Best .30-30 Rifles

Above, my 1962 Winchester 94 .30-30. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It may not be as powerful or sexy as some modern rounds, but the .30-30 Winchester cartridge is still popular with hunters and ordinary target shooters. It was introduced in 1895 as the first smokeless cartridge.

Many rifles from different manufacturers are still being produced. 

Pew Pew Tactical (love that name) had posted an article (updated in July 2024) with what they consider to be the best .30-30 rifles. 

They begin with:

The old .30-30 Winchester (or .30 WCF, for .30 Winchester Center Fire) has been around for a long time — since 1895, to be exact.

In this day of carbon fiber barrels, folding stocks, Christmas tree reticles, and cartridges that can take out a critter in another zip code, is this old creature still relevant?

As my Swedish friend Lars is in the habit of saying, “Ja sure – you betcha!” Even though it’s been around for well over a century, it still outsells some modern cartridges intended for the deer woods.

Why, you ask? Well, let’s explore! We’ll recommend some of our favorite models and give you some background on the history of this storied cartridge.

To read more, go here.