# 30/30



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Wanting a lever action 30/30. What would you all think about it for yotes? What else do folks have them for, besides that they look great and are traditional. Haha


----------



## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

They will definitely kill a coyote.
What range are you thinking of shooting?


----------



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

We are limited here on our land to about 100-150 yards. If I go out hunting in other places I will take the 22-250. Just been dying to have a lever action! !


----------



## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Bubbas Boys said:


> We are limited here on our land to about 100-150 yards. If I go out hunting in other places I will take the 22-250. Just been dying to have a lever action! !


You don't need any excuse to buy one, other than you want one!

There are a lot of better all-around coyote rifles than a lever 30-30....but when a man has the wants, he has the wants.

Plus they are great little short-range deer busters, if you do that sort of thing.


----------



## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

I 45 LC and a 44 mag 1894 Marlin fun guns to shoot might considerer one of the pistol calibers? You can load them up or down if you want and you aren't giving up much in range of the 3030 on a coyote's 44 mag make a big hole in one.
Something about a lever gun it just feels right carrying it.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

definitly no need to try an justify buying a gun around here , you want it , it's your money and you have it , make it happen

the Marlin 336 is a fine 30-30 , I run reduced loads for 100 yard target work that is about all the action mine sees these days , but it sure is fun 

It is not my choice for a foul weather gun I never want to take it out in foul weather again , give me an 870 for the nastiest weather I never seem to see deer outside shotgun distance in weather any way, I can have it clean and dry in under 10 minutes of my time , the 30-30 with all those screws and parts , is a pain when it is soaked through


----------



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

You might want to look at the 35 Rem. in a lever gun. Very popular down south.It's a fine round.I know a guy that has a 14" hunter barrel on a contender pistol frame and it's a softball all day long at 300 yards. I only shoot mine out to 150 and it's plenty accurate.

Wade


----------



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Great guys. Thanks. I think I gonna get one. What is opinions on the extra money for a henry?


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I think your state has recently passed a straight wall {pistol cartridge} law for deer hunting. 
While I have a Winchester 94 in 30-30 and another in 32 Winchester special I think I would OPT for a new Henry in 44 mag just so I could hunt deer with it in your state. 
You already have a great coyote rifle in the 22 250 and the 44 mag will do a number on a coyote also.

https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/henry-big-boy-steel/

All American made what is the problem with that.

 Al


----------



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Ok. I am not great at keeping up with stuff here in illinois. So the 44 mag would qualify for deer hunting? I actually just got a Smith and Wesson 44 mag from an older guy that had no one to hamd it down to. It is really nice. I honestly did not know there was a rifle that shot same shell. Thanks much.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

if they have passed it it hasn't made the ILL-DNR regs yet from a quick read of ILL regs it looks like Slugs are still it for this year

another search looks like there has been talk but it is stalled at the moment

the other issue is that you fellas south of the boarder are limited to 3 rounds , plugging up a lever gun to only hold 2 in the mag is going to be a treat doable but what a pain.


----------



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Now I am looking at the .44 mag in lever action. Even though I cant deer hunt with it yet sounds promising after talking with some locals today. Price difference is quite a bit, so is Henry worth the extra $$ over Marlin?


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

if 44 is what you want the rossi is worth a look http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/36_385/Rossi/

now If I could I would find a used 336 in 30-30 then re-barrel to 445 super mag 

445 super mag is a longer 44mag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_magnum

it lets you use 44 spl , mag and super mag 

and puts it almost to 444 marlin but leaves other options open


----------



## Big_Al (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm a fan of guns of the old west. I have two centerfire lever actions, both in 30-30.
An older Marlin Texan (straight grip butt stock) and a newer Winchester.
All serious riflemen should own a 30-30, they are a great all-around rifle.


----------



## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Nothing wrong with having a 30-30 or 44 mag lever gun, but those would be about the bottom of my list as a coyote gun like you mentioned.

For yotes, you would be much better served with a scoped, bolt action .223, .243 or anything around those type of calibers. Great for that 100-150 yard shooting mentioned and can reach out a bit further when required.


----------



## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

First off do you reload ? I going to assume someone with a 22.250 is a re loader? The 22.250 is perfect for coyotes so you are really looking for a fun gun to shoot . The reason i suggested the pistol caliber is cause they are cheep and easy to reload compared to the 3030. A 44 mag will kill a coyote easy if you hit it I load my LC hot for the rifle as i don't have a pistol for it. the 44 is still more then potent in loads that are safe to shoot in my model 29 and I like shooting reduced loads in it for fun when i am not hunting. 
The biggest animal iv shot with them is wild hogs and they both go all the way tough with lots of damage.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

30-30 and 44 are darn close in price per round I see 150gr remingtions for about 16.99 a box of 20 and 44mag for about 40 dollars the box of 50 

both can save a bunch of money reloading I found I could make what would be premium 44 mag for around 30 cents a round and maybe a nickle more for 30-30 depending on the load , and the brass lasts quite a while.

but for my reduced cast lead 30-30 rounds I am about a nickel to a dime a round 

my cast 44mag are a dime to 15 cents depending on the load mostly because they use more lead


----------



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Well, I did it tonight. Bought the Henry 30-30 at the small shop I was looking at earlier this week. Talked myself out of the .44mag. Cant wait to pick it up on Monday and fire it. I have been wanting a lever action 30-30 ever since I traded mine a while back. Wont make that mistake again. Thanks for all the info!!


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I think you will really like the 30-30 , it is a very under appreciated round , I like 170s but you may want to buy a few boxes of each 170 and 150 you may even want to try the 125 

I used the 170s but mainly because that is what was available when I started buying them and what my 30-30 was sighted in for before I got it , mine isn't the prettiest the original owner kept it in his boat as his gator gun , but the barrel was kept up on the inside and thats what matters 

but like I said earlier it is mainly light target loads these days , those are either 170gr cast or 90gr cast 

mine wears a Williams 5D peep rear with a Globe front , it keeps the traditional lever gun looks and feel but gives a better sight picture


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Congrats on the new henery.

No factory loads have been thru my 30 30 since I got it way back in 1964. At first I could buy the bulk Winchester silver tips 150 gr. over a charge of IMR 3031 for about 2200 FPS. When they stopped selling bulk silver tips about mid 1970's I switched to 150 grain JFP (Speer Jacketed Flat Point) bullets for many years over IMR 3031 powder @ 2200 FPS.

Tried some cast bullets and they were OK but I had to buy the cast ones so decided to stay with the jacketed stuff.

 Al


----------



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Not to beat a dead horse on this thread but took the Henry out of box last night and loaded 5 shots. Hit with all 5 shots from 50 yards. I think I love this rifle already. Haha. Will be shooting a lot more on a not so rainy night. Just wanted to share!


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

enjoy and save that brass in not to long you may want to reload it


----------



## Win07_351 (Dec 7, 2008)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> enjoy and save that brass in not to long you may want to reload it


If not, you can always save it then give it to somebody who does.:thumb:


----------



## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Once I had to shoot a rogue coyote. The 30-30 lever
I grabbed for a quick shot to bring him down easy with
one shot at a hundred yards....
The Henry lever is an excellent choice.


----------



## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

Some time ago I bought some 30-30 accelerator bullets, still have a few left, don't know if they still sell them..


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

RonM said:


> Some time ago I bought some 30-30 accelerator bullets, still have a few left, don't know if they still sell them..


These , you might want to sell them at 6 dollars each 
http://www.ammo-one.com/RemingtonAccelators.html

not sure how the accuracy was but it seemed like a great way to do double duty with your deer gun on yotes or chucks

if you wish to roll your own , the sabots are available here http://www.eabco.com/remington-accelerator-sabots.html for about 9.5 cents each add a 14-15 cent 224 bullet and have 25-27 cents a bullet isn't great for 22 bullets but if the accuracy was there you would sure need to shoot a lot of the to pay for a dedicated rifle , and the poly sabots can't be nearly as hard on a barrel as a .224 bullet going 4k fps


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I use different sabots in my muzzle loader and for th4e life of me can't figure out why you need a seater die to get the 223 bullet seated in the sabot. the sabot looks like it has gripping fingers at the top.

From the E. Arthur Brown Company, they have said this: 
Our Sabots for .30 caliber guns allow you to shoot .223 bullets. 30-30s shoot up to 3500 fps, 30-06 up to 4200 fps. Load data is included. Price is $9.95 for 100 Sabots (.223 bullets not included) Soft Nose Bullet Seater is $14.95 (for seating bullets into sabots) Shipping is $5.25 











Shopping also saves money.
http://www.polygunbag.com/.30CalSabotLargerView.html


It also turns your model 94 and 336 into a single shot since they have tubular mags.

Personally I feel if you want to shoot 22 ammo shop for a good used 22 center fire rifle. Lots of good used 233 rifles on the market and savage has rebates on new rifles.



 Al


----------



## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

All that matters is *YOU* are happy with the Henry!

I've owned the .22lr and .44 big boys, nice rifles.
Someone is always willing to pay more than I did, so I'm currently without a Henry.
Haven't tried the .30-30 yet.
9 out of 10 people I talk to with them are just tickled with them,
The 10th hates them with a passion!
(No accounting for taste, or more to the point, the lack of taste!  )

I've had a Marlin 366c since I was about 16 years old.
Never once failed me...
And it doesn't have the clunky action the Win 94 does.

Modern .30 cal guys rant on and on about how antique & underpowered/inaccurate the .30-30 round is...
I say that particular round has put more meat on the table than anything other than the .22 rimfires,
And that alone should give it a place in anyone's gun rack.

I find the .30-30 a great short range brush buster!
Its just perfect for what it was developed for, North American middle & large game animals at open sight ranges.
For this roll its almost perfect... (Almost...)


----------



## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

Bubbas Boys said:


> Well, I did it tonight. Bought the Henry 30-30 at the small shop I was looking at earlier this week. Talked myself out of the .44mag. Cant wait to pick it up on Monday and fire it. I have been wanting a lever action 30-30 ever since I traded mine a while back. Wont make that mistake again. Thanks for all the info!!


No problem start saving for the 44 mag next .I got two boys each one is near tied at 56 guns each :hysterical:


----------



## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Sawmill Jim said:


> No problem start saving for the 44 mag next .I got two boys each one is near tied at 56 guns each :hysterical:


56 is a good starter collection


----------



## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

Great rifle and great caliber, should do 90% of anything you would ever need to do above and beyond a 22. Probably won't need to, but if you are ever interested in stretching your trajectory a bit, take a look at the Leverevolution ammo.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/77...hester-160-grain-flex-tip-expanding-box-of-20


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Silvercreek Farmer said:


> Great rifle and great caliber, should do 90% of anything you would ever need to do above and beyond a 22. Probably won't need to, but if you are ever interested in stretching your trajectory a bit, take a look at the Leverevolution ammo.
> 
> http://www.midwayusa.com/product/77...hester-160-grain-flex-tip-expanding-box-of-20


that lever revolution really does turn the 30-30 into a 200 yard gun , estimated trajectory is 3 inches high at 100 to 0.2 high at 200 and -12.1 at 300 yards


----------



## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

Pete, is that accurate?
Have you verified it?

I have two or three boxes laying around, never went out and actually printed to see if he claims are accurate...

Just MY OPINION here,
The .30-30 is one of the 'PURE' rifles/rounds,
People haven't screwed it up seven ways from Sunday...
They haven't tried to make it an 'Assault Weapon', a tack driver or bench rifle, they haven't tried to put 20x optics on top, ect.

Its as good a brush busting game rifle as it always was,
Its as non-complicated, and FAST a follow up shot as it always was,
Its as rugged & reliable as its earlier cousins were,
And its one of my all time favorites in form & function.

Mine gets neglected way too much.
It just looks so good hanging on the wall with some of the other classics that people haven't screwed with that I forget its there!

I need to get out and try those Leverloution rounds on paper.
If it makes the old .30-30 reach 300 yards reliably, mine would get a lot more use...


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I am sure it will depend on the barrel and the usual conditions , I haven't tried he revolution ammo or powder yet , Hornady is posting the numbers I posted on their web site , they have a good reputation for producing quality ammo so I presume the numbers are fairly good.

people often think of 30-30 as a lever gun only even though there are a fair numbers of break , and bolt action rifles around shambered in 30-30

30-30 break and bolt shooting hand loaders have been playing with spitzer bullets with better ballistic coefficient for many years and found loads that worked well with greater range of effective trajectory through the energy savings of high BC bullets


----------



## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

I've owned a couple of bolt rifles in .30-30, wasn't impressed.
I still like the lever .30-30 above the other offerings,
Just personal preference.
If you like the round and are set up for it, then go for it.
Not sure I'd dig in and spend money on that round, with well over 100 years of firearms/rounds out there that do almost any job better...

Having said that, I have dies for .30-30 and crank out a few rounds myself and even cast solid and hollow point bullets,
Since hard plain led bullets will stay together & be accurate in a .30-30 its one of the few bottle neck rounds you can do that with.


----------



## MisterG (Jun 29, 2015)

My dad has a bolt .30-30, and my father in law had a couple lever action saddle rifles in .44-40. I have to admit I think the .44 mag would be an awesome lever option.
enjoy the new rifle. Sounds like you are already having some fun with it.


----------



## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

The lever evolution ammo in my opinion is trash for older models . I have tried them out of older 336 and 94. Neither would group near as good as the winchester 200gr. The twist isn't right for them. The 30-30 likes heavy lead on every single one I have shot.


----------



## hihobaron (Oct 5, 2015)

Hello
Lever action Rifle in 44 Mag.
Rossi Makes a very much better Lever gun (Stronger Action) Based on the Original Winchester 92 action, (the best pistol cartridge lever action ever built)
It showed up in the closing days of the Old West (1892)when Real Cowboys wanted a rifle to use the same ammo as their pistol. It had NO problems moving into the smokeless powder era because of the strength in the action It is made in a variety of rounds. 
38 Special/ 357 Mag. 44 Special/ 44 Mag, 45 Long Colt / 454 Casual. 45 LC is my favorite.
Rossi did the job right I have gunsmith friends that restore original Winchester 92's and order Rossi 92 action parts and in most cases they fit the Original guns with minor work.
I shoot Cowboy Action and Cowboy Mounted competition. 
Yes. there is a rifle class for Mounted shooting and My SS Rossi in 45 LC is the gun I use.
With horses trained to work around gun fire I would not hesitate to take a deer from horse back with the 45 LC Rossi rifle. 
Happy Trails
hihobaron


----------



## Texaspredatorhu (Sep 15, 2015)

Hornady leverevolution. I think it's great ammo. I run it through the 26" barreled commemorative I have. And before anyone says anything about shooting that it has been shot before and it was given to me by my grand dad so it won't leave my family.


----------



## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> that lever revolution really does turn the 30-30 into a 200 yard gun , estimated trajectory is 3 inches high at 100 to 0.2 high at 200 and -12.1 at 300 yards


Those are really, really good. They do a great job on deer, and the wound cavities are impressive. We have been using them in 30-30 and .444 Marlin.

Worth every dime.


----------



## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I shot a coyote with a 30-30 standard lever
action marlin....it was a hundred yard shot downhill
that dropped the predator immediately dead...a good 
quick loading shorter barrel varmint gun you can easily tote.


----------

