My dad got an impressive kill with a 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon (the sheriff deputy who had to finish it off with two .38 Special rounds to its head had absolutely nothing to do with it)!
I can still take you to the very spot where my Grandpa stood with his Winchester model 94 bicentennial 30-30 loaded with Winchester 150 gr silver tips and laid down the only deer he ever killed..We were sitting together and I could have shot it five times with my .308 by the time he spotted it but I wanted him to get it. When he spotted it his face lit up like a kid at Christmas time. He couldn't see very well by then but he rolled into his firing position and squeezed the trigger. That deer fell on his tracks.It was exactly 115 yards away. I believe he was as happy as he could possibly be in that very minute. I will never forget his laugh and then when he stood over the deer he almost dropped a tear. He left us two years later and I still have the antlers and the spent casing. I hope to leave such a memory with my grandkids.
What a wonderful memory you had with your grandpa and thanks for sharing it. My group of hunting friends and I sit by the campfire to share experiences like these. For me it was with my dad and the first time he pulled a salmon. Different animal but still the same great experience. Thanks for sharing!
Just watched this again after seeing Paul's Farwell video. Sure gonna miss him but, he lives on through these videos and the efforts of his family and friends.
Me too. It came up and I remembered it being one of my favorites. And what about how to a spot a fake gun expert and the ham and yam one? Just seems like the good ones go too soon. He was the real deal.
Thing i dont like about the turdy turdy is the platform, most lever style guns ive used, when you absolutely have to have that followup shot your digging a round outta your rifle with a fukin screwdriver
A Homage to the 30-30: During my 28 years in the US Air Force, when overseas: If I wanted to discretely talk to another American with little chance of being listened in on or if I didn't want to garbage up regular friendly frequencies, I'd transmit "Go Winchester!" Non-Americans didn't understand the Winchester to 30-30 relationship. Americans immediately knew to dial in 303.0 in their UHF or 130.30 VHF radios & we'd discuss what we needed to. This was used alot when encrypted radios were not readily available & the transitions were brief or if I just wanted to BS with a fellow American. Thanks Paul, keep those Videos coming! Cheers , Lt Col Jet
@@jetdriver1jetdriver194 I don't know the timeline, but perhaps those procedures weren't a J STD at the time. We didn't really go fully joint until the 90s. Goldwater-Nichols Act only created true Joint requirements in 1986.
@@anthonykaiser974Hmmm. Could very well be. We just used "Go Winchester" for a quick radio freq change to have a semi discrete two-way conversation. Then, we'd return back to previous freq when our discussion ended. I dont believe it was a formalized procedure. Just an informal comm technique developed by troops in the field for that purpose & only US troops would understand. You're quite right on the joint (Purple World) time frame. Served on PACOM, J3, (USCINCPAC) Staff, Camp Smith, Hi, 90-93. Sheesh, was it really that long ago? Time flies.... Cheers Lt Col Jet
I am jealous. Where I live (in town), its not legal to hunt orange soda in my backyard with a firearm discharge. Hunting is only allowed at the local shooting range but they also prohibit hunting orange soda - only paper targets can be hunted. blahh.
I got a mule deer in Colorado (Jan. 1988) with a Datsun diesel pickup truck. Excellent expansion of both front fenders, but not the penetration one would expect of a 170 grain 30-30 round.
Rabbit and squirrel, always bringing enough home. My deer hunting was kind of like Paul's experience, although I usually saw at least one on a hunting weekend but usually being pursued/shot by someone else. The only one I shot I hit twice with 12 gauge rifled slugs, dropped it to its knees twice hitting it just behind the front leg, it got up twice, and ran away, leaving a trail that looked like someone pouring out a 5 gallon bucket of red paint. Over an 1/8th mile later, the blood ceased, the kicked up leaves ceased, no prints in the dirt, and no deer. Three of us circled around trying to find it, tore every brush pile, walked through every stand of grass, and nothing after about 2 or more hours searching. It was the most frustrating hunts I have ever had.
"Taking our guns for a walk" Love it! We were 10-12 years old pockets of 22L going up the river valley on the west coast of BC hunting grouse. Some of the best Saturday's l ever had. Grouse breast on a stick makes my mouth water. I got a 30-30 at 15 great gun. At 18 l went to the big smoke (vancover) went to sleep on the beach got woke up by a cop telling me it was dangerous. I thanked him and scooped up my 30-30 in my blanket (good thing it was dark) and slept in my truck. My point? It's a short easy to carry all round durable gun love it.
When I was a teenager I heard the same myths about the .30 -30. I was told it would be better to use a 270 or 30-06 caliber rifle. I am now a senior citizen -I appreciate the .30-30's weight, size, and recoil. I don't think the deer have any preference to caliber size.
@@mr.powell8817 Don't underestimate a .22... LOL Seriously though, a well placed shot with a .22LR will drop a deer. I've seen it done with Ruger target pistol loaded with Mini Mag round nose... right through the heart, the deer didn't even know it was hit. The whole group just stood there looking around after the "pop", then one fell over dead. I wasn't sure which one he shot at, in fact I thought he'd missed, until it started to "pass out" from lack of blood to the brain. When we field dressed it, we couldn't even find the heart, it had liquified most of the muscle when the bullet passed through. Granted, it was a whitetail doe, not a particularly large one, but certainly not small either. Would it take down a large buck in a similar way... probably not, and no, I don't recommend hunting deer with .22LR, but it CAN be done.
@@livewire2759 I completely believe you can kill a dear with. 22. You lost me at the liquefied hear part. I won't go as far as to say its impossible but I find that extremely hard to believe. Please don't take offense. I'm not calling you a liar or anything else. Just saying it's almost impossible for a .22 long rifle or magnum to liquefy a heart.
Here watching Paul as he used to be. How I like to remember him. Happy and healthy. The man stayed true to himself, his word, his viewers, and to the 2nd amendment. Passing on his wisdom and strength, shooting til the very end. RIP brother.
Used my Marlin 30/30 for about 27 years now.....never had to shoot a deer/hog twice...and they’ve never ran more than 20 yards. Definitely underestimated. Great video.
"Boring, outdated, obsolete, had it's day, way better modern options .............. blah blah blah". The same can be said of the K-Bar knife, the .45 ACP and the small block Chev V8. But they're all still around because THEY WORK.
Best thing about all lever actions, regardless of caliber, is the gun grabbers think they're just old dinosaurs only used in Western movies. They have no idea of how useful a lever action rifle is, and I hope they stay that ignorant.
I have a Marlin 22LR and 30-30...both lever action. Accurate as hell and never ever failed to shoot. Maybe not the "best" gun to many but to me they have handled the test of time and shoot every bit as good as the shooter behind it.
@@rvninnorthcarolina3377 My Marlin 30-30 is the same way. I'm looking for a Marlin 22 bolt action, hope to find a really good one soon, and may sell most of my other rifles and just keep the basics.
When people would say, the book says a 30.30 is too small, my dad would say well ain't it good deer don't read......30.30 150 grn....works !!!! Thanks for the video
Paul Harrell is to guns as Bob Ross was to painting. I could watch and listen to either one of them all day and not get bored. They speak in a calming and relaxing manner that keeps your interest.
My dad was a gunsmith at a local sporting goods store back n the day,he would steer guys to lower cost guns who didn't have a lot of money. When my dad hunted it was always bullet placement. 30 30 has put a lot of meat on the tables of Americans and elsewhere. Another logical factual video thanks. Arkansas
3" pattern with open sights at 100 yards proves a very important point: Some guys can shoot and some can't. Buying a canon wouldn't help some boys because the can't f'ing shoot.
Amen. This reminds me back when I first started shooting handguns, and I bought several different models because I thought they were inaccurate. Turns out I just sucked. Now 10 years later my targets are one jagged hole. I’ve had people ask me at the range what pistol I have because they think there targets will look like mine if they buy one. lol.
I would always dog on dudes bringing super blacks to shoot pheasant as well. That $2K shotgun doesn’t make you shoot less like shit my guy lol. This mossberg 500 field will so just as well for a quarter the money
When I was a senior if High School I got a lesson in under estimating the 30-30 in the Big Horn Mountains of Northern Wyoming! I was told my dad's .257 Roberts was too light for Elk, so I borrowed a scoped 30-06 bolt action from an uncle! That night at the hunting camp this young fellow showed up with an older Winchester Model 94 with long octagon barrel. He took an awful ribbing about his "Red Ryder" BB gun. Next morning 4-5 of us, including him, were following Elk tracks in the snow when we came to a clearing in the timber. Tracks went straight across. About that time 8-10 Elk with a big bull in the lead came at a dead run from left to right in the middle of the clearing! While the rest of us were busy getting our slinged, scoped rifle off our shoulders this fellow dropped to one knee and fired that old 30-30! That big bull Elk went down and rolled like a ball! Head shot, 75 yards! Dead run! Rest of us never got off a shot! That guy knew that gun, and we had so much egg on our face we didn't need breakfast! A couple of years later I bought my own '94, and it has been my go to rifle the past 59 years! It has taken Mule Deer, Pronghorn and Elk out to 200 yards, never let me down. But I have never been as skilled with it as he was with his grandfather's old '94.
@@Valor_73737 well most people shoot bigger game behind the shoulder blade so I don’t know that’s why I gave you a chance to explain in case I was ignorant but you answered my question with another question like a bit of a tool.
@@blakedavis2447 Most people shoot behind the shoulder because it is a bigger, surer target than a head shot, and requires much, much less skill! You won't find 1 hunter in a hundred skilled enough to apply head shots. Especially a moving target. A head shot is much more humane because it is instantly lethal. I have seen many animals continue for up to several hundred yards when hit behind the shoulder. The very few head shots I have witnessed, the animal is dead before it hits the ground.
I’ve got a ‘55 Win. .30 - .30 , bought it at Gun store near me cheap , it was so beat up , had ridden on the floor of a truck in NM for many years , took it to my gunsmith & he hot blued it and his wife restored the wood ! Sweet !
There is a reason that the .30-30 has been around so long, it gets the job done. The guns and ammo are reasonably priced. I bought one for defense, out to 100 yards. It was a Marlin .30-30W for $300 new. I stocked up on ammo during hunting season. It does not look tactical, it looks like a hunting rifle, and that's how I like it. Great video Paul!
I picked up a Marlin 336C for 338$ had the big loop and a scope mount installed,if there was a situation I needed a rifle,within the range my eyes could see,I would not be out of fire power.
My Father grew up in the woods of northern BC Canada. They shot moose, wolves, black bears, grizzlys all the time with the 30-30. It was considered the best rifle and the distance they shot was not more that 100 to 150 yards unless wolf hunting. A single box of 20 shells would last for years of big game hunting. It was very important to have a handy, light, reliable rifle to pack around day in and day out. It worked back then and will work just fine now if you use it properly and know what you are doing.
Miss you, Paul. Love my 30-30 and even though I am very familiar with it, I always learn something from your videos. While you are in heaven, you are living on down here. Glad we can pop in and see you whenever we want.
@@bobbychub9991 most curtainly is.. Killed many deer in the thickwoods of alabama with my 3030.. Ive can stack nail 150 wouldnt hesitate at 200.. Although i prefer 270
@Marino I own a Smith and Wesson 686 plus and a Marlin Winchester 30-30... hands down my favorite firearms to date. My friends all prefer more modern style firearms as well and they give me shit for my old cowboy guns lol. But, they are fun, and if you can teach yourself to be accurate with them you're just as likely to protect/feed yourself as those guys with the "tacticool" guns.. Nothing wrong with liking a classic my friend 👌
I see this is four years old but still very informative. I have an old 30-30 that uncle jokes came over on the Mayflower. He reloads for me. He says if you can't get supper with two shots you deserve to go hungry. He loads sharp pointed bullets in the casings and of course we can only put one in the tube and one in the chamber. They fly a lot farther than the federal store bought flat nose. We zero at 200 yards and they are 3 inches high at 100 yards but drop 12 inches at 300 yards. Uncles home loads are really close to the new Hornady evolution rounds with the plastic nose piece. Their website shows with 160 grains at 200 yards 1916 velocity and 1304 energy. At 300 yards 1699 velocity and 1025 energy but that is where the -12 inch comes into play. So uncles spitzers and the hornady evolution rounds can give new life to an ancient rifle.
"That coyote was 60 yds away. How far did he think that 30-30 would shoot?" 59 yds. After that, the bullets just explode to prevent civilian casualties.
My first gun wasna 3030 marlin. I used from the time i was 6 till about 10. I ve personal shot many deer with this gun from ranges around 200 yards to 25 yeard.. I wouldnt hessitate or even think about not dropping the hammer on a deer at 2oo yards... Very effective gun the length make it good for thick wooded areas.. I will often take my 3030 over my 270 in thicker woods...
Thank you for doing this video Paul! I have been defending the 30 30 for years against the 30 30 detractors. To this day it remains one of my favourite rifle calibers.
Boy I sure have killed a lot of deer for the 30-30 to be so “insufficient.” You are spot on here Paul. My Marlin is my baby. I’ve never seen a deer run more than 30 yards after a dinner plate shot. Also I am easily grouping less than 2 inches at 150 yards, which is more than enough for deep woods hunting.
Hey Brother Paul, I inherited a Model 94 with a side mounted 4X40mm scope from a parishioner who died without an heir and wanted his guns to go to a good home. I went and bought some of that new-fangled Leverevolution ballistic tip ammo and sighted the gun in at 150 yards. I killed a nice 205-lb 10-point buck at 290 yards. He folded immediately as the shot went through his lungs and heart. Lucky shot? Maybe. Seems like I kill a deer every year at 250+ yards. Seems pretty darn good for being an outdated and underpowered cartridge. Thanks again for a great video and please keep the great videos coming! Grace & Peace!
Rev. Steven Taylor , a hunter and a preacher! Good for you ! A lot of people seem to have lost touch with reality in todays world . We all have to eat . Best of luck but I don't think you need it- the fix is in.
The leverevolution rounds really breathed new life into the 30-30. I don't hunt with the 30-30 anymore but my dad still does. Easily adds another 100 yards
Rev. Steve Taylor My first 2 deer were with my father's Marlin 30-30 (can't remember the specific model#). At seven years old, I killed a doe &a 9-point buck. I now use a 6.5 Creedmoor Ruger American Predator rifle with a 4×12 power scope. Last year my mother didn't shut the freezer door all the way & a lot of the meat went bad. The Lord blessed us &I killed a nice bodied & antlered deer (the one in this circle to the left), my father killed 3 total (1 before the door incident &2 after) nice bodied antlered deer, & my brother killed 1 nice bodied deer with fair antlers. The Lord gives & the Lord takes away, praise be to the Lord in all things.
There have probably been more deer harvested with a .30.30 than any other round. In Upstate New York the lever action .30.30 is the iconic whitetail rifle
Wow even NY has less restrictive laws about hunting than my state. Can't hunt deer with a rifle in IL :( I don't even hunt but I bet there would be way more rifles on the used market if you could deer hunt with them here.
Yeah, they're pretty popular in NM. I was lured in by the headline because it seemed strange to me. "Who underestimates these? Most hunters I know, know exactly what they are and aren't capable of."
A good friend of mine is a game warden..he said that the two calibers he sees deer taken with the most are the 30/30 and the 22lr (not legal...but he sees it often)
Hey Brother Paul, the 1st long gun I ever bought & still proudly own is the Marlin BL336, Big Loop, 30/30. I have the iron sights trued up for the 150 gr & it's lethal up to about 200+ yds. I needed a 37" bush gun for living in Pa. It's my "Old Reliable". The first rifle I ever invested in & still gr8 4 harvesting venison,,, thanx 4 your honest assessment!!
Kiterally stumbked across this video and am glad for it. Really good presentation, I appreciate your candor. I'm not a hunter, was raised wrong, but I do have a pre 50's Winchester '64 deluxe in 30 30 that was once owned by a deceased state politician, a gift from his mother. I love the general feel, action and accuracy of the rifle and had understood it to be a good brush gun. Thanks again for taking the time to further educate me!
Although, it is a little light, I was standing beside my older brother when he took his first elk with a 94 30-30 carbine(20" barrel). One shot at 150 yds, the elk didn't seem to know the rifle was too small. I also watched a man kill a cattle chasing dog at over 350 yds with a 94 30-30 rifle(26" barrel). Earlier tonight, I was visiting with an elderly friend who told me that he killed moose for decades with his military issue Pacific Coast Militia Rangers 94 30-30 carbine. What you shoot is not nearly as important as how well you shoot.
Running dog at 350 yards. I know some people can do it. I’m just proud of hitting 2 out of 4 300 yard targets in Basic, prone, with 10 seconds to aim at a full torso target, which was smaller than the front sight post on my M16A1, circa 1983.
When I was a boy (10or11) some of the kids at school would hastle me for using my old 30-30 to hunt moose with. They said it was too light but the moose were just as dead as if I had been using a .375 or something like that.
@@CorePathway I used to average about 7 out of 10 in the black on a baker target from 500yds back in my Marine Corps days with open sights on my M16A2. I found it hard to miss from 200 and 300 yards on the 12" round target, or the head&shoulders "dog" target. Pretty sure there's no way I could repeat that today. Scopes spoiled me.
I'm 67 and have been around guns and hunting my whole life and I have learned more from this man than anyone in my life in a very short period. Thank you Paul and RIP!!!
The 30-30 is only underestimated by internet operators. Until recent times, the 30-30 was the absolute most popular rifle for deer hunting and I know for a fact a 170gr round shot from a 30-30 will, without a doubt, take a cow moose at 100 yards. They are functionally accurate and a large enough round to handle most game in North America.
I ended up with marlins 308 express rifle and I’m pretty sure it’s over kill for anything on the North American continent haha. I need a 336 in 30-30 cause the 308 round is hard to find.
Dylan Clere when I said 308 I meant the 308 marlin express not the 308 Winchester totally 2 different rounds. Unless it’s different where you live the express round is hard to find here.
William Watkins oh. I'm aware, but I've never had anybody mention it. 308 win is what most mean by 308. There's one store here that's family ran, they typically have all the hard to find stuff
I grew up on 30-30s. I wanted a Winchester 30-30 from my teen years. I got one in 1985 iirc from a pawn shop. Still have it and it has been everywhere in the back of my cars, trucks, and airplanes. I've never shot any game with it, but I have no doubt I could. It has always been my go to rifle.
That was a great group for open sights.. Scoped, it would not be that exceptional. I have several targets that a quarter can cover a 3 shot group at 100 yards. From a bench of course. And that's from the new issue Marlin that one hears horror stories about. True, the fitment could be better but it's a shooter plain and simple.. and most guys buy a gun to shoot and hit something with it... and then there are the safe queens which may or may not be good shooters..
You are my favorite. You’re a true expert with no ego, just self-confidence (as you should have). All of your videos are extremely informative and I learn something every time I watch one. I I’ve grew up around firearms. So, thank you for your service and for help keeping those not as informed as you safe.
Paul the 30-30 here in Michigan is know as the Michigan deer rifle. About everyone's got one including me. My model 94 Winchester is one of the most accurate rifles I own. Plus it's a great brush buster which we have alot of in Michigan.
My dad let me shoot a deer with his Marlin 336 when I was around 13 and after that you couldn’t pry that gun from my hands. I’ve only “tracked” one deer and it was maybe 40 yards and I hit her kinda high all my own fault at the time. We hunted/hunt WV so it’s mostly 60 and under in the hardwood ridges but none the less it does a great job. Now my youngest brother has got ahold of that gun and poor old dad hasn’t been able to get it from us in years but he loves seeing us use it. If it could only talk for just a day
@Old Luke I believe it. Because of the shape of the bullet, it dumps a lot of energy into the target. The flat nose and/or hollow points give it good sectional density.
@@josephgilboy6259 different type of shooting. If he was infantry they spray fire. No precision shooting involved things are somewhat different now but still definitely no marksman by any means
@@josephgilboy6259 He was a Marine, not a soldier. Far more marksmanship training even at the basic training level. The fact that he was later marksmanship instructor at the USMC security forces school should let you know the comparison fails.
God how I wish Paul would "Bore us for an hour with anecdotes" again. Greatly missed. Thanks so much for all you've done for us, Paul and crew! Good luck, Roy!
I never understood some people's misconceptions about the 30-30. It was an exceptional deer round since its inception. There are bigger, faster rounds out today, but just because there may be something better doesn't mean that a 30-30 won't do what it used to.
T Murray it is a shame people need a truck full of crap to go shoot a few Bullets from. Especially hunting weapons and loads. I can’t remember the last deer I shot from a bench
Have been thinking of getting one of these and I'm sold. A 30-30 reminds me of a Fender Telecaster- they've been making 'em forever & though you can mod 'em all day, the original design's just fine. No need to change a thing
Now I have to try it at home, because you said not to! I've always liked the .30 .30... Especially in the thickets and deep woods... Thank you for sharing this information
I never met the man, but i can tell he was of good caricature. I fell like i really missed out on seeing him at the locale gun shows. I can't believe how sad this makes me feel. I must suck for his family and close friends. Sucks!
I've wacked more deer with my "dirty 30" then I can remember. Once a friend asked why not get something faster simple I said the Frist time a deer out runs it I'll sell it
I had some friends dogging on me for looking at 30-30's and .270's for deer in W NY state. "My 30.06 will shoot a lot farther!!" Just how far away do you need to shoot to kill a deer? Or that you'll actually be able to SEE it in the woods? Most deer are killed at under 50 yards... And how far do you want that bullet to travel after it goes through that deer- not to mention the misses. This isn't the great plains or the rockies...
Great video a marlin 336 stainless in 30/30 was the first gun i ever bought and cant wait to keep this timeless rifle to give to my son one day. I agreed 100% with your video and mine can be super accurate if the shooter does his part. Love loading with the lever-evolution powder and get some more speed out of this classic cartridge to put a little modern touch on the classic round.
Another great PH vid. I used my Dad's 7.9mm Mauser that he brought back from Yurp during WWII for the first few years of hunting the wily whitetail in Northern Minnesota as a kid back in the early '70s, but then won a Mod. '94 Chet 30-30 in a shooting meet and was very happy for three reasons: 1) the shorter and lighter carbine was easier to whack through brush and trees, 2) the 2-movement lever-action is much faster than the Mauser's 4-move bolt action, and 3) every wild cow I hit died of acute lead poisoning. It got even better when I moved to MT and the saddle-gun functionality of the 30-30 paid off in spades during trail and open range hunts for Elk and mulies on the back of Miss Barbie. I never needed a scope on either the Chet or the Mauser in the north woods as I never had a shot further than 50yds anyway, and the few times I used a rifle with a scope (a 7mm Rem and a .243) it was always cold, damp, and usually raining in Minnesota in November, and so the scopes almost always fogged up and I ended up sighting through the scope mounts with the iron sights. I do like the .243 with a scope for plinking prairie dogs in SoDak, though, which along with shooting pheasants, is about as much fun as one can have in SoDak with one's clothes on.
I would like to acquire a 30-30 some day, although I done need one. I once overheard a salesman at a Dicks Sporting Goods arguing with a customer about a 30-30. The customer wanted it for deer hunting, the salesman didn't want to sell it to him because it would only wound deer. The customer went to the manager then left without buying the gun. I really don't understand where this negative stigma came from when it comes to the 30WFC. I tend to think of 30-30, and 20 gauge in the same category. Both are both capable of harvesting most game in North America, and they are both considered to be guns for kids or old people. If a American Indian can harvest deer with a sharp rock on the end of a stick, propelled by a string, tied to another stick, anyone should be able kill the same deer with a 150 grain bullet going 2,200 feet per second.
many say that the 30-30 has taken more deer in America than any other cartridge. Compared to the 7.62x39, the 30-30 typically has more muzzle energy, and people hunt with the SKS all the time.
I've heard .30-30 referred to as a "kids gun" many times. As well as, "it'll hit the ground at a hundred yards." and, "Maybe a .30-30 is OK for a kid." and on, and on, and on.
That stigma is bullshit. I'm fairly sure that if three generations of my family have all hunted with the exact same one. If my dad can kill a deer in one shot with it shooting down a pipeline, I'm fairly sure that stigma is bullshit. Actually I know that stigma's bullshit.
My dad had a putter someoneone gave them when he was growing up on the farm in the 1930s. He put it on the grinding wheel, amd used it whenever his mom said "go get me a chicken" I still laugh thinking about a chicken head flying 100 yards across the farmyard amd a headless chicken running around. Would have been even funnier if his brother shot the flying head with the shotgun skeet style.
Thank you sir for a very good video. I have loved the Winchester 30-30 since I was 9 or 10 years old. I have 2. One is a 1959 Winchester 94, 30-30, that is UNfired. I believe the Winchester 94, 30-30, is the best rifle ever manufactured. Premium ammo is available that raise the usefulness of the cartridge up a couple of notches. Anyway, thanks for a good video.
Good video! There is a lot of hate lately on youtube for the .30-30. Usually by the tacti-tool dudes who try to compare it to every other round. They are like, "sure, the .30-30 will kill it, but this round here will kill it deader."
I love it when some tacticool dork tries to hate on a round because it isn't 5.56, 7.62x51, or a .338 Lapua. "OK hotshot, how about you go stand down range of it and try to catch a few, then come back and we can have a chat about what you think of the round afterward!" I can't quite figure out why, but to date I've never had anyone take me up on that offer...
I totally agree with your assessment. I hadn't shot my 336 in over a year and checked zero a week ago. I checked Hornady's ballistic calculator to see the performance on the 30-30 160grn leverevolution ammo I was using. With a 100yd zero if shoots flat out to 125yds +/-1" ish. It drops 6 inches at 200yds. With a 2.5-7 scope I was shooting 1.5 moa. I have two 336's this one shoots 1.5 moa and the other older one I have I consistency shoot 1 moa with good ammo. I think they are great rifles inside 200yards and those 30-30 bullets carry a lot of energy inside those ranges.
The 30-30 might be the caliber that has killed more deer in North America and quite a few federales during the Mexican revolution. Among the firearms potpourri wielded by Mexican gerrillas under Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, the "treinta-treinta" as they called it in Spanish had such a special place among the rebels that it was immortalized in a song called "Carabina treinta treinta"
chapiit08 - Thanks for that info, very interesting. I'm from South Tx and I have never heard that song (that I can remember), granted I'm white but I have heard a fair share of Mexican music growing up in Laredo.
My old Winchester 94 30-30 was sold in a time of poverty at Christmas time. I still miss it. It was a fun gun to shoot. My brother said it still is. He has used it for about 30 years. I now have a different lever gun and I like the feel and the action. Thank you Paul Harrell.
I remember my Uncle Frank. He walked out to the woods every year with his red Woolrich plaid coat, heavy jeans, felt insulated boots, blaze orange flap "furburger" hat (in his later years) and his lever action 3030 Winchester with open sights. This of course before all the fancy high tech hunting garb and all the variety of rifles and calibers and optics that we have today. Just about every season he would tromp out of the woods dragging a buck behind him. I used a Stevens Model 325C. I didn't do as well, due to my youthful impatience. Thank you Mr. Harrell for what you do and have done. I think i'm gonna pull the Stevens out and shoot it!
2:09 Mr Harrell the comedian, HAHA! I think this is the 2nd time I remember him making a joke LOL! Look at that grin he has from ear to ear as well! Good stuff
Thank you for this excellent video! My Brother took many Whitetail Deer with his Winchester Model 94. My Son, likewise, took many Whitetail Deer with that same Model 94. IMHO, in the brushy hills and hollows of Southwestern Pennsylvania, there is no better Whitetail getter than a Model 94 chambered in .30-'30. Long may it reign!
My brother inherited my grandfather's Model 94 .30-30. According to the serial numbers it was built in 1954 & my father remembers when he was a kid the day the then new .30-30 came home. This rifle was so well taken care of that even today, minus a bit of bluing on the corners, it almost looks new. We were able to ping pop cans (soda cans in the U.S. I guess) dead center at 100 yards. The best story I remember from my grandpa (and my dad and uncles) was that during the old days, butchers could go on people's farms and slaughter cattle for them. Two large steers were getting readied for the chopping block, one had been whacked with what is called a "pin gun" a sort of tool that uses a blank cartridge to fire a pin out of this mechanism that goes into the animal's brain, stuns them so that the steer can be hung upside down so the steer can be exsanguinated for butchering. The second steer (and these were apparently big steer) smelled the blood from the first steer, decided he wasn't having none of that, ripped off the nose ring, busted through a fence into the first field, busted the second fence in the second field and was headed towards the tree line where if he had crossed the last fence into the tree line, he would have been impossible to find. By then, according to my dad and my uncles, grandpa had retrieved the .30-30 from the truck, put a bullet in it and shot the steer, running shot at about 100 yards and shot him where the skull meets the spine. DRT. (Hey! That's what I was told! I wasn't even DNA then) So the .30-30 was able to drop an 800 lb. steer. I also remember my dad and uncles saying that grandpa had even killed a few moose with it but they did say that he was REALLY close, like 10 yards away. I wanted a .30-30 so bad that I went out and bought my own, got a model 94 but mine was built in 1975. Love it to pieces. RIP grandpa, you are still remembered by a lot of people.
Rewatching all Paul's old videos makes me pine for all the "Boring you for hours" or "I could go on Et Astra", etc. I feel like he DID have many hours worth of storytelling to do for us!
Fuvking bullshit I usually like this guy but this is total bulshit
What was bullshit? What did I miss?
Bullshit and Paul should never be used together in a sentence unless it's "Paul has to deal with a lot of bullshit opinions on UA-cam".
the pin of shame
bro can't even spell
@@aydenowens9522 you wouldn’t even hear the bang motherfuvker
Who else is binge watching Paul Harrell on this sad day?
Im learning a lot
Guilty.
I am waiting, but also accepted the fact that he is gone, but his videos live for ever.
Way to make this about yourself in the guise of respect for Paul. 🤦🏻♂️
@@vincedibona4687 Are you like a crazy person?
My favorite deer rifle is a 1999 Dodge mini-van. Best deer killer this side of the Mississippi
Boy you crazy
Wow ! Lol
🦌🦌🚙
My dad got an impressive kill with a 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon (the sheriff deputy who had to finish it off with two .38 Special rounds to its head had absolutely nothing to do with it)!
Those Chevrolet Caprice were pretty good moose killer too mine caprice 83 dit it but unfortunately it was it first and last kill !😁
I can still take you to the very spot where my Grandpa stood with his Winchester model 94 bicentennial 30-30 loaded with Winchester 150 gr silver tips and laid down the only deer he ever killed..We were sitting together and I could have shot it five times with my .308 by the time he spotted it but I wanted him to get it. When he spotted it his face lit up like a kid at Christmas time. He couldn't see very well by then but he rolled into his firing position and squeezed the trigger. That deer fell on his tracks.It was exactly 115 yards away. I believe he was as happy as he could possibly be in that very minute. I will never forget his laugh and then when he stood over the deer he almost dropped a tear. He left us two years later and I still have the antlers and the spent casing. I hope to leave such a memory with my grandkids.
InToWin 41 good memories like that are precious - well done.
This is so sad
Sweet dude fucking sweet im happy to have read this comment
What a wonderful memory you had with your grandpa and thanks for sharing it. My group of hunting friends and I sit by the campfire to share experiences like these. For me it was with my dad and the first time he pulled a salmon. Different animal but still the same great experience. Thanks for sharing!
InToWin 41 That's too cool, man.
Just watched this again after seeing Paul's Farwell video. Sure gonna miss him but, he lives on through these videos and the efforts of his family and friends.
Me too. It came up and I remembered it being one of my favorites. And what about how to a spot a fake gun expert and the ham and yam one? Just seems like the good ones go too soon. He was the real deal.
He's not gone; he lives in the smell of burnt smokeless powder and the report of gunshots
Thing i dont like about the turdy turdy is the platform, most lever style guns ive used, when you absolutely have to have that followup shot your digging a round outta your rifle with a fukin screwdriver
My 30-30, has never failed. I trust it completely.
People who down play the 30-30, don't know what they are talking about.
I have my Marlin zeroed for 200 yards. At that range is has 1100 ft/lbs of energy.
All I hunt with is a 30-30 and I've dropped them all
Or prefer bigger rounds
Although in heavy brush(tamarack swamp) my Ruger .44 Magnum outperforms
The .30-30 is still a great cartridge/caliber for most purposes. Millions of dead deer would agree.
A Homage to the 30-30: During my 28 years in the US Air Force, when overseas: If I wanted to discretely talk to another American with little chance of being listened in on or if I didn't want to garbage up regular friendly frequencies, I'd transmit "Go Winchester!" Non-Americans didn't understand the Winchester to 30-30 relationship. Americans immediately knew to dial in 303.0 in their UHF or 130.30 VHF radios & we'd discuss what we needed to. This was used alot when encrypted radios were not readily available & the transitions were brief or if I just wanted to BS with a fellow American.
Thanks Paul, keep those Videos coming!
Cheers ,
Lt Col Jet
Doesn't "Winchester" normally mean you're out of ammo?
@@anthonykaiser974 Possibly another branch or area of service. But not that I came across in my USAF experience.
Cheers,
Lt Col Jet
@@anthonykaiser974 U.S. Marine Corps as a combat engineer attached to an infantry unit I can say yes, a resupply would be enroute.
@@jetdriver1jetdriver194 I don't know the timeline, but perhaps those procedures weren't a J STD at the time. We didn't really go fully joint until the 90s. Goldwater-Nichols Act only created true Joint requirements in 1986.
@@anthonykaiser974Hmmm. Could very well be.
We just used "Go Winchester" for a quick radio freq change to have a semi discrete two-way conversation. Then, we'd return back to previous freq when our discussion ended. I dont believe it was a formalized procedure. Just an informal comm technique developed by troops in the field for that purpose & only US troops would understand.
You're quite right on the joint (Purple World) time frame. Served on PACOM, J3, (USCINCPAC) Staff, Camp Smith, Hi, 90-93. Sheesh, was it really that long ago? Time flies....
Cheers
Lt Col Jet
Paul, when you say "I could bore you for hours with anecdotes..." I always roll my eyes, because the stories are the best part of the videos.
I'd have no issues with a two hour video of nothing but "Paul stories."
Yup
@@natedouglass5119 Same
Or 2hr Video Of Funny Anecdotes 😀👍🏼
My favorite Paul video is when he spends 20 minutes talking about fake gun experts.
God bless you Mr Paul, I have learned much from you. RIP 🪦
This is unethical. I've been hunting orange soda for years and I've never seen that many lined up. Must have been domesticated or drugged
😂
I usually trap them and decapitate them with my hands
I'm with you. They belong in their natural habitat, sitting atop a glass-topped oak-veneered coffee table in a Midwestern double-wide.
I am jealous. Where I live (in town), its not legal to hunt orange soda in my backyard with a firearm discharge. Hunting is only allowed at the local shooting range but they also prohibit hunting orange soda - only paper targets can be hunted. blahh.
They were gathered together to cause a hapless victim diabetes and rot some teeth.
I got a mule deer in Colorado (Jan. 1988) with a Datsun diesel pickup truck. Excellent expansion of both front fenders, but not the penetration one would expect of a 170 grain 30-30 round.
What would that be? About a 50,000,000 grain projectile? Even at subsonic speeds, thats gonna hit em like a truck. LOL
I got a eight pointer with my Chevrolet
My mom and I got a elk on Vancouver Island with a Volkswagen van. Some deformation but the van drove us home.
Great energy however. 👍🏻
~450,000 ft/lb
When I was a teen my hunting experiences could be summed up as “taking my gun for a walk.”
Rabbit and squirrel, always bringing enough home. My deer hunting was kind of like Paul's experience, although I usually saw at least one on a hunting weekend but usually being pursued/shot by someone else. The only one I shot I hit twice with 12 gauge rifled slugs, dropped it to its knees twice hitting it just behind the front leg, it got up twice, and ran away, leaving a trail that looked like someone pouring out a 5 gallon bucket of red paint. Over an 1/8th mile later, the blood ceased, the kicked up leaves ceased, no prints in the dirt, and no deer. Three of us circled around trying to find it, tore every brush pile, walked through every stand of grass, and nothing after about 2 or more hours searching. It was the most frustrating hunts I have ever had.
"Armed hiking"
"Taking our guns for a walk"
Love it! We were 10-12 years old pockets of 22L going up the river valley on the west coast of BC hunting grouse. Some of the best Saturday's l ever had. Grouse breast on a stick makes my mouth water. I got a 30-30 at 15 great gun. At 18 l went to the big smoke (vancover) went to sleep on the beach got woke up by a cop telling me it was dangerous. I thanked him and scooped up my 30-30 in my blanket (good thing it was dark) and slept in my truck. My point? It's a short easy to carry all round durable gun love it.
I've never been hunting but I've heard that sometimes you literally just need to bring one loaded gun with no extra ammo lol
Hahahaha, indeed!
When I was a teenager I heard the same myths about the .30 -30. I was told it would be better to use a 270 or 30-06 caliber rifle. I am now a senior citizen -I appreciate the .30-30's weight, size, and recoil. I don't think the deer have any preference to caliber size.
no sir, dead is dead no matter how ya look at it. One's not gonna kill a hog, deer or elk any deader with any other caliber rifle.
The 30-30 has dropped a lot of whitetails.
I reckon they'd prefer a .22 BB come on the grounds that they'd survive, lol
@@mr.powell8817 Don't underestimate a .22... LOL
Seriously though, a well placed shot with a .22LR will drop a deer. I've seen it done with Ruger target pistol loaded with Mini Mag round nose... right through the heart, the deer didn't even know it was hit. The whole group just stood there looking around after the "pop", then one fell over dead. I wasn't sure which one he shot at, in fact I thought he'd missed, until it started to "pass out" from lack of blood to the brain. When we field dressed it, we couldn't even find the heart, it had liquified most of the muscle when the bullet passed through. Granted, it was a whitetail doe, not a particularly large one, but certainly not small either. Would it take down a large buck in a similar way... probably not, and no, I don't recommend hunting deer with .22LR, but it CAN be done.
@@livewire2759 I completely believe you can kill a dear with. 22. You lost me at the liquefied hear part. I won't go as far as to say its impossible but I find that extremely hard to believe. Please don't take offense. I'm not calling you a liar or anything else. Just saying it's almost impossible for a .22 long rifle or magnum to liquefy a heart.
Here watching Paul as he used to be. How I like to remember him. Happy and healthy. The man stayed true to himself, his word, his viewers, and to the 2nd amendment. Passing on his wisdom and strength, shooting til the very end. RIP brother.
Used my Marlin 30/30 for about 27 years now.....never had to shoot a deer/hog twice...and they’ve never ran more than 20 yards. Definitely underestimated. Great video.
"Boring, outdated, obsolete, had it's day, way better modern options .............. blah blah blah". The same can be said of the K-Bar knife, the .45 ACP and the small block Chev V8. But they're all still around because THEY WORK.
Best thing about all lever actions, regardless of caliber, is the gun grabbers think they're just old dinosaurs only used in Western movies. They have no idea of how useful a lever action rifle is, and I hope they stay that ignorant.
True !!! I watched a guy at the range ring the steel at 100 yards offhand as fast as he could cycle that lever n hit every round !!
they won't, they never stop until it looks like the UK where even sharp sticks are outlawed.
B quiet the corn has ears.
I have a Marlin 22LR and 30-30...both lever action. Accurate as hell and never ever failed to shoot. Maybe not the "best" gun to many but to me they have handled the test of time and shoot every bit as good as the shooter behind it.
@@rvninnorthcarolina3377 My Marlin 30-30 is the same way. I'm looking for a Marlin 22 bolt action, hope to find a really good one soon, and may sell most of my other rifles and just keep the basics.
When people would say, the book says a 30.30 is too small, my dad would say well ain't it good deer don't read......30.30 150 grn....works !!!!
Thanks for the video
please move the deer crossing signs
@@juggernautxtr 🤣
The guy that shot it 5 times was trying to make hamburger .
lol
Buffalo bill silence of the lambs
A wise man once told me “the Gun u have is a LOT better than the one u don’t” 😉
A wise man would've said "you", like an adult.
Right on.
Slappy lol don’t worry i use full words in a professional setting. I don’t feel the need to cater to your delicate feelings in UA-cam comments however
Correct
Very wise man
Glad we got your videos to visit.
You were my favorite gun channel.
We still recite our favorite sayings of yours.
Thanks Paul
"I could bore you for hours with anecdotes..."
Challenge accepted. Try us, Paul.
Paul Harrell is to guns as Bob Ross was to painting. I could watch and listen to either one of them all day and not get bored. They speak in a calming and relaxing manner that keeps your interest.
As soon as i heard that, I scrolled down for comments. I AGREE!
He should have some LONG episodes from time to time purely dedicated to anecdotes, rumors and stories.
Please, Paul, bore us: I love long stories. 😏
I was sad when I saw the length of the video, he's the Bob Ross of guns.
My dad was a gunsmith at a local sporting goods store back n the day,he would steer guys to lower cost guns who didn't have a lot of money. When my dad hunted it was always bullet placement. 30 30 has put a lot of meat on the tables of Americans and elsewhere. Another logical factual video thanks. Arkansas
3" pattern with open sights at 100 yards proves a very important point: Some guys can shoot and some can't. Buying a canon wouldn't help some boys because the can't f'ing shoot.
Grapeshot doesn't sound like it'll help with them with the cannon accuracy either
Amen. This reminds me back when I first started shooting handguns, and I bought several different models because I thought they were inaccurate. Turns out I just sucked. Now 10 years later my targets are one jagged hole. I’ve had people ask me at the range what pistol I have because they think there targets will look like mine if they buy one. lol.
The first time they ever handed me an M-14, I put 20 rapid fire rounds into a 6" circle on the KD range. The DI decided I was OK.
@@joes.7536 Yep, guns or golf, it is always a problem with the equipment. LOL
I would always dog on dudes bringing super blacks to shoot pheasant as well. That $2K shotgun doesn’t make you shoot less like shit my guy lol. This mossberg 500 field will so just as well for a quarter the money
When I was a senior if High School I got a lesson in under estimating the 30-30 in the Big Horn Mountains of Northern Wyoming! I was told my dad's .257 Roberts was too light for Elk, so I borrowed a scoped 30-06 bolt action from an uncle! That night at the hunting camp this young fellow showed up with an older Winchester Model 94 with long octagon barrel. He took an awful ribbing about his "Red Ryder" BB gun. Next morning 4-5 of us, including him, were following Elk tracks in the snow when we came to a clearing in the timber. Tracks went straight across. About that time 8-10 Elk with a big bull in the lead came at a dead run from left to right in the middle of the clearing! While the rest of us were busy getting our slinged, scoped rifle off our shoulders this fellow dropped to one knee and fired that old 30-30! That big bull Elk went down and rolled like a ball! Head shot, 75 yards! Dead run! Rest of us never got off a shot! That guy knew that gun, and we had so much egg on our face we didn't need breakfast! A couple of years later I bought my own '94, and it has been my go to rifle the past 59 years! It has taken Mule Deer, Pronghorn and Elk out to 200 yards, never let me down. But I have never been as skilled with it as he was with his grandfather's old '94.
A head shot? Is that even ethical?
@@blakedavis2447Why would it not be?
@@Valor_73737 well most people shoot bigger game behind the shoulder blade so I don’t know that’s why I gave you a chance to explain in case I was ignorant but you answered my question with another question like a bit of a tool.
@@blakedavis2447 Most people shoot behind the shoulder because it is a bigger, surer target than a head shot, and requires much, much less skill! You won't find 1 hunter in a hundred skilled enough to apply head shots. Especially a moving target. A head shot is much more humane because it is instantly lethal. I have seen many animals continue for up to several hundred yards when hit behind the shoulder. The very few head shots I have witnessed, the animal is dead before it hits the ground.
@@Valor_73737 ok thank you.
I’ve got a ‘55 Win. .30 - .30 , bought it at Gun store near me cheap , it was so beat up , had ridden on the floor of a truck in NM for many years , took it to my gunsmith & he hot blued it and his wife restored the wood ! Sweet !
The giggle when he said it's filled with orange soda just tickled me and I'm not sure why! Man I miss this man and his great videos! RIP Mr Harrell!
There is a reason that the .30-30 has been around so long, it gets the job done. The guns and ammo are reasonably priced. I bought one for defense, out to 100 yards. It was a Marlin .30-30W for $300 new. I stocked up on ammo during hunting season. It does not look tactical, it looks like a hunting rifle, and that's how I like it. Great video Paul!
I picked up a Marlin 336C for 338$ had the big loop and a scope mount installed,if there was a situation I needed a rifle,within the range my eyes could see,I would not be out of fire power.
You are far from outgunned with that rifle! Practice with it often and it will serve you well.
380 ammo
Cause unlike most you know what youa re talking about... 170 grain round at 2000+fps.... that is a big HEAVY bullet moving fast...
chuckHart70 lol 8mm Mauser is a bit bigger and moves just a bit slower if I'm not mistaken but tbh it's too expensive
My Father grew up in the woods of northern BC Canada. They shot moose, wolves, black bears, grizzlys all the time with the 30-30. It was considered the best rifle and the distance they shot was not more that 100 to 150 yards unless wolf hunting. A single box of 20 shells would last for years of big game hunting. It was very important to have a handy, light, reliable rifle to pack around day in and day out. It worked back then and will work just fine now if you use it properly and know what you are doing.
20 cartridges lasts for years of hunting? Lol..
@@TTime685 poor families and not shooting other than kill shots
I heard of a guy out here in Montana that with a 30-30 and 1 box of ammo shot 17 elk in 17 hunting seasons... That's pretty impressive, to me!
"I'll go back about 100 yrds and see how much drop there is"
Proceeds to hit bullseye 😂
No drop. Lol
Right? With iron sights too.
Miss you, Paul. Love my 30-30 and even though I am very familiar with it, I always learn something from your videos. While you are in heaven, you are living on down here. Glad we can pop in and see you whenever we want.
For walk-around hunting with iron sights, nothing is more natural feeling than a lever-action .30-30
I'd like to get a 30-30 and a 45-70
Perfect brush gun for alabama
@@bobbychub9991 most curtainly is.. Killed many deer in the thickwoods of alabama with my 3030.. Ive can stack nail 150 wouldnt hesitate at 200.. Although i prefer 270
@Marino You're gonna love it!
@Marino I own a Smith and Wesson 686 plus and a Marlin Winchester 30-30... hands down my favorite firearms to date. My friends all prefer more modern style firearms as well and they give me shit for my old cowboy guns lol. But, they are fun, and if you can teach yourself to be accurate with them you're just as likely to protect/feed yourself as those guys with the "tacticool" guns.. Nothing wrong with liking a classic my friend 👌
I'm just here binge watching. RIP Paul!
I see this is four years old but still very informative.
I have an old 30-30 that uncle jokes came over on the Mayflower.
He reloads for me. He says if you can't get supper with two shots you deserve to go hungry.
He loads sharp pointed bullets in the casings and of course we can only put one in the tube and one in the chamber. They fly a lot farther than the federal store bought flat nose. We zero at 200 yards and they are 3 inches high at 100 yards but drop 12 inches at 300 yards.
Uncles home loads are really close to the new Hornady evolution rounds with the plastic nose piece. Their website shows with 160 grains at 200 yards 1916 velocity and 1304 energy. At 300 yards 1699 velocity and 1025 energy but that is where the -12 inch comes into play. So uncles spitzers and the hornady evolution rounds can give new life to an ancient rifle.
And I’m the unlucky SOB that sits on that picnic table with the family wondering “why is it so damn sticky”!
LOL We washed it off.
and why does it smell like ozone
In texas the fire ants would love you paul
@@jeffswift2595 I'd bet Texas would love him if he put fire ant killer in the orange soda.....
ol
"That coyote was 60 yds away. How far did he think that 30-30 would shoot?" 59 yds. After that, the bullets just explode to prevent civilian casualties.
No, it turns 90 degrees straight down.
@@ericn7677 That sound like the 35 remington 😂
BS.
My grandad shot his buck of alife time at 200 yards with the 3030 that my brother got after he past away
My first gun wasna 3030 marlin. I used from the time i was 6 till about 10. I ve personal shot many deer with this gun from ranges around 200 yards to 25 yeard.. I wouldnt hessitate or even think about not dropping the hammer on a deer at 2oo yards... Very effective gun the length make it good for thick wooded areas.. I will often take my 3030 over my 270 in thicker woods...
Still love watching these again and again
Same me too!!
I have been using the 30-30 for Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and Elk since the 1960s Never let be down.
I think this was my first Paul Harrell video that I watched however many years ago it’s hard to believe that he’s gone rip
Thank you for doing this video Paul! I have been defending the 30 30 for years against the 30 30 detractors. To this day it remains one of my favourite rifle calibers.
Boy I sure have killed a lot of deer for the 30-30 to be so “insufficient.” You are spot on here Paul. My Marlin is my baby. I’ve never seen a deer run more than 30 yards after a dinner plate shot. Also I am easily grouping less than 2 inches at 150 yards, which is more than enough for deep woods hunting.
Hey Brother Paul, I inherited a Model 94 with a side mounted 4X40mm scope from a parishioner who died without an heir and wanted his guns to go to a good home. I went and bought some of that new-fangled Leverevolution ballistic tip ammo and sighted the gun in at 150 yards. I killed a nice 205-lb 10-point buck at 290 yards. He folded immediately as the shot went through his lungs and heart. Lucky shot? Maybe. Seems like I kill a deer every year at 250+ yards. Seems pretty darn good for being an outdated and underpowered cartridge. Thanks again for a great video and please keep the great videos coming! Grace & Peace!
Rev. Steven Taylor , a hunter and a preacher! Good for you ! A lot of people seem to have lost touch with reality in todays world . We all have to eat . Best of luck but I don't think you need it- the fix is in.
The leverevolution rounds really breathed new life into the 30-30. I don't hunt with the 30-30 anymore but my dad still does. Easily adds another 100 yards
Rev. Steve Taylor
My first 2 deer were with my father's Marlin 30-30 (can't remember the specific model#). At seven years old, I killed a doe &a 9-point buck.
I now use a 6.5 Creedmoor Ruger American Predator rifle with a 4×12 power scope.
Last year my mother didn't shut the freezer door all the way & a lot of the meat went bad. The Lord blessed us &I killed a nice bodied & antlered deer (the one in this circle to the left), my father killed 3 total (1 before the door incident &2 after) nice bodied antlered deer, & my brother killed 1 nice bodied deer with fair antlers.
The Lord gives & the Lord takes away, praise be to the Lord in all things.
The .30-30 was always very well suited cartridge for deer.
Add a scope and polymer tip ammo, and you get just a bit more of useful gun still.
Grace & Peace Padre
There have probably been more deer harvested with a .30.30 than any other round. In Upstate New York the lever action .30.30 is the iconic whitetail rifle
Wow even NY has less restrictive laws about hunting than my state.
Can't hunt deer with a rifle in IL :(
I don't even hunt but I bet there would be way more rifles on the used market if you could deer hunt with them here.
Yeah, they're pretty popular in NM. I was lured in by the headline because it seemed strange to me. "Who underestimates these? Most hunters I know, know exactly what they are and aren't capable of."
I was stationed at Ft. Drum and saw some really big deer up there. Upstate NY has some awesome hunting and fishing opportunities.
A good friend of mine is a game warden..he said that the two calibers he sees deer taken with the most are the 30/30 and the 22lr (not legal...but he sees it often)
.22 took more deer than the rest put together.
Hey Brother Paul, the 1st long gun I ever bought & still proudly own is the Marlin BL336, Big Loop, 30/30. I have the iron sights trued up for the 150 gr & it's lethal up to about 200+ yds. I needed a 37" bush gun for living in Pa. It's my "Old Reliable". The first rifle I ever invested in & still gr8 4 harvesting venison,,, thanx 4 your honest assessment!!
This guy is the best on ALL OF UA-cam!!!!
Lever action 30-30 of my father's was the first gun I ever fired now that old Winchester is mine and still functions perfectly.
I gotta say you have one of the best channels I have been able to find. Keep it up man.
Paul your presentations are the very informative and entertaining .Thanks
Nice shooting at that hundred yard target. As Clint Eastwood said in the movie Heartbreak ridge, " there's nothing wrong with that rifle. "
Kiterally stumbked across this video and am glad for it. Really good presentation, I appreciate your candor. I'm not a hunter, was raised wrong, but I do have a pre 50's Winchester '64 deluxe in 30 30 that was once owned by a deceased state politician, a gift from his mother.
I love the general feel, action and accuracy of the rifle and had understood it to be a good brush gun. Thanks again for taking the time to further educate me!
Although, it is a little light, I was standing beside my older brother when he took his first elk with a 94 30-30 carbine(20" barrel). One shot at 150 yds, the elk didn't seem to know the rifle was too small. I also watched a man kill a cattle chasing dog at over 350 yds with a 94 30-30 rifle(26" barrel). Earlier tonight, I was visiting with an elderly friend who told me that he killed moose for decades with his military issue Pacific Coast Militia Rangers 94 30-30 carbine. What you shoot is not nearly as important as how well you shoot.
Indeed.
Running dog at 350 yards. I know some people can do it. I’m just proud of hitting 2 out of 4 300 yard targets in Basic, prone, with 10 seconds to aim at a full torso target, which was smaller than the front sight post on my M16A1, circa 1983.
@@CorePathway With open sights, I like to keep my shots within 50 yds., and closer is better, I would need a scope to hit those 300 yd. targets.
When I was a boy (10or11) some of the kids at school would hastle me for using my old 30-30 to hunt moose with. They said it was too light but the moose were just as dead as if I had been using a .375 or something like that.
@@CorePathway I used to average about 7 out of 10 in the black on a baker target from 500yds back in my Marine Corps days with open sights on my M16A2. I found it hard to miss from 200 and 300 yards on the 12" round target, or the head&shoulders "dog" target. Pretty sure there's no way I could repeat that today. Scopes spoiled me.
I'm 67 and have been around guns and hunting my whole life and I have learned more from this man than anyone in my life in a very short period. Thank you Paul and RIP!!!
Didn't know this man passed on, very best wishes to you and yours.
The 30-30 is only underestimated by internet operators. Until recent times, the 30-30 was the absolute most popular rifle for deer hunting and I know for a fact a 170gr round shot from a 30-30 will, without a doubt, take a cow moose at 100 yards. They are functionally accurate and a large enough round to handle most game in North America.
Very true. I have see an elk dropped completelystillwith one 30-30at 80 yds
I ended up with marlins 308 express rifle and I’m pretty sure it’s over kill for anything on the North American continent haha. I need a 336 in 30-30 cause the 308 round is hard to find.
William Watkins ?? Ever been to Walmart? Or any gun/outdoors store?
Dylan Clere when I said 308 I meant the 308 marlin express not the 308 Winchester totally 2 different rounds. Unless it’s different where you live the express round is hard to find here.
William Watkins oh. I'm aware, but I've never had anybody mention it. 308 win is what most mean by 308. There's one store here that's family ran, they typically have all the hard to find stuff
I grew up on 30-30s. I wanted a Winchester 30-30 from my teen years. I got one in 1985 iirc from a pawn shop. Still have it and it has been everywhere in the back of my cars, trucks, and airplanes. I've never shot any game with it, but I have no doubt I could. It has always been my go to rifle.
What is shows it that, you're a really really good shot. That 100 yard group was exceptional.
That was a great group for open sights.. Scoped, it would not be that exceptional. I have several targets that a quarter can cover a 3 shot group at 100 yards. From a bench of course. And that's from the new issue Marlin that one hears horror stories about. True, the fitment could be better but it's a shooter plain and simple.. and most guys buy a gun to shoot and hit something with it... and then there are the safe queens which may or may not be good shooters..
actually thats about average, he is a good shot, but most lever actions are 2-3 inchs @ 100yds
@frank gulla And you are basing this on what exactly?
Deltaworks23 - anecdotes from the owners and reviewers of the millions (and millions) of .30-30 lever rifles that are out there.
Thomas Jefferson funny how his grouping got better at double the distance. 😂
I like your non bias analysis of the 30-30. Your conclusions are right on the money. Great tip regarding the nail polish.
I have had my marlin 30-30 now for 47 years. It performs flawlessly.
You are my favorite. You’re a true expert with no ego, just self-confidence (as you should have). All of your videos are extremely informative and I learn something every time I watch one. I I’ve grew up around firearms.
So, thank you for your service and for help keeping those not as informed as you safe.
Well done video. Interesting, well paced and informative. Not to common on UA-cam.
Mr.Harrell: “I could bore you for hours with anecdotes. Let me tell you just two...”
Me: Yeah, here comes the awesome stories!
Yup, go ahead, give us more Paul!
Paul the 30-30 here in Michigan is know as the Michigan deer rifle. About everyone's got one including me. My model 94 Winchester is one of the most accurate rifles I own. Plus it's a great brush buster which we have alot of in Michigan.
I’ve never shot at a deer with my .30-.30 that didn’t fall in a heap where it stood.
I have, but when they ran they didn't get far. Been hunting with my 336C since I was eighteen and have never needed anything bigger.
My dad let me shoot a deer with his Marlin 336 when I was around 13 and after that you couldn’t pry that gun from my hands. I’ve only “tracked” one deer and it was maybe 40 yards and I hit her kinda high all my own fault at the time. We hunted/hunt WV so it’s mostly 60 and under in the hardwood ridges but none the less it does a great job. Now my youngest brother has got ahold of that gun and poor old dad hasn’t been able to get it from us in years but he loves seeing us use it. If it could only talk for just a day
Damn straight!
The sectional density means a really nasty wound channel.
@Old Luke I believe it. Because of the shape of the bullet, it dumps a lot of energy into the target. The flat nose and/or hollow points give it good sectional density.
The guy just shot what appeared to be around 2 MOA with open sights on a lever action. He is all that is man.
He was a firearms instructor for the US military, son.
Good eye sight and practice. Not really all that impressive.
@@LIONTAMER3D my dad was a soldier and he's the worst shot in the family!
@@josephgilboy6259 different type of shooting. If he was infantry they spray fire. No precision shooting involved things are somewhat different now but still definitely no marksman by any means
@@josephgilboy6259 He was a Marine, not a soldier. Far more marksmanship training even at the basic training level. The fact that he was later marksmanship instructor at the USMC security forces school should let you know the comparison fails.
"You musta been shootin him wrong" LMAO!
My favorite part too!! HAHAHA!!
God how I wish Paul would "Bore us for an hour with anecdotes" again. Greatly missed. Thanks so much for all you've done for us, Paul and crew! Good luck, Roy!
I never understood some people's misconceptions about the 30-30. It was an exceptional deer round since its inception. There are bigger, faster rounds out today, but just because there may be something better doesn't mean that a 30-30 won't do what it used to.
Vince Ruland q
Just for the record, Paul shoots tighter groups “off hand” than most people shoot from the bench...lol.👌💯💯👊🏻
T Murray . He and Hickok are on another level.
I shoot pretty well off hand, but Yea, he is not one I would want on the other side of a muzzle.
T Murray it is a shame people need a truck full of crap to go shoot a few Bullets from. Especially hunting weapons and loads. I can’t remember the last deer I shot from a bench
The ' Forgotten Weapons ' guy, Ian, did pretty good shooting @ 800 yds, open sights.
@@xzqzq Gun Jesus doesn’t count; his father in heaven keeps his hands steady
Have been thinking of getting one of these and I'm sold. A 30-30 reminds me of a Fender Telecaster- they've been making 'em forever & though you can mod 'em all day, the original design's just fine. No need to change a thing
Ha! Maybe a Strat is a good comparison, too and for me the most versatile and easy-to-mod guitar out there ;)
@@jicklesjingles8134 I say "Right on" to that!
Now I have to try it at home, because you said not to!
I've always liked the .30 .30...
Especially in the thickets and deep woods...
Thank you for sharing this information
Hi, Just wanted to thank you, Paul, for all your great content! Great job!
"No, seriously honey, the nail polish is for my gun."
"And I even used some on my rifle."
pinrestore ha
Testors enamel model paint is pretty good too.
Giovanni Di Marco even white out will work in a pinch
In a pinch, sure. But I wouldn't expect it to hold out for long. White Out stays soft and I'd imagine that it's not that resilient to heat or gun oil.
Great video Paul - I really love watching your videos - full of knowledge, intrigue and fun!
I never met the man, but i can tell he was of good caricature. I fell like i really missed out on seeing him at the locale gun shows. I can't believe how sad this makes me feel. I must suck for his family and close friends. Sucks!
Character; local gun shows. Don't worry there's still a caricature....
I've wacked more deer with my "dirty 30" then I can remember. Once a friend asked why not get something faster simple I said the Frist time a deer out runs it I'll sell it
Bruh 😂😂😂🤣
Good one. I haven't been deer hunting. But if I wanted to go, I would use my 30-30 because it is what I have that is best about to do the job.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
@Dacian Traveler composite tips aren’t good for levers IMO inconsistent & for what they are too expensive
I had some friends dogging on me for looking at 30-30's and .270's for deer in W NY state. "My 30.06 will shoot a lot farther!!" Just how far away do you need to shoot to kill a deer? Or that you'll actually be able to SEE it in the woods? Most deer are killed at under 50 yards... And how far do you want that bullet to travel after it goes through that deer- not to mention the misses. This isn't the great plains or the rockies...
Great video a marlin 336 stainless in 30/30 was the first gun i ever bought and cant wait to keep this timeless rifle to give to my son one day. I agreed 100% with your video and mine can be super accurate if the shooter does his part. Love loading with the lever-evolution powder and get some more speed out of this classic cartridge to put a little modern touch on the classic round.
LOL... "you musta been shooting'em wrong?" I dropped my cigar out of my mouth hearing that, LOL
It's a great phrase to keep handy
Another great PH vid. I used my Dad's 7.9mm Mauser that he brought back from Yurp during WWII for the first few years of hunting the wily whitetail in Northern Minnesota as a kid back in the early '70s, but then won a Mod. '94 Chet 30-30 in a shooting meet and was very happy for three reasons: 1) the shorter and lighter carbine was easier to whack through brush and trees, 2) the 2-movement lever-action is much faster than the Mauser's 4-move bolt action, and 3) every wild cow I hit died of acute lead poisoning. It got even better when I moved to MT and the saddle-gun functionality of the 30-30 paid off in spades during trail and open range hunts for Elk and mulies on the back of Miss Barbie. I never needed a scope on either the Chet or the Mauser in the north woods as I never had a shot further than 50yds anyway, and the few times I used a rifle with a scope (a 7mm Rem and a .243) it was always cold, damp, and usually raining in Minnesota in November, and so the scopes almost always fogged up and I ended up sighting through the scope mounts with the iron sights. I do like the .243 with a scope for plinking prairie dogs in SoDak, though, which along with shooting pheasants, is about as much fun as one can have in SoDak with one's clothes on.
we lost a good one... My heart goes out to the family.
I would like to acquire a 30-30 some day, although I done need one. I once overheard a salesman at a Dicks Sporting Goods arguing with a customer about a 30-30. The customer wanted it for deer hunting, the salesman didn't want to sell it to him because it would only wound deer. The customer went to the manager then left without buying the gun. I really don't understand where this negative stigma came from when it comes to the 30WFC. I tend to think of 30-30, and 20 gauge in the same category. Both are both capable of harvesting most game in North America, and they are both considered to be guns for kids or old people. If a American Indian can harvest deer with a sharp rock on the end of a stick, propelled by a string, tied to another stick, anyone should be able kill the same deer with a 150 grain bullet going 2,200 feet per second.
And that's where DICK came from in the title dick's sporting goods. LOL
many say that the 30-30 has taken more deer in America than any other cartridge. Compared to the 7.62x39, the 30-30 typically has more muzzle energy, and people hunt with the SKS all the time.
I've heard .30-30 referred to as a "kids gun" many times. As well as, "it'll hit the ground at a hundred yards." and, "Maybe a .30-30 is OK for a kid." and on, and on, and on.
I hunt with a Marlin 30-30 and the bucks i kill drop in their tracks with no suffering. Just hunt with 150 grain hollow points and it will be good.
That stigma is bullshit. I'm fairly sure that if three generations of my family have all hunted with the exact same one. If my dad can kill a deer in one shot with it shooting down a pipeline, I'm fairly sure that stigma is bullshit. Actually I know that stigma's bullshit.
Not a huge deer hunter, but of the 3 I've killed.... 2 were with my lever acton 30-30. Reliable rifle. The other was with my pitching wedge.
Titleist makes great ammo!
My dad had a putter someoneone gave them when he was growing up on the farm in the 1930s. He put it on the grinding wheel, amd used it whenever his mom said "go get me a chicken" I still laugh thinking about a chicken head flying 100 yards across the farmyard amd a headless chicken running around. Would have been even funnier if his brother shot the flying head with the shotgun skeet style.
@@michaelanderson1859 Best comment on UA-cam. I miss living in the countryside :(
Nail polish for sealing wax ! Great tip. Never heard that in 50 years. Thanks!
I just love my old .30-30 I have several guns but somehow it is still my favorite gun. So much fun to shoot and just feels good in the hands.
Thank you sir for a very good video. I have loved the Winchester 30-30 since I was 9 or 10 years old. I have 2. One is a 1959 Winchester 94, 30-30, that is UNfired. I believe the Winchester 94, 30-30, is the best rifle ever manufactured. Premium ammo is available that raise the usefulness of the cartridge up a couple of notches. Anyway, thanks for a good video.
Good video! There is a lot of hate lately on youtube for the .30-30. Usually by the tacti-tool dudes who try to compare it to every other round. They are like, "sure, the .30-30 will kill it, but this round here will kill it deader."
I love it when some tacticool dork tries to hate on a round because it isn't 5.56, 7.62x51, or a .338 Lapua.
"OK hotshot, how about you go stand down range of it and try to catch a few, then come back and we can have a chat about what you think of the round afterward!"
I can't quite figure out why, but to date I've never had anyone take me up on that offer...
The type that never thinks of what's on the other side of the target or on the other side of the wall behind it.
annoyed707 bingo.
Or at least make them fall harder lol.
My first firearm Mossberg 12 gauge semi-auto... Second firearm, 1954 Marlin 30-30.. I love my 30-30 is smooth as glass..
I totally agree with your assessment. I hadn't shot my 336 in over a year and checked zero a week ago. I checked Hornady's ballistic calculator to see the performance on the 30-30 160grn leverevolution ammo I was using. With a 100yd zero if shoots flat out to 125yds +/-1" ish. It drops 6 inches at 200yds. With a 2.5-7 scope I was shooting 1.5 moa. I have two 336's this one shoots 1.5 moa and the other older one I have I consistency shoot 1 moa with good ammo. I think they are great rifles inside 200yards and those 30-30 bullets carry a lot of energy inside those ranges.
I never knew that pumpkins were such bad asses. That last one kept a smile on his face even after his buddies exploded.
your video's are great ,,,not just this one but all,,,thank you ,,
Awesome person, Paul is a great person, he’s a treasure for the people!
I've probably watched this video 5 times, but it is always interesting. You do some fine work, sir.
The 30-30 might be the caliber that has killed more deer in North America and quite a few federales during the Mexican revolution. Among the firearms potpourri wielded by Mexican gerrillas under Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, the "treinta-treinta" as they called it in Spanish had such a special place among the rebels that it was immortalized in a song called "Carabina treinta treinta"
chapiit08 - Thanks for that info, very interesting. I'm from South Tx and I have never heard that song (that I can remember), granted I'm white but I have heard a fair share of Mexican music growing up in Laredo.
good shooting, good information, and excellent presentation.
Thanks.
My old Winchester 94 30-30 was sold in a time of poverty at Christmas time. I still miss it. It was a fun gun to shoot. My brother said it still is. He has used it for about 30 years. I now have a different lever gun and I like the feel and the action. Thank you Paul Harrell.
I remember my Uncle Frank. He walked out to the woods every year with his red Woolrich plaid coat, heavy jeans, felt insulated boots, blaze orange flap "furburger" hat (in his later years) and his lever action 3030 Winchester with open sights. This of course before all the fancy high tech hunting garb and all the variety of rifles and calibers and optics that we have today. Just about every season he would tromp out of the woods dragging a buck behind him. I used a Stevens Model 325C. I didn't do as well, due to my youthful impatience. Thank you Mr. Harrell for what you do and have done. I think i'm gonna pull the Stevens out and shoot it!
That is a great story.
Sometimes hunting is about tradition, history, and nature more than it's about the coolest gadgets.
Great video, I love my 70s vintage 30-30. Every deer I've shot with it has dropped immediately :)
2:09 Mr Harrell the comedian, HAHA! I think this is the 2nd time I remember him making a joke LOL! Look at that grin he has from ear to ear as well! Good stuff
Thank you for this excellent video!
My Brother took many Whitetail Deer with his Winchester Model 94. My Son, likewise, took many Whitetail Deer with that same Model 94. IMHO, in the brushy hills and hollows of Southwestern Pennsylvania, there is no better Whitetail getter than a Model 94 chambered in .30-'30.
Long may it reign!
Yours is one of the very few firearm YT sites worth watching. Keep up your great work.
My brother inherited my grandfather's Model 94 .30-30. According to the serial numbers it was built in 1954 & my father remembers when he was a kid the day the then new .30-30 came home. This rifle was so well taken care of that even today, minus a bit of bluing on the corners, it almost looks new. We were able to ping pop cans (soda cans in the U.S. I guess) dead center at 100 yards. The best story I remember from my grandpa (and my dad and uncles) was that during the old days, butchers could go on people's farms and slaughter cattle for them. Two large steers were getting readied for the chopping block, one had been whacked with what is called a "pin gun" a sort of tool that uses a blank cartridge to fire a pin out of this mechanism that goes into the animal's brain, stuns them so that the steer can be hung upside down so the steer can be exsanguinated for butchering. The second steer (and these were apparently big steer) smelled the blood from the first steer, decided he wasn't having none of that, ripped off the nose ring, busted through a fence into the first field, busted the second fence in the second field and was headed towards the tree line where if he had crossed the last fence into the tree line, he would have been impossible to find. By then, according to my dad and my uncles, grandpa had retrieved the .30-30 from the truck, put a bullet in it and shot the steer, running shot at about 100 yards and shot him where the skull meets the spine. DRT. (Hey! That's what I was told! I wasn't even DNA then) So the .30-30 was able to drop an 800 lb. steer. I also remember my dad and uncles saying that grandpa had even killed a few moose with it but they did say that he was REALLY close, like 10 yards away. I wanted a .30-30 so bad that I went out and bought my own, got a model 94 but mine was built in 1975. Love it to pieces. RIP grandpa, you are still remembered by a lot of people.
This man can shoot with iron sights. Everytime I watch one of his videos I'm amazed how well he shoots.
He was a firearms instructor for the US military
Rewatching all Paul's old videos makes me pine for all the "Boring you for hours" or "I could go on Et Astra", etc.
I feel like he DID have many hours worth of storytelling to do for us!