The .30-30 Nobody Wants (But Outkills Everything in the Timber)

The .30-30 Nobody Wants (But Outkills Everything in the Timber) video by Jacob Miller.

Summary:

Frost on the rail.

Forty yards of timber.

A buck steps out of the laurel, and the rifle in your hands is a .30-30 that nearly every modern ballistic chart says has been obsolete for decades.

The charts aren't wrong.

The .30-30 drops harder, carries less energy, and gives up long-range performance to cartridges like the .30-06 and 6.5 Creedmoor.

But a South Carolina wildlife biologist recorded 603 shots at 493 deer, and his results suggest we've spent a century measuring the wrong thing.

 

250 Years of American Hunting

Above, Daniel Boone.

We are celebrating America's 250th birthday today.

One big feature of our heritage is the Second Amendment. From self defense to just plain plinking or hunting, firearms play a big role in that heritage.

American Hunter (NRA) takes a look at 250 years of American hunting and spotlights several notable American hunters in our history.

They begin with:

As we Americans celebrate the semiquincentennial—250th anniversary—of our great country, understand there are, of course, various interpretations of what made our country great. But no one can deny the role of frontiersmen in our history—and they depended on hunting for their survival. (Unfortunately, in some circles there are those who reject the very idea of America being a great country, but such perfidy is not worth our time, for life is too short to waste it on negative nincompoops.) At 250, our country has lived longer than any of us ever will, so let’s celebrate this unique moment with unabashed patriotism.

There are few recreational activities where patriotism runs deeper than in hunting. In a deep sense, we hunters are traditionalists—we go get our meat from the land, just as the frontiersmen did when the country was founded. Our equipment is more sophisticated than theirs, but fundamentally the activity is the same. When the country expanded in the founding era, it was largely thanks to frontiersmen who braved forth and charted uncharted land. Of course, there were no grocery stores in the wilderness—you ate what you brought with you, and when it ran out you hunted your dinner. You cleared the land for farming, but you still depended on meat from the land until your crops were ready.

Therefore, at this time of grateful celebration, we American hunters cannot be faulted if we also indulge in filiopietism—the enthusiastic reverence of traditions and ancestors. In fact, filiopietism should be a very appropriate part of our celebration. After all, hunting made possible the existence of the frontiersmen, and frontiersmen made possible the expansion and thus the continued existence of the country, and therefore hunting is inseparably connected to America’s greatness.

Over the last 250 years, millions of Americans maintained the tradition of hunting by actively engaging in it. We will never know all their names—but we can commemorate those whose names we do know well. Even the latter list would be inordinately long, so we are therefore compelled to pick and choose some names over others, which is a subjective exercise after all. Nevertheless, the American hunters we celebrate here are worthy of being on anyone’s list.

To read more, go here. 

10 Hunter-Trusted Rifle Calibers That Deliver Results

Above, Wiinchester .30-30 cartridges. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 

As I am not a hunter, I would not be the one to ask what rifle calibers deliver the best results.

However, Bushcraft Base Camp has posted their list of rifle calibers they feel do deliver the best results and why.

They begin with:

For generations, hunters have relied on certain rifle calibers that consistently deliver dependable results in the field. While new cartridges appear regularly, a handful of proven calibers continue to stand out because of their balance of power, accuracy, and versatility. These cartridges earned their reputations through decades of real-world hunting across forests, mountains, plains, and open farmland. Experienced hunters understand that choosing the right caliber is not just about raw power but also about manageable recoil, reliable performance, and effective terminal ballistics on game animals. A well-chosen cartridge allows a hunter to make clean, ethical shots while maintaining confidence in the rifle’s capabilities.

To read more, go here. 

Turkey Hunters Trending To Smaller Gauge Shotguns

Above, the Mossberg 500E shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, I discovered a Mossberg 500E .410 Pump Shotgun that was in a gun case my dad left. I didn't know I had it until I unzipped the case.

I took it out to the shooting range not too long after and I worked great. 

It appears that people in my age group (I'm at the "youthful" age of 72) are moving towards .410 shotguns for turkey hunting. 

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette posted an article on this.

It begins with:

Willie Johnston of Hamburg is a traditionalist hunter, but he embraces the .410-bore shotgun for turkey hunting.

Johnston, 72, represents an evolution in the turkey hunting retail market. An older demographic of hunters is gravitating to smaller, lighter guns with less recoil.

Johnston said he is impressed with the tight patterns his Stevens 301 prints at conventional turkey hunting distances. The red dot sight that came with the package assures him that his shot will be true.

"Wherever you put that dot is where it's going to hit," Johnston said. "You don't have to worry about pulling off or your sights not being aligned just right. Just put that dot on his head and shoot."

Nathan Dunn, owner of Dunn's Sporting Goods in Pevely, Mo., acknowledged the trend in the Midwest.

"The last few years we've sold a lot more sub-gauge guns, a lot of 20-gauges and a lot of .410," Dunn said. "A lot of hunters are getting older. They're tired of packing around that big 12-gauge."

To read the full article, go here. 

Why There’s No Such Thing As The Perfect Rifle For Deer Hunting

Above, a deer munching on my elm trees. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Is there such a thing as the "perfect deer hunting rifle"?

According to a MSN slideshow post, there isn't. Personally, I don't hunt deer but I know several people who do. 

We have deer in and around our community (elk too). They constantly go after the lower branches of an apple tree in my front yard. A few months ago, some even managed to get into my fenced inner yard.

The posting begins with:

When it comes to hunting deer, the debate over the “perfect rifle” is endless. Some hunters swear by the power of large-caliber rifles, while others argue that precision and a well-placed shot are more critical than caliber size. But does the ideal deer rifle truly exist, or is it a myth? Many hunters might be surprised to learn that the best deer rifle could very well be the one they already own. The truth is, the “perfect” deer rifle is a deeply personal choice based on the hunter’s skill, preferences, and the environment in which they hunt.

To read more, go here. 

Theodore Roosevelt, Big-Game Hunter

President Theodore Roosevelt was a man who did many things in his lifetime. 

He was an author, rancher, hunter, explorer and, of course, president of the United States (among other things). He was a proud owner of several Winchesters.

Here's a photo of Roosevelt with one of his kills: