I don't claim to have any real expertise on rifles, but a neighbor asked me the following question so I thought I would ask it here: is the 30-30 round a good one for self defense? I told him that since I rely on a 9mm round from a handgun, a 30-30 round fired from a lever action rifle is most certainly much more potent and should be more than adequate as a self defense round. He had stated that he wanted a rifle, not a pistol for general home defense, and was uncomfortable with the idea of an AR type rifle, mostly because of what it looks like. He said he was considering a lever action Henry rifle. I told him that although a rifle was not as easy to manipulate in close quarters as a pistol, it should be more than adequate in stopping power and that Henry has a good reputation for quality. Any thoughts or things I should add the next time I talk to this neighbor?
30-30 as a self defense round
- Thread starter vito
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The M1 carbine was a .30 caliber round, the 30-30 has laid low many a deer. Yep if you can find an inexpensive used 30-30, go for it!
gramps
gramps
Definitely a stopper. But a bit much in a residential setting. The bullet will enter and exit the target, and any walls behind it, including exiting the outer wall of the structure.
paboxcall
Bearcat
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Snake45 said:
That's a good recommendation. Dropped a lot of deer over the years with a 30-30, but the .357 or .44 you get added capacity and better performance over the short handgun barrel.
I sure wouldn't use a .30-30 for home defense anywhere except in a rural setting where there were no neighbors within, say, a half mile. It's too penetrative.
protoolman
Service-Sixer
Until the 1980s the 30-30 was the patrol rifle in most deputies cars in the western states at least.
eveled
Hawkeye
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I like the idea of a .357 lever action over the 30/30 less over penetration, higher capacity less recoil and noise.
One thing to make sure it has a loading gate so it can be easily topped off. I don't like rifles that load by removing the tube, unless it's rimfire or coarse.
One thing to make sure it has a loading gate so it can be easily topped off. I don't like rifles that load by removing the tube, unless it's rimfire or coarse.
coach
Hunter
I think over penetration might be a concern and a .357 or .44 might be a better choice. A higher capacity is a plus.
blackhawknj
Buckeye
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Anything you can shoot accurately and connects with an assailant is an effective round.
Just thinking..... although a handgun would be preferable for home defense, a carbine-length rifle could be handy when things get up close and personal. We had this thing in the army that was part of bayonet training - it was called a "buttstroke". With the M14, it would be pretty serious, as it would with something like a Marlin 336 or Winchester 94.
Put it to him this way, if a lever action rifle is what he wants as a SD gun. Why use a big game hunting caliber, the 30-30 win. Go with a pistol round hands down. .357 would be my 1st pick followed by .44. (Due to being a new shooter). A side gate rifle in .357 with 16 inch barrel. Shoot 38 spls if he wants less blast. After a day at the range I bet he will want a revolver in matching caliber. Make sure he goes to the range and learns how to shoot what ever he gets.
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
I agree with the others a 38/357 lever-action rifle would fill the bill completely.
at least have him take a look at the Ruger PC Carbine
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/889776824
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/889776824
"Tell him to also look into lever actions chambered in pistol calibers such as .357 and .44. Those might work even better for him."
^^^THIS
The 357 or 44 lever action offers several advantages as has been mentioned. I have a matched pair of Winchester Trapper 94's (357 & 44) and have actually used the 44 for deer hunting. Either is more than adequate for home defense, have manageable recoil, and hold more rounds than 30/30.
^^^THIS
The 357 or 44 lever action offers several advantages as has been mentioned. I have a matched pair of Winchester Trapper 94's (357 & 44) and have actually used the 44 for deer hunting. Either is more than adequate for home defense, have manageable recoil, and hold more rounds than 30/30.
What many folks don't really understand is how much more potent, a pistol cartridge is out of a rifle than it is out of a handgun. We all know that a 357 mag and a 44 mag is substantial out of a handgun, but put them in a rifle and the velocity is substantially more. A 357 mag out of a rifle barrel is actually just behind a 30-30. The big difference is bullet drop. Both the 357 mag and 44 mag are both 100-125-150 yards depending on taking the time to do some real bullet testing to check the drop. Past 150 yards you can have substantial bullet drop.
Vito, I'm not sure if your friend has totally consider the use. Is he talking in the house, outside the house, in the woods (at the cabin)? Obviously the 44 mag will have substantially more penetration. If I was trying to keep people away from my house I'd be using a good 38 special round, plus you can put one more round in beyond what you can put in a 357 mag tube.
When Jeff Cooper recommended the 30-30 rifle as a personal defense rifle, people lived farther apart than they do these days. It's hard enough to keep a pistol round out of a pistol from over penetrating but stick it in an 18-1/2" barrel velocity performance improves.
If I was going to use one of those I'd certainly use a side loading rifle and consider a Marlin 1894 or a Rossi 1892.
Examples of above:
The S&B 158-grain JSPs gave carbine numbers of 1451 fps and 739 lb-ft, but the chrono battery died before we could measure them from the revolver.
With Remington 125-grain JHPs, the revolver got 1442 fps and 537 lb-ft. The carbine got 2038 fps (!) and 1153 lb-ft, for a 41 percent velocity gain and 98 percent boost in energy.
160-grain Hornady Leverevolution: 2132 fps, 1615 lb-ft.
Don't doubt for a moment that the 30-30 is a substantial cartridge, but don't discount the pistol cartridges ability to penetrate.
Vito, I'm not sure if your friend has totally consider the use. Is he talking in the house, outside the house, in the woods (at the cabin)? Obviously the 44 mag will have substantially more penetration. If I was trying to keep people away from my house I'd be using a good 38 special round, plus you can put one more round in beyond what you can put in a 357 mag tube.
When Jeff Cooper recommended the 30-30 rifle as a personal defense rifle, people lived farther apart than they do these days. It's hard enough to keep a pistol round out of a pistol from over penetrating but stick it in an 18-1/2" barrel velocity performance improves.
If I was going to use one of those I'd certainly use a side loading rifle and consider a Marlin 1894 or a Rossi 1892.
Examples of above:
The S&B 158-grain JSPs gave carbine numbers of 1451 fps and 739 lb-ft, but the chrono battery died before we could measure them from the revolver.
With Remington 125-grain JHPs, the revolver got 1442 fps and 537 lb-ft. The carbine got 2038 fps (!) and 1153 lb-ft, for a 41 percent velocity gain and 98 percent boost in energy.
160-grain Hornady Leverevolution: 2132 fps, 1615 lb-ft.
Don't doubt for a moment that the 30-30 is a substantial cartridge, but don't discount the pistol cartridges ability to penetrate.
wheelgun1958
Buckeye
wwb said:
Horizontal or vertical?
