Hunting with a .30 Carbine

New_Pollution1086 · October 16, 2008, 12:39 AM

I recently acquired a m1 carbine and was told by the previous owner that i could hunt with it.

so was he b.s.ing me (he also told me ammo was cheap) or can i hunt anything?

I was thinking deer at very close ranges, wild boar?

I don't hunt much, it's a very hard sport to get into when your family doesn't hunt at all.

T

Daryl · October 16, 2008, 04:03 AM

Check your state laws.

The rifle itself may or may not be legal for hunting in California. Check legal magazine capacities and such. Also check the laws on ammo, since you might have to load it with something other than the usual military ball stuff to be legal.

For having enough power to kill a deer, I think you'd be fine as long as you bought or loaded ammo with decent bullets (non-FMJ).

Daryl

sc928porsche · October 16, 2008, 05:48 AM

I have yet to see .30 carbine ammo with soft point bullets. You can purchase light 30 cal bullets with soft point and reload for hunting ammo. Keep your shots at 75 yards max.

Art Eatman · October 16, 2008, 09:32 AM

Even with soft-point bullets, I'd limit the use of the Carbine to coyotes and such. The Carbine is a good little weapon for home defense, but that cartridge is in no way a serious contender for deer.

hogdogs · October 16, 2008, 09:39 AM

So the .30 carbine is a lesser round than the .30-30?
Brent

Daryl · October 16, 2008, 10:03 AM

Quote:

So the .30 carbine is a lesser round than the .30-30?
Brent

The .30 carbine compares pretty close to a hot .357 mag. Still plenty for close range deer, provided good expanding type bullets are used.

Daryl

Superhouse 15 · October 16, 2008, 11:19 AM

I have taken feral pigs and Florida deer with one. In the old days I used Hornady "Frontier" JSP and gun show remanufactured JSP. Today if I were to use it for hunting I would probably load Mag Tech 110gr JSP or maybe Cor Bon DPX. They seem to be the most available and the Mag Tech is half the price of the Federal or Remington loads with similar performance.

Bitmap · October 17, 2008, 08:20 AM

I think a .30 Carbine with FMJ ammo would be great for turkey, if that is legal where you are hunting.

Art Eatman · October 17, 2008, 09:22 AM

The .30-30 launches a 170-grain bullet at some 2,200 or a 150 at about 2,500.

The GI Carbine's 100- and 110-bullets come out in the 1,900 to 2,000 ft/sec range. That's sorta marginal for expansion.

The sights are rather coarse, so pin-point accuracy is difficult.

jrothWA · October 20, 2008, 01:09 AM

a competent hunster and can wait and take a good shot, you maybe br surprised by the HP 110 ammo by Winchester.
I havs had my daughter 110lbs, 5'4' carry for one and on;y year of deer hunting in Michiagn. I was back-up with m70 .308.
I have two co-workers use the M1 Carbone from tree stands and take a deer.
I had a co-worker indicate that his father used one in Wisconsin for use during a deer drive because he get a number of bullets in a deer on the run.

You should have been practicing for a couple months to be sure you accustomed to it. Its not a simple process.

October 16, 2008, 12:39 AM	#1
New_Pollution1086 Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2007 Location: WC - CA Posts: 680	Hunting with a .30 Carbine I recently acquired a m1 carbine and was told by the previous owner that i could hunt with it. so was he b.s.ing me (he also told me ammo was cheap) or can i hunt anything? I was thinking deer at very close ranges, wild boar? I don't hunt much, it's a very hard sport to get into when your family doesn't hunt at all. T __________________ "I have ridden the mighty moon worm, and it was good" "Aim Big miss Big, Aim small Miss small" "Don't rush the monkey and you'll see a better show." - T. Boone Pickens

October 16, 2008, 11:19 AM	#7
Superhouse 15 Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2007 Location: Sunny Florida Posts: 844	.30 I have taken feral pigs and Florida deer with one. In the old days I used Hornady "Frontier" JSP and gun show remanufactured JSP. Today if I were to use it for hunting I would probably load Mag Tech 110gr JSP or maybe Cor Bon DPX. They seem to be the most available and the Mag Tech is half the price of the Federal or Remington loads with similar performance.

October 20, 2008, 01:09 AM	#10
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	If your are... a competent hunster and can wait and take a good shot, you maybe br surprised by the HP 110 ammo by Winchester. I havs had my daughter 110lbs, 5'4' carry for one and on;y year of deer hunting in Michiagn. I was back-up with m70 .308. I have two co-workers use the M1 Carbone from tree stands and take a deer. I had a co-worker indicate that his father used one in Wisconsin for use during a deer drive because he get a number of bullets in a deer on the run. You should have been practicing for a couple months to be sure you accustomed to it. Its not a simple process.

October 16, 2008, 04:03 AM	#2
Daryl Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Posts: 2,350	Check your state laws. The rifle itself may or may not be legal for hunting in California. Check legal magazine capacities and such. Also check the laws on ammo, since you might have to load it with something other than the usual military ball stuff to be legal. For having enough power to kill a deer, I think you'd be fine as long as you bought or loaded ammo with decent bullets (non-FMJ). Daryl

October 16, 2008, 05:48 AM	#3
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	I have yet to see .30 carbine ammo with soft point bullets. You can purchase light 30 cal bullets with soft point and reload for hunting ammo. Keep your shots at 75 yards max.

October 16, 2008, 09:32 AM	#4
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Even with soft-point bullets, I'd limit the use of the Carbine to coyotes and such. The Carbine is a good little weapon for home defense, but that cartridge is in no way a serious contender for deer.

October 16, 2008, 09:39 AM	#5
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	So the .30 carbine is a lesser round than the .30-30? Brent

October 17, 2008, 08:20 AM	#8
Bitmap Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2001 Posts: 388	I think a .30 Carbine with FMJ ammo would be great for turkey, if that is legal where you are hunting.

October 17, 2008, 09:22 AM	#9
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	The .30-30 launches a 170-grain bullet at some 2,200 or a 150 at about 2,500. The GI Carbine's 100- and 110-bullets come out in the 1,900 to 2,000 ft/sec range. That's sorta marginal for expansion. The sights are rather coarse, so pin-point accuracy is difficult.