probably one of the best ammo test channels on youtube, and I love how familiar he is with his guns, so few people truly understand how much a bullet can drop at range.
It's amazing sometimes to go out there and test things in the actual world...have alot of fun doing it too and it's thrilling when it helps a plan comes together.
@@Brobee223a lot of my hunting Buddies are all modern technology some of them go out like robots lol , real world testing , field craft and great marksmanship you just proved it, have too say one hell of shot of marksmanship on all especially that elk loved it 👍
Hey dad, Really happy to see that people like the video you spent such a long time on. I know you put a lot of hard work into this passion and I’m so happy you have found a community to share it with ❤️
I agree your channel is honest and very good. And keep hunting with your family. And that you use 30-30 is awesome. Now that I'm back home in Pennsylvania. Almost my whole family hunts with the 30-30.
You do have a particular voice and well laid out information. Given his recent passing (Paul Harrell) there is an opening for well researched scientific firearms data. Of course you would need to learn his recipe for meat pack, pork shoulders, oranges to simulate lung tissue damage and, of course, bullet proof fleece.
One publication puts it: _According to Winchester, the light, fast-handling Model 94 has sold more than 7 million copies and when sales of other rifles chambered in .30-30 are thrown in, it is one of the most successful cartridges ever._ _And 125 years after its introduction, it's still enjoying success. According to gun writer Chuck Hawks, the .30-30 ranked fourth in centerfire rifle ammunition sales in the U.S. in 2015. According to Todd Sarotte, manager of Van's Sporting Goods in Brandon, .30-30 ammunition sales are still strong at his store._ Another publication: _Vista Outdoor, which manufactures both Federal and Remington ammunition, reports that .30-30 ammo is still a big-volume item. The cartridge consistently ranks in or near the top 10 in annual ammo sales due to the sheer number of lever-action rifles out there and still in use._ _While rounds like the .270, .308, and .30-06 have felled more whitetails than the .30-30 this century and over the past 30 years for that matter, you've got to remember that the .30-30 has been around and dropping deer for 125 years._
@@exothermal.sprocketnice work on the exerts of publishings you found. Also bizarre to see Vans sporting goods mentioned in it. I bought from them for years and nice to see them being mentioned. If you’re ever near it go check it out they have great prices and plenty of goods.
People thinking the 30-30 is weak, or “ just a 100yd gun”, have either never owned one or never actually pushed passed 100yds. Verifying drop at different ranges, as in this video, is crucial with ANY hunting rifle. Knowing your rifle and its full potential is paramount to success when hunting. One shot drop, at that distance with a 30-30 proves its potential. I myself have taken several deer over 200yds with my old 336 Marlin. It wear a 1-4x scope and a little over 200 is right at what I can see well these days. Add to that , with aging eyes, the low power settings are a great sight in shadowy areas and low light. I can see the crosshairs much easier than iron sights. While peep sights work well for close up, stalking with the scope on 1-2x is even easier to get on target for me. Long live the 30-30!
The amount of work that went into this presentation is exceptional! The thorough research and informative results is very much appreciated. I don’t even hunt but it was so interesting to see real world terminal ballistics in action to pair with the exhaustive testing. A big thank you to you and your family for sharing your experience with us!
I congratulate you sir! This is perhaps the most conclusive test of the old but, great .30 WCF on the web. And you proved to the young'uns that the .30-30 won't bounce off an elk but rather drop it in it's tracks. A great video, thanks for posting!
My Dad used a Savage 30/30 for years hunting Deer, Elk And Moose. He change to 308 Sako later on, and I got the old 30/30. He also had a 270 he used for Pronghorn. But that 30/30 put a ton of meat on the table.
About fifteen years(?) ago while in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Another gun enthusiast and myself got voluntold to disassemble then clean & reassemble a good friends 30-30 Model 1894 rifle circa 1923 birthdate. With good screwdrivers we tackled this task with success. But boy oh boy those stepped screws were butter soft steel! Not a task i wish to repeat. However this fine 26 inch barreled rifle with full length magazine was first purchased by his great grandfather. The Mullins family were settlers in the Cypress Hills. His ranching/farming ancestor bought it to hunt elk in the high stands of alpine black spruce. Apparently close range neck shots filled the larder for many years. And it was said, often only one shot required for each harvest. Thank you Brobee for another excellent demonstration of your fine families shooting-hunting prowess! 😉
Thank you,well done. I’m from the Catskills and harvesting from the earth is part of our life. What a joy to share the experience with your daughter, and provide for your family.
So wish I had the resources to make more than 1 video a year, but am grateful for the time and opportunity for that 1! Hope to make another next year. Shotgun or 30-30?
My uncle who taught me to hunt on the Western Slope of Colorado always told me it was all shot placement. I lived in a small town in Delta County. He had only one rifle he used from the time he was 12 until his passing. It was an old 30-30, break open single shot with a 24-inch barrel with iron sights. He only used hand loaded 110 grain spire point bullets. This was load was at the highest velocity which I won't mention. He killed so many deer and elk in over 60 years, never lost one, almost all were one shot kills. Great video.
Wow, 110 grainers! I bet he sure had those babies moving fast. I'm going on my first CO deer hunt this fall, albeit further east. I already have the .30-30 and I'm not gonna be like all the other guys and go buy a pricey bolt rifle. I'll have to stalk closer and I'm looking forward to it.
It must have been great growing up in Delta county I spent a lot of time in the Gunnison area working for outfitters hunting and fishing I caught the last of the best in 90s John Plots 100 year record bull elk is in the crested Butte visitor center that was killed in dark canyon is an awesome sight
Fantastic shot on the Elk. The 30-30 proves that you don't need lightening speed and dynamite power to harvest cleanly. Thank you for all your prep work. Congrats on your success! Great video!
For sure there are more capable rounds today; but I really enjoyed exploring the 30-30 and based on what I learned I think it's a great round within reasonable constraints. Figuring out what those constraints are is also alot of fun for me, and I like making this kind of content to share and talk about what I think I learned too. Cheers.
Great video. Glad to see you put the 30-30 to work. I happen to have my great grandfathers 24” rifle made in 1917 and it’s taken everything from moose to elk to deer. As you have proven it’s a very competent round within its limitations.
What a wonderful and detailed explanation of various bullets’ performance, and even better was the shot. Perfect. What ever you hunt with shot placement and familiarity with one’s weapon is paramount. Bravo!
This video is huge step up in production value, entertainment and gained knowledge from real word experiences yet still retaining the original video style. Looking forward to more videos! CWD is in my immediate whitetail deer hunting area. I'm upset but recognize that I will not eat an untested deer.
Strong and kind praise, appreciated! Hope to keep improving; might even buy a new camera for next year's adventure ;) Sad to read you have CWD in your immediate area, am sure we are not far away as it continues to move west.
You've done some good stuff over the years, you put the time and effort in to figure out how to make things work. Also showed people what needs to be done to figure it out. And it's payed off, well done.
I hunt with a 1894 30wcf that was my grandpaps. Made in 1909. It has a 26" barrel octagon. Ive taken 2 bull Alaskan moose. And several caribou when i lived in Alaska. Now it takes deer in Pennsylvania. God bless 😊
If it's wet weather. It stays inside in its wooden case. Then I take my m94 30-30. It' was given to me for Christmas in 1978. It was a 1-5 Leupold scope side mounted. After moving back to Pennsylvania after my Dad passed away. I found it's original box in the attic. It cost 98.00 dollars new. Now I live and own the house I grew up in.
Congratulations on very successful hunts and a great video presentation. You did a very respectful preparation for your hunts which shows that you honor the tradition and practice of ethical hunting and providing for your family. Very well done sir, and to your daughter, from your neighbor to the south in Montana.
Had alot of fun going on those hunts! Sometimes folks' "certainty", especially about things they have little experience with, can be exhausting. Am glad I'm wired in a way that helps me develop my own experience/perspectives.
A very respected but oddly underestimated cartridge. People forget that at the time it was introduced the 30-30 was indeed considered fairly impressive in terms of range and capability. My first deer was with Model 94 at about 30 yards, the deer ran into the thicket and in a big half circle came back out and expired on the path behind me. My father had to follow the blood trail around just to make sure it wasn't a tall tale! As far as use on big game within reason, I don't see the issue. In fact, I've found that using a cartridge with potential exceeding the hunter's proficiency can lead to a false sense of proficiency. You don't need a 7mm mag to shoot 100 yards and you have no business shooting at a living creature at 500+ yards unless you're starving or truly are an expert marksman. Anyway, great video and THANKYOU for keeping the tradition alive for our future generations!
Love the half-circle story and the deer dying on the trail. Like your comment around proficiency...it's hard to replace experience/skill by simply moving to a bigger hammer. But the good part is I find all that practice to develop/maintain skill is almost as much fun as the hunt itself!
Fabulous story-telling and production! Your comparison and analysis of the different load options for the 30-30 are very informative. Much appreciated!
I love watching your process. I archery and rifle hunt throughout Alberta but watching your videos just puts me back in the field enjoying some of those perfect days in the field. I enjoyed the bullet testing, CWD info and the hunting vids!
Viewtime stats show that the CWD section is folks least favourite - you are in the minority in that department! It feels important to me to follow and participate in the study, happy you enjoyed it!
330 yards is very impressive. I love how people think 30-30 is underpowered. This is a perfect display of skill + patience, and knowing the tool. 30-30 is a joy. People keep rambling about 45-70 but 30-30 is Legendary.
Great watch.Who woulda thought the old 30-30 could do that at 310 yards.I was always told its a 100 yard gun.Ive taken some deer with it.Rhe old pre-64 feels good in the hand to carry all day too.
Who'd have thought the .30-30 would do that at .310 yards? Me. I started off as an 11 year old kid in 1976 with a Marlin 336 in .30-30. Since then, I've used other rifles and calibers, but when I saw the potential of Hornady FTX ammo in 2006, I started gravitating back to the .30-30, eventually selling off my other center-fire rifles, which were basically going un-used. The deal for me was that the FTX ammo and duplicate handloads allowed me to hit a 9" gong at 300 yards reliably and that was a big deal for me personally because the farthest I've ever taken a shot at game in 47 seasons of hunting was 278 yards on a California high desert mule deer. I can manage the trajectory of the FTX ammo to 300 yards and I know that I'll have around 1,158 ft/lbs of energy when it gets there, which is enough to insure sufficient penetration while still achieving 2X shank diameter expansion.
Excellent job on your production of this video. I am a fan boy of the 30-30 and of the 160gr Leverevolution cartridge. I was aware of its reputation for core jacket separation, and your research showed it is most prevalent at shorter distances.
I think that's the main reason we were ok with the FTX at long range - actually counting on its softer construction for some expansion at low velocity. At close range I feel like this is a liability, but an asset the further out you get and it's shape sure helps you get it there...
Thank you! Appreciate your wishes for good luck this year too...I have a good concept for another video adventure so am hoping for the planets to all align...;) Cheers.
You do a fantastic job of putting together info. You make the only videos that I am not left asking questions. I have watched every video. I enjoy the process and the subsequent choices you make. Shockwave deer hunt is my favorite. I am left every year hoping for another video. Or a few 😊 Thanks for sharing all your hard work
Appreciate your note a lot - high praise that you're hoping for another video and I'm thrilled I've got one coming - all filmed, rough cut assembled, and now working on my narration. Hope to hit the upload button over the holiday season.
Great footage, and exceptional work on the testing and presenting the results. Really appreciate your work on this project! Stay safe, and enjoy your fine harvest!
My first deer hunting rifle was a Marlin 30-30 I would go to the hardware store every couple of weeks just to hold it and look it over till I saved up the money. I get it out every year just to bring back back old memories and maybe make some new ones. Very nice video and well done. Happy hunting,thank you!
I've been using the 30-30 for a long time and I have used mostly the Winchester 170 grain round nose with good success. I switched over to the Hornady 160 grain FTX and my Sears Model 54 really liked that ammo, grouped around 1.2-3" using irons so that's good for me and it's been absolutely devastating on every deer I've taken with it. I've seen jacket seperation a couple of times as the projectile went through the shoulder bones, but never seen it with any double lung behind the shoulder shots. Thanks for the fantastic and in depth video, I think the 30-30 is a fantastic cartridge and is often under rated by many.
I think there's lots to love about the 30-30, but accept that it's more limited than other modern cartridges. Sounds like you have a winningg combination with your Model 54 (cool gun!) and the 160gr FTX, appreciate your comment and hope to bring you along on another this year! Cheers.
You really did a GREAT JOB on this video. I have shared this with 31 of my buddies. 12 of them are hunters. The rest are shooters. I have had this argument with a lot of people. The 30-30 is fine cartridge for elk and moose. I hunt East Texas and all my shots are 30 to 45 yards. Sit off animal trails 30 to 50 yards off and just wait. No feeder or stand. I will admit this is dangerous. Almost been run over by deer and been charged by hogs twice. No injuries yet thankfully. Good video, a happy healthy life to you and your family.
It's so hard to find good information on firearms, calibres for hunting, etc. online. As someone who picked up shooting just in the last few years, and coming from two families so traumatised by WW1 we've been pacifists as a rule since (just saying I have nobody to check with who has experience with this stuff), there's just so much superstition, hearsay, and "gut feeling" among firearms owners that I can barely relate their opinions to any kind of reality. This is by far the single best video on a calibre that I have found after hundreds of hours of research (yes I am that type). Thanks so much for all your hard work, it's been fun watching these over the last couple of years. Fantastic to see the data and the results next to one another, your videos are one-of-a-kind.
I took a 6x5 bull elk a few years back with a 30-30, 160 grain LeverEvolution. Worked perfectly. It had everything people say makes it not work, but the elk didn’t know it. First, it was a 30-30. Second, the recovered bullets had jacket core separation. The elk dropped within a few feet of where it was shot.
Excellent video and research sir. I took a bull moose that I called in to within 25 m with my 336 and Hornady 160 GR FTX. It walked away and fell within about 10 m. I can do irons accurate to 100 m. But anything more, and the target is bigger than my front sight. No scope for me! Amazing that you dropped a scope on it and dialed it in so quickly!
First time watching one of your videos and absolutely loved your testing / results with multiple ammo / bullets. I too love the 30/30 and will be very interested to see what Hammer Hunter Monolithic bullets do in comparison. Have this video saved for reference when I get to that point. Again....loved the video.
I love your videos, thank you for sharing your journey. I'd seen this one before, but I had something special happen today, and had to watch your 30-30 hunting videos again. I was helping my brother clean out his storage and found that he had my deceased uncles old Winchester model 94 in 30-30. I've been wanting a wood stocked lever gun for a while, but couldn't justify a $1000 spend that also comes with the expense of a new cartridge. He'd had the rifle for over 15 years, and never shot it. It had developed quite a bit of surface rust. I gave him $200 for it, and can't wait to bring it back to life. I have other guns, but this is the one I plan to use for my close range medium game hunting from now on. Thank you for inspiring us to use our old cartridges and rifles to their best with best practices! I'm amazed that you dropped an elk at that range with this round. Elk is suck good food for the whole family.
I found your channel researching 30-30 information as I’m going to leave the bolt guns in the safe and use my lever gun this year for whitetail. Thank for the hard work and sharing all the data with us! I also found the dot sight on your over and under shotgun (older video) very interesting. I’m an active skeet/sporting clays shooter with waining eyes… Dove is the main game bird we have here in central Texas and you have my mind spinning! Cheers and good hunting!!!
Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. With all the hype of the new 7mm PRC taking shots at 600-1000 yards, it's nice to see the classic 30-30 delivering for you at what I believe to be much better ethics and a more challenging experience. Happy hunting
I got into the long range game for a couple of years back in the early days of my hunting career. Not to dis it for everyone, but it's not for me as I prefer the interaction you get up close.
This video made my day.. thank for sharing this with us. The 30-30 Win has taken al sorts of game over the years and stated by others Shot Placment is a big part of a successful hunt.. most people when i tell them that my hand loaded 12ga slugs are about 1200fps they say thats not fast enough to be effective.. well the 3 doas and the 8 pointer i have taken with them never complaned... The Hornady 170gr is a very nice bullet.. i have made reduced loads 2500fps for my 20" barrel 308 Win give very nice accuracy but have not had the chance to use it on game... Congratulations on the successful Elk Hunt and the harvesting of the deer as well and big Congratulations to your daughters successful harvest with her great grandfathers rifle.. that is very cool to hear about.. The more i watch your videos it gives me more confidence to use the more simple things.. my 12ga shot gun.. a 30-30 win or my 35 Remington... I am fortunate to have some very nice and $$$$ bolt action hunting rifles but for the hunting i do the 35 Remington or 30-30 Win is all i would ever need for a rifle.. and my 12ga hand loads have been very good for me as well... Be well
I don't believe in reducing a powder charge and using it for hunting it's not ethical and when you lose velocity you change how the bullet expands therefore you may not make a clean kill
In tester-years I made some reduced recoil .308 loads for my daughter using the 160gr FTX loaded to 30-30-ish velocities. It worked GREAT! Thanks for your comment.
This may have been one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on UA-cam. Love seeing the old 30-30 being put to work. The kids and I will be hitting the woods with a 35 Remington this fall, I’d been debating it but now my mind is made up.
Excellent breakdown of ammo performance and selection criteria as well as demonstrating the effects of the .30-30 on larger than whitetail game at longer than average elk shot distances (x = ~225 yds). I am a firm believer in the .30-30 as the North American go to cartridge for pretty much anything in North America. All of those whom may vehemently disagree otherwise, I usually just chalk up to being highly susceptible to marketing. To this day, other than a .50 caliber Hawken, I have never taken big game with anything other than the .30-30. As an addendum to you research, I think that it may be beneficial to see the numbers that can be produced by other .30-30 rifles with longer barrels, such as the Savage 99, Marlin 336A and XLR (24" barrel), Savage 170, 340/ 840, Stevens 325 and Remington 788 (22" barrel).
Always love looking at expanded projectiles!!! I found out years ago the water test medium is way too hard of a medium for testing. Once I finally ended up with an alloy I mixed up in cast hollow point bullet that looked like a perfect mushroom I thought I had the the greatest hunting bullet. I shot three deer that year with them. Two ran over a 100 yards with text book broadside double lung shots and hitting part of the hearts. The third one dropped because at the angle out of my tree stand I hit backbone. It still didn’t dispatch the animal quickly but it didn’t go anywhere. I switched the follow year to a lot softer alloy that only penetrated 3 to four milk jugs and flattened out to a what looked like a nickel and folded back like a mushroom. It also shedded half its weight in the process. Nice big entry and exit holes in deer every time and most dropped at the shot and never moved. Great video! Thanks! Imo I’d tell you a shedded jacket with core separation makes several wound channels and dumps WAY more energy than a harder bullet that just expands very little and sails right through with little energy transfer.
Thanks for that. I own many guns but love love love my 30-30. Did I mention I love my 30-30. I load the hornady ftx as well with great results for deer here in Louisiana. I would love to harvest a black bear one day with it. God bless and stay safe Chadeaux
Excellent video. Thank you! I’ve been hunting for 20 years and I was told a long time ago that if you hit a deer it would run off with its tail down. If you missed its tail would be up. Your video and my experience proves it’s a correct observation.
Thank you for proving a 30-30 is a capable cartridge. With all the new cartridge technology and rifle technology. I believe these old cartridges that pave the way for new cartridges get forgotten about and devalued. I found this video because I too would like to go moose hunting and elk hunting with the 3030 for nostalgia reasons I too have gotten the response that it’s not enough gun to hunt those big game animals.
My dad gave me his pre-64 model 94 30-30 some 30 years ago.He shot many deer with this gun. I thought I might want something with more power. However this gift from my dad is still used every nov.
I settled on the 140 MTX bullet for my Marlin 336 in 30-30. Nice to see the excellent performance of that bullet in your test. My reason for the use of the lighter bullet is simply NO LEAD in it. See available x-rays of cup and core bullets on game. You may switch also since you're feeding the family. Nice video, thorough tests too, thanks.
I am insanely curious what the MTX would have been like at that range in the terminal department compared to the FTX...wonder how much of that FTX was shed or if at that super-distance it mostly held together? Might try to imagine some experiments along this line next summer.
This was a phenomenal video! I really appreciate the attention to detail, and expansive nature of the ammo test for your elk hunt. Congratulations on a successful hunting season as well! What was the approximate age of the cow you took?
I hunt with a 336 also. You have really motivated me to spend more time with my rifle to get the full potential out it. Too bad we don’t have elk in Florida lol
Greetings from the south Okanagan, thanks for the video. As a boomer who has been blessed to hunt a fair bit, I'd suggest those who don't understand the capability of some cartridges both lack field experience and aren't clear on the mechanics of the process. The shot placement on the cow was perfect, well done. Nice to see a full freezer, filled by a family. Stay well all.
I guess that dispels the myth of people who say .30-30 is "woefully inadequate" for elk! Not that I had any doubt. However, at 310 metres that's a longer shot than I'd ideally take with .30-30, but the results speak for itself! This video only helps confirm (for anyone in doubt) the .30-30's capabilities for taking large game like elk and moose. I watched your previous video about your hunt using .30-30 for moose, and it was excellent. This video was a fantastic mix of range shooting, ballistics charts, bullet expansion results, and in-field performance. Excellent work! It's nice to watch quality, competent UA-cam video content. Watching other videos of the .30-30's terminal performance though, even with meat and potatoes ammo like 170 grain Core-Lokt, it penetrated 24.5" in ballistics gel at 100yds. Bottom line: as long as you keep your shooting range within the manufacturer's minimum velocity for reliable expansion, you can 100% use .30-30 for elk and moose. Just keep it within its limitations and you're going to have a dead animal all the same. Again, great video. 👍 Cheers from Ontario.
@@Brobee223 Again, thanks for that. Honestly, I've never understood the controversy of using .30-30 for elk or moose for people who want to hunt at closer range to get closer to the animal. As long as it is shot within its limitations, it'll be very effective, as you've clearly shown. Everyone talks about the minimum energy numbers needed to take various game species, but I've never been an energy numbers kind of guy. I'm more concerned with a bullet's velocity upon impact, penetration, bullet construction, and _actual_ terminal performance results. But with today's modern bullets and powders, as well as more advanced factory ammo offerings, all the "old" stuff (.30-30, .30-06, .45-70...you name it) is better and more capable than ever. I don't see .30-30 for elk or moose as being a "challenge" for the round. Instead, the challenge is the actual stalking and tracking to get closer to your prey to work within the cartridge's limitations. Which is what HUNTING is all about. It should be less about the gear and more about the actual hunt itself. If someone wants the challenge of getting closer to an animal, as long as the shot is kept within the right parameters for the species being hunted, there is no "controversy" to me at all. Cheers and keep up the good work.
This is a beautiful video. Well done. I enjoyed it so much. Great narration voice. I love the velocity and bullet performance methods. Got me wondering….would the copper jacket be more susceptible to separating in H2O vs tissue? I don’t know. The monolithic barnes seems to be a really great performer in my experience. Thank you for this work!!
Wonder about that too, but have had the luxury of playing a bunch with properly calibrated gelatin, the .308win, and my shotgun. I think water is a bit more severe, but closer than you might think.
@Brobee223 np! Seriously, nobody makes long thought out content anymore. This actually shows exactly what real life does to projectiles in the field and in person how thst bullet works on actual game. Not a theoretical block of gel substitute. Idk. I was just really impressed with the effort and details put in. I'd love to see more of these with faster light for cal bonded and / or monolithic loads in 308 especially for me! Something Like the 130grain vortex and other popular options. New Federal fusion tipped are coming out real soon. Them new Speer impact projectiles look pretty cool . 🤷♂️ ✌️
We have a super-strong preference for deep penetration, regardless of whether we're going for the shoulder shot or the heart+double-lunger. Feel a bit bad we were so pressured on our last day that we went into deep compromise mode, but it was last-try-time, or be ok having to eat whitetail all year...;)
probably one of the best ammo test channels on youtube, and I love how familiar he is with his guns, so few people truly understand how much a bullet can drop at range.
It's amazing sometimes to go out there and test things in the actual world...have alot of fun doing it too and it's thrilling when it helps a plan comes together.
@@Brobee223a lot of my hunting Buddies are all modern technology some of them go out like robots lol , real world testing , field craft and great marksmanship you just proved it, have too say one hell of shot of marksmanship on all especially that elk loved it 👍
This one is why the 30-30 has been around so long it simply gets the job done I've hunted with it 40 years nice hunt ❤
@@WilliamSims-yf5wq I’m in a Deerstand with a Winchester 94 right now
Hey dad, Really happy to see that people like the video you spent such a long time on. I know you put a lot of hard work into this passion and I’m so happy you have found a community to share it with ❤️
Beloved Daughter! Loved seeing your comment, and grateful I get to spend together the time we do.
I agree your channel is honest and very good. And keep hunting with your family. And that you use 30-30 is awesome. Now that I'm back home in Pennsylvania. Almost my whole family hunts with the 30-30.
I hope my daughter and I can have half the relationship you guys do super wholesome.
You do have a particular voice and well laid out information. Given his recent passing (Paul Harrell) there is an opening for well researched scientific firearms data. Of course you would need to learn his recipe for meat pack, pork shoulders, oranges to simulate lung tissue damage and, of course, bullet proof fleece.
finally someone that has shown the true potential of the 30-30 , if it was as weak as most people think it would not have been around for 100 years
Lots to love about the 30-30! Glad we had the opportunity to practice as much as we did too.
One publication puts it:
_According to Winchester, the light, fast-handling Model 94 has sold more than 7 million copies and when sales of other rifles chambered in .30-30 are thrown in, it is one of the most successful cartridges ever._
_And 125 years after its introduction, it's still enjoying success. According to gun writer Chuck Hawks, the .30-30 ranked fourth in centerfire rifle ammunition sales in the U.S. in 2015. According to Todd Sarotte, manager of Van's Sporting Goods in Brandon, .30-30 ammunition sales are still strong at his store._
Another publication:
_Vista Outdoor, which manufactures both Federal and Remington ammunition, reports that .30-30 ammo is still a big-volume item. The cartridge consistently ranks in or near the top 10 in annual ammo sales due to the sheer number of lever-action rifles out there and still in use._
_While rounds like the .270, .308, and .30-06 have felled more whitetails than the .30-30 this century and over the past 30 years for that matter, you've got to remember that the .30-30 has been around and dropping deer for 125 years._
exactly.
@@exothermal.sprocketnice work on the exerts of publishings you found. Also bizarre to see Vans sporting goods mentioned in it. I bought from them for years and nice to see them being mentioned. If you’re ever near it go check it out they have great prices and plenty of goods.
People thinking the 30-30 is weak, or “ just a 100yd gun”, have either never owned one or never actually pushed passed 100yds. Verifying drop at different ranges, as in this video, is crucial with ANY hunting rifle.
Knowing your rifle and its full potential is paramount to success when hunting.
One shot drop, at that distance with a 30-30 proves its potential.
I myself have taken several deer over 200yds with my old 336 Marlin. It wear a 1-4x scope and a little over 200 is right at what I can see well these days. Add to that , with aging eyes, the low power settings are a great sight in shadowy areas and low light. I can see the crosshairs much easier than iron sights.
While peep sights work well for close up, stalking with the scope on 1-2x is even easier to get on target for me.
Long live the 30-30!
The amount of work that went into this presentation is exceptional! The thorough research and informative results is very much appreciated. I don’t even hunt but it was so interesting to see real world terminal ballistics in action to pair with the exhaustive testing. A big thank you to you and your family for sharing your experience with us!
It was a pile of work, but also a labour of love. Grateful I got to share it in the form we did, and thankful for your kind comment.
I congratulate you sir! This is perhaps the most conclusive test of the old but, great .30 WCF on the web. And you proved to the young'uns that the .30-30 won't bounce off an elk but rather drop it in it's tracks. A great video, thanks for posting!
Glad you liked it! Hope to make another next year.
neither will 30-06 bounce off
@@JamesSchrader-i7o I doubt anyone thinks it will.
@@JamesSchrader-i7o duh!
My Dad used a Savage 30/30 for years hunting Deer, Elk And Moose. He change to 308 Sako later on, and I got the old 30/30. He also had a 270 he used for Pronghorn. But that 30/30 put a ton of meat on the table.
Hard to argue with meat on the table...;)
About fifteen years(?) ago while in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Another gun enthusiast and myself got voluntold to disassemble then clean & reassemble a good friends 30-30 Model 1894 rifle circa 1923 birthdate. With good screwdrivers we tackled this task with success. But boy oh boy those stepped screws were butter soft steel! Not a task i wish to repeat. However this fine 26 inch barreled rifle with full length magazine was first purchased by his great grandfather. The Mullins family were settlers in the Cypress Hills. His ranching/farming ancestor bought it to hunt elk in the high stands of alpine black spruce. Apparently close range neck shots filled the larder for many years. And it was said, often only one shot required for each harvest. Thank you Brobee for another excellent demonstration of your fine families shooting-hunting prowess! 😉
Sounds like a cool gun, and happy to read it has a history of elk!
I believe Brobee223 has to be the most ethical hunter in Canada! Excellent storytelling and real-world ballistic testing. Well done sir!
Thank you!
Heck yeah, excellent video! 30-30 is still capable. Thanks for the demonstration!
Had a blast making it. Thanks for making such an AWESOME product!!
That elk shot wowed me and I already know the 30 30 is a dependable game getter.
Hard to argue with meat in the freezer, but put alot of work in to get there.
Thank you,well done. I’m from the Catskills and harvesting from the earth is part of our life. What a joy to share the experience with your daughter, and provide for your family.
Total joy to get to experience it with my daughter...cheers!
@@Brobee223 This the part of hunting the anti crowd will NEVER understand.
This channel will explode if the creators post even 1 video a year of this quality! Wow! Loved every minute. ♥️
So wish I had the resources to make more than 1 video a year, but am grateful for the time and opportunity for that 1! Hope to make another next year. Shotgun or 30-30?
@Brobee223 .30-30 please!
My uncle who taught me to hunt on the Western Slope of Colorado always told me it was all shot placement. I lived in a small town in Delta County. He had only one rifle he used from the time he was 12 until his passing. It was an old 30-30, break open single shot with a 24-inch barrel with iron sights. He only used hand loaded 110 grain spire point bullets. This was load was at the highest velocity which I won't mention. He killed so many deer and elk in over 60 years, never lost one, almost all were one shot kills. Great video.
Colorado...that is some beautiful country, and put a smile on my face to read about your uncle and his single shot 30-30 getting it done!
Wow, 110 grainers! I bet he sure had those babies moving fast. I'm going on my first CO deer hunt this fall, albeit further east. I already have the .30-30 and I'm not gonna be like all the other guys and go buy a pricey bolt rifle. I'll have to stalk closer and I'm looking forward to it.
It must have been great growing up in Delta county I spent a lot of time in the Gunnison area working for outfitters hunting and fishing I caught the last of the best in 90s John Plots 100 year record bull elk is in the crested Butte visitor center that was killed in dark canyon is an awesome sight
His old rifle that he killed it with is on display two I believe it's a 3020
Fantastic shot on the Elk. The 30-30 proves that you don't need lightening speed and dynamite power to harvest cleanly. Thank you for all your prep work. Congrats on your success! Great video!
Glad our practice resulted in the freezer being full. Thanks for watching and your encouraging comment!
Fantastic video the shooting data alone is worth its weight and hunting portion was top shelf.
Appreciate your kind comment, thank you! Especially like the feedback on the ballistic segment, I was worried it would make the video way too long.
Thanks for the video. 30-30 is a great round, and as you proved nicely, it’s effective for much more than people give it credit.
For sure there are more capable rounds today; but I really enjoyed exploring the 30-30 and based on what I learned I think it's a great round within reasonable constraints. Figuring out what those constraints are is also alot of fun for me, and I like making this kind of content to share and talk about what I think I learned too. Cheers.
This is the best video ive watched in a very long time. It covers plenty of topics. Especially ethics. Thank you for this well educated video
Wow, thank you! Hope to make another next year.
@@Brobee223 I'm looking forward to it, fellow Canadian
FANTASTIC video! I thoroughly enjoyed watching it! The 30-30 is plenty capable, indeed!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment.
This is just a beautifully shot and narrated video, love it.
Thank you! Hope to make another next year.
Great video. Glad to see you put the 30-30 to work. I happen to have my great grandfathers 24” rifle made in 1917 and it’s taken everything from moose to elk to deer. As you have proven it’s a very competent round within its limitations.
Sounds like a fantastic gun that would be dripping with imaginative nostalgia when the third or fourth generation takes it out to go hunt.
What a wonderful and detailed explanation of various bullets’ performance, and even better was the shot. Perfect. What ever you hunt with shot placement and familiarity with one’s weapon is paramount. Bravo!
Thank you! We put alot of practice in for sure.
This video is huge step up in production value, entertainment and gained knowledge from real word experiences yet still retaining the original video style. Looking forward to more videos!
CWD is in my immediate whitetail deer hunting area. I'm upset but recognize that I will not eat an untested deer.
Strong and kind praise, appreciated! Hope to keep improving; might even buy a new camera for next year's adventure ;) Sad to read you have CWD in your immediate area, am sure we are not far away as it continues to move west.
You've done some good stuff over the years, you put the time and effort in to figure out how to make things work. Also showed people what needs to be done to figure it out. And it's payed off, well done.
Thank you!
I hunt with a 1894 30wcf that was my grandpaps. Made in 1909. It has a 26" barrel octagon. Ive taken 2 bull Alaskan moose. And several caribou when i lived in Alaska. Now it takes deer in Pennsylvania. God bless 😊
That sounds like a super-sweet model 94, love hat it was your granddads and that it still puts meat in your freezer. Cheers.
If it's wet weather. It stays inside in its wooden case. Then I take my m94 30-30. It' was given to me for Christmas in 1978. It was a 1-5 Leupold scope side mounted. After moving back to Pennsylvania after my Dad passed away. I found it's original box in the attic. It cost 98.00 dollars new. Now I live and own the house I grew up in.
Congratulations on very successful hunts and a great video presentation. You did a very respectful preparation for your hunts which shows that you honor the tradition and practice of ethical hunting and providing for your family. Very well done sir, and to your daughter, from your neighbor to the south in Montana.
Montana - what a beautiful place! Appreciate your kind comment, thanks.
Over the years I have followed your videos. I really enjoy content. Great video as usual. I enjoyed it.
Wish I could make more than 1 a year, am grateful for your continued interest in our adventures. Hope to have another next year...
The Winchester model 94 chambered in 30-30 is a classic rifle cartridge combination! I have used the combo for 50 years and it has never failed me.
50 years! Hope you have another great hunt this year. Makes me dream about my Win94 30-30...maybe it needs more love too...;)
Excellent... your experience on the interweb is to be expected... full of space cowboys. thanks for your TESTING, and bringing us along on your hunts.
Had alot of fun going on those hunts! Sometimes folks' "certainty", especially about things they have little experience with, can be exhausting. Am glad I'm wired in a way that helps me develop my own experience/perspectives.
My man, one heck of a shot on the elk. Great video as always.
Appreciated, thank you! Hope we get to make another next year.
Outstanding!! Thanks for taking the time to produce a fantastic video. Congratulations to you and your daughter on a great season.
Thank you very much! We had a lot of fun in its making, and hope we get the chance to make another next year.
@@Brobee223
Looking forward to it. 👍
A very respected but oddly underestimated cartridge. People forget that at the time it was introduced the 30-30 was indeed considered fairly impressive in terms of range and capability. My first deer was with Model 94 at about 30 yards, the deer ran into the thicket and in a big half circle came back out and expired on the path behind me. My father had to follow the blood trail around just to make sure it wasn't a tall tale!
As far as use on big game within reason, I don't see the issue. In fact, I've found that using a cartridge with potential exceeding the hunter's proficiency can lead to a false sense of proficiency.
You don't need a 7mm mag to shoot 100 yards and you have no business shooting at a living creature at 500+ yards unless you're starving or truly are an expert marksman.
Anyway, great video and THANKYOU for keeping the tradition alive for our future generations!
Love the half-circle story and the deer dying on the trail. Like your comment around proficiency...it's hard to replace experience/skill by simply moving to a bigger hammer. But the good part is I find all that practice to develop/maintain skill is almost as much fun as the hunt itself!
Fabulous story-telling and production! Your comparison and analysis of the different load options for the 30-30 are very informative. Much appreciated!
Appreciate your encouraging comment, thank you! I have another one in the works for this year, hope things work out to post again in Jan...;)
The legend is back
So glad to see you post. Excellent video.
Uh oh, big shoes to fill for next year!
I love watching your process. I archery and rifle hunt throughout Alberta but watching your videos just puts me back in the field enjoying some of those perfect days in the field. I enjoyed the bullet testing, CWD info and the hunting vids!
Viewtime stats show that the CWD section is folks least favourite - you are in the minority in that department! It feels important to me to follow and participate in the study, happy you enjoyed it!
330 yards is very impressive. I love how people think 30-30 is underpowered. This is a perfect display of skill + patience, and knowing the tool. 30-30 is a joy. People keep rambling about 45-70 but 30-30 is Legendary.
What a wonderful video! nothing gets me more excited for hunting season than watching videos in this format! Great content!
Appreciate your kind comments, hope to make another this year.
Great watch.Who woulda thought the old 30-30 could do that at 310 yards.I was always told its a 100 yard gun.Ive taken some deer with it.Rhe old pre-64 feels good in the hand to carry all day too.
Who'd have thought the .30-30 would do that at .310 yards?
Me.
I started off as an 11 year old kid in 1976 with a Marlin 336 in .30-30. Since then, I've used other rifles and calibers, but when I saw the potential of Hornady FTX ammo in 2006, I started gravitating back to the .30-30, eventually selling off my other center-fire rifles, which were basically going un-used.
The deal for me was that the FTX ammo and duplicate handloads allowed me to hit a 9" gong at 300 yards reliably and that was a big deal for me personally because the farthest I've ever taken a shot at game in 47 seasons of hunting was 278 yards on a California high desert mule deer.
I can manage the trajectory of the FTX ammo to 300 yards and I know that I'll have around 1,158 ft/lbs of energy when it gets there, which is enough to insure sufficient penetration while still achieving 2X shank diameter expansion.
Lots to love about the FTX - it's what made this season a success for us too.
Excellent job on your production of this video. I am a fan boy of the 30-30 and of the 160gr Leverevolution cartridge. I was aware of its reputation for core jacket separation, and your research showed it is most prevalent at shorter distances.
I think that's the main reason we were ok with the FTX at long range - actually counting on its softer construction for some expansion at low velocity. At close range I feel like this is a liability, but an asset the further out you get and it's shape sure helps you get it there...
Nice to see a new video from you, man!! Hope all is well in the great white north!
Grateful for the adventure in making it, which means that despite everything you read and hear these days, the great white north is not that bad...;)
What a well-done video with great information. I like your style of presenting information. I am now subscribed!
Thank you for your subscription! You might have to wait a while for another - it seem like we can only make about 1 or 2 a year.
Great voice over man! Well read!
YES, somethjng about a lever and 30/30 or 35 Rem just stir the memories of my beginnings of hunting deer. ❤❤
Am kinda curious about the 35 rem - have not played with that one yet!
This is a uniquely well done video.
Best Wishes from Montana! M.H.
Thanks for your encouraging comment! Montana...what a beautiful place.
One of the best videos I ever saw on UA-cam. Thank you.
Wow, thanks!
THAT, was awesome. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations and, good luck this year!
Thank you! Appreciate your wishes for good luck this year too...I have a good concept for another video adventure so am hoping for the planets to all align...;) Cheers.
You do a fantastic job of putting together info. You make the only videos that I am not left asking questions. I have watched every video. I enjoy the process and the subsequent choices you make. Shockwave deer hunt is my favorite. I am left every year hoping for another video. Or a few 😊
Thanks for sharing all your hard work
Appreciate your note a lot - high praise that you're hoping for another video and I'm thrilled I've got one coming - all filmed, rough cut assembled, and now working on my narration. Hope to hit the upload button over the holiday season.
Great footage, and exceptional work on the testing and presenting the results. Really appreciate your work on this project! Stay safe, and enjoy your fine harvest!
We most certainly will, appreciate your comment!
My first deer hunting rifle was a Marlin 30-30 I would go to the hardware store every couple of weeks just to hold it and look it over till I saved up the money. I get it out every year just to bring back back old memories and maybe make some new ones.
Very nice video and well done. Happy hunting,thank you!
Hope it definitely gets out again to make new memories! Thanks for watching.
I've been using the 30-30 for a long time and I have used mostly the Winchester 170 grain round nose with good success. I switched over to the Hornady 160 grain FTX and my Sears Model 54 really liked that ammo, grouped around 1.2-3" using irons so that's good for me and it's been absolutely devastating on every deer I've taken with it. I've seen jacket seperation a couple of times as the projectile went through the shoulder bones, but never seen it with any double lung behind the shoulder shots.
Thanks for the fantastic and in depth video, I think the 30-30 is a fantastic cartridge and is often under rated by many.
I think there's lots to love about the 30-30, but accept that it's more limited than other modern cartridges. Sounds like you have a winningg combination with your Model 54 (cool gun!) and the 160gr FTX, appreciate your comment and hope to bring you along on another this year! Cheers.
You really did a GREAT JOB on this video. I have shared this with 31 of my buddies. 12 of them are hunters. The rest are shooters. I have had this argument with a lot of people. The 30-30 is fine cartridge for elk and moose. I hunt East Texas and all my shots are 30 to 45 yards. Sit off animal trails 30 to 50 yards off and just wait. No feeder or stand. I will admit this is dangerous. Almost been run over by deer and been charged by hogs twice. No injuries yet thankfully. Good video, a happy healthy life to you and your family.
Happy + healthy life wishes your way too! Love your method of trail hunting, we use it alot with our shotguns.
Excellent video sir! The dialogue and video production was very interesting.
Thanks, I had a great time making this one!
It's so hard to find good information on firearms, calibres for hunting, etc. online. As someone who picked up shooting just in the last few years, and coming from two families so traumatised by WW1 we've been pacifists as a rule since (just saying I have nobody to check with who has experience with this stuff), there's just so much superstition, hearsay, and "gut feeling" among firearms owners that I can barely relate their opinions to any kind of reality.
This is by far the single best video on a calibre that I have found after hundreds of hours of research (yes I am that type). Thanks so much for all your hard work, it's been fun watching these over the last couple of years. Fantastic to see the data and the results next to one another, your videos are one-of-a-kind.
Appreciate your comment and high praise, and am glad you found the range work useful! I was worried it would make the video too long.
Well done. Well done.
I took a 6x5 bull elk a few years back with a 30-30, 160 grain LeverEvolution. Worked perfectly. It had everything people say makes it not work, but the elk didn’t know it. First, it was a 30-30. Second, the recovered bullets had jacket core separation. The elk dropped within a few feet of where it was shot.
Sounds like a cool bull with a cool gun!
Question for both of you, please. What was the range on your elk? I have the same ammo that I want to use to take one with my grandad's '94.
@@coyoteodie4458In this video, he says a little over 300 meters.
This is an AMAZING video. I knew range effected bullets. But actually seeing it for myself, is just next level. I salute you sir
Appreciate your comment, thank you!
Wow such a great video, very informative and just a joy to watch !!
Thank you! Hope to have another to share this year.
Nice information on this video, you and your crew did an amazing job
Much appreciated!
Excellent video! Thanks for emailing it to us at RPP!
I love my Glenfield 30GT space cowboy gun, thanks for making such an AWESOME product and thanks for sharing our adventure too.
Excellent video and research sir. I took a bull moose that I called in to within 25 m with my 336 and Hornady 160 GR FTX. It walked away and fell within about 10 m. I can do irons accurate to 100 m. But anything more, and the target is bigger than my front sight. No scope for me! Amazing that you dropped a scope on it and dialed it in so quickly!
Glass came to the rescue!
Good hunting nice shots!
Very well done nice to see good hunters. 👍🏻
Thx!
First time watching one of your videos and absolutely loved your testing / results with multiple ammo / bullets. I too love the 30/30 and will be very interested to see what Hammer Hunter Monolithic bullets do in comparison. Have this video saved for reference when I get to that point.
Again....loved the video.
Thank you! Hope to make another next year.
I love your videos, thank you for sharing your journey. I'd seen this one before, but I had something special happen today, and had to watch your 30-30 hunting videos again. I was helping my brother clean out his storage and found that he had my deceased uncles old Winchester model 94 in 30-30. I've been wanting a wood stocked lever gun for a while, but couldn't justify a $1000 spend that also comes with the expense of a new cartridge. He'd had the rifle for over 15 years, and never shot it. It had developed quite a bit of surface rust. I gave him $200 for it, and can't wait to bring it back to life. I have other guns, but this is the one I plan to use for my close range medium game hunting from now on. Thank you for inspiring us to use our old cartridges and rifles to their best with best practices! I'm amazed that you dropped an elk at that range with this round. Elk is suck good food for the whole family.
Sounds like a special gun, imagine you're in for rich days ahead if you get it back out hunting! Thanks for your note.
As a .30-30 fan, thank you for this video. Very detailed, very well done.
Thank you! Hope to make another this coming season.
I found your channel researching 30-30 information as I’m going to leave the bolt guns in the safe and use my lever gun this year for whitetail. Thank for the hard work and sharing all the data with us! I also found the dot sight on your over and under shotgun (older video) very interesting. I’m an active skeet/sporting clays shooter with waining eyes… Dove is the main game bird we have here in central Texas and you have my mind spinning! Cheers and good hunting!!!
Ha! Be very careful when diving down the red dot rabbit hole on your shotgun...it's hard to climb back out.
Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. With all the hype of the new 7mm PRC taking shots at 600-1000 yards, it's nice to see the classic 30-30 delivering for you at what I believe to be much better ethics and a more challenging experience. Happy hunting
I got into the long range game for a couple of years back in the early days of my hunting career. Not to dis it for everyone, but it's not for me as I prefer the interaction you get up close.
Awesome ballistic reviews--and shows the 30-30 is still a viable choice. Nice presentation!
JX
Had alot of fun trying to discover it's limitations, that's for sure.
really enjoyed the information and all your hard work in getting data and then following up on hunting shots
Appreciated, thank you!
The best 30.30 video I've seen to date.. great info 👍
Thank you! Hope to make another this coming year.
Excellent ammo review and elk hunt.
Glad you liked it, thank you!
This video made my day.. thank for sharing this with us.
The 30-30 Win has taken al sorts of game over the years and stated by others Shot Placment is a big part of a successful hunt.. most people when i tell them that my hand loaded 12ga slugs are about 1200fps they say thats not fast enough to be effective.. well the 3 doas and the 8 pointer i have taken with them never complaned...
The Hornady 170gr is a very nice bullet.. i have made reduced loads 2500fps for my 20" barrel 308 Win give very nice accuracy but have not had the chance to use it on game...
Congratulations on the successful Elk Hunt and the harvesting of the deer as well and big Congratulations to your daughters successful harvest with her great grandfathers rifle.. that is very cool to hear about..
The more i watch your videos it gives me more confidence to use the more simple things.. my 12ga shot gun.. a 30-30 win or my 35 Remington...
I am fortunate to have some very nice and $$$$ bolt action hunting rifles but for the hunting i do the 35 Remington or 30-30 Win is all i would ever need for a rifle.. and my 12ga hand loads have been very good for me as well...
Be well
I don't believe in reducing a powder charge and using it for hunting it's not ethical and when you lose velocity you change how the bullet expands therefore you may not make a clean kill
In tester-years I made some reduced recoil .308 loads for my daughter using the 160gr FTX loaded to 30-30-ish velocities. It worked GREAT! Thanks for your comment.
AMAZING hunting and excellent work on putting together this fantastic video!
What an amazing shot on your elk!
Thanks! Grateful it worked out the way it did.
What a great video! Thank you for the effort this must have taken
It was a huge amount of work, but alot of fun too. Appreciate your comment!
This was a great video! Thank you very much for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope to make another this coming year.
This may have been one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on UA-cam. Love seeing the old 30-30 being put to work. The kids and I will be hitting the woods with a 35 Remington this fall, I’d been debating it but now my mind is made up.
An absolutely wonderful and informative video to watch!!!
Thank you! Hope to make another this coming season.
@Brobee223 that would be great! I use a 3030win or a 308win to hunt as well! Mostly wild pigs and bucks.
Fascinating insight into a completely different life style.
Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
@@Brobee223 absolutely. Thanks for sharing.
Great video! Great hunting and shooting! Congratulations on all the success. 👍👍👍
Appreciate your kind comment, thanks for watching!
Brobee! I’ve been waiting for this, great quality videos once again
Regret that our life only affords us the opportunity to make 1 or two a year, am grateful you enjoy it and hope to have another next year.
Excellent, entertaining video. Subscribed with the hopes of seen many more.
Have another one in the works for 2024, hope everything pans out to be able to share it around Dec/Jan. See you then!
Loved your video there needs to be more videos like this you did awesome doing this whole video
Have another just about ready to go...hope to upload over the coming holiday season! Regret I've only really got capacity to make one each year...
Excellent breakdown of ammo performance and selection criteria as well as demonstrating the effects of the .30-30 on larger than whitetail game at longer than average elk shot distances (x = ~225 yds).
I am a firm believer in the .30-30 as the North American go to cartridge for pretty much anything in North America. All of those whom may vehemently disagree otherwise, I usually just chalk up to being highly susceptible to marketing.
To this day, other than a .50 caliber Hawken, I have never taken big game with anything other than the .30-30.
As an addendum to you research, I think that it may be beneficial to see the numbers that can be produced by other .30-30 rifles with longer barrels, such as the Savage 99, Marlin 336A and XLR (24" barrel), Savage 170, 340/ 840, Stevens 325 and Remington 788 (22" barrel).
I think there's lots to love about the 30-30, but also glad we got to practice as much as we did.
Always love looking at expanded projectiles!!! I found out years ago the water test medium is way too hard of a medium for testing. Once I finally ended up with an alloy I mixed up in cast hollow point bullet that looked like a perfect mushroom I thought I had the the greatest hunting bullet. I shot three deer that year with them. Two ran over a 100 yards with text book broadside double lung shots and hitting part of the hearts. The third one dropped because at the angle out of my tree stand I hit backbone. It still didn’t dispatch the animal quickly but it didn’t go anywhere. I switched the follow year to a lot softer alloy that only penetrated 3 to four milk jugs and flattened out to a what looked like a nickel and folded back like a mushroom. It also shedded half its weight in the process. Nice big entry and exit holes in deer every time and most dropped at the shot and never moved. Great video! Thanks! Imo I’d tell you a shedded jacket with core separation makes several wound channels and dumps WAY more energy than a harder bullet that just expands very little and sails right through with little energy transfer.
Appreciate your comment, thank you! I'm more of a "penetration-is-more-important-than-fragmentation" kinda guy.
Thanks for that. I own many guns but love love love my 30-30. Did I mention I love my 30-30. I load the hornady ftx as well with great results for deer here in Louisiana. I would love to harvest a black bear one day with it. God bless and stay safe
Chadeaux
Black bear - that would be an adventure!
Outstanding video Sir, new sub from the lower 48 ❤ ty for the work you all put into this and glad you got some quality daddy daughter time in
Appreciate you subscribing, and the daddy-daughter time is PRICELESS, feel very lucky.
@@Brobee223 very welcome Sir! It sure is, I am retired army with 3 boys and one girl (8). She keeps me from losing my mind at times lol ❤️
What a professional channel, impressive!
Thank you! Wish I could transform that type of filmmaking into my profession....but I probably should not quit the day-job just yet...;)
Awesome video and great season!!
Would have loved to see you include the 170gr Partition. Expensive but I'm betting would be a top performer.
If I could find some, I would try them!
Excellent video. Thank you!
I’ve been hunting for 20 years and I was told a long time ago that if you hit a deer it would run off with its tail down. If you missed its tail would be up. Your video and my experience proves it’s a correct observation.
Certainly the first two we shot ran tails-down...not so sure about the third...;) Very much appreciate your comment, thank you!
Thank you for proving a 30-30 is a capable cartridge. With all the new cartridge technology and rifle technology. I believe these old cartridges that pave the way for new cartridges get forgotten about and devalued. I found this video because I too would like to go moose hunting and elk hunting with the 3030 for nostalgia reasons I too have gotten the response that it’s not enough gun to hunt those big game animals.
Love the idea of you in the woods with your 30-30!
My dad gave me his pre-64 model 94 30-30 some 30 years ago.He shot many deer with this gun. I thought I might want something with more power. However this gift from my dad is still used every nov.
Sounds like a special gun, makes me smile to think of generation after generation making memories with the same historied gear.
I settled on the 140 MTX bullet for my Marlin 336 in 30-30. Nice to see the excellent performance of that bullet in your test. My reason for the use of the lighter bullet is simply NO LEAD in it. See available x-rays of cup and core bullets on game. You may switch also since you're feeding the family. Nice video, thorough tests too, thanks.
I am insanely curious what the MTX would have been like at that range in the terminal department compared to the FTX...wonder how much of that FTX was shed or if at that super-distance it mostly held together? Might try to imagine some experiments along this line next summer.
This was a phenomenal video! I really appreciate the attention to detail, and expansive nature of the ammo test for your elk hunt. Congratulations on a successful hunting season as well! What was the approximate age of the cow you took?
Thank you! I think she was a yearling; young, dry (no milk in udder), slightly smaller than a full sized cow.
I hunt with a 336 also. You have really motivated me to spend more time with my rifle to get the full potential out it. Too bad we don’t have elk in Florida lol
Sad there are no elk down there, but...you have gators...I hear they taste kinda like chicken?
Greetings from the south Okanagan, thanks for the video. As a boomer who has been blessed to hunt a fair bit, I'd suggest those who don't understand the capability of some cartridges both lack field experience and aren't clear on the mechanics of the process. The shot placement on the cow was perfect, well done. Nice to see a full freezer, filled by a family. Stay well all.
Thank you! Hope you and your family stay well too.
I guess that dispels the myth of people who say .30-30 is "woefully inadequate" for elk! Not that I had any doubt. However, at 310 metres that's a longer shot than I'd ideally take with .30-30, but the results speak for itself! This video only helps confirm (for anyone in doubt) the .30-30's capabilities for taking large game like elk and moose. I watched your previous video about your hunt using .30-30 for moose, and it was excellent. This video was a fantastic mix of range shooting, ballistics charts, bullet expansion results, and in-field performance. Excellent work! It's nice to watch quality, competent UA-cam video content.
Watching other videos of the .30-30's terminal performance though, even with meat and potatoes ammo like 170 grain Core-Lokt, it penetrated 24.5" in ballistics gel at 100yds. Bottom line: as long as you keep your shooting range within the manufacturer's minimum velocity for reliable expansion, you can 100% use .30-30 for elk and moose. Just keep it within its limitations and you're going to have a dead animal all the same.
Again, great video. 👍 Cheers from Ontario.
Had alot of fun exploring those limitations; recognize it's not without controversy, but grateful I had the opportunity to share.
@@Brobee223 Again, thanks for that. Honestly, I've never understood the controversy of using .30-30 for elk or moose for people who want to hunt at closer range to get closer to the animal. As long as it is shot within its limitations, it'll be very effective, as you've clearly shown.
Everyone talks about the minimum energy numbers needed to take various game species, but I've never been an energy numbers kind of guy. I'm more concerned with a bullet's velocity upon impact, penetration, bullet construction, and _actual_ terminal performance results. But with today's modern bullets and powders, as well as more advanced factory ammo offerings, all the "old" stuff (.30-30, .30-06, .45-70...you name it) is better and more capable than ever.
I don't see .30-30 for elk or moose as being a "challenge" for the round. Instead, the challenge is the actual stalking and tracking to get closer to your prey to work within the cartridge's limitations. Which is what HUNTING is all about. It should be less about the gear and more about the actual hunt itself. If someone wants the challenge of getting closer to an animal, as long as the shot is kept within the right parameters for the species being hunted, there is no "controversy" to me at all.
Cheers and keep up the good work.
I absolutely agree! I’ve taken multiple Elk and so so many deer with the .3030. Distance is the only hold back.
I think it is the OG ultra-deer-killer, bet it's put alot of moose in the freezer too. Was happy we got to experience it this year on elk.
Very well done video with lots of prep work done and well documented.
Glad you enjoyed it
You don't find content like this much on UA-cam, bravo. Also the 30-30 dumped that cow, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it
I was surprised how hard she went down too. Thanks for your kind comment!
This is a beautiful video. Well done. I enjoyed it so much. Great narration voice.
I love the velocity and bullet performance methods. Got me wondering….would the copper jacket be more susceptible to separating in H2O vs tissue? I don’t know.
The monolithic barnes seems to be a really great performer in my experience.
Thank you for this work!!
Wonder about that too, but have had the luxury of playing a bunch with properly calibrated gelatin, the .308win, and my shotgun. I think water is a bit more severe, but closer than you might think.
Awesome video, thank you for all the energy you put into making it!
Had alot of fun and rich experience in it's making, glad you liked it!
Best comparison ive ever seen on here. Awsome job. Got my subscription 🙌
Awesome, thank you!
@Brobee223 np! Seriously, nobody makes long thought out content anymore. This actually shows exactly what real life does to projectiles in the field and in person how thst bullet works on actual game. Not a theoretical block of gel substitute. Idk. I was just really impressed with the effort and details put in. I'd love to see more of these with faster light for cal bonded and / or monolithic loads in 308 especially for me! Something Like the 130grain vortex and other popular options. New Federal fusion tipped are coming out real soon. Them new Speer impact projectiles look pretty cool . 🤷♂️ ✌️
Do you always go high shoulder? While watching, I thought you might want a pass through. Great job. Thanks.
We have a super-strong preference for deep penetration, regardless of whether we're going for the shoulder shot or the heart+double-lunger. Feel a bit bad we were so pressured on our last day that we went into deep compromise mode, but it was last-try-time, or be ok having to eat whitetail all year...;)
Great job with the preseason ammo testing and practice. 👍
Thank you!