I've decided I would. like a 30-30 as a backwoods deer rifle. I already have a 300WinMag so the 30-30 is just for those close range deer opportunities, as well as taking a break from recoil.

Problem is that current BLRs don't seem to come in 30-30. Can someone tell me whether or not this used to be an option? If it was then I might still find a used one out there.

I might also consider the Marlin 336SS, but the BLR box mag really appeals to me more.

[ 01-15-2003, 03:34: Message edited by: Gonzo FreakPower ]

I've never seen or heard of a BLR in 30-30. Sorry. - Dan

Maybe you should consider a Savage 99, Ive got one in 300 Savage, recoil is practically non existent and yet it is only about 100 fs behind a 308. Very strong actions too and a rotary magazine so you can use spitzers.

Never offered in 30-30 according to the Browning reference books, it was offered in 358 Winchester which might be an alternative for you. Offered in 81, 83-92 and possibly a couple of later years.

Many .308 BLR's out there, most are real good rifles. If you can get a .308, why look for a .30-30?

The 99 savage was available in 30-30. Not the BLR so far as I recollect. One so chambered has interesting possibilities. Pointed bullets, higher chamber pressure specs, better accuracy, interesting!

Downloading a .308 BLR to 30-30 ballistics should make a very pleasant gun/cartridge to shoot. This assumes the user is a handloader, of course.

I just looked at 2 savage 99's in .30-30 last week. Pretty cool, but if your going to handload spitzers anyway, then getting a BLR in .308 and downloading it would make more sense. I have one, and it has a nice recoil pad on it.

I'm a big fan of Browning so a BLR would be great. What about the 7mm-08? Does that behave well at less than full power loads? I don't know about downloading a 308 but all other thing being equal I assume the 7-08 could more easily approach a 30-30. Because of the lighter bullet options I think maybe the 7-08 would be a really sweet option in the BLR.

Why on earth would one want to handicap a strong, accurate rifle like the BLR by chambering it for .30/30? Good grief!! The .358 is back in the BLR for this year, and the .450 Marlin has been added too. Of course, neither of these is comparable to the .30/30!!

[ 01-19-2003, 20:16: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

I was interested in the BLR because of the box mag. The 30-30 or7-08 interested me because I wanted an easy shooting "more or less ambidextrous" rifle. This would serve as a short range piece. I already have a 300WinMag to reach out.

Would it be possible to soft load the 7-08 to near 30-30?

Dear Gonzo:
I've had a BLR in 7mm-08 for some time now- bought it new in the mid-80's. It's a pre-"Lightning" version with the barrel band.
I handloaded with a variety of 139 to 150 grain projectiles, mostly Nosler and Hornady, with propellants being mostly H414, Win 760 and IMR 4350 and 4064. Average velocities were 2500 to 2600, with 2700+ being a practical max. Recoil, off the bench and with postion shooting, was quite manageable, especially so with the nice recoil pad from the factory.

Three things about this particular rifle, from my experience.

The skinny barrel heats up FAST. Some 3-shot groups off the bench would hold sub-MOA. Further shooting without a substantial cooling-off time walks the shots 2" or more. This might be a forarm / barrel band thing. Usually the first 2 shots cold-clean barrel are pretty much at point of aim.

The stock trigger, while not especially heavy, was spongy and gritty. A gunsmith was able to clean a noticable bit of it up, but as it travels with the lever the extra parts-interfaces rather preclude a bolt-gun's breaking-glass crispness.

Perhaps my rifle had headspace issues, but if I didn't bump the shoulder of reloaded cases a rather goodly amount, it would ever-so-slightly not go into battery and would not fire.

Even with the above, I like the little guy. Target rifle, no, but it is a fast-acting and handy piece that has worked well in the hunting conditions found in Penn's woods. Without actually having worked up a "Reduced" load (I was going for as much "whizz" as I could safely manage), I would assume 150 grain rounds at 2400 would be attainable and usably accurate.

Hope this helps
Rosse