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anything a 30-30 can do, an AR-15 can match

3K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  Garand 
#1 ·
and the 30-30 can't HOPE to match the AR for cost of practice ammo, range, versatility (due to .22 unit) accuracy, or rate of hitting.
 
#6 ·
Interesting thread. I just bought the Marlin 336-A pictured below. I don't expect it to be an AR-15 but it will definitely suit my purposes. I also suspect that it will not have any trouble digesting the cost effective, cast lead handloads that I intend to shoot in it (once the mould arrives).
 

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#7 ·
The 30/30 will allow shots at deer you could not reasonably expect a humane kill. The AR's .22 bullet just blows up on bone and cannot get through guts to vital areas. In any SHTF you sure don't want pooly shot deer running away, not only cause you will loose the meat but because if others find the dead deer with bullet holes they will KNOW someone else is around (but the shooter won't know THEY are around.)

The 5.56 is a good combat round, but for hunting there are much better ones.
 
#8 ·
Actually, the comparison between the two is interesting.
The .30-30 is a purpose-built medium/big game hunting gun. It can be pressed into battle duty, and work ok at it, but it wasn't designed for such.

Whereas the AR is a purpose built combat gun that can be pressed into medium/big game hunting, but wasn't designed for such, and works ok, at the best for it.

Should try using a rifle for what it's designed for. If you want a do-it-all gun, then cowboy up and get an M1/M1A/FAL and shoot something well suited for both.
 
#9 ·
Magnum88C said:
Should try using a rifle for what it's designed for. If you want a do-it-all gun, then cowboy up and get an M1/M1A/FAL and shoot something well suited for both.
Simple as that! But some POSCAR fanatics just can't see it.
 
#10 ·
Isn't this an apples and oranges kind of thing? I don't want to get into a firefight armed with a .30/30 Winchester; my Colt AR-15 will do nicely. I don't want to hunt Whitetail Deer with a .223, they run BIG in my area. Both will do either job, but neither will do both jobs effectively.
 

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#11 ·
I can't find the link for confirmation but...last year,IIRC,a Bad Guy used a lever gun in .30-30 to poke a hole in two body armored policemen,in Florida,who had invaded his home & were trying to arrest him.

That old round made a big messy hole in those vests.
 
#12 ·
How about a ‘tuned’ AK…? Better trigger, etc.

As Garand’s picture shows, an AK is roughly the same size as a collapsed-down CAR-15 is, but throws a .30-30 type bullet. For someone in an area with decent-size deer, a slicked-up AK could fill both the AR and .30-30 roles.
 
#13 ·
John in AR said:
How about a ‘tuned’ AK…? Better trigger, etc.

As Garand’s picture shows, an AK is roughly the same size as a collapsed-down CAR-15 is, but throws a .30-30 type bullet. For someone in an area with decent-size deer, a slicked-up AK could fill both the AR and .30-30 roles.
Hmmmm....someone around here might have a couple AKs and an SKS for that very reason...
 
#14 ·
John in AR said:
How about a ‘tuned’ AK…? Better trigger, etc.

As Garand’s picture shows, an AK is roughly the same size as a collapsed-down CAR-15 is, but throws a .30-30 type bullet. For someone in an area with decent-size deer, a slicked-up AK could fill both the AR and .30-30 roles.

Contrary to certain folks' (un) popular opinion, AKs are small, fairly light rifles, and the similarity between the .30-30 and 7.62x39mm aren't lost on its owners.
 
#15 ·
Andy, what do you have against the 30-30? Why do you berate everything that isn't the caliber that you apparently have? I haven't been a member here very long, but it is apparent that you seem to berate just about everything that isn't a .22 caliber,... or different from your standard of configuration.
What's up with that?
 
#17 ·
7of7 said:
Andy, what do you have against the 30-30? Why do you berate everything that isn't the caliber that you apparently have? I haven't been a member here very long, but it is apparent that you seem to berate just about everything that isn't a .22 caliber,... or different from your standard of configuration.
What's up with that?
There appears to be a number of possible reasons, some of which Andy/GunKid/223 Fan/wannabe/DAlbright/whoever has posted in the past.

Some of the simpler ones are:

recoil and noise. Seems someone has an admitted flinching problem.

Also seems that there is a complete and total reliance on using a suppressor to make up for this problem.

That seems to be the simpler of the bunch...

Now, I think it is completely appropriate to tailor your gear and tactics towards whatever limitations you have. That's being smart.

however, since flinching can be cured with a little hard work and training, relying on a bit of hardware that can be damaged or lost for your survival - well, that's not too smart - IMHO.


:devil:
 
#19 ·
Gunkid as forgotten his POSCAR's SP will blow up in brush. The 30/30 170s won't. I would say the 30/30 is a much better brush gun than the AR.
 
#20 ·
Terry G said:
Isn't this an apples and oranges kind of thing? I don't want to get into a firefight armed with a .30/30 Winchester; my Colt AR-15 will do nicely. I don't want to hunt Whitetail Deer with a .223, they run BIG in my area. Both will do either job, but neither will do both jobs effectively.
Both were built with different intentions in mind. Never tried to take a deer with a .223, although I have seen some decent sized hogs fall to both cartridges. (When you mention getting into a firefight with a .30-30, I recall a newspaper or a magazine article that I read a while ago about some gang members out west somewhere that got into quite a large fight, and for some reason, a sizeable number of them had lever guns. Guess it depends on who or what you are shooting at.)

Either way you cut it, it's the man behind the trigger, not the weapon itself that makes the difference. Remember that old maxim about a hit from a .38 is better than a near miss from a .308.
 
#21 ·
Geez Melvin, you don't know your history that well, do you? During WW2 the Canadian Government armed the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, with over 3,000 Winchester M94's in 1943 in .30/30.
Canadian Rangers - Wikipedia
 
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