70s Model 94 30-30.....why'd I buy it?

[AkRay]

I bought a Winchester Model 94 today, mostly because I haven't had one for a number of years, and one in decent shape came along for $275.00. I came home and checked my ammo supply and it turns out I still had a box and a half of factory ammo. The rifle cycles, fires and ejects the way it should, and handles nicely. It came with a sling but I still haven't decided whether or not to leave it on. This 30-30 fits the hand for carrying as only a lever action can.

I suppose I bought it because the Model 94 is a classic American lever action, and anytime I want to enjoy some fun shooting, this one will be close to hand. I don't always know about the rest of it, but the Alaskan part of America is still pretty great.

[2X22]

I suppose I bought it because the Model 94 is a classic American lever action, and anytime I want to enjoy some fun shooting, this one will be close to hand.

You bought it because it was a LEVERGUN! And it was a '94. And it was a 30-30. And it was a Levergun. Did I mention probably because it was a levergun? (plus a pretty good price!)

I don't always know about the rest of it, but the Alaskan part of America is still pretty great.

Lewis County in Washington State is pretty darned cool...........

44

[Kid Cossack]

With all due apologies to Marlin and other makers, the Winchester 94 is "the" .30-30 in America, and that means a lot. The .30-30 was one of the first generation big bottle, small bore, smokeless rifle cartridges, and I've never really seen anything that was wrong with those cartridges. From today's standpoint, they are slow, yes, but big whoop. They work. Think about it: the .30-30, the .30-40, if we're willing to cheat a little generationally we can throw in the 8x57 Mauser and the 7x57 and some of the early 6.5s. Those cartridges just flat out work.

Winchester and John Moses Browning made the .30-30 special by linking it to the West, to our heritage, to our history, to our mythology: by putting it into a lever action rifle. A lever action rifle! They're like jazz: they're an American original. From the Spencer through the Henry and the '66 and the '73, and then the big Marlin 1881 and Winchester's elegant rebuttal with the 1886 and then the 1892, that's America, right there, in your two hands. Maybe the '94 was the ultimate expression of that.

A .30-30 carbine is light, flat, handy, responsive. I've always read about "English game guns" for fowling, and how they leap to the shoulder and make quick hits easy. I don't know about that, I've never been much of a shotgunner and my shotgunning has been with boring old pump guns and a workhorse Savage Stevens double. But when I hear about English game guns, the closest analog I can come up with is a Winchester 94 carbine.

You won't want to shoot one off a bench, much, you won't take one when you're going for bragging rights for fancy, for new, for ultra-small groups, you won't want to hang three times the rifle's price in glass off it. It's the rifle you reach for when you're going woods tramping, when you hear something out by the barn, when you just want to be out and about with a rifle. With peep or open sights, it's as much rifle as most good riflemen can use, in a format that reminds us of John Wayne and Lone Wolf Gonzaulles and a bunch of other folks.

Before the AR15 took off like mad, the .30-30 was the "Homeland Defense Rifle."

The 94 is like the Smith & Wesson Military & Police (and no I don't mean those plastic things they're selling now, you know what I mean), an American original, refined, proved, tested, the codes cracked on the platform and the cartridge, good enough to have survived, as a serious working gun, far past its original time and place.

There are only a few guns that I think you have to love to qualify (in my highly prejudiced book) as a good American: the Colt SAA, the Colt 1911, the S&W M&P, and the Winchester 94 .30-30. I remember a 1970s country song that went "It don't matter who's in Austin, Bob Wills is still the king." Well, you can say the same thing about the Winnie 94.

[J Miller]

70s Model 94 30-30.....why'd I buy it?

AkRay, to cut through all the jibber jabber, you bought it cos you wanted it.

Joe

[AkRay]

Did you type all that off the top of your head, Kid Cossack? What a remarkable reply, and one that only a man with a deep and thorough understanding of the subject could write. My hat is off to you, Sir!

[AkRay]

I have to put my question in a context. What is a 30-30 good for? Most of what walks around the woods here is big. The moose are big, the bears can be big, and when it's not big it's usually far away. I remember looking over the factory sights of a different Model 94 at a black bear that was out past 200 yds, and wishing my rifle could be transformed into an '06. He was only one jump away from thick willows, and I didn't want to lose him, or worse, have to poke around in there looking for a wounded bear. The hunting I expected was going to be at shorter distances, for caribou, and this rifle type would have been ideal for that purpose. Short, easy to carry and handle and powerful enough for the job. Unfortunately, no caribou were to be found, and we happened upon this bear as we were walking back to our boat. I thought the bear was too far away, and that my armament was marginal given the circumstances, so we watched the bear until he turned and disappeared into the willows.

I know guys who use their Model 94s because of their great handling characteristics, and because they can be powerful enough to kill moose, but my father in law was convinced that moose got away wounded because the hunter had handicapped himself with an underpowered cartridge. I have to agree with him and it's easy to because better calibers are available for moose and bear hunting.

I'm thinking I'll enjoy this one as kind of a powerful plinker, and to be used as something to have in the truck while driving the back roads. It will be fun to have for target shooting. It's powerful but at the same time easy on the shoulder and nervous system. I'll enjoy taking it out for friends to look at and maybe to try for themselves. It will be fun and useful for those purposes. When serious hunting is the purpose though, I'll leave it behind and take something more suitable for the occasion.

[Griff]

why'd I buy it?

'Cause in your heart of hearts... you know to NOT do so would be as un-American as communism. Especially at that price!!!!

[Rusty]

You bought it because you're a man with a big heart and you came across this poor lonely rifle that was alone and unappreciated and you took it in, gave it a home and made it feel loved and needed. You sir are a humanitarian of the highest order.

[horsesoldier03]

Its an INVESTMENT, at least thats what I tell my wife when I pick up a new gun! Guns are great, as long as you make sure you get good deals when purchasing, you can shoot the hell out of them and still turn around later and make money in the event you decide to sell!

[AkRay]

I know another reason. When August rolls around and it's time to get out and pick blueberries, everyone wants some including the bears. The possibility of bears is always there anyway. This will be a good one to bring along. While it might not be the first choice for hunting them, for busting a bear up close on a berry covered hillside it'd be top rate.

[Kid Cossack]

Did you type all that off the top of your head, Kid Cossack? What a remarkable reply, and one that only a man with a deep and thorough understanding of the subject could write. My hat is off to you, Sir!

Well, I've spent a few minutes thinking about leverguns . . . .

[AJMD429]

You won't want to shoot one off a bench, much, you won't take one when you're going for bragging rights for fancy, for new, for ultra-small groups, you won't want to hang three times the rifle's price in glass off it. It's the rifle you reach for when you're going woods tramping, when you hear something out by the barn, when you just want to be out and about with a rifle. With peep or open sights, it's as much rifle as most good riflemen can use, in a format that reminds us of John Wayne and Lone Wolf Gonzaulles and a bunch of other folks.

Well said....!

Before the AR15 took off like mad, the .30-30 was the "Homeland Defense Rifle."

Yep. This '94 Marlin .44 Mag is my "HDR", and it looks way more like a '94 Winny .30-30 than an AR-15 .223. . .

[Jaguarundi]

No words can define the rationale better than- "she" just felt good in your hands.

[Meeteetse]

Funny how the poor 30-30 has been relegated to. . ."not enough gun". . .When the 30-30 hit the market in 1895 it was thought to be enough for anything and was used by many to hunt man and beast. While we know now there are better guns for really big game, the 30-30 is still sufficient for deer and black bear, and that is what the majority of folks hunt. Besides, there is nothing better than doing a little woods bumming with a little 94 Trapper. I've been through the pistol caliber leverguns, .22, .357, .44, and I own and enjoy them all, but there is something special about the 30-30. Just having one in the gun cabinet seems to make things right with the world.

[Grizz]

Hi Ray

I'm curious about which part of Alaska you're in. You don't mention deer so my guess is interior.

I had a 30-30 when I first started deer hunting in SE in the early 70s. I traded it off and used lots of different guns. Crossing paths with lots of coastal brown bear and hearing the exploits of other's bear encounters had me on a constant upgrade cycle to try to be really prepared, ballistically, in case a bear jumped me.

You may enjoy doing some close-up penetration work with your ammo to discover how the bullets might react with b'rer bear. See for yourself what happens and arm yourself accordingly.

Good hunting,

Grizz

[AkRay]

Hi Grizz.

You got it right. No Blacktails here since I live in Interior Alaska, Fairbanks to be exact. It would be fun to find them in the areas I hunt, but that's not possible. The main big game animals in this immediate area are moose and the occasional black bear. Grizzlies seem to be making greater inroads into this area too, so they can be a concern. This is a good area to live if you like the outdoors since good places are within driving distance. For fishing, there's Chitina which is done with a dipnet. Copper River reds are some of the best salmon in the world, but the way my family tends to look at them is, they're world famous, but they're still just a fish. Valdez is about a 7 hr drive, and it's a good place to try for halibut and salmon. There are caribou closer to home, but for good hunting for good animals, it's a 10-11 hour drive up the Dalton Highway, and then a 5 mile hike out to and back with your caribou. No motorized vehicles allowed. You gotta be tough to do that hunt and more than a little stupid. Fairbanks is also within a couple hours flying time of Northwest Alaska, and the outdoors opportunities to be found in that region. A 30-30 serves well for a lot of it.