Best 30-30 round for deer?

[wheelieman]

Ive been hunting deer for 20 years and up until last year gun season meant shotguns, Now it means rifle

I have a model 94 winchester 30-30 and im using a 170 gr. Winchester soft nose, I shot a doe last week and she didnt act like she was hit just kind of looked up at me, So i shot her again, again no real response so i shot her a 3rd time and this time she took off and ran about 45 yds before piling up,When i got down and walked over to her she had all 3 shots right behind her shoulder and when i field dressed her back at the house all 3 shots were within inches of each other and the rounds broke 4 ribs, So my question is there a better 30-30 round to use, Something with a little more knock down power, maybe the bullet mushrooms more, Honestly i know nothing about rifle rounds other than you shouldnt use a FMJ, Any help would be great thanks,

[stoneam2006]

Guys I know who hunt with them swear by the Hornady lever revolution rounds. ...i had a 3030 and got rid of it bc personally I was not impressed with the round itself as I too shot deer (with the lever revolutions) and the deer had a little blood trail and little entrance and exit wounds for that reason I moved to a different caliber...most guys I've met who use them swear by them tho....personal preference

[mlammerhirt]

Remington Core Lockt 150gr.

My wife dropped a doe with a neck shot at 75 yards in her tracks.

 

They seem to group well out of her Marlin 336

[Lever action]

I use the exact same rounds you use and never had that happen.I have shot many deer  and 1 bear with 170 grain winchesters  and the ones that didn't drop where they stood ran at the most 100 yds.Last year I shot a doe at 200 yds through the heart but the odd thing was she never bled out until she hit the ground at about 100yds.I wouldn't give up on those rounds yet because your 1st shot would have took care of that doe.

[NYP]

When I was first introduced to hunting I used to live within city limits and did not have my rifle permit . I used to borrow a marlin lever action 30-30 from my friend. I used remington core lockt 150 grain ammo and i swear I shot at least 8 deer with that rile and everyone dropped in their tracks . I didn’t really pay attention to the entrance and exit wound in these cases because it didn’t matter to me at the times. I have no idea why I didn’t buy one of my own but over the years i used 35 rem marlin 200 grain and 30-06 165 grain and I had just about every deer run after being shot except for a few exceptions including one eight pointer and one six that had their hearts blown apart 

[GreeneHunter]

I've been shooting my 30-30 Model 94 for over 40 years and never had a problem with the load - 170 gr- .

[thefinks]

Ammo definitely Hornady lever evolution...but on a bad note I own a 94AE angle eject with the rebound safety. It failed on me while loading to go hunt thankfully I practice gun safety. It went into the ground....Olin who owns Winchester arms put out a large Warning in the last issue of field and stream..if the gun is bumped while loaded it can and will go off. That's just a little bit of the warning. So as far as I'm concerned my model 94 is up for sale. Please be careful and don't ever trust that rebound safety.

[wheelieman]

Ammo definitely Hornady lever evolution...but on a bad note I own a 94AE angle eject with the rebound safety. It failed on me while loading to go hunt thankfully I practice gun safety. It went into the ground....Olin who owns Winchester arms put out a large Warning in the last issue of field and stream..if the gun is bumped while loaded it can and will go off. That's just a little bit of the warning. So as far as I'm concerned my model 94 is up for sale. Please be careful and don't ever trust that rebound safety.

Did your model 94 not have the hammer safety, Mines got a bar that you have to move to fire the gun, its a safety it stops the hammer from hitting the firing pin at all.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Winchester 150 grain. Never had a deer go anywere.

[WingNut]

Remington Core Lockt 150gr.

My wife dropped a doe with a neck shot at 75 yards in her tracks.

They seem to group well out of her Marlin 336

Exactly!!!!

[bowaholic]

I used the LeverRevolution this year and dropped a doe with it.  150gr.  Shoots very well with this ammo, did notice that the primers have a small dent in them from the ballistic tip while in the tube.  hope my lever gun doesn't turn into a double barrel O/U one of these days haha

[wildcat junkie]

I use the exact same rounds you use and never had that happen.I have shot many deer  and 1 bear with 170 grain winchesters  and the ones that didn't drop where they stood ran at the most 100 yds.Last year I shot a doe at 200 yds through the heart but the odd thing was she never bled out until she hit the ground at about 100yds.I wouldn't give up on those rounds yet because your 1st shot would have took care of that doe.

Nothing odd about a heart shot deer not bleeding.

 

If you shut down the pump, there's no pressure to pump out the blood.

 

I've heart shot deer with 8mm-06 Ackley Improved, (180gr BT @ 2960fps) 7mm-08, (140gr BT @ 2950fps) 280 REM (140gr Accubond @ 3150fps) & 8X57IS. (200gr Hot Core @ 2700fps) All ran from 15 to 50 yds & left little or no blood trail.

[wildcat junkie]

Ive been hunting deer for 20 years and up until last year gun season meant shotguns, Now it means rifle

I have a model 94 winchester 30-30 and im using a 170 gr. Winchester soft nose, I shot a doe last week and she didnt act like she was hit just kind of looked up at me, So i shot her again, again no real response so i shot her a 3rd time and this time she took off and ran about 45 yds before piling up,When i got down and walked over to her she had all 3 shots right behind her shoulder and when i field dressed her back at the house all 3 shots were within inches of each other and the rounds broke 4 ribs, So my question is there a better 30-30 round to use, Something with a little more knock down power, maybe the bullet mushrooms more, Honestly i know nothing about rifle rounds other than you shouldnt use a FMJ, Any help would be great thanks,

Deer usualy aren't "knocked down" unless a major skeletal component is hit of the central nervous system.

 

I have had lung hits centered just behind the point of the shoulder & above the heart drop them in their tracks, but just as often they ran a short distance.

 

Heart shot deer have always run a short distance.

 

You might get more explosive expansion from a 150gr RN bullet. More Mv will cause more rapid expansion thus more energy transfer. The LeveRevolution bullets are only an advantage at longer ranges.

 

I hand load .308 160gr LeveRevolution bullets in my 30/40 Krag @ 2500fps. That gives me adequate energy out to way beyond iron sight ranges & shoots +-or- 3" to aout 230yds.

[thefinks]

Sorry I took so long. No I have no external safety just the rebound safety and I can assure you that it is not safe at all.

[RangerClay]

I have been using the LeveRevolution bullets in my Marlin since they came out.  Awesome bullets!!!  They have put 2 deer on the ground this year.

Edited December 5, 2014 by RangerClay

[wheelieman]

Thank you for the input guys, I went to bass pro and bought some Cl and some LR's and as soon as season is over its off too the range,

[wildcat junkie]

Thank you for the input guys, I went to bass pro and bought some Cl and some LR's and as soon as season is over its off too the range,

My 2 cents worth? Get 150gr bullets in whichever brand you choose. Deer are lightly built animals & rapid expansion in the lungs trumps any ill perceived need for deep penetration. A pass through is nice for blood trails, but any energy that remains after the bullet passes through is wasted. Ideally, the bullet would pass through to create maximum blood trail & fall to the ground with all energy spent a short distance beyond the deer.

 

30/30 is a 150yd cartridge at best so lighter bullets will still have plenty of energy at those ranges. the LRs will retain more energy than the CLs at all ranges. The best of both worlds. rapid expansion & high ballistic coeffecient for energy retention.

 

Energy increases at the square of the velocity so up to 150yds the higher Mv of the 150gr bullet will out perform the heavier bullets which retain more energy for longer shots.

[DirtTime]

Sorry......I guess I have to be "That Guy".

So, you shot a deer, three times before it ran? With a 30/30? All solid hits.

This is unheard of. I did a search about this one, for two days. I could not find one single anything about anyone shooting a deer three times while it just stood there.

You sure you didn't kill a DEC decoy? That's gotta be some tough eatin'.

[wheelieman]

100% positive i just looked at the pics and you cant tell where the round entered i cleaned her up before i posted her pic on Fingerlakes Whitetails on face book. You can see a little red in the photo it looks back a bit but i think its just the way i have her legs under her, I did look at the hits when i cleaned her and all three were behind the shoulder and through the ribs,

Edited December 5, 2014 by wheelieman

[DirtTime]

Lawdknowz, I still am not buying this one. 3 dead on shots and the deer didn't move until the last one? This and the "myth" of Coumo pulling his out of his rear end might get you a free coke at McDonalds. 

Where are the pics of the wounds? I am not going to your face book page to look.

Let me guess? You didn't take pics of the three wounds?

 

Sorry, time to be an a$$ hole. This is BS.

 

I am sure now a bunch of people who say they heard/did the same thing, will come to your aid. I am sure they will not have a legitimate link to a reputable site with anyone shooting a 'deer' three times and it just stood there.

 

Give up the 30/30 and get this

 

Ruger No. 1-H Tropical Rifle, which is available in several safari calibers up to .458 Lott. Bet a whitetail wont gar with this one.

 

Edited December 5, 2014 by JustRob

[wildcat junkie]

I once had a doe stand still after being center punched through the lungs with a .535 round ball at about 150yds which is no slouch when it come to knocking deer flat even at that range. It did walk off while I was reloading & I shot at another deer in the group assuming I had missed the 1st one..

 

After walking over to ridge after the group ran off in a different direction, I found that the 1st deer was down & trying to lift her head up. The ball missed the ribs & went through the lungs cleanly.

 

Still, 2 hits at close range with a 30/30 170gr flatnose W/O a reaction would be unusual but I would say not entirely impossible. Giving the guy the benefit of the doubt?

 

Maybe the bullets didn't expand for some reason?

Edited December 5, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[DirtTime]

C'mon. 3 shots on 1 standing deer?

[wheelieman]

This is the off side of the doe, Because im lying

[Buckmaster7600]

Lawdknowz, I still am not buying this one. 3 dead on shots and the deer didn't move until the last one? This and the "myth" of Coumo pulling his out of his rear end might get you a free coke at McDonalds.

Where are the pics of the wounds? I am not going to your face book page to look.

Let me guess? You didn't take pics of the three wounds?

Sorry, time to be an a$$ hole. This is BS.

I am sure now a bunch of people who say they heard/did the same thing, will come to your aid. I am sure they will not have a legitimate link to a reputable site with anyone shooting a 'deer' three times and it just stood there.

Give up the 30/30 and get this

Ruger No. 1-H Tropical Rifle, which is available in several safari calibers up to .458 Lott. Bet a whitetail wont gar with this one.

Wow rob, pretty big of you to call the man a liar. I would have to assume the OP didn't make up the story just to start a thread.

2 years ago I shot a buck at about 60yds with a 30-06 with a 165 ballistic silver tip through both longs and the top of the heart as he was trailing a doe, he stopped shook put his nose back down and went back to chasing the doe at a trot. I shot him againg through both front shoulders and he fell.

In Afghanistan in 09 my best friend was beside me when he got shot through the thigh as we were moving to cover he never knew he was shot until over a minute later when his sock started getting wet.

There are countless police reports of bad guys being shot multiple time without showing any signs of being injured.

Every animal or human will react differently to being shot unless the central nervous system is hit.

[Pygmy]

I am not doubting your story or your observations, but that is unusual behavior for a deer shot through the ribs with ANY projectile. Usually, unless the CNS is hit, they take off like a scalded cat and pile up within a fairly short distance. I guess your deer was just the exception that proves the rule.

I once watched a friend put three 160 grainers from a 7MM mag through the ribs of a bull caribou that just stood there and then finally fell over, but caribou ( and moose) often react differently than whitetails to a bullet strike. They aren't hard to kill, but sometimes it takes them awhile to realize that they are dead.