Even though it isnt talked about much today, much less on this forum, Ive always had a love for a 30-30. It isnt a precision round, aint a competition round, aint a target punching round, aint a long distance round, but its a dang killing round!
I got my great grandmothers 30-30 winchester saddle gun at the age of 6 years old. It was my first gun. I remember sitting in the back yard just learning to aim and dry firing... I learned to shoot targets at 100 yards, went to the range with my dad and shot as much as he would take me. I still remember being 6 years old, sitting in my dads lap in the deer blind because the windows were too high for me.. aiming and shooting my very first deer. I still remember it jumping forward, taking off running, and into the tree line on the edge of the feild it went. We got on the blood trail, followed it 30 yards to the tree line, and my dad spotted it laying there dead another 10 yards in. He told me to stand behind a big mosquite tree while he went to make sure it was dead first. Dead as a door nail, perfect shot laying on the edge of the water by a little pond, half the body in the water half on the land. I'll never forget how excited I was. Still have a picture, still have the shoulder mount on the wall. 10 pt, 13 inches wide.
Needless to say I got the taste of blood and been harvesting deer every year since.
Years have gone by now and I still have that 30-30, and now have my grandpaws 30-30, and my 30-30 my grandpaw bought for me when I was about 12 years old. One day Ill have a 4th 30-30 when my dad passes... kind of funny how everyone had a 30-30 in my family it seems way back when. Thats four 30-30's just on my dads side there. I didnt get the 30-30's from my moms side as my uncles got them because well they were the boys as they got handed down.
Its funny how we all love our custom builds and stuff we have now days, but the really cherished guns arent anything fancy, aint pretty, are older, and have MANY MANY stories to tell if they could speak.
I havent pulled out or shot any of my 30-30's in years and years. Safe queens now, but I still consider this old caliber a "putting meat on the table" kind of gun.
Funny how times change. It's not a man or boy in the woods with a 30-30 anymore now days hunting... its all fancy guns and AR15s.
Lots of rambling here, but Im sure many of you have a similar story to tell. Thoughts just come to mind this evening as I stay at the ranch by myself, lay in the recliner, and look at the shoulder mount of my first deer.
I got my great grandmothers 30-30 winchester saddle gun at the age of 6 years old. It was my first gun. I remember sitting in the back yard just learning to aim and dry firing... I learned to shoot targets at 100 yards, went to the range with my dad and shot as much as he would take me. I still remember being 6 years old, sitting in my dads lap in the deer blind because the windows were too high for me.. aiming and shooting my very first deer. I still remember it jumping forward, taking off running, and into the tree line on the edge of the feild it went. We got on the blood trail, followed it 30 yards to the tree line, and my dad spotted it laying there dead another 10 yards in. He told me to stand behind a big mosquite tree while he went to make sure it was dead first. Dead as a door nail, perfect shot laying on the edge of the water by a little pond, half the body in the water half on the land. I'll never forget how excited I was. Still have a picture, still have the shoulder mount on the wall. 10 pt, 13 inches wide.
Needless to say I got the taste of blood and been harvesting deer every year since.
Years have gone by now and I still have that 30-30, and now have my grandpaws 30-30, and my 30-30 my grandpaw bought for me when I was about 12 years old. One day Ill have a 4th 30-30 when my dad passes... kind of funny how everyone had a 30-30 in my family it seems way back when. Thats four 30-30's just on my dads side there. I didnt get the 30-30's from my moms side as my uncles got them because well they were the boys as they got handed down.
Its funny how we all love our custom builds and stuff we have now days, but the really cherished guns arent anything fancy, aint pretty, are older, and have MANY MANY stories to tell if they could speak.
I havent pulled out or shot any of my 30-30's in years and years. Safe queens now, but I still consider this old caliber a "putting meat on the table" kind of gun.
Funny how times change. It's not a man or boy in the woods with a 30-30 anymore now days hunting... its all fancy guns and AR15s.
Lots of rambling here, but Im sure many of you have a similar story to tell. Thoughts just come to mind this evening as I stay at the ranch by myself, lay in the recliner, and look at the shoulder mount of my first deer.
