.30 WCF...a revisit.

[HodgemanAK]

I'm back in E. Tennessee for a while and I'm thinking hard about a new white-tailed deer rifle. I've given passing thought to the 7-08, and a serious look at another 6.5CM and even played around with the idea of a micro-action in 6ARC. In my area, the ranges tend to be close and the deer tend to be small. I'm thinking about another 30WCF, with modern powders and bullets, the ranges of the old 30-30 should easily hit the 200-250 mark, which is plenty for most of the spots around here. If I'm hitting a really open field, my 300 will reach as far as I'm able. The local fauna doesn't tend to want to eat me, so there's that as well.

I've given the lever gun another look after a long time hunting with bolt guns exclusively.

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

What is a .30 WCF, I'm not familiar with the name.

 

[HodgemanAK]

What is a .30 WCF, I'm not familiar with the name.

.30 Winchester Center Fire... the original name for the 30-30.

 

[nhenry]

.30 Winchester Center Fire... the original name for the 30-30.

Now if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure the 30 WCF was what Marlin called it, as to not put Winchester's name on their rifles. The original name being .30-30 Winchester.

Edit:
Upon further research, it was the other way around.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

The 30-30 can do it all around here for sure.

I'm partial to the 35... don't currently have one, but have had 2 or 3 in the past that I really liked... I've had my eye out for a good deal on one for a while.

My current lever gun is my 41 mag Henry carbine...I haven't hunted much the past 2 or 3 years but have taken a couple of deer at 125 yards or so with it, wouldn't hesitate to use it at 200 either....250 might be pushing it though.

I love lever guns, so handy and useful... but I prefer them short.

All that was to lead up to this... the only rifle round currently offered in a lever gun that is short is 45-70... which can also do it all, a good 350 grain load at modest velocity will level any deer or bear around here... and there's LOTS of black bears around here these days, both in town and in the mountains.

These bears ain't very big for the most part, and generally not overly aggressive.... I've had several run ins with them camping/fishing on the lake... even had one swim right by the boat crossing the lake while catfishing one night.

Speaking of fishing, maybe we could go catch a few big ole catfish sometime this fall.... they're spawning right now, not biting much at all but they'll be back to normal in a few weeks.

 

[PJGunner]

"Upon further research, it was the other way around."

I'm glad you caught that.
Paul B.

 

[Joec7651]

It was what Winchester first called the 30-30. 30 WCF is stamped on the barrel of my Winchester Model 94. My grandfather traded a Model A Ford for it in WV long long before I was ever thought about. It has 5 digits in the serial number and was made in 1897. Still shoots like a dream.