• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

A little help on finding the right caliber.

MossMan17

.22LR
I have been looking for a new deer rifle. I love 30-30, 30.06 lever actions but, in this ammo shortaged, sparse rifle market we have as of late, I am not sure what to even shop for.
I missed deer season as I spent my time with my 12 gauge and upland birds, ducks and small game.
I am now looking forward to being prepared for next year. I have seen some reports that the 30-30 may not be manufactured by some companies like marlin. So whats going to be the best way to go as far as ammo and rifles? 30.06, 270 win?
anyone?
 
This is like asking what is the best oil to put in your car. My $.02. .357 Mag from a Marlin 1894 lever. Had one years ago. Drives tacks with the recoil of a .22, around here, central IN it's easy to find. It's not a 600yrd shooter but 100 in it's a killer. Good luck.
 
And on a side note I have taken a 6 point buck in southern IN with a .357 Mag in a S&W Trooper lll N frame 6" barrel at about 80yrds.
 
Given the millions of 30-30 rifles out there I seriously doubt that the ammo will ever become unavailable. Just looked at one site on line and they had 28 different 30-30 ammo options in stock across a half dozen brands.

Recommend an online ammo search.

Welcome to the forum.

Regards
 
Given the millions of 30-30 rifles out there I seriously doubt that the ammo will ever become unavailable. Just looked at one site on line and they had 28 different 30-30 ammo options in stock across a half dozen brands.

Recommend an online ammo search.

Welcome to the forum.

Regards
Not like I've been everywhere all the time but I haven't seen a 30 30 round on the shelf in over a year.
 
My comment on ammo was not in regard to what's on the shelf right now. The OP was wondering if companies were going to discontinue the manufacture of 30-30 rifles given he was looking to buy a deer rifle. My point was that there are millions of guns out there today and several major and lesser manufactures offering a multitude of bullets chambered in 30-30 plus of us many reload their own.

If you're looking for a good 30-30 certainly the older "JM" Marlins, the pre 64 Winchesters and the Henry's are available on the market. Like other offerings many of these quality made rifles are commanding prices higher than new production models.

Regards
 
What is considered to be the furthest distance you would consider taking a shot with little chance of a bad hit?

Do you want iron sights or plan to scope the rifle after you buy one?
 
When the investors bankrupted Remington, that's why marlin was affected because they were owned my Remington.

For a while, everything Remington owned (marlin, remington, H&R, NEF, Bushmaster and probably almost a dozen other companies) ceased production of everything during the bankruptcy hearings.

Marlin (company name) was eventually sold and now Ruger owns it and to my knowledge, they announced two calibers to begin with. I believe one was the 45-70 an the other was likely 30-30, but I can't recall off the top of my head. I'm sure anyone interested could find out.

I'm personally on the hunt for an AFFORDABLE 357 magnum lever action but for the prices they are going for these days, will likely be a Rossi or Cimmaron (which are both rossi made guns).

Nitesite beat me to the punch asking you what distance you usually hunt. My answers would totally hinge on that. Where I hunt, most of the distances are really close and I could even use a sharp pointy stick and come home with meat. But based on your avatar picture, you're in a lot more open spaces than I am.
 
John, you are correct regarding Marlin. The Remington debacle is why original "JM" manufactured guns are in such demand and command high prices.

Ruger has recently released their first Marlin offering. A model 1895 in 45-70.

Not released yet but next will be the model 336 in 30-30 Win and 35 Rem.

Later will be the model 1894 but the caliber offerings have not been publically released.

Regards
 
I have been looking for a new deer rifle. I love 30-30, 30.06 lever actions but, in this ammo shortaged, sparse rifle market we have as of late, I am not sure what to even shop for.
I missed deer season as I spent my time with my 12 gauge and upland birds, ducks and small game.
I am now looking forward to being prepared for next year. I have seen some reports that the 30-30 may not be manufactured by some companies like marlin. So whats going to be the best way to go as far as ammo and rifles? 30.06, 270 win?
anyone?
Have to echo the question above as to what distances you plan to hunt? That said, hard to go wrong with anything from 243 to 308 if you're hunting within 200 yds. Some of those are capable of stretching much further but if you're anything like me I am not confident enough to take a shot at an animal over 300 yds. Too many variables and usually there just isn't time to consider them all. For open ground I use a scoped Rem 700 270 Win w/ 24" bbl. For the bush a WInchester Model 94 30-30 lever with irons and 20" bbl and most shots would be well under 75 yds and more likely 30-50 yds.

I have yet to NOT find 243, 270, 300 Win Mag and 308 Win ammo on a store shelf. Your neck of the woods could be quite different.
 
30-30, 30-06, 308 are all goid options and i doubt ammo will ever completely dry up.

I have not found .357 ammo in over 2 years. Handgun ammo is like a white unicorn.

I've been falling back to bowhunting a lot more. Not many issues finding longbows and arrows. :-D
 
I had the opportunity to hunt with any caliber I owned this year, but between what the hunting regulations said, and what I was seeing during the legal hours, was not jiving with each other.

So, a few days after rifle season ended, I was able to take either sex doe or buck with a bow, so I did. I'm not bashful to say that I killed a doe. I'm not a head hunter. I hunt for meat and the does don't have that funky rut taste anyway.

Where I live and hunt 357 magnum works as well as 30-30. Plus, I admit that while using the H&R single shot, with as deep as the throat is on that chamber and the extra 10 inches of barrel, I can upload my hunting loads and get over 1850 fps with 110 gr HP's quite easily. (Thanks @nitesite for the help and guidance in doing that). While not exactly all the way up into 30-30 velocity, the deer can't seem to tell the difference.

Like Cmcdonald though, all of my shots are within 75 yards. And more commonly 20-45. So, I would consider 357 to be a dandy brush gun caliber for stuff like that and not a long range sniper round.
 
What is considered to be the furthest distance you would consider taking a shot with little chance of a bad hit?

Do you want iron sights or plan to scope the rifle after you buy one?

I've taken one at about 160 yards, and that was a long shot for where I ususally deer hunt. I like a dialed in scope. Not an iron site guy, except for targets for fun.
 
When the investors bankrupted Remington, that's why marlin was affected because they were owned my Remington.

For a while, everything Remington owned (marlin, remington, H&R, NEF, Bushmaster and probably almost a dozen other companies) ceased production of everything during the bankruptcy hearings.

Marlin (company name) was eventually sold and now Ruger owns it and to my knowledge, they announced two calibers to begin with. I believe one was the 45-70 an the other was likely 30-30, but I can't recall off the top of my head. I'm sure anyone interested could find out.

I'm personally on the hunt for an AFFORDABLE 357 magnum lever action but for the prices they are going for these days, will likely be a Rossi or Cimmaron (which are both rossi made guns).

Nitesite beat me to the punch asking you what distance you usually hunt. My answers would totally hinge on that. Where I hunt, most of the distances are really close and I could even use a sharp pointy stick and come home with meat. But based on your avatar picture, you're in a lot more open spaces than I am.


I've looked into some of those Rossi's. I like the price, and everything I have seen and read, the quality is ok.
 
Yeah, but finding one in stock, especially when I have the cash, that's the real issue.

100-160 yards, that's easily 308, 243, 270 territory.

Any of the above should only be ~2 inch drop/rise from your 100 yard zero.
 
30-30, 30-06, 308 are all goid options and i doubt ammo will ever completely dry up.

I have not found .357 ammo in over 2 years. Handgun ammo is like a white unicorn.

I've been falling back to bowhunting a lot more. Not many issues finding longbows and arrows. :-D

I have been able to get 12 gauge shells online and 9MM ammo at my local shoot club. Other than that its sparse for sure.
If I have my "drothers", I'd rather have a 30-30 and hope to score some ammo. I think its going to be that or a .270 Ruger
 
30-30, 30-06, 308 are all goid options and i doubt ammo will ever completely dry up.

I have not found .357 ammo in over 2 years. Handgun ammo is like a white unicorn.

I've been falling back to bowhunting a lot more. Not many issues finding longbows and arrows. :-D
My favorite Rual King in Shelbyville (central IN) has had a shelf full for many weeks.
 
Back
Top