The .30-30 Is Back — and It's Better Than Your Granddad's
New lever guns and modern bullets have made the .30-30 one of the smartest deer rifles you can buy for thick country.
Native Industries ·
The .30-30 has killed more deer than almost anything ever made. It never really left, but it's having a real comeback. New lever guns are being built again, and better bullets have stretched what the old cartridge can do.
Why it still works. Most Texas whitetail are shot inside 150 yards, often inside 100. In that range the .30-30 hits hard, recoils softly, and the rifle carries light and points fast. A lever gun is short, quick to cycle and easy to shoot from a blind window.
The rifles. Henry builds a wide range of lever guns, including side-gate models that load like the classics. Ruger now builds Marlins, and the 336 is back. Winchester and Rossi make them too. Look for a smooth action, good sights and a receiver drilled for a scope or peep sight.
The loads. Classic 150 grain flat-point loads start around 2,390 feet per second, carry about 1,900 foot-pounds at the muzzle, and still have close to 1,000 at 200 yards. The 170 grain loads start slower but hold up similarly. Hornady's 160 grain LEVERevolution uses a soft, pointed tip that's safe in a tube magazine. It starts around 2,400 feet per second and still carries about 1,300 foot-pounds at 200 yards, which pushes the practical range out to 200 or 225 yards.
One rule never changes. Use flat-point bullets or the soft-tip FTX bullets only. A sharp pointed bullet resting on the primer of the round in front of it can set it off in a tube magazine.
Know your drop. Zeroed at 100 yards, a 150 grain flat-point lands about 7 to 8 inches low at 200. That's fine for a deer's chest at 150 and too much to guess at 250. If you want to shoot past 200, use the FTX load and zero at 150.
Sights. A good peep sight is fast and rugged. A low 1-4x or 2-7x scope is more forgiving in low light. Either one keeps the rifle light and handy.
The honest limit. With classic loads, keep shots inside 150 to 175 yards. With the FTX load and a scope, 200 to 225 if you've tested it. Past that, carry a different rifle.
If your deer show up at 80 yards in the cedar, the .30-30 might be the best rifle you'll ever own.