Thread: anyone hunted with a 30 30

I used a marlin 336 in Australia for pest eradication shooting, I have shot well into the thousands of animals. mostly pigs donkeys horses and the like.
they are far more useful than some here would indicate, remembering that semi auto firearms are illegal in oz, the lever is very useful for medium game out to 150m or so open sighted, or 300m with a short variable scope, 1x4 or 2x7 is heaps.
for bush shooting in the southland bush area where I now live, I have a marlin guide gun in 45.70. with a skinner peep. why?
not because it is the most practical cartridge, not because it is the flattest shooting, but because it works REALY WELL, and I enjoy it.
the reality is that bush shooting is quite a specialised type of hunt and the marlin lever is a very useful design, with the action closed you can see the rim of the cartridge in the action, useful to see if you have one up the spout.
also the exposed hammer allows the hunter to make use of the half cock position.
when I am in close and I am expecting a deer to pop out at any moment, I chamber a round and put the hammer in half cock, I then break the action to further prevent an AD.
if a shot presents I raise the rifle to the shoulder, as I aim, I close the lever and thumb the hammer to fully cocked, the action is swift and almost silent.
far quieter than chambering a round in a bolt action. yet still safe.
I am currently working on a suppressor for the guide gun, just, you know, for stealthy tacticoolness.
greg