Use enough gun. With your .30/30 it sounds like you are!

 

They both have their place. Thick woods vs. open country. Thin vs. thick skin game. Lots of bullet choices in either caliber. Especially if you hand load. I used a Win 94 .30-30 for years until my wife bought me an 1895GS in 2005. It gets the nod for almost everything now.:biggrin:

 

I hunt with a Sako 308 win and it is my favorite rifle but I have two short barreled 30-30's, a cut down glenfield with 16 inch barrel and a marlin 336 LTS also with a 16 1/4 inch barrel and they get there time in the woods also. I am not going to say that one is better than the other but if I just had one gun to hunt with it would be the 308.

 

If you shoot about 1.5" behind the shoulder that will stop the damage done to meat. I don't like taking the shoulder shot which is just my personal choice, I much prefer thru the ribs.. sometimes on a quartering shot you don't have any choice.

As far as the 308 vs the 30-30, the 308 is a more versatile cartridge (putting in flame proof garments). You can find a niche where the 30-30 may out perform the 308 win, but the 308 win using handloads, and a similar bullet to the 30-30 would give you near identical results... but I see no need to load the 308 win down when you can adjust your point of aim to connect with the rib cage instead of the front shoulders... I had also rather the deer run itself out, and bleed out good in 40-80 yards (with either cartridge) than drop to it's front in running in a circle dragging it's head on the ground trying to run with it's hind feet.

With your Savage 99 ity's even harder to make a which one is better for what type of hunting as one of the 30-30's best features is the lever action gun it's chambered in... Comparing the Savage 99 to a Marlin 336 both are great carry guns, and easy to use in carry or shooting.

 

I love the 30 30, but rclint nailed it. I guess because I bowhunter a lot I always go for the shot behind the shoulder. The exception is when hunting very large animals, like moose and elk, where you want them down fast and where they stand.

 

Much as I enjoy my 30-30 Glenfield, typically I rely on even more than a 308, going instead to the good ol' 30-06 for most of my hunting, or the 25-06 when hunting open country for mule deer & antelope.

Normally I hunt more open areas, where ranges tend to be longer. Also hunt mule deer, black bear and sometimes elk, so a little more reach and power has been handy. For instance in the fall of 2016:

Bear at 325 yds
Antelope at 245 yds
Mule deer at 140 yds
Elk at 338 yds

That was one heck of a fall season for me, but the distances were very normal for me and my hunting. All those were with the 30-06 rifle. I'd not have been as confident, particularly with the 300+ yard ranges on bear & elk if I'd been carrying my 30-30 Glenfield. All those except the mule deer were quick, one-shot kills. The mule deer dropped at the shot but required a finishing shot.

But I do think the 30-30 seems like the perfect solution for the hunting you do T.R. And, sometimes I do choose to carry my 30-30 instead. I wouldn't want to be without it!

Regards, Guy

 

I've got a question. I read a lot about y'all "still hunting" (walking slowly through the woods looking for game) in densely populated states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Are y'all hunting on private property or public land? If public land, isn't it risky that you may come upon other hunters and either get shot or confronted by an angry fellow with a gun?

In Texas, we still hunt too but, on private property. If there is more than one hunter on the property, we coordinate our activities with each other. If we encounter a stranger, he or she is a trespasser and will be ushered off the property and/or prosecuted. There is very little public land in Texas. In the state and national forests down here, most find a spot and sit.

Just wondering... :hmmmm2:

T.S.

 

Great point ! Here in NYS, I still hunt, but only on private property or in the wilds of the Adirondacks. Too many downstate yahoos to walk around on public land in the Southern Zone.

 

Texas Shooter:

In Pennsylvania and within Maryland, I've always hunted public lands. The secret is to study topo maps and figure out where to walk in a mile or further from the nearest road. Nearly always I have the woods to myself. I've had excellent luck hunting within Tuscarora State Park in Perry County. It's steep country which keeps the so-called average hunter from crossing the next ridge to hunt in the forest beyond. I carry a folding saw to cut the animal in half for two trips out. Yes, this is extra effort on my part but worth it.

TR

 

Thanks! I was really curious about that. - T.S.
​

 

For woodlands hunting I'll go with the 308 Win. in a BLR or Marlin MX. 308 express for a one rifle owner. But I do like the 30-30 too.

 

It is really all about the bullet, can put a harder bullet in a 308 and virtually stop meat damage, or place a softer bullet like a Hawk into a 30-30 and increase it. The velocity can also be decreased or increased for the same effect within reason. Just depends what you want the cartridge do. Keep the 308 BLR & 308MX loaded with 170gr Rem RNHP, at velocities going well above 30-30 speeds, creates huge pass thru wounds, bang flops an advantage in steep country when you don't want them running down hill. Have a Marlin 30-30 XLR loaded hot with LVR and the same bullet for the same reason, but have yet to take any deer with it.

 

My first deer rifle was a Marlin 30-30 and everything my boys shot with it never ran farther than 40 yards before going down. All shots were pass thru except one, which was a buck that field dressed at 210lbs. My son now hunts with a Savage 110 in 308 and has shot several deer and all have dropped where shot. No matter how you look at it, both rounds are capable of getting the job done. Me personally either works under 150 yards and the 308 for longer shots.

 

Weird, I have center fire rifles in 12 calibers and no 308. I have been around guns all my life and have never fired one. They are seldom seen here.

 

Out of curiosity, what hunting rifles and cartridges are common in your neck of the woods?

Here in central Washington State - it's actually rare to find anyone afield with a lever-action of any type.

Common here are scoped bolt actions, mostly in cartridges like the 270, 30-06, 7mm mag, 300 Win mag, 300 WSM, that sort of thing. That's the normal hunting rifle here.

Regards, Guy

 

That my friend is called a buying opportunity. Now, your delivery to the missus needs work but I like your fundamentals.

 

In short RCLINT nailed it, I shoot both. Bottom line shorter ranges (woodland) small to medium game 30-30. Small to large game longer ranges and open country 308. Bullet placement is key 1-11/2 behind the arm pit will take out the pluming between the hart and lungs, meet in the larder up hill or down. Shooting a heavy barrelled 308 Tika T3 with a sound moderator on our (UK) small Roe Dear I would normally use 150gr, 2935 fps, also 165gr , 2620fps. These are hand loads loaded to comply with the Boon & Crocket reticule on my Leupold scope, I also fitted target turrets. This is a long range rifle with 125, 150, 165, & 180 gr loads calibrated. To change loads 125 - 2 clicks. 150 zero, 165 +8, 180 +6. (No typo) This is a long winded way of saying either use a reduced load in the 308 OR a harder bullet I also use 150gr Barnes at close range. Hydrostatic shock equates to velocity equals carcase damage equals close range 308 shots broad side 90% whenever you can and do not hit the shoulder. All that said what did I hunt with last night 30-30 130gr, saw 2 does not a safe shot and 2 foxes to dark to shoot and they came out of the hedge 10 yards from the landrover. Still time spent on recognisance is never wasted.GH

 

Same here. I seldom see a hunter here in Texas carrying a lever action rifle. T.S.

 

Within the numerous deer camps of central Pennsylvania I've observed an awful lot of Remington slide action rifles in 30-06 chambering. But 30-30 carbines are often seen, too. Deer do not always present a perfect broadside shot which is why my .308 has destroyed the off side shoulder of many deer. I'm a huge fan of the 30-30 for deer hunting but I've also had good luck hunting with my Marlin 35 and my Ruger 96 in 44 MAG. They all perform nearly the same. That is, topple deer quickly with a chest shot.

I hunt the ridges of northern Maryland just south of central Pennsylvania. Many Ruger semi-auto carbines in 44 MAG have been observed. Do not discard Maryland as a deer hunting state. The season is long and doe tags are generous. The non-resident fee is reasonable. Maryland hunters that I've met are just like my friends back home. Friendly, helpful, and good hunting ethics.

TR

 

In the 30-30 vs 308 debate, I've used both. The past few years I've been kind of splitting the difference. I've been using a pair of Savage 99's in 300 Savage; one scoped, and one with a receiver sight. I load 150 grain bullets to just over 2600 fps. Works well on deer, and is easy on the shoulder.

 

Personally, I think it's nice to have a variety of rifle/caliber choices to use depending on what you're doing; different game, terrain, ranges, etc. We commonly use a lever with irons in heavy forested areas we will hunt. Good luck to you..

 

I think a lightweight short barreled 308 bolt action or magazine lever action can come close to the handling characteristics of a tube fed 30-30 lever gun. The 30-30 can get closer to 308 win performance by wild catting and modifying the action to squeeze more performance and give more bullet options...longer pointy bullets if you only put one in the chamber and one in the tube.

Sounds like the 30-30 works just fine for your situation. If you are willing to tweak the lever gun and reload, that gun will be able to do even more for you. However, an easy off the shelf solution for more range and energy is a 308 Win.

 

My walking gun is the remlin 336ss with the burris fastfire3 or the henry big boy all-weather 44 mag with the fastfire 3 in the thick stuff.
My stand or groundblind gun is the blr '81 stainless takedown 300 win mag with a leupold vx-3 3.5-10x40mm scope where I might have to reach out and deliver the pricedo lovetap beyond 200 yds.
If you had a $ for each deer taken in north america with the 30-30 cartridge you could buy alaska and have it as your own personal hunting preserve.

 

If you are hunting thick cover there is no need for anything but a 30/30-35 class rifle. Action means nothing in this cover if you miss
first shot you are done. Yea, you can load a 308 down or a 30/30 up if you want to. I've killed a lot of deer with 30/30, 308, 30/06
35rem and more than a few with everything from 25/20 to 458win. The only thing 308 & 30/06 have as advantage is distance and the
fact bolt actions tend to be more accurate. For deer under 100yds there is no advantage. 308 happens to be one of my favorites if
im hunting were it's an advantage. My furthest deer was about 250yds with a m70 308. My most un favorite deer rifle is my 1895
Marlin. Nothing at all wrong with the gun but for practical range on deer it's overkill. The best deer rifle is the type of rifle and the
best cartridge for terrain and rages you are most likely to encounter. Deer aren't that hard to kill and I worry more about needless
meat damage than killing them.

 

I have waited for many years for someone to come out with the perfect woodlands deer traditional rifle and Marlin finally offered the 308 exp. XLR - MX. It's ballistic is about the same as the 300 savage as I can tell. The 308 exp. can reach out as far as a 300 Savage and will do what the 30-30 can do with 170 gr. or 150 gr. projectiles. But sadly this is not offered at this time.

I believe the 308 exp. can easily do well with those long in between the trees shots ​

and here is my proof.

 

If you compare ballistics on these new flash in the pan cartridges they are about the same as standard factory line up. Some are
engineered to be shorter to be chambered in lighter rifles others to provide an equal choice to mainly BA market. A couple hundred
FPS is only difference. That can be varied by barrel length, anyway when it gets down to it all the technical stuff doesn't mean much.
When you have the same bullet, at same velocity you are going to have the same results.

 

Yeah, all about area, but more with hunting style. My issue is the 30-30 is so nice to carry, so it comes out more, thus makes all my kills as i am more of a walker in our cold weather late season. So for me it always take the cake. There is no denying the 308 though obviously. I've even been considering a single shot from Henry.

 

Stand hunters are more regulated by terrain and cover. If you are stump hunting in a thicket where a long shot is 100yds you still
don't need a HV rifle. Hunting broken cover with open woods and fields a 308-30/06 class rifle would be the better choice, walking
or standing. Open country type hunting where there is no limit on range you might encounter one of the 270- 7mm mag class cartridges may be your best choice. I don't believe in using any 22 CF cartridge on deer. They will kill them with a well placed sniper
type shot but not the best choice. In over the counter stuff the 243 is the smallest I would carry.

 

I take 30-30