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bamaranger · December 8, 2018, 12:59 PM

Hello musicmatty, good for you and a venison in the freezer.

I have some links to PA deer hunting with family and am familiar with the big tradition there and the hectic nature of PA's season. I've also hunted the M94 30-30 just a bit, actually in PA and VA, and liked it's light weight and portability in the rocks and ridges. That was a long time ago, but I seem to recall the load I used was W-W factory 150 gr Power Point. My rifle was not scoped. My Dad hunted a scoped M94 for a span of 10 yrs or so, chambered in .44 mag. Neither one of us were unhappy with our rifles or cartridges and worked just fine for PA woods hunting.

Hitting a deer's head at 130 yds, in the woods, off a knee is quite a feat, but I must tell you I am not a fan of headshooting deer at all. If you ever see one with the or nostrils blown apart, or the jaw blown off and hung by threads, but still running, and likely not recovered unless shot by another hunter, you might think the same way. Too, head shot deer are a mess to look at, eyes bugged and so on. But the big reason is that the head is a small target, often moving as the deer glances about and picks their way through the woods. The classic shoulder/ lung shot offers a bigger target with a higher success rate and less chance of wounding (and missing). Also, the chest cavity is not as articulated as the head and thus not prone to big moves. Think of a pie plate size target on a stake stuck in the ground, as opposed to a softball size balloon on a string in the breeze, and which is easier to hit?

Not wishing to rain on your parade....any deer up in heavily hunted PA is a trophy and reason to be proud of success. Just wanting you to reconsider your aiming points in the future.

Also, most curious, what county are you hunting?

December 8, 2018, 12:59 PM	#6
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	congrats........and...... Hello musicmatty, good for you and a venison in the freezer. I have some links to PA deer hunting with family and am familiar with the big tradition there and the hectic nature of PA's season. I've also hunted the M94 30-30 just a bit, actually in PA and VA, and liked it's light weight and portability in the rocks and ridges. That was a long time ago, but I seem to recall the load I used was W-W factory 150 gr Power Point. My rifle was not scoped. My Dad hunted a scoped M94 for a span of 10 yrs or so, chambered in .44 mag. Neither one of us were unhappy with our rifles or cartridges and worked just fine for PA woods hunting. Hitting a deer's head at 130 yds, in the woods, off a knee is quite a feat, but I must tell you I am not a fan of headshooting deer at all. If you ever see one with the or nostrils blown apart, or the jaw blown off and hung by threads, but still running, and likely not recovered unless shot by another hunter, you might think the same way. Too, head shot deer are a mess to look at, eyes bugged and so on. But the big reason is that the head is a small target, often moving as the deer glances about and picks their way through the woods. The classic shoulder/ lung shot offers a bigger target with a higher success rate and less chance of wounding (and missing). Also, the chest cavity is not as articulated as the head and thus not prone to big moves. Think of a pie plate size target on a stake stuck in the ground, as opposed to a softball size balloon on a string in the breeze, and which is easier to hit? Not wishing to rain on your parade....any deer up in heavily hunted PA is a trophy and reason to be proud of success. Just wanting you to reconsider your aiming points in the future. Also, most curious, what county are you hunting?