The .30-30 Winchester cartridge has been around since 1895. It was the first to use the newly-developed smokeless powder.
It is still a popular cartridge and Field & Stream has posted their list of the best .30-30 Winchester hunting loads for 2026.
They begin with:
It all began in 1895 when a 0.30-caliber cartridge was introduced in Winchester’s now iconic 1894 lever-action rifle. It was America’s first sporting rifle cartridge designed for use with smokeless powder. Originally marketed as the 30 Winchester Smokeless, it was also known as the 30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire) but is now simply known as the “Thirty-Thirty.” The cartridge was originally loaded with a 160-grain bullet, but it wasn’t long until 150- and 170-grain loadings became more popular. Today, bullet weights ranging from 125- to 190-grains are available.
Though the 30-30′s 150-grain bullet at around 2300 fps is big-game capable at modest ranges, the desire for more reach has pushed most hunters to more modern cartridges and bolt-action rifles. Still, the 30/30 Winchester has remained popular because it works, and because of the svelte lever-guns it’s available in. Toward the end of the 20th Century, ballisticians began to apply modern bullet technology to this 100-year-old cartridge, and the loads available today offer greater versatility and enhanced external and terminal ballistics. More than 125 years after its introduction, the 30-30 is still with us and is a better hunting cartridge than ever. Here are some of the best 30-30 loads you can buy for tagging almost any critter in North America.
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