have a semi auto 30-30. But that doesn't make it true. Like 300 Blackout fans claiming 30-30 or 7.62x39 power. When they can shoot a 200 grain boolit at 2,100 fps. Or a 165gr FTX at 2,389 fps. They can come tell us how that's done. In the mean time. Fact is according to the math of people who claim 7.62 is equal to 30-30 power. That makes a 30-30 the equal to a 308 Win. Since a 30-30 will shoot a 165gr as fast as a 308 will shoot a 200 gain bullet. That makes them equal , right.

[300savage]

oh now gabby why would you let a little truth get in the way of some folks fantasy ?
the little soviet is a good killer, but a 30-30 it aint.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Years ago we were shooting a 30-30, older Marlin or Winchester not sure but boy o boy. I have only shot two maybe three guns that shot that good 3 shot group touching, at 100 yds. One 760 Rem load 180 round nose, other H-K 308 , another 30-06 years ago. Now at same time we shot two other 30-30 they group same load 1.5" to 2" group.

[Valerko]

That kind of "killed "my interest in 30-30.

[w5pv]

I have put trail dogs on more wounded deer that where shot with a thutty-thutty more than any other gun.They could get a lots of blood but no meat.Most were probably shot more than 150 yards

[GabbyM]

I have put trail dogs on more wounded deer that where shot with a thutty-thutty more than any other gun.They could get a lots of blood but no meat.Most were probably shot more than 150 yards

That may be because the 30-30 is so common. Thus poor hunters have easy aces to them.
Here in Illinois where we can only use shotguns, hand guns or MZ. Most hunters think a Forester slug is a 150 yard round when it is in reality a fifty yard round at best. That is just ignorance and has no effect on the value of a 12 gage shotgun. Only the perceived effect of such tool. After all many people seam to think it's a good idea to drive a Toyota 90 mph down the road. Does that make a Toyota a bad car?

[Outpost75]

One of the best threads of mental masturbation I've seen....

A few rational and reasoned comments punctuated by a whole wheelbarrow load of manure....

With iron sights most. 30-30 leverguns are no better than 3 moa rifles. Magic Gummy Bear Ammo doesn't change the basic facts. That means 150 yards for clean kills on deer, 200 yards for anti-personnel, was typical for rural lawmen in the days before Evil Black Rifles. The late LTC Ellis Lea, USAID Office of Public Safety, who ran our training section in Latin America would agree.

Read Ed Harris's article on the .30-30. http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/pow...-rifle%94.html

[Nrut]

One of the best threads of mental masturbation I've seen....

A few rational and reasoned comments punctuated by a whole wheelbarrow load of manure....

With iron sights most. 30-30 leverguns are no better than 3 moa rifles. Magic Gummy Bear Ammo doesn't change the basic facts. That means 150 yards for clean kills on deer, 200 yards for anti-personnel, was typical for rural lawmen in the days before Evil Black Rifles. The late LTC Ellis Lea, USAID Office of Public Safety, who ran our training section in Latin America would agree.

Read Ed Harris's article on the .30-30. http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/pow...-rifle%94.html

Really??
Only one wheelbarrow load?

[Brithunter]

My problem with this question is that the rifle was not specified only the cartridge. Now my own 30-30 I would have no qualms about shooting deer the same distances as with a .308 Win chambered rifle. This is MY 30-30 rifle:-



and a Muntjac Doe taken with it. Load was the Hornady 130 Grn Spire Point loaded to just over 2800 fps.







With some factory Winchester ammunition in the magazine.

This is how she shoots if I do my part:-



only a three shot group I'll admit.



Sighting in a slight load variation and yes I adjusted the scope the wrong way the adjustments are in German as it's a Schmidt & Bender scope and I don't read German so got the H&T mixed up.

So remaining energy is going to be the limiting factor here but 300 yards should be no problem ........................ don't you agree?

OK it's not quite your usual 30-30 rifle but it IS still a 30-30 .

[RPRNY]

Boo yah! Brithunter, what a fabulous rifle! Best 30-30 ever.

[johntkd]

ok i use a marlin 336c rifle i bought brand new in 1985, originally i installed a 3x9 bushnell bdc,range finding scope,with the see thru mounts,rifle sighted at 135 yards ( measured) hits 1 inch low at 225 yards, 1/4 high at 100, 3/8 inch high at 50, sitting on a side of a hill using my knee for a brace i have elongated holes at 200 yards, taking into effect was not bench rested just as i would be in the woods hunting it sounds real impressive but there is always human movements my normal 3 shot groups at 225 yards will be covered by a quarter, now this is remington 170 grain coreloct ammo i was using. i just got done loading up my first cast 170 gr flat nose for this rifle this evening and am hoping to get similar results but not fully expecting it.
P.S. sitting on my hill in lake county I have taken many many many deer ( dozens) at 250 yards with neck shots the bullet always goes thru and leaves a extremely large exit wound, my normal hill i hunt on there are a few places i could have taken 300 yard shots and had more then one opportunity to do so but passed as I have never fired the weapon at that range,
this will sound strnage but i believe the reason the bullets are hitting so close at all the ranges is because of the see thru scope mount and where its sighted in at, making an X from line of bore and line of sight that actually helps cause the extra needed elevation to make the bullet hit if i didnt have the see thru mount i am positive i would be needing to do holdovers to get results even close to what i see....I have no doubt if i hit a deer at 300 i will blow right thru it leaving a large exit hole....

[johntkd]

ill put a 30/30 against any other rifle for shear obnoxious slamming down of deer at 200 yards or less its brutal on deer, my 30-06 dont put half the hole in a deer till it gets 150 yards or better most time the exit hole is just a smidge bigger than the 30 cal entrance hole, I have harvested a lot of deer in my day most with a 30/30 and it never ever fails to knock a deer at least 4 to 6 feet off to the side slamming them down,one deer got back up after i hit it and had to put a 2nd round into it but upon inspection i had gone through a 4 inch oak tree and hit behind my point of aim almost but not quite a paunch hit. that bullet split apart and was the only bullet i have ever found inside an animal i have shot one part of the bullet hit the hind quarter and was stopped at the spine the other part just in front of the paunch and the pieces of bullet still blew that deer down and 3 feet off to the side of his running path..

[hpdrifter]

can't top that.

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen;

The title of this tread is about shooting long range targets with the 30/30 ~ Like out to 800+ yards with iron sights from an accurate single shot rifle.

Everyone knows the 30/30 is the primo short-range hunting rifle of all - the idea here is to push the envelope - take the 30 WCF out on the long-range cast bullet firing line and see how it does there!

Forrest

[birch]

Johntkd--I live one county over--Osceola. In fact, I grew up about a mile on the Dewings Corner side of Lakola road.

[pme166]

50 shots off the bench, 100 yrds. I figure with my 30/30 I am happy I can hit what I want out to 100 yrds easily. If I were after a deer, I might stretch it to 150 yrds but my eyes start giving out before the gun does. Open buckhorn style sights (for me) are hard to work well with much beyond a 100 yrds.

[RJH]

I knocked a doe over at about 150 yards with a Ted Williams 100 when I was about 11 years old. I was using a Williams receiver sight, and it did the job. I'd say 300 yards is about it, and you would have to spend a lot of time with your rifle at distance.

[TXGunNut]

can't top that.

Wouldn't even try.

[lar45]

A few years ago, I was at the Linebaugh seminar in Cody. I brought my son and one of his friends along for the trip. The friend brought a Savage 340 in 30-30 that had a 3x9 whatever scope on it.
Anyway, the range we were at has a big Steel Buffalo target at around 1000 yds. When shooting from a bench, I put the bottom of the crosshair on the Buff and could hit it everytime. We were shooting his Dad's reloads with a 125gn Spitzer of I don't remember the brand.