Better 30-30 gun for whitetails: Ruger Mini-30 or Auto Ordnance M1 carbine?

Vanity | 3-8-08 | Me

[Last Dakotan]

These two are comparable in price and probably in performance. Looks like the M1 is about 1-1/2 lb. lighter. Suggestions?

[5Madman2]

Look at the Winchester 94 or the Marlin

Can get plenty of good ones used-and they have put more deer on the table than just about any other gun

[xone]

Neither one is a 30-30.

[Last Dakotan]

I’ve got a model 94, but looking for a semi-auto.

[djf]

I have a 30 Cal M1 carbine. Isn’t a 30 30 a different round?

M1 is more of a closer area type gun, I’m sure it would have no trouble with a whitetail. But I wouldn’t want to try an elk or a po’d grizzly.

One big advantage is that sucker will shoot as fast as you can pull the trigger.

[Last Dakotan]

Neither one is a 30-30. I'm pretty sure the M1 is, but, yeah, the Mini-30's 7.62x39mm give performance very similar to the 30-30.

[Polynikes]

Try a Marlin 336. My father used one for years for whitetails and the occasional elk. Rugged dependable and accurate
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/Centerfire/336A.aspx

[Cringing Negativism Network]

M1 carbine is a .30 carbine.

30-30 is not actually, the same.

Here’s a pretty good reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rifle_cartridges

[Boundless]

>> Neither one is a 30-30.

> I’m pretty sure the M1 is ...

Nope. The M1 Carbine fires a round called the .30 carbine.
It’s basically a pistol cartridge. Ballistics are below
.30-30 and way below 7.62x39. You may have trouble
finding .30C ammo other than FMJ. .30 carbine is iffy
for deer, although usually legal.

The M1 Rifle fires the .30-06, which is much more powerful
than any of the above.

[Lurker]

The only one of these rifles that would be suitable for whitetails is the Ruger.

The 7.62 x 39 round is very similar in ballistic performance to the .30-30. The .30 Carbine round isn't even close.

I would recommend against even considering it for use on whitetails.

L

[Last Dakotan]

I hadn’t realized the carbine used such a weak round. Thanks for the help.

[Lurker]

Be advised that the most commonly available 7.62 x 39 ammo is FMJ which is illegal for use on game animals in many states.

Soft point hunting ammo is made, but you need to be sure you purchase and use the correct cartridge lest you run afoul of the game laws in your state.

That being said one of those Ruger Mini-30's would be a real handy rifle for many purposes.

L

[Boundless]

> I hadn’t realized the carbine used such a weak round.

I’ve owned a couple of them. Stovepipe jams were common.

And let me correct one of my remarks.
The .30-30 and the 7.62x39 are actually comparable
in ballistics. I imagine that suitable hunting
rounds are available in the 7.62, and SKS-based
semi-autos are relatively cheap.

[mountainlyons]

To hunt deer a 308 is the minimum I would use. I usually use an old Springfield 30-06. Marlin 45-70 is good for elk if they are not too far away. M1 carbine can be used to punch holes in paper. M1 Garand is 30-06 and good firepower. Chesty puller liked them but preferred the Springfield for more accuracy. 30-30 would work up close but most people can't judge range too well so they would tend to shoot too low. FMJ surplus ammo is illegal on big game in a lot of states. What kind of bullet do you want?

[papertyger]

My father used one for years for whitetails and the occasional elk.

What about moose? My sister got bit by a moose, once ;o)

[djf]

Buddy of mine has a Remington 6 cyl revolver that takes the 30 carbine rounds.

Don’t know if I’d want to be behind that sucker when it goes off! But I guess that would be better than being in front...

;-)

[Last Dakotan]

I keep a copy of the Federal Ammo catalog handy in the kitchen. They sell a 7.62x39mm Soviet soft point (and FMJ if you want them) round.

[Richard Kimball]

Although not a 30-30, I've always been partial to the Remington Model 750. It comes in 30.06.

[19th LA Inf]

The trouble with the Mini-30 is that it is notoriously lacking in accuracy, at least those made before 2000 when I bought mine. I have popped a couple of armadillos in the back yard, but I would not want to shoot at a deer at anything more than 35 or 40 yards, as it is not a very powerful round and needs accurate placement for a clean kill. There is nothing wrong with the 7.62x39 cartridge itself, it is just the macaroni barrel that Ruger uses on the Mini-30. I would really love to have a good quality short action bolt rifle chambered for it.

It is true that in firefights against human opposition the 7.62x39 has historically been effective in the AK-47, but a deer is not going to stay around after the first shot is fired.

[Boundless]

> ... the Mini-30’s 7.62x39mm ...

The Mini-14 is now available in 6.8mm SPC,
which is supposed to outperform the 7.62x39.

> Buddy of mine has a Remington 6 cyl revolver
> that takes the 30 carbine rounds.

Remington? Or Ruger?

> Don’t know if I’d want to be behind that
> sucker when it goes off!

Not because of the energy, as I understand it,
but because the powder in factory .30c loads
is slower-burning, since it expects to have at
least a 16in barrel. In a handgun, a lot of
it is still burning when the bullet has departed
the tube. It’s the classic “same round for
rifle and sidearm” conundrum.