Ended up booking a trophy boar hunt with Chestnut Hunting Lodge with two of my uncles. One is considering himself to be stuck in a conundrum over whether or not his .30/30 (only rifle he owns) is too anemic a round for a decent size boar. I believe it not to be, he needs a bit of convincing. Anyone have anything to say either for or against the .30/30 vs a trophy boar?

Use a good 170gr bullet like Federals 170gr partition factory load and he will be good to go. Most hogs are shot in the head, but that partition will work for a lung shot also, good luck.....

Many a large game animal have fallen to the "lowly" .30-30. Like any and every cartridge, with the right bullet it is more than capable. I wouldn't be concerned in the least, the .30-30 will get it done.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
Many a large game ammo have fallen to the "lowly" .30-30. Like any and every cartridge, with the right bullet it is more than capable. I wouldn't be concerned in the least, the .30-30 will get it done.

agreed -- all the "270 for elk" threads could read this quote

A well used cartridge over here for pigs / boars.

With good ammo and the shot in the right place, more than capable.

.

Just use a good 170 gr bullet, and you got a trophy for the wall! As others have aready said, some very large animals have been taken quite handily with the old thuty thuty! In Canada for may years the only rifle you would see in the moose woods would be a 30-30 lever rifle with iron sights.

I have personally taken just about everything in North America excepting the big bears, and mountain sheep with an old 30-30 mod 94 Winchester that belonged to my grand father!

Tell your friend to not worry about his rifle, just place the bullet in the boiler room and collect his trophy, and pork chops!

There is an old saying that is as true as sunrise that goes like this: "Beware the man who owns only one rifle for he is likely to know how to use it!"

I will be the odd man out on this round...
30/30 has also wounded more game and will bounce off a big hog bone...your uncle needs to get a bigger gun...30/30 best used for coyote's
I helped track a little doe deer one time that was shot broadside at 50yrds,perfect behind the shoulder shot/complete penetration,you couldnt have walked up and stuck the barrel to the deer and got a better hit/placement...300 yrds.later straight down a steep mountian we found the doe.....it killed her but it took along while....another hunter i was with shot a hog 5 times before it stopped and he had to point blank shoot it in the head last shot...A 30/30 doesnt allways knock 'em down 4 sure
if in doubt use a bigger enough gun!i vote 30-06
way more better

There are too many factors involved to simply blame the cartridge IMO. Plus, every animal is a law a law unto itself. As long as you have good bullets and your placement is good, a dead animal will result.

Some animals simply refuse to concede when they clearly should.

JMHO.

Agreed..some deer and hogs just dont want to go down easy..

The biggest hog I remember being taken on the place I use to guide on was taken with a .30-30. It took 3 shots but all 3 were less than ideal situations (not broadside). The hog was over 300lbs.

If he is confident in using that rifle and I am guessing he is accurate with it then I don't see it being a bad choice.

Used within its limitations, the 30-30 will do nicely. The little piggie in the first photo was taken with a necked down and shortened derivative of the 30-30, and the 120 grain TTSX punched through both shoulder, the thick gristle plates and lots of "meat" before exiting.

While my hunting with an actual 30-30 is somewhat limited, I have used many wildcats based on the case, and they make some wonderful game-getters.









The hog below was taken at app. 280 yards with a 30-30 AI using the 150 grain Accubond at 2577 fps MV:

i've killed hogs with 22lr, 357, 10mm, and 22H ... a 30/30 is a darn sight more powerful ..

99% of killing game animals is shot placement ...

put it in the right spot, and most guns will kill hogs...

a 700xbmg in the tail is just a wounded animal...

I've killed a fair amount of hogs with a 30/30 including a couple large boars. Works as good as anything. Your uncle will be just fine. Frankly, I don't find hogs any harder then anything else to kill. I don't shoot as many as some here but I'm good for several a year and take guests to shoot several more each year and that has been my experience.

Like other here, I shoot a hog now and then. I continue to advise folks when shooting hogs, the best shot is to draw an imaginary line between their ear and shoulder. Then place your bullet about two inches below the ear on that line. It will sever the spine. They will drop and paddle. DRT. End of story. If you are really worried, buy some lever revolution spitzers or develop a load using Barnes 130 gr. TSX, You can put one in the chamber, on half cock and one in the magazine. Then you do not have the problem with pointy bullets piercing primers in a tubular mag. If your rifle will group the tsx's, they will definitely do the job, as will the leverevolution rounds.

Best

GWB

I have killed several hogs and all have been with a 30-30. The largest was a quartering away shot on a 365 lb. boar at a dead sprint (the hog was sprinting, not me) in a Florida swamp at about 30 yards. The load was 32gr. IMR3031 behind a 170gr Speer Hot Core. Dead in motion!! Not sure of bullet performance since bullet was never found, nor was an exit.

If I had to do it over again (and next time I use a 30-30 for something like that) I would probably opt for the 170gr Partition or more likely the 150gr TSX at the highest velocity I could get safely.

Yes the 30-30 will undoubtedly do the job, with proper bullet selection.

Yep a 30/30 will do its part if you do yours for sure, and its a Hell of a lot better than any shotgun load.

Cheers, John

Thank you all for the replies. I've emailed him the link to this page.

Now onto choosing which of my rifles I'm bringing! Up in the air between .300winmag, .375H&H, and .45/70 at this point. That's unless I buy something new between now and then!

All 3 are much more than needed for a hog hunt at Chestnut. Take the .45-70...unless you buy a .30-30 between now and then!

quote:

Originally posted by FFemt5287:
Thank you all for the replies. I've emailed him the link to this page.

Now onto choosing which of my rifles I'm bringing! Up in the air between .300winmag, .375H&H, and .45/70 at this point. That's unless I buy something new between now and then!

One can't have too many rifles. Sounds like you definitely need another one. This would be the perfect excuse (as if you needed one) to spring for another.
Anyway, I've employed all three that you mentioned on porkers. I have the 45-70 in the Marlin guide gun. If shots are going to be over 120 yds, I do not usually use the 45-70.

GWB

I have to agree with Ken and Geedubya, go with the .45/70. They make for great hog medicine.

Then again, this could be an excuse to get another rifle......just sayin'!

Ah, I see I've found yet another forum that will be great for my savings account!

The .45/70 is a stainless Guide Gun. I'm yet to shoot it at over 50 yards. Just purchased it about a month ago and need to send some more down range out of it.

My Weatherby .300WM is my go to for accuracy. MOA out to 200yds. Only reason I don't know further is because I don't have access to shoot further.

CZ550 .375H&H just feels right in my hands and on my shoulder. Quite overkill, but it's taken both my whitetails the last two years. It would be the rifle I would keep if I could only keep one.

Brandon, I don't believe in overkill. There are no degrees of dead. I have used every big-bore rifle I have owned on hogs and make no apologies for it. Are they necessary? Nope, but "necessary" doesn't factor into "fun" for me. If the .375 feels right, I say go for it.

Believe it or not my guide gun will place 3 bullets in a nice little clover leaf at 120 yds (the range at which it is zeroed). I load IMR 3031 and speer 400 grainers as my go to load in that rifle at 1700 fps +. You can eat right up to the bullet hole.

Then again, you can't go wrong with the 375 H&H. A 260 grain accubond over 71 gr. of RL-15 works darn well on Texas porkers.



If you aren't limited on space take both. Use one in the AM and one in the PM.

GWB

That surprises me not, Geedubya!

45-70. It flat out WORKS! BTDT.

Is the Pope Catholic?

The Winchester 1894 .30/30 has killed tens of thousands of wild pigs in Australia, including some real brutes.

By the way, that last boar was killed with one bullet through the chest as he trotted broadside at 100m range.

Great hogs, Ben! Huge cutters on the first one!

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks all for the comments and the pictures. I've finally convinced him his .30/30 is sufficient. Bought some pig targets to practice with at the range when I get back from New Hampshire on Monday. Still narrowing my own choices down!

Keep us posted, Brandon!

I have shot several pigs, several deer, 3 coyotes and a couple of turkeys with my 30/30 Heym O/U double rifle with no problems.

I have used Federal 170gr SP and Hornady 160 LeverEvolution.

It will work fine.

If he does not reload and tries the new Hornady Leverevolution rounds, let us know how they perform. I would think they would be just fine.

Both of the hogs in the above photos were killed with LeverEv ammo, and I shot mine at just over 200 yards. It works well on hogs and deer.

I have owned at least one 30-30 of various makes for years but my use of the round is not a lot. I have loaned it out more than used it and always kept it loaded with iether Remington or Winchesters 150 gr. bullets. My present Marlin has killed a bunch of pigs but not in my hands. I did mostly clean and buthcher them and have to say that with good hits at the average range we shoot em on my lease the 30-30 is a good hog killer and the 150 gr. bullets give plenty of penetration. However I got a great deal on the cheap 170 gr. Federal loading and have the rifle sighted in for that load now. I got ten boxes for $41 dollars, testing to come. If you are taking chest shots hold a bit lower than you would on deer, just above the elbow to almost half way up on the hogs chest is where to shoot.

I killed Vlad The Impaler with a 30-30 when I was 9yrs old. Vlad, as I named him later, had 4 inch tusks on both sides of his jaw and was as pure a "Russian" boar as could be found. Whe we gutted him, he had mohair from a goat he'd killed the previous night in his belly.

Since then I've killed a tractor trailer load of hogs and deer with a 30-30. I'm as comfortable with it as I am with a fork and spoon.
As with any round though, I recommend head and neck shots when possible.

Also, is this a still hunt or a hunt with hounds? Just curious.

I have shot all variety of game, pigs included, for years before I "learned" that the 30.30 wasnt enough gun.

A trienta-trienta with a low tech 170 gr SP will kill game with boring regularity. Just have to keep ranges reasonable.

Well Ive had a 44mag fail and had the same gun/cartridge hit like the Hand of GOD on a different Hog. The failures were from aimed shots and the instant kill was a snap shot when I was charged.

If you consider that a 30-30 is roughly equal to a 762x39 (AK round), Id say its got some good history behind it; especially when you'll be using round nose hunting bullets.

Every one knows the 30-30 wont kill anything bigger than a jackrabbit. All the gun writers say so. Never mind all the deer, elk, moose, bear, and yes hogs that have fallen to one. Place the shot right and it will do the job. No, I dont have one right now but there is nothing in North America I wouldnt take on if it was all I had.

I believe Cutting Edge Bullets is now making the BBW#13 Solid in .308 diameter bullets. Imagine the penetration of a 150gr BBW#13 ata sedate 2100fps from a 30-30!!

Or the destruction from a NonCon!!