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What do you think about a 30-30 for home defense?

22K views 84 replies 53 participants last post by  lyingelk 
#1 ·
I thought it might be a good weapon for hunting and home defense. I know many deer have been killed by a 30-30, but I wondered about the lever action for the defense and the cartridge being good for takedown.

I also read some folks that claimed you could hunt small game with the right cartridge and not blow the rabbit or squirrel to smithereens.
 
#5 ·
The 30-30 is wonderfully versital..
Not optimum for home defense if you use factory loads.
Not optimum for home defense with the typical factory stock, barrel, and sights.

I fitted a 44 mag Marlin lever gun for my wife so it is very well suited for home defense;
I altered the gun to 13" LOP and 18.5" barrel.
I installed a weaver scope base and mounted a 1x magnification holo sight.
I hand load 200g JHP bullets to modest velocities.
 
#8 ·
I like the shotgun also. If you want to be super conservative, you can load bird shot as the first to go into the changer. Your penetration and take down power will be limited.

Follow up rounds can be buck shot and a slug at the end. You have a lot of versatility with the shell selection.
 
#27 ·
No this is real life where an exposed barrel going into a doorway could lead to bad times for someone.

Let's say you hear something down stairs, you go downstairs with your rifle or long arm of any type, and you come around the corner with an exposed barrel. I was taught in the Army that if I saw that in a defensive position, to grab the barrel, push it away, and stab in the throat with the other hand, or shoot with a pistol while the enemy is trying to get his rifle pointed at you which is impossible because you hold the barrel. Unless you have been properly trained on how to clear a house with a long arm, you shouldn't "try this at home." In Iraq I HATED clearing houses with my rifle, because I have SEEN THIS DONE IN ACTION, and it's not pretty when the bad guy gets it right.
I'm just saying maybe you should look into the weaknesses of using a rifle to clear sharp corners and doorways in your house. And if you haven't heard a shot gun or high powered rifle blast indoors, you might want to try that too as it magnifies it A LOT.

Never underestimate your enemies.
 
#13 ·
I knew a Sheriff Lt. That carried a Model 94 Trapper in .45LC in his patrol vehicle for quite awhile years back. To my knowledge he used it several times while arresting badguys (never did have to shoot anyone) and he told me that it always got their attention.

I would think that the 94 Trapper in .30-30 would be a great gun for home defense especially for those who may live in an area where semi-autos may be hard to obtain or restricted.
 
#15 ·
I've used a .30-30 (or .35 Rem) on many occasions for just that purpose.
Using 150gr flatpoints, it'll put a hurt on whatever comes a knocking.

I qualified repeatedly on the PD range with several leverguns, just to prove to the 'kids' that it could be done and to show them, it ain't all about black paint and plastic. Tactical is what you do and how you do it, not your toys.
 
#16 ·
i wouldnt see it as the ultimate home defense weapon but in a shtf type scenario it would be a great asset due to ammo availability and ease of maintenance. i would look into handloads with quick expanding lighter weight bullets. even most of your factory loads are far to slow openeing to stay in a deer let alone a humanoid. btw muzzle blast is more than you think and if you ever touch one off from the confines of a hunting blind without sticking the barrel out far enough you will not forget it, lol.
 
#17 ·
I thought lots of folks killed deer with a 30-30 with factory loads.

I'm a "run what ya brung" kinda guy,so my opinion (worth what you paid for it) is if that is your only gun it will do it's job.
In the case of home defense it will stop the bad guys from harming you and yours , but,(there is always a but),the 30-30 is a powerful round,similar to the 7.62x39 i hear and there is a good chance of overpenetration. And it will be loud indoors.Like permanent hearing loss loud.
If you can,are allowed,can afford, largest caliber handgun you are comfortable shooting would be better.

BTW I'm still looking for a good lever action 30-30 or .357 for my own collection,so i'm not saying it's a bad choice.
What will overpenetration do? What if I hit center mass? Won't all guns be loud indoors though?

sorry guys. I just don't know much.
 
#18 ·
im not going to argue that the thutty thutty has probably killed more deer than any other cartridge but have personally seen some ammo whose jacket was either to thick or velocitys were to low at impact and there wasnt much if any expansion, i imagine a 150 grain or lighter would be the way to go. overpenetration as in after going through a humanoid it will probably still have enough steam to go through a normal wall (depends upon population density and house construction). yes all guns are loud indoors and thats why everyone should invest in passive electronic hearing protection, while loud will make you temporarily deaf the muzzle blast concussion can both make your eyes water and knock off your equilibrium. no need to apologize man. if i had a set of electric muffs and was loaded with some quick expanding leverevolution i would feel pretty comfy holding down my hallway.
 
#20 ·
I thought it might be a good weapon for hunting and home defense. It is, for 0-200 yards on small-medium sized game. (large deer, small black bear, etc) I know many deer have been killed by a 30-30 It will kill people, too. It's basically a 7.62x39/300 AAC, or rather, they are it. Ballistically. Very good intermediate round., but I wondered about the lever action for the defense and the cartridge being good for takedown. I use an impact bullet-puller. I have yet to find anything that was much harder to takedown than anything else.

I also read some folks that claimed you could hunt small game with the right cartridge and not blow the rabbit or squirrel to smithereens. Just hit the rabbit in the head, it's not like a rabbit is hard to get within 75 yards of, and if you cannot hit a rabbit in the head at 75 yards, you need more trigger time or a different rifle or to find a load it likes better. The squirrel, well, I think a .22 would be better, there, so buy a .22. They are cheap.
Response in red
 
#21 ·
I download my Dirty-Thirty with TrailBoss and cast lead bullets.

Shooting those loads it makes barely as much noise as a .22 with about the same recoil, so it's great fun to 'plink' with. At any point I can then shove in a factory rolled cartridge to "reach out and touch" a target.
 
#24 ·
I'd gladly use a 30-30, but a 357 would be better. I noticed you asked about Rossis in another thread; I set up 2 Rossi 92s in 357 specifically for my wife and daughter as a go to long gun, or me if its handy, I wouldn't mind. I started with a broke in one with no bolt safety, and a brand new one with a bolt safety. Dropped gunslinger kits in both, ss mag follower in both, and deburred the innards when I had it apart. Both run slick (as in very fast to lever), hold 10+1, and can fire downloaded 38s for small game up to hot 357s for larger game, and persistent irritants. And you can top off the mag tube without taking the firearm out of battery.

Pair it with a good 357 handgun, holstered on an ammo belt and you've got a pair to beat!

I like the 30-30 outside better; that's where you get the best performance. As has been said, its hotter than a 7.62x39, and the firearms themselves shoot tighter than all but a custom AK/SKS, so you get more energy, more range, more accuracy. And I recently rescued a sweet JM Stamped 336 from the pawn shop for $300. 357 lever guns can be had for $500 ... but there's a lot you can do with the $200 difference.
 
#25 ·
Determined,

All engineering is a compromise... Weapons, however, unless the range and threats are ambiguous, should be more focused in intent and ability...

Depending upon where you live- house away from neighbors, an apartment, residential tract, or a cave, your weapon should be tailored to potential threats.

Yeah, yeah, there is always the danger of over penetration. This can be obviated by ammo selection.

In a close/closed environment, with thin walls, or in a cramped hallway, a shotgun is best. 12ga if you can handle it. 2 3/4" #4 Buck for inside a room or hallway.

A Glock 21 or 30, with Arredondo mag extension on 13rd mags, TLR-2 laser/light, and tritium night sights. Full-up with 18rds of .45acp in bonded core ammo, like Winchester 230gr PDX1.

Rifle? Not best choice for indoors, though an SKS, AK, or *shudder* AR15 would certainly suffice... Just make sure you know what you're aiming at, and that you can hit what you aim at...

A .30-30 lever action? The SKS has same performance, costs less, if .30-30 is new, and the SKS has 10rds, rapidly reloaded by stripper clips... I've actually run while reloading an SKS- its faster than bolts or pumps, and certainly lots easier for ammo carriage...

Good luck...

OA, out...
 
#57 ·
A .30-30 lever action? The SKS has same performance, costs less, if .30-30 is new, and the SKS has 10rds, rapidly reloaded by stripper clips... I've actually run while reloading an SKS- its faster than bolts or pumps, and certainly lots easier for ammo carriage...


OA, out...
There is a huge weight difference. Would you rather run through the woods with a 6.8 lb. Winchester 94 or an SKS at 3.85 kg (8 lb 8 oz)
 
#26 ·
depeneding on where you are - it could be quite good.

it will penetrate several walls so that could be a problem is some situations, less of a problem in others

it's less likely to scare the sheeple and 5-0 nearby so it's less likely to be taken / banned

if you reload you can use cast bullets at reduced velocity for small game
 
#30 ·
The rifle barrel issue seems like it's the same for many types of rifles, plus shotguns. It's a weakness, but everything has tradeoffs.

To me, the bigger issues with a .30-30 for home defense are:

- Overpenetration. The .30-30 is designed to kill deer at long range while destroying the minimum amount of meat. It is a medium-sized, fast bullet with good accuracy. Will it kill a bad guy - probably. And then it will keep going.
- Noise and recoil. If you want to take a gamble with your hearing, try to take two or three quick, combat-style shots at the shooting range. Then, imagine that indoors at night when you're still waking up. It's pretty intense. Can you do it ... probably, but there are other options.

Everyone has an opinion, and my opinion could be wrong. But, my opinion is that the ideal rounds for home defense are .45 ACP, .44 Special and .45LC, because of a combination of lethal power against flesh and bone, controllable recoil, minimal overpenetration, muzzle flash and sound. See my other thread on choosing a lever action/revolver combo.
 
#31 ·
I personally don't consider the .30-30 to be a long range cartridge. The flat point bullets required quickly shed velocity. I have some 125gr Federal SP and Winchester 150gr hollowpoints that would be perfect for home defense. Too bad I don't have a .30-30 anymore...


Using the correct bullet, rifles are perfectly suitable for home defense
 
#32 ·
Good points - and by "long range," I meant in comparison with other likely home defense options (shotgun, handgun, or rifles chambered in handgun calibers). The things that are positive traits for hunting deer are not necessarily positive traits for home defense. You want to kill deer at 100-200 yards without destroying much meat. You want to kill home invaders at most often 5-25 feet and destroying meat is not a negative. For a deer round, you "pay" in capacity, noise and recoil for a lot of velocity that would continue on through the bad guy's body and potentially damage someone or something you don't want to damage.

I'm not suggesting it wouldn't work. It would, but it wouldn't be high on my list of options, for various reasons.
 
#33 ·
If there's such a thing as a Swiss Army Knife of rifles, IMHO a pistol caliber lever action would be pretty close to it. Right behind that is a 30-30.

If somebody wanted just one rifle, he could do a lot worse than a Winchester or Marlin in 30-30.

Besides, for home defense, ANY gun is way better than no gun... so I wouldn't be too picky.
 
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