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Only ones that come to my mind were the Savage 325/340 and the Remington 788. I'm sure there were more of them. I've always wanted a 788 in 30-30 but they seem to be pretty scarce. I've seen a few Savages but not sure how reliable they would be. What are your thoughts on the various 30-30 bolt guns?
The Winchester Model 54 was cataloged in .30-30; no idea how many were actually produced.
I liked the Savage I had Ms killed hog with it . I keep reading about the extractor being a fail part but never had an issue .
Scope mounting can be rough now , it's a speciality one of a kind side mount .
Practical folks get a .308 or 30-06 and load to 30-30 level.
Good for them.
Rem 788s and Win 54s were always just out of my reach.
My desire won out so I rebarreled a 1916 Spanish Mauser to 30-30 and it is one of my favorite rifles.
It'll never happen but I think the Ruger American would sell in 30-30 if they chambered it so.
I've owned 2 of the Savage/Stevens bolt actions but never warmed to them.
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I've got a Swedish that I'd like to convert to .308. Maybe a 20" med. contour tube, globe front sight and peep rear. With a fine trigger it would be great for long range pot shots. Probably make the most sense to just rebarrel it in 6.5.Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas by God
I paid $69 for my used 788 30-30.
A few months before I bought a 788 in 44 Mag for $65 new.
I have owned 3 different 340 Savages. All cost about $65.
No more than a year ago I watched a 788 in 30-30 sell for 1000$ and a 44 go for 2100 at a sale. Neat as they may be I consider that a bit high. The 340 is still going for sub 200$ around here.
I had an uncle who owned one. He didn't hunt with it, that I'm aware of, but a couple of his sons, as teenagers hunting deer down on my grandparents' farm would on occasion use it. I haven't seen that gun in nearly 40 years but I think it's probably still in his family.
While I was typing a bunch of other responses came in. My own response was about a Winchester Model 54 in 30-30, just to clarify.Quote:
Originally Posted by jlchucker
If you had bought lottery tickets on those days you would be a billionaire!Quote:
Originally Posted by EDG
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I have a Savage 340A in 30-30. Its a hoot to shoot. It eats everything. Just got done doing a light trigger job on it a few weeks ago. Now it is even more fun.
The little Savage 340s are better rifles than they are given credit for. Scope mounting really isn't a problem, Sun Optics makes a good machined aluminum one piece mount that is better than the traditional Weavers.
I have a 788 I got for $00 even about three years ago and as much as I have liked the 788s I've owned, couldn't really justify having another bolt action .30 caliber and I generally liked my 340 better so it went down the road.
If it was me, I'd get a Savage 340 if I had to scratch a bolt action .30-30 itch.
When my daughter started hunting she was 13 and used my Marlin 30-30 CB. She got a few deer with it over the few years she used it. I wanted it back, as I gave it to her to use and ended up working over a Chilean Mauser converted to 300 Savage (it was rebarreled with a Remington barrel) A Savage 340 would have been an excellent choice for her and they are a bit scarce around here. Most "kids guns" are cut down 243's or something along that line. A 30-30 would be an excellent choice for that market. Ammo costs alone are attractive.
While Texas Shooter has a point about using reduced recoil loads in a 308 or 06, the 30-30 has certain attractions in itself. Ammo is cheap enough that it takes a lot of shooting to pay for reloading for one. The 30-30 is about one of the best cast bullet cartridges around. Its more limited case capacity and longer neck really facilitate cast bullets. I have read more than one testimonial as to how accurate a Savage 340 or Rem 788 is with cast. I have a 32-20 and enjoy using it with its normal loadings. While I could load down a 30-30 to those levels there is a certain advantage to the smaller case. Same principle as loading down a bigger cartridge to 30-30. They would also benefit using the new Hornady LE's.
DP
The Ruger American Ranch carbine in 7.62x39 is probably 'more available' than the unjustly much-maligned Savage 340 (I haven't seen one for sale at a gun show hereabouts in maybe 40 years) but oh my! the COST!!! CDN$700 out the door here is a 'good' price. Handload ballistics can be similar with cast: the Lyman Handbook says so.
Back in the 30's Savage made the Super Sporter Model 40 and 45, in cal. 250-3000, 30-30, 30-06 and I think.303 Sav or 300 Savage. I have a 30-30 and killed my last deer with it. The model 45's with the factory reciever sights are really nice rifles.
theres is also a stevens( and savage) model 325. i know that is nothing more than a savage model 340, but what the heck....
I have 2 Savage Super Sporters in 30-30 love them! one with the receiver sight and one that has been drilled and tapped for a scope. Both are superbly accurate.
I think Husqvarna(sp?) made a rifle in 30-30. It was a single shot but technically a bolt action.
Or, maybe it was a bolt action the was technically a single shot.
I don't know about the semantics, I do know that I have always wanted one.
I have a Remington-Lee sporter in 30-30. Currently being saved from a tough life but will remain 30-30.
Not one you'll come accross in any of it's offered calibers very often but a 30-30 bolt action sporter none the less
I have been keeping my eyes open for a 91 Mauser with a washed-out barrel just to create a rifle like you speak of. I would rebarrel it to 30-30, machine a feed tray and solder or epoxy it in place. The bolt face would have to be opened up a bit but the extractor should snap over the 30- 30s rim with minor modfication. Then I would remove the bottom metal and patch the hole with Walnut and slim the stock down to Sporter profile. I should end up with a very light well-balanced stalking rifle.Quote:
Originally Posted by sghart3578
The 30-30 is just such a wonderful cartridge that it shouldn't be limited to single shots and lever actions. I know Savage made the model 170 pump action 30-30 but it is a poor design in my opinion.
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JeffinNZ had one of those Husqvarnas and killed all kinds of critters with cast in it. Haven't seen him post in a while.
I've seen one of the Winchester 54s recently, it was going for $800, several Savages in the $300 range and that has been about it. I really liked the looks of the Winchester but couldn't justify the cost that day. I'm still keeping my eyes open, I'd like to have a bolt action 30-30 just for shooting lead but I do have plenty of 06s I can load down but it isn't the same.
This thread no has me keeping an eye open for a Savage Model 45 Super Sporter. I'm a vintage Savage fan but never owned one, seems that was their bolt gun between the Model 1920 being dropped and the introduction of the 340 series after WWII. Now I kinda want one.
Oh my goodness I had a 44 let it go I am really kicking myself for that one it was tac driver with cast boolits.Quote:
Originally Posted by EDG
Here's my 1916 Mauser 30-30 (again). My best CB rifle so far. And no sloutch with j-words either.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a965547720.jpg
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How much trouble was it to get that rifle to feed those rimmed cartridges?
I've developed a thing for small ring Mausers lately, and I've always liked the .30-30, looks like a good combo.
Rich, you have some tinkering skills so you could make it work. I have one 98 in 30-30 but I turned the rim down same as 8mm rim. Really is no big issue as I did one box of brass(20) and never needed more with it. The 95 SR I feel are better because those extractors are generally worn open for this conversion and their extractor can be filed a little to get to slide on the bolt face. I have always wanted a rifle in every cartridge a 30-30 has been made in. I like the more efficient case and I don't need the speed to feel good.
Not much trouble at all. I installed a stop on the rear of the follower to keep the cartridge rim from dropping off the rear. I ground and polished the feed ramp a little to help flat points feed; then modified the bolt face and extractor. On my action, that's all it took. YMMV. More than three rounds in the magazine makes it iffy- so I only load three.Quote:
Originally Posted by richhodg66
Now I want to make a 25-35 or a 32-40 out of one.
I've always loved the 30-30 cartridge, I've always loved Mausers. I'm just glad it worked.
The 6.5 Arisaka is an excellent bolt action for conversion to 30-30. The 6.5 Jap is a semi-rimmed cartridge and the magazine is designed for it. My Arisaka holds 5 rounds of 30-30 and feeds perfectly. The bolt face does have to be very slightly opened up or the rims of the cartridges can be slightly turned down (.002 - .003") does it.
Just for comparison purposes - I went to Wanenmacher last weekend, specifically looking for a Savage 340, or Remington 788, in .30-30.
I saw no 340s, but I did see dozens of 788s. Of the 788s, exactly 2 were chambered in .30-30. Both sellers knew exactly what they had.
I left with one of the rifles, complete with a Tasco 4x scope from the 70s, and a leather sling from the same era. The seller claimed he purchased estate guns for resale, and the look of his tables would confirm that.
The rifle was very dusty, looked to be fired very little, and is in very good shape. It looks like it spent many years in someone's closet.
The ask on both rifles was $800.
I paid $670 for the one I left with. I worked on the seller hard to get that price.
I think you did fine, especially if it is an early walnut stock example.
We love pictures here. My local LGS has a Stevens 325 30-30 for $275. Was that the Tulsa show? Someday I'll make the road trip and go there.
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Yes the big Tulsa show. Wanenmacher show.
Funny, I bet I saw 50 or more Remington 788's. Everything from .222, .22-250, .308, etc. Most were priced at $300-400. The .222 at the lower end, the .308 and .22-250s at the upper end. Seems 22-250 is making a comeback of sorts.
Only the .30-30 was up there.
I'll try to get pics up later today, I haven't even taken any for my records.
I've had a bunch of 788s and my first rifle was one in 22-250. I'd like one in left hand 6mm to remind me of a late friend.
The 788 made the 22-250 famous IMO. Enjoy the Grail 30-30!
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Recently came into a Savage 340 first year of production. No A suffix, not tapped for scope, and no round cap on the bolt extension. Fairly nice American walnut stock. Put a Williams peep sight on it. Getting 2560 fps with 37 grs LVR and a 147 grs FMJ spitzer at the fast end and it seems to love 160 FN cast over 16 grs IMR 4227. Utilitarian. Love it.
There seems to be regional preferences on guns and I used to notice the Wichita Falls gun show always had a disproportionate number of 788s show up. Something about Texoma seems to like those rifles.
I've owned a few 788s over the years, all good shooters. The only one I have now is a 6mm and it's very accurate though I have not shot it in a long time. I wish Remington hadn't dropped it from the line.
arlon,
In the early-mid 1960s (and MAYBE later), OTASCO, SEARS, MONTGOMERY WARDS, GIANT DISCOUNT CENTERS & WESTERN AUTO sold BA .30-30 rifles using their "private brand labels".
(I heard that most of those "private label" rifles were actually made by MOSSBERG & IVER JOHNSON.)
I once (about 1965) bought a used OTASCO BA .30-30 for 40 bucks, as "a loaner". - It was UGLY but shot just fine out to 150M+.
(I've seen better looking 2x4 studs at HD/Lowes than the wood that that stock was made from!!)
yours, tex