I am thinking about carrying my M1 into some very brushy areas for whitetail.

Has anyone had experience with the 30 carbine on deer?

As a kid, my neighbor used a M1 carbine with success.

However, why on earth would you do so unless you have no other options. I'm not sure those little 100-110 grain bullets out of a carbine would have enough penetration. Shot placement would have very little margin for error.

Don't do it! It's a weak pistol cartridge at best.

No! 30 caliber is great but it needs to be 30-30, 308, 30-06, ect. The carbine round will not get it done.

quote:

Originally posted by just-a-hunter:
I have killed 4 East Texas does with a M1 while sitting in a box blind. All one shot kills at no more then 30 yards with 110 gr soft point. All complete broadside pass throughs behind the shoulder shots.

That being said and knowing what I know I wouldnt choose that gun if I had it to do all over again.

Good luck,

Todd

I would expect this kind of performance all day everyday with this round.

I have never used a 30 carbine but I have used 9mm pistol with 147 grain hollow points. For a broadside shot through both lungs it equals dead deer. It may take this kind of shot placement for these rounds to work though. I dont know but I didnt have to shoot more than once.

I seen several deer shot with the 30 carbine all dead deer.

As with any of the lesser powered round shot placememt is king.

DB Bill Don't do it! It's a weak pistol cartridge at best.

A 110 gr bullet traveling at 1900fps being a weak pistol round hardly.

Weak pistol rounds 25 acp, 22lr, 32acp, 380acp, 38spl standard. 38 colt, 32 s@w and could go on and on.

The 30 carbine is way out of their league.

It will do fine so long as you choose a good hunting bullet... and make sure to place your shot well...

Remember... Many folks now consider a 30-06 too small for a Deer.... and yet standard 150g 30-06 off the shelf Hunting ammo will shoot clean through 3/8" plate steel at 300 yards....

I have never had a shot on a 3/8" steel armor clad Deer at 300 yards... but if I ever needed to - I have no doubt that the 30-06 would do the trick....

But.. When you are talking non-armor plated deer inside of 100 yards... I really have no use for that much power... A 30-30 is probably on the large side for hunting inside of 100 yards....

The moral of this long story is... Go ahead and use your 30-carbine... Just aim small!

Thanks

a 30Carbine cartridge is actually considerably more powerful than a 357Magnum.

Factory 30carbine ammo turns up 880ft/lb

all the stories about 30carbine not penetrating various "soft things" are bunk or simply excuses for missing things.

stunt hunt

A couple of years back, I killed two does with my 1907 .351 Winchester Self Loader. The shots were 60 to 70 yards, one doe ran about 25/30 yards after the hit and died. The second doe I hit a little far back and in the spine. She went down on the spot and I had to take a second shot to finish her off.

The .351 is a little more powerful than the .30 carbine round, simply because it shoots a 180 grain bullet instead of a 110. As has been hashed out many times on this site, if the shooter takes the limitations of the cartridge into consideration and can accurately place their shots, they will kill game.

While the .30 carbine might not be the perfect white tail round, in my opinion, as long as the shots are kept @ 100 yards or less, preferably under 75, with a heart/lung shot, it should do the job.

If thats what trips your trigger,use it!!!

Limit your shots to 100 yards and use this ammunition:

30 M1 CARBINE 110 GR FTX Critical Defense

Used with appropriately performing ammo within it's capabilities, and proper shot placement it would be fine. Just like many other "improper" choices. Rather than chastize you for asking or even choosing I'd say used within it's limits it would be fine.

quote:

While the .30 carbine might not be the perfect white tail round, in my opinion, as long as the shots are kept @ 100 yards or less, preferably under 75, with a heart/lung shot, it should do the job.

Yep, just keep the distance short and it'll kill em.

I have a 30 Carbine, really enjoy shooting and have killed a deer or two with it. Like others said a 110gr soft point in the right spot equals a dead deer.

Since you mentioned brushy areas I think there are better options for a brush gun than the carbine. When I think of a brush gun, I think of quick shots at moving deer thru thick stuff. While the carbine is fast handling and has the ability to send a lot of lead flying quickly, I would opt for something with a tougher, heavier bullet with more energy.

It will get the job done within its effective range. But if you need a longer shot you will wish you had something more..

My buddies and I shot a few deer with one of those while in the service. Ir worked, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
It will get the job done within its effective range. But if you need a longer shot you will wish you had something more..

Same with using a bow or some handgun rounds.

If you're willing to accept its limitations, then it should work just fine. I've used a .357 magnum revolver to kill a few deer, and .30 carbine ballistics are in the same range.

As others have said, the round should be sufficient to kill a deer given certain limitations. However I suggest all re-read the original post. He says he's using it in;
"...some very brushy areas..."
That little caveat is the key to the question. Are you just talking about limited visibility and snap shots or will you have to try shooting through through the brush?

If the latter is the issue select a gun with a heavier bullet or better yet, use more restraint and only shoot when you have a clear shot.

quote:

"...some very brushy areas..."

Even with that caveat, and even using more adequate calibers/cartridges, there is always the chance of losing an animal. Gun or bow it is part of life as a hunter.

Admittedly, with the .30 Carbine and its loading, there is a very small window of mistake, but it will get the job done if the shooter does their part. If the area being hunted is really brushy, then a 100 yards shot might be highly optimistic, and 50 yard or even closer might be the normal, and the closer the shot, the effectiveness of the cartridge improves.

But even with under 100 yard shots out of a .375 H&H using 250 grain bullets, I have had white tails cover 40 yards or more with a heart lung shot, including one where the top 1/3rd. of the heart was completely destroyed.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the M1 carbine is the be all/end all of deer hunting cartridges, but if a person is confident enough with their gun and is willing to accept the consequences if a shot is not just exactly perfect, the best the rest of us can do is give our advice, pro or con, and wish the hunter the best of luck.

quote:

Originally posted by TruckJohn:

Remember... Many folks now consider a 30-06 too small for a Deer....

Please introduce me to one of these "folks" so I can slap sense into him.