Nostalgic. Old-school. Underpowered. The 30-30 gets called a lot of things, but new technology and a rabid fan base are breathing new life into this venerable round.
Does Grandpa’s 30-30 Winchester still have the juice to get the job done by today’s cartridge standards? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn hit the range to find out. They fire three loadings – one old and two new. Will they be impressed or let down by the results. The gel blocks, an old rifle, a few shells, and these fine gentlemen tell the tale in this episode of — Cartridge Talks.
In this episode, Mark and Ryan put this new technology to the test, compare it to traditional rounds, and answer the question, “Is Grandpa’s 30-30 better than ever?”
30-30 Winchester Ammunition
Think the 30-30 Winchester® is a relic of the past? This episode might change your mind.
Though it has its roots in “the good ol’ days,” and it remained largely unchanged till the early 2000’s, the 30-30 is finding a foothold in the gun safes of modern hunters. This is largely thanks to Hornady, who developed new technologies that produce higher velocities and flatter trajectories.
Shape Future Episodes
Your feedback is invaluable. Post-watch, share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. While you’re there, stay connected and informed about new Cartridge Talks episodes by subscribing to the Vortex Nation™ YouTube Channel.
For the most up-to-date news about other regular shows on the Vortex Nation YouTube channel, visit VortexOptics.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Live Inventory Price Checker
|
Supreme Ballistic Silvertip Ammo 30-30 Winchester 150gr Bst - 30-30 Winchester 150gr Ballistic Silvertip 20/Box | Brownells.com | $ 31.99 |
|
|
|
Winchester Ammunition .30-30 Winchester 150 gr Reloading Bullets PP 100rds - WB30FN150X | Palmetto State Armory | $ 37.99 $ 34.19 |
|
|
Hornady Subsonic 30-30 Winchester Ammo 175gr Sub-X 20 Rounds | GunMag Warehouse | $ 24.99 |
|
|
Hornady LeverEvolution .30-30 Winchester 160gr FlexTip Ammo - 20-Round Box | The Mag Shack | $ 29.99 |
|
About Vortex:
Your desire to be your best fuels our promise to provide nothing short of exceptional performance, unmatched service, and memorable experiences. The way we see it, your success is our success. Welcome to Vortex Nation.
Hopelessly obsolete, & underpowered, the 30-30 should have been dead & buried ages ago. *Do not resuscitate* should be applied. Stories like this one & others desperately trying to revive this old dog cartridge are not helpful. Silly manufacturers mistakenly chamber this antique cartridge in some of their lever-action rifle lines when they should be chambering them in 7.62X39, 450 BushMaster, 204 Ruger, 350/400 Legend, 50 Beowulf, 300 Blackout, 500/460 S&W, 360 BuckHammer…… There are no bolt action 30-30’s, no AR15 manufacturers chamber 30-30, & nobody makes a 30-30 AR15 upper. The 30-30 gravesite is still open. Let’s bury the… Read more »
More than a few people hand-load 30-30. If 30-30 could be reliably fed through a box magazine, it would allow better performing bullets. (Sorry, Hornady, LeverRevolution doesn’t live up to the hype.) Imagine a Henry Longranger chambered 30-30; that, with a decent bullet, would be a 300yd package, and still be a levergun for us “great, great, grandpas.”
Some people apparently have nothing to do other than stir up fake controversies. The 30-30 has been an effective cartridge since 1895 as long as the shooter takes into account the limitations of (1) himself and (2) the cartridge. Anyone taking pot-shots at game at ranges greater than 100 yards with the 30-30 needs his hunting license permanently revoked.
it has been said that the 30 30 has taken more deer and game than all other cartridges combined. so why the waste of words and space. sure it isn’t the best cartridge ever but it gets the job done. stop being the tools and fools of the advertising business.
They said 300yds? Nah
At 200 the round slipped between the ribs broadside and failed to get into an organ. I backed him up with an 06 in the neck which dropped it immediately. Never again past 100 for me for a humane kill. Find a 300 yd gel block or even a water jug video on the 30-30 that shows effective penetration
Keep’em close for this round
.30-30? Wasn’t that the nickname given to what became America’s most popular cartridge, the .30 WCF? I have one of those. The .30 WCF was America’s first widely used smokeless powder cartridge. The new Winchester M1894, due to its use of steel instead of the older iron construction, was able to handle the higher pressures of smokeless powder, and the .30 WCF was developed for it. “The .30-30 Winchester (officially named the .30 Winchester Center Fire or .30 WCF) cartridge was first marketed for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle in 1895.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-30_Winchester People were used to rifle and pistol… Read more »