The 30-30 is an actual rifle cartridge. There are a myriad of 30 cal rifle bullets you can use in it, (pointy bullets can be loaded singly into the chamber.)
I've used a scope on my Win 94AE[angle eject] 30-30 with great results. "Small varmints" rarely take "1000ft-lbs" of energy, but a scope will be needed to hit them with regularity.
I had lots of Marlin Lever actions in my lifetime, I stuck with two chamberings the 44mag and the 444. If needed both can use the same bullets, I cast and load my own so bullets and Ammo are no problem. There is nothing on Gods green Earth that can,t be killed with those two cartridges.
Its really hard to beat a 30-30 for general use.I consider the 357 mag the most useful in small black bear country.If you have bigger bears 44 mag,30-30,45-70 in that order by the size of the bears in the area you'll be running around.I carry a 1894c going on 23 years in the woods around were my summer/hunting cabin is.I live here 7 months out of the year,in the UP of Michigan.I don't carry a handgun,but a light,little carbine with enough ammo on board,and power to keep me out of trouble is the way to go.Rember IMO,if you add glass and a bunch of added weight,you leave the rifle against a tree,instead of on your shoulder.If you have the firearm out of reach,what good will it do you when a bear,wolf,bad man come a callin?
I don't know about my 1895P in 44 Mag, pictured above, killing anything in North America. I like to think it would but I'm not going to try it if I can help it. I've seen a brown bear 100 yards from me while hunting Elk, and I almost crapped my britches when he stopped and turned up his nose and caught air coming from my way ... the only thing that kept me from crapping said britches is I was totin' a Tikka in 300 WSM and I knew I could get off four or five shots at him if he started my way from where he was down in the gully.
I do not think I would have been quite so confident had I had the 44 Mag with me instead.
But that 338 MX, pictured above, I would have felt fine with that one. It's still delivering the same energy as 30-06 at 400 yards - closer, even more with a heavier pill.
When someone types, "kill anything in North America" I immediately think Griz and Elk and maybe even those big white furry bears ... now, 45-70 with the proper loads, yeah, I'd feel alright with that one too. I just never carry mine anymore. I still shoot it, still cast and load for it, but it's more of my old faithful in the gun safe these days. I know it's sitting there if I should ever need it but I imagine it may not get much use until my boy is big enough in a few more years to learn the ways of the 45-70.
Now, shtf, it would probably be the one I would pull out of there first for an all around big stick. I've stocked up enough brass and thrown enough cast boolits over the years to make it him if needed - the thing is, there are specialty calibers that do certain things better. No one caliber that does them all as well though, I agree.
Perferator, that mini glass you've got atop yours, it must be made to take a beatin' huh? What is that - red dot or 2 x cross hairs or both? I'm having problems putting my finger on the make and model.
I don't know about my 1895P in 44 Mag, pictured above, killing anything in North America. I like to think it would but I'm not going to try it if I can help it. I've seen a brown bear 100 yards from me while hunting Elk, and I almost crapped my britches when he stopped and turned up his nose and caught air coming from my way ... the only thing that kept me from crapping said britches is I was totin' a Tikka in 300 WSM and I knew I could get off four or five shots at him if he started my way from where he was down in the gully.
I do not think I would have been quite so confident had I had the 44 Mag with me instead.
But that 338 MX, pictured above, I would have felt fine with that one. It's still delivering the same energy as 30-06 at 400 yards - closer, even more with a heavier pill.
When someone types, "kill anything in North America" I immediately think Griz and Elk and maybe even those big white furry bears ... now, 45-70 with the proper loads, yeah, I'd feel alright with that one too. I just never carry mine anymore. I still shoot it, still cast and load for it, but it's more of my old faithful in the gun safe these days. I know it's sitting there if I should ever need it but I imagine it may not get much use until my boy is big enough in a few more years to learn the ways of the 45-70.
Now, shtf, it would probably be the one I would pull out of there first for an all around big stick. I've stocked up enough brass and thrown enough cast boolits over the years to make it him if needed - the thing is, there are specialty calibers that do certain things better. No one caliber that does them all as well though, I agree.
Perferator, that mini glass you've got atop yours, it must be made to take a beatin' huh? What is that - red dot or 2 x cross hairs or both? I'm having problems putting my finger on the make and model.
Grizzlies in the 48 lower, Brown in Alaska. No elk in Alaska. But, I got ya!
Actually, we were in Idaho and it was an elk hunt and it was a grizzly, which they call brown bears unless it is a black bear that is brown then they call those "little browns," but those are two different species. We saw some of the smaller black bears (which were actually more brownish than black), a couple of which were really brown and not black at all, but as it was explained to me by my buddy who is a guide out there full time, who I served with, it was a grizzly that walked down below us that all the boys out there refer to as "big browns," or at least that is what I was told.
I understand the whole Kodiak brown bear thing. I saw plenty of those trout fishing in Alaska at another service buddy's of mine fishing lodge. I've never seen a live polar bear and was told they were farther north than we were fishing, but I've seen a polar bear rug and it was big enough that I wouldn't want to run into one in the wild with nothing but a 44 mag carbine.
Alaska is still in North America unless I got that wrong?
BTW, you made me just do a google ...
All About Bears
There are 8 different kinds of bears - American black bears, polar bears, giant panda bears, Asiatic black bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears, sun bears and brown bears which are also known as grizzly bears
It was the first hit on the google ... source here (you may want to contact these people and set them straight):
We've hunted in Idaho for six straight years before this past season. This past season we hunted New Mexico. We're hoping to get tags for Colorado this year, if not, it's back to Idaho. All the wives and kids stay in Sun Valley for the Idaho hunts so they are hoping we go back to Idaho this year.
I would like to purchase either a 30-30, 44 mag 0r 357 mag. Be using to hunt deer and small varments, any suggestions on which would be the best choice. Also is there any real difference is noise between any of them.
For any lever action rifle, I suggest flat nosed ammo. I was never comfortable thinking about a pointy bullet tip resting on a primer of another round. <><
For any lever action rifle, I suggest flat nosed ammo. I was never comfortable thinking about a pointy bullet tip resting on a primer of another round. <><
Pointedly no , unless you only load one in the chamber and one in the tubular mag .
But it does not necessarily have to be flat nose . Millions of rounds of soft point round nose jacked ammo has been sold in .30-30 .
My standard .357 & .44 Mag home cast bullet is a Lee RNL . They feed better than SWC . I load .45 LC with a RNFP , simply because I got a mold of that configuration in trade . Luclily , it feeds fine too . :-)
I have a wonderful little Winchester 94AE in .44 magnum, and the Hornady LeveRevolution ammo takes the worry out of the ammo in the magazine........I`ve killed one white-tail with it so far and it`s a great little rifle.....
I have a wonderful little Winchester 94AE in .44 magnum, and the Hornady LeveRevolution ammo takes the worry out of the ammo in the magazine........I`ve killed one white-tail with it so far and it`s a great little rifle.....
I almost exclusively shoot Round Nose Lead or Round Nose Flat Point home cast lead bullets in my lever guns .
Not sure I understand the worry that the Hornady LeveRevolution ammo alleviates , for you ?
Consider how many millions of rounds of RNSP jacketed .30-30 ammo has been sold . How many do you hear causing problems ?
If you are happy with Hornady LeveRevolution ammo, well and good .
For many of us , we rarely shoot factory bullets and even more rarely shoot factory ammo , in our lever guns .
Can't go wrong with any caliber you have mentioned . Hard to beat a Marlin 336 in 30-30 for price and performance .I have a 336 in 30-30 , an 1894 in 44mag ,and 1895 in 444 and my son has a 450 marlin . All are great . My hunting buddy has a 35rem and a 357 mag as well . All perform well on whitetails . Just for shootin the 357 and 44 are easier on the shoulder . I use my 44 for stalking and it is very handy. Can't tell you how many deer I have sacked with the 30-30 and the 444 . My buddy killed number 47 with the old 35Rem last season . We got our 336's back in the 70's . You can get some good deals on 30-30's at the big chains this time of year . Reloading will be a must at some point on 444,45-70, and 450's if you go big bore . The cost of shells is high for these rounds . this will also improve the experience .
I was going to buy a Marlin 336. I don't really like the Winchesters. I bought a raffle ticket from a friend at work. A couple of months ago I got lucky, and won a Mossberg 30/30 Lever. I didn't even know they made a lever gun. It has shot very well, and I am pleased with it. It would not please most of the lever guy's, because it has a tang safety. It also has a lever safety, so if you don't squeeze the lever you can't pull the trigger. I am going to use it as my son's deer gun. I grew up with shotguns, so the tang safety really doesn't bother me, and the lever safety is good for walking through the brush up here.
I was going to buy a Marlin 336. I don't really like the Winchesters. I bought a raffle ticket from a friend at work. A couple of months ago I got lucky, and won a Mossberg 30/30 Lever. I didn't even know they made a lever gun. It has shot very well, and I am pleased with it. It would not please most of the lever guy's, because it has a tang safety. It also has a lever safety, so if you don't squeeze the lever you can't pull the trigger. I am going to use it as my son's deer gun. I grew up with shotguns, so the tang safety really doesn't bother me, and the lever safety is good for walking through the brush up here.
Can not remember , but either the Winny or the Marlin or both have the lever safety .
Best I remember , the Rossi M92 clones do not ?
Best of luck with your Mossy . Both My Winny & Marlin like the cheap Federal 170 grain RNSP from Wally World .
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