looking for 30-30 bolt action

[bocker]

Hi people.

New member here just wanting to say HI.

Here's a brief explanation about my title... I have been lugging around my Remington 7mm mag for YEARS now. Funny thing is it seems to get heavier every year haha. After much discussion with my cousins and the guys at hunting camp, I think we narrowed it down to the 30-30 round as about the perfect round for Pennsylvania hunting. (I realize I am opening up a can of worms with that statement) The thing is, I am a bolt action lover. My cousins dad showed me his Savage 340 in a 30-30 and I really liked it... bummer he won't sell it to me. I also heard about the Remington 788 (Been hunting Remington exclusively my whole life) in a 30-30 but have not seen one in person. Might anyone out there have one of these rifles they would be willing to part with? Or perhaps be able to point me in the right direction as to where to find one?

Looking forward to meeting some new people on here...

Thanks in advance
Chris

[summersux]

I don't know where your located, but if you are near the gap, Village Arms has a used savage 340 in 30-30 right now.

[mongo]

The M788 in 30-30 is kind of a collectors gun. If you go to the larger gun shows like Harrisburg or Valley Forge maybe you will see one for sale. Be prepared to pay a heffty price. The M788 was to be the "cheap" Remington in its day. Kinda of funny. Just a thought, but a Ruger 77 in stainless is a nice light rifle. I know it does not come in 30-30 but 308 is close, use lighter bullets/loads. The ruger also comes with scope mounts standard or you can get th iron sighted model.

[bocker]

Right on, summersux. Thank you. I will check it out.

[imp81318]

I have a Savage 340 30-30 bolt, got it from my grandfather when I was 16. It is my deer rifle as well, and I love it. I will offer just a few words of wisdom though - be careful if you plan on putting a scope on it. I tried to replace the scope on mine last year, and here is a brief description of the problems I ran into (I will preface this by saying that mine had a scope with the side-plate mount already installed, and I did not look into having it re-drilled for more conventional mounts):

The way the bolt opens, I don't think "conventional" scope mounts would work with it. The side-mount is a plate that screws/bolts to the side of the barrel, and stands vertically, and has 1/2 the rings made as a part of the plate. The 2nd 1/2 of the rings then screw onto the plate to hold the scope.

When looking at new scopes, I was unable to find a decent scope (3x9 zoom) that would fit between the rings (the rings were too close together, and would contact the portion of the scope that gets thicker for the adjusters). Also, the plate held the scope too low, blocking the bolt's movement and making it impossible to use with a 40mm scope.

Luckily for me, I have a friend that is a machinist who took my rifle, the scope, and the plate to work, cut the plate, made it taller, and moved the rings further apart, and then welded it all back together...

Like I said though, this seemed like a lot to go through to be able to put a scope on it. I am sure a local gunsmith would be able to make something work for it, but it will likely get costly.

An added bonus to the work that my buddy did is that he raised the scope up high enough that I can now shoot under it using the iron sights.

[bocker]

Thanks for the info, imp81318.

It doesn't surprise me that you still use and love that gun. The couple people I have talked to that have one say they love it and the ones who HAD one say sometimes they wish they still had it. I am finding that it won't be an impossible gun to find... it just might take some time to find the right one. Sounds like some important 411 on the scope mount.

Thanks again
Chris

[daschnoz]

+1 on Mongo's post - buy a 308.

Commercial ammo choices for 30-30 are very limited.

Since the 30-30 is mainly thought of as a lever gun with tubular magazine, commercial ammo is always flat nosed. The flat nose gives you the ballistics of a school bus. This isn't bad in central PA since most shots are under 100 yards, but if you do need that 200 yard shot, you may find yourself in a bit of a jam.
(Yes, I know that Hornady makes that LeverEvolution stuff - but get ready to shell out $$$ for it.)

With a 308, you'll have more ammo choices than you can think of - 100gr lightning bolts all the way up to 200gr freight trains - in every shape imaginable. If you need that 200 yard shot, aim 2 inches high and send it.

[Hokkmike]

Since the 30-30 is mainly thought of as a lever gun with tubular magazine, commercial ammo is always flat nosed.

Of course now the Leveroution ammo has changed that. pointed rounds now available in .30-30. Quite potent at that.

They have them readily available at our local Gander Mountain in .30-30. I buy them in .44 mag for my Wrangler.

[bocker]

OK... so I do agree about the 308. Where I do hunt (most of the time) I would be using the traditional lever action rounds. Simply because I don't predict a shot over 100 yards and it tends to be thick... and I AM looking for that "school buss" stopping power. I would still have my 7mm mag readily available for the conditions that called for it (back at the cabin). I am simply looking for a very case specific weapon for the conditions I hunt 75% of the time.

On a side note... I have been very tempted by those new 12 gauge slugs that are accurate up to 150 yards... tempting I tell you! But like I stated before, I love the bolt actions and am pretty convinced I would like to add a 30-30 bolt action to the arsenal.

Wellllllllll.... as we all know, there will probably be a 308 in that arsenal in the not to distant future as well haha.


Thanks for all the input!!!
Chris

[nfafan]

There is also this that can (usually) be seen at G-Mountain...

http://www.australianinternationalar...au/product.htm

Their M-10 is a sweet little Enfield and with 7.62x39, you can do a lot of practice before taking softpoints out to the brush.

Only wish they made an SMLE in 7.62x39 - I'd be all over that!