Justification for Existence: The .30-30 Win.

by
posted on April 16, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Hornady Custom Ammunition hunting 30-30 Win. cartridges

In this new, ongoing series of posts, I’ll present an ammunition-related handloading component or cartridge that may-or may not-have been bettered via technological innovations, and I encourage you, the reader, to build a concise case either supporting or refuting its very existence. Remember, personal experience adds validity to one’s argument, as well as interjects flavor, and both are important here. Most importantly, have fun.

Let’s begin with an oldster, the .30-30 Win., which was introduced in 1895 and has a SAAMI-established maximum average pressure (MAP) of 42,000 p.s.i. Considering the myriad ammunition-related advancements since the late 19th century, is there a legitimate reason that the .30-30 Win. is still around? You decide.

Latest

Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ pistol
Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ pistol

New for 2026: Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ Pistol

Stoeger refines its STR-9 Thinline pistol to be even easier to carry.

Finding The Natural Point Of Aim

Nearly every shooter understands the basic principles of marksmanship: position, grip, sight alignment, breathing, trigger control and follow-through.

Firearm Ownership Reaches New Record

The NSSF estimates there are more than 32 million modern sporting rifles in circulation.

Preview: Hornady 12th Edition Reloading Manual

While the internet offers quick access to information, trusting unvetted recipes for cooking up ammunition is less than ideal, which is why makers of reloading products like Hornady publish thorough books for such tasks.

Review: Bushmaster V-Radicator

The business of dispatching unwanted critters requires a platform capable of a high degree of accuracy. Nuisance animals such as prairie dogs are both small and skittish in nature, meaning that they tend to keep their distance and scurry away upon the arrival of incoming fire.

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson FPC in 5.7x28 mm

The folding carbine line expands to include the 5.7 mm chambering.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.