# is a 30-30 ok for deer 35 yards away



## i_love_177 (Oct 20, 2004)

will a 30-30 leave to big of a hole where the shooting is limited to about 35 yards


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

Nope.


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## i_love_177 (Oct 20, 2004)

how big will the hole be then


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## OneShotOneKill (Feb 13, 2004)

The 30-30 Winchester is a proven deer cartridge using 150 and/or 170 grain bullets.
*What does it matter how big the hole will be?*


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

He's worried about the deer being split in two at such a close range, and it wont happen.


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## Decoyer (Mar 2, 2002)

That sounds like a situation that the old Winchester 30-30 was taylor made for.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

brush gun. :lol:


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## i_love_177 (Oct 20, 2004)

im not worried about the deer being split in 2 im worried about 2 much meat being ruined


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

It will not ruin any more meat than any other high powered rifle will.


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

i_love_177 said:


> im not worried about the deer being split in 2 im worried about 2 much meat being ruined


That was a figure of speech, 177.


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## Quackkills9 (Oct 25, 2004)

Man! just shoot it! :sniper: :sniper: i shoot from any yardage and i dont find it ruining any meat, just shoot in the lungs/heart or whatever.. or in the neck if youre worry about not getting alot of meat, i dont hunt deer for meat, i hunt for the enjoyment in the woods/fields watching deer and ill take a big doe or a nice buck from any distance, ever since using a 30-06 i shot a 8 pt 40 yds and didnt even have a big hole, just a 3/4 inch diameter, wouldnt hurt the meat... Good Huntin' :thumb:


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Ryan_Todd said:


> brush gun. :lol:


Yep! It is great if you walk heavy cover and the deer get up close!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Use A 45-70 it only has 500 grain bullets  It actually doesn't do that much damage. Neck Heart but it will blow through the brush. Also with a 12 in tree and 6 shots it will tip over. sight it in for 50 yards and everything over 100 yards hold a foot high for every foot you shoot. :lol:


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

"Also with a 12 in tree and 6 shots it will tip over."

Huh?


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## mr.trooper (Aug 3, 2004)

I think he means that if you shoot a 12 nch tree 6 times the tree will fall over from being blown appart....like choping it down with bullets.

"just hold it a foot high for eveory foot past 50 yards" --Good Ol' 45-70 and its rainbow trajectory. O-whell with a 500 gr lead whad floating along at 1100 fps it just cant be helped.


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## t_lowe_308 (Oct 31, 2004)

i ve been hunting with a 30-30 and the first deer i shot with it was 175 yards away in an open field and your asking about 35yards and it didnt drop but maybe a half an inch and i droped it too.


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## scrollmaster (Nov 15, 2004)

These guys are absolutely right. The 30-30 is an excellent caliber rifle for this type hunting. In my neck of the woods in Louisiana it is a very popular caliber because of the thick woods and heavy underbrush that exists in much of our hunting areas. At some of my stands on our property we have to actually remove some under brush to even have shooting lanes. I have also found the Win Big Bore in .375 Win to be an excellent brush gun. As always shot placement is key, when possible wait for the right shot angle and you should minimize waste somewhat.

You want a different kind of rush??? You may want to consider bow hunting... sounds like you're situation is tailor made for archery. So much available in bows now a days that never existed a decade or so ago and the thrill is indescribable. You can't imagine what it's like 12-15 ft off the ground watchin' your deer feeding on acorns and brush tips below and waiting for the right position for your shot. You're just hoping they can't hear your heart beating because not only is it about to explode in your chest the beating is deafening in your head and the adrenelin pumpin so strong that you struggle just to control suckin' wind when you breathe.


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## hunter boy1991 (Nov 22, 2004)

yes it is a very good way to get a desperate. :withstupid:


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

At 35 yards you should be able to shoot it in the head/neck no problem therefore not ruining any meat......... :lol:


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## Blake Hermel (Sep 10, 2002)

Read the article about the 27pt Duluth buck shot. A 30/30 was used and he missed 5 times :sniper:


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

It depends on waht kind of shells you are going to shoot.


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## cbass (Sep 9, 2003)

right on quack


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## northerndave (Dec 6, 2004)

30-30 is made for that situation. shoot em through the lungs behind the shoulder, unless you are worried about ruining the lungs? Just kidding, lung shot at 35 yds is easy & effective, big target, lots of undamaged meat.


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## northerndave (Dec 6, 2004)

30-30 is made for that situation. shoot em through the lungs behind the shoulder, unless you are worried about ruining the lungs? Just kidding, lung shot at 35 yds is easy & effective, big target, lots of undamaged meat.


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

Agreed, great at 35, or 135 yds. You're not going to get him if you don't ruin SOME meat. There will still be plenty left over.


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## ARMallardSlayer (Jan 8, 2005)

Double lung him and your a-ok..........


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

Spend another $20 and shoot two if you are worried about ruining the meat. My brother used a 30/30 afew years ago. First he shot the buck in the back leg, then took out the front leg, then he walked up to him and head shot him to finish him off. no wased meat.


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## mr.trooper (Aug 3, 2004)

LOL.

Could have just shot him in the head to start with :lol:


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## mr.trooper (Aug 3, 2004)

LOL.

Could have just shot him in the head to start with :lol:

Dont worry man. Deer, like all carbon based life forms, ae soft and squishy and made mostly of water. it wont "blow up". the bullet will mushroom and lodge in the body.


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## Ace25 (Dec 18, 2004)

35 YDS? Hmm, Even a 12Ga with a slug would work at that range. You can shoot right through brush and even small trees. :wink:


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## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

it will leave a hole about the size of a 257


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## bl00dtrail (Jan 21, 2005)

there is hardly any meat inbetween the ribs anyways.....you'll probably only bust up 2-3 on each side!!


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## Shooter (Sep 21, 2004)

I don't see any problem with the .30-30. My cousin shot a doe with one a few years ago and didn't have any problems. You'll just have to practice and make sure you can shoot the gun and handle it well.


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## Swamp Rabbit (Feb 28, 2005)

i don't see any problem with using a .30-30. i killed my first deer with a .30-30.(5 point) It was about 60 yards away, shot it in the vitals and it dropped dead, there was not hardly any meat ruined.

my father shot a doe with a .30-30 open sights right in the neck facing us at about 80 yds away, i see no problem with using a .30-30.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

i_love_177 said:


> im not worried about the deer being split in 2 im worried about 2 much meat being ruined


If you go for a heart lung shot the only thing lost is a few meatless ribs. At the 30 yard distance you ask about I would go for a neck spine shot. Last deer I took at a distance you asked about was in fact with a 30-30 using 150 grain bullets. Small entry wound with about a 2 inch exit wound on the opposit rib cage. No lost meat.


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## kase (Jan 23, 2005)

35 yards?...shoot them with a bow, then you don't have to worry about ruining any meat. plus, killing a deer with a bow is a lot more enjoyable that dropping the hammer with a rifle. i realize that maybe you are rifle hunting and you don't have your bow with, but if you are set up in heavy woods and are expecting the deer to come that close, take the bow instead of the 30-30.

kase


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## ShineRunner (Sep 11, 2002)

I used a 30-30 Marlin 336c for many years for deer in the mountains of NC. I worked up a load that made my rifle reasonably accurate for deer up to 150 yards. I probably have killed 30 or 40 deer with this rifle and load. I did use a scope, unless I was hunting in thick woods and cover. Mostly hunted in an area that other hunters did not hunt very often because of the terrain but now is State Park property that is (NO HUNTING) :******:

Good luck with the 30-30! Like with any other rifle make sure of your target, get good aim and harvest the animal.


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## Draker16 (Nov 23, 2004)

No if you hit it in the vitals no meat will be ruined, but if you hit it in the hind quarters your going to lose the meat with pretty much any gun.


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