30-30 Range on Deer?

[oneshot 1]

At what range would you trust a 30-30 with a Scope on Deer. From what I'm reading it could be good to 500 yards but I would never shoot that far. I'm more 100 yard and less with a Firearm and 30 yard or Less with Crossbow.

In all my years I've only shot one way out there but I was very cold and it was a 135 inch Deer.

oneshot

[tjm]

I've killed several coyotes at 250-300 yards with 30-30 and iron sights, killed one deer at ~250 yards, all in Nv. long time ago. I was shooting about everyday back then and knew the hold overs. With a scope, I'd probably not try it much past the sight in distance. Scope interferes too much with judgements/guesses/windage/hold-over/etc.; with a scope I try to make all shots at or near the sight in range. 30-30 has huge drop in trajectory, so it's easy to shoot real high or real low at other distances.  With the "wisdom" of old age and having dragged a few deer, I seldom shoot at a deer past 50 yards with any rifle, unless it obvious I can drive to it. I killed a 135# deer once, very tender.

[dan hufferd]

[dan hufferd]

For the first 150 yards, both the .30-30 Win and the .30-06 Springfield have very similar trajectories. It’s from this point that the two begin to deviate pretty drastically. Until the 350 yard mark, there is still only about ten inches differences between these two rounds, but beyond that, the .30-30 drops like a brick. By the 500 yard mark, we are looking at 75-80 inches difference between the .30-30 and .30-06 round. Just like we mentioned with the velocity, there just not enough force generated to keep the .30-30 bullet flying as straight as the .30-06 bullet of the same weight. You can begin to see how this will impact applications of the two rounds.

 

Copied from https://www.snipercountry.com/

[oneshot 1]

Well my Scope has Marks allowing for drop and I have a Range Finder but like I say I wouldn't shoot at a Deer that far.

oneshot

[Terrierman]

200 yards is it for me even with my .270.

 

[fishinwrench]

Unless you have to shoot clear across a bean field there shouldn't be a need to shoot much over 100 yards in Missouri.  If you can't get any closer than that to them then you didn't do your scouting right. 😋

[oneshot 1]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Unless you have to shoot clear across a bean field there shouldn't be a need to shoot much over 100 yards in Missouri.  If you can't get any closer than that to them then you didn't do your scouting right. 😋

Funny longest shot I ever took was across a Bean Field with a Muzzleloader. I aimed 3 foot over his Back with Iron Sights and killed him. Yea surprised me. It was on COE Land.

Closest was 5 yards on the ground.

oneshot

[Johnsfolly]

My closest deer with a rifle was 4 to 5 yds as well. It was at the base of the 12 ft.ladder stand😀.

[oneshot]

1 hour ago, Johnsfolly said:

My closest deer with a rifle was 4 to 5 yds as well. It was at the base of the 12 ft.ladder stand😀.

Figure I’m safer on the ground see as many Deer.

But if setting up high is your thing so be it.

oneshot