Is 7.62x39 REALLY better than .30-30 for deer hunting??? In this video I talk about all the facts and explain...... Subscribe HERE: bit.ly/2xQ9ap2 Follow on Instagram HERE: instagram.com/mrwho_tee_who_ Follow on Facebook HERE: facebook.com/WHOTEEWHO/ Follow on Twitter HERE: twitter.com/realwhoteewho Patreon HERE: www.patreon.com/whoteewho
As always great video! Interesting comparison though. But, I wonder what the comparison would look like if Hornady Leverevolution ammo was used in the 30-30.
@@steveletson6616 Yes all indications are that those flat or round nose bullets have excellent terminal ballistics. The old buffalo cartridges were slow, blunt, high SD hunks of lead that penetrated deeply and tore up everything in their path. The beauty of the 30-30 is that it retained much of that benefit and added enough velocity to get hydrostatic shock too.
More or less the 30-30 is doing the same thing with a heavier bullet. Also as others have said you can load the 30-30 to significantly better performance than 7.62x39. Hornady lever revolution being a store bought example. But it really isn't going to make much difference to a deer at 100 or so yards. Also no 7.62x39 lever guns. For a fairly lengthy time in history the 30-30 was the most widely spread and most commonly used caliber for deer hunting. It was cheap, readily available and it just plain worked. Everyone had one. It has a massive head start on lots of other calibers. So at one point it did kill not just deer but more game animals period than any other caliber. That's where that came from. I'm sure others have caught up by now.
The reason the 30 30 is the most deer killing round is because of 2 reason is simply this it was affordable and available when I was a child 60 years ago you could get a 30 30 just buy filling up your car with gas s&h green stamps which was given to you by gas dealers you could get either a Winchester 94 and for a few books more a Marline 36 and you could get these guns at Sears Montgomery Wards WESTERN AUTO and thousands of hardware stores across the nation and add the fact it was the cheapest ammo out there explains that statement
I took a 10 points with a SKS with a scope . My scope mount was drilled and tapped into the receiver . It was just right for 100 yds but it could shoot about 4 inches at 300 . That was a Norinco later I had a Russian but never messed it up adding mods to it . If you add a scope you must convert to magazine clips and add a shell deflector .
One thing to take into consideration is the age of the cartridges as well as bullet designs. The 30-30 was introduced in 1895 by John Browning originally just called the 30 Winchester center-fire. Whereas the 7.62x 39 wasn't even a thing till Nikolai Kolesnikov knocked off the 7.62x33 (8mm Kurz) from the Germans in the later part of WW2 ( like any good Russian would do). The bullet design of the 30-30 doesn't lend itself well ballistically because it has to have a round or flat nose otherwise you will get cartridge detonation inside of the tubular magazine. But who cares as it lends itself quite well in the light weight handy lever action platforms. I also think the saying about it taking more deer than any other cartridge was because the Winchester 94 was the poor man's rifle and very common for a very long time. Doesn't mean it's true today but for the better part of 45 years (and maybe longer) we are talking about most people owning one and hunting with it. So it's quite possible that it has taken more deer in the early 1900s. Probably isn't true for the later half of the last century. Problem is, there is no way to get any data on it as keeping data on such a thing wasn't what Americans troubled themselves with back in the day. That's more of a modern Internet adaptation. Personally I love the compact handy design of the lever actions( I also prefer Iron sights.) Not saying the 7.62x 39 or the 30-30 is bad or good, just saying there is a good 50 years difference between the two cartridges and both were designed to do different things entirely. One a military application the other hunting. Good comparison of the two in your video though. 👍
The inventors name was actually Mikhail Kalashnikov, a WW2 tank commander turned weapon designer. AK stood for "avtomat Kalashnikov" (in English). I detect a little cynicism in your comment regarding "as any good Russian would do". That Russian took a good German design and made it the most popular rifle in the world. Also, the Ruskies beat the US into space and they also detonated the largest nuke ever developed in 1960 (50 megatons). They also took the German design of the multiple rocket launcher called the 'nebelwarfer' (6 tube tow behind) and improved the hell out of it called the 'katyusha rocket' that one battery is capable of saturating an area of 10 football fields with the equivalent of 70 arty pieces in 10 seconds. All of those MRL's you see on the news in Ukraine for example was a Russian invention. The US copied the design. Its easy to poke fun at them however they have developed numerous effective military weapons and lest we forget Russia is the only other country on earth that could turn much of the populated US into a glass parking lot in less than a day - if (hopefully not) it would come to that. Sure, we could return the favor at the expense of wiping out 2/3 of the world's population with an all out nuclear exchange. This video is not intended to be political, however, the overwhelming majority of Americans have absolutely no clue what the (dumbass) Biden administration is fartin' around with over there. The US and the Soviet Union spent decades developing treaties, however, now ever since the breakup of the USSR we've thrown caution to the wind. All it takes is one accident or miscalculation and we're all gone.
Having both a Henry 3030 and a 762x39 hunting rifle Yes the 30-30 is absolutely fantastic if I'm going out just for deer but that 76239 can drop any animal here in Florida and if I'm going out for substance hunting and I don't care if it's a deer or a hog at 762x39 is the one I'm taking with me
Well done, love your insight into the different details of the rounds. I still and guess I always will be a Marlin 35 REM (200 gr.) or 30-30 win (170 gr.) as my go to here in Central Kentucky. Maybe someday I’ll venture out of my comfort zone and get a .308 win just for the off chance there is a uprising and I need to reach further than I can see 👀 with these old cowboy 🤠 eyes. Love you videos and may God bless and protect you and your family.
You know what this reminds me of Adam?, All the 30 cal stuff that has become obsolete, that were perfect for woods hunting. both of these are great cal, But that little 7.62x39 easily handles a deer, at the woods hunting ranges. AND, You get the 39 cal hole for better blood trail.
Hog hunters in TX have been using 7.62x39 for a minute. I don't think it's as effective as 308Win, but they claim it's more affordable than 308win. I think they're using FMJs so that checks out.
Let me give you a little information most people don't even know about. Actual forgotten firearm and ammunition history. The Marlin Mfg Co. Actually made a 30/30 bolt action that actually took Sierra boat tail ammunition. This particular 30/30 had very exceptional accuracy and energy retention, just like the 6.5 Creedmoor. But with the popularity of the leverguns they stopped producing the Sierra ammunition because of safety issues. Like explosions in the tubular magazine. And as you well know. Anytime you put a roundnose bullet into anything you sacrifice accuracy, speed and energy retention. As far as your comment about the #'s of big game having been killed with the 30/30. There's only one other rifle cartridge that can stand along side this 1 and that's the 45/70. And here's the facts that are just common sense. Both of these rounds of ammunition were 1st on the scene of the modern cartridges with blackpowder involved. Even now they are beloved by the community and just don't seem to want to go away. There's so many cartridges today that all perform so well. It's all about personal preference these days. But I'm just another old timer who doesn't know anything about anything.
You find the stats on the gun and ammunition I told you about then we have something to talk about. Other than that we have nothing to talk about. I have no need to learn about something I can't even do anymore.
@@panthermartin7784 penetration and moose bones are massive in person. For small calibers I use fmj for close range only for moose. Medium range and over is 30-06 soft points. For me anyways. Find what works for you. I shot 15 moose in my life I’m only 27. I’m speaking from experience. Check my hunting videos out while you’re at it.
Underrated comment. For me, this is one of the most important things I consider choosing a chambering. I like practicing A LOT with my gear, and some of those high pressure cartridges wear out barrels in 1000-2000 rounds. So you either have to drop cash on barrels, or “baby” your gear and “save it” for the hunts. Having said all that, it’s important to note that .308 is also a cartridge that is fairly low pressure and won’t wear out a barrel fast at all.
I've always liked the 7.62x39 and I've known it beats the 30-30 for many years. The spire point bullets retain velocity/energy better at distance, but the Leverevolution loads greatly improved modern 30-30 performance.
The point is the point😉 I have a 30-30 single shot. Loaded with a 125 gr spitzer it gets 200 FPS more than the 7.62 x 39. The mini-thirty is still a fine deer rifle though. It's also worth noting that the factory 30-30 rounds are de-powered to 42,000 psi in deference to the many very old rifles still in use. The 7-30 Waters and the 360 Buckhammer run at 50,000 psi with the same case because those lever-actions are not worn out yet.
@@mikespangler98 Yes, but Imo, this is mostly saying that the x39 is in the mix and can be better than several common 30-30 loads. He illustrated that well.
Own 2 marlin 30-30’s, one belonged to my dad and Papaw, I took my first deer with in 1995 and own a second my dad bought me in 1996 so I could have a deer rifle. Took my first buck with it. Can’t beat them old Marlins!
Both the SKS, the AK, AND the levergun 30-30 are extremely popular in Florida. Bullet selection makes the 30-30 a bit better in maybe some circumstances where a heavier slug might be an advantage, but the x39 kinda punches above its weight, even if the cheap softies break up on impact sometimes. They all work pretty decent on gators, bears, hogs, deer, you name it!
Yeah man you are absolutely right about that in lot of peoples minds the 7.62x39 is dirty round and they don’t even consider taking deer with it I have CZ in that caliber and I call it pig gun although it’s crazy accurate even with that cheap steel cased ammo ( not cheap anymore)
My cousin has that bolt gun and not only is it gorgeous like most things CZ, but it can routinely group with rounds touching at 100 yards. It will make a believer out of anybody who thought 7.62x39 isn't an accurate round. I want one. Also very mild recoil. My 6.5 CM Tikka kicks much harder. Capable deer gun.
Ruger Mini 30 (7.62x39) was marketed as a deer hunting rifle in 1987. Between my son and I we’ve taken three bucks with it. Two dropped in there tracks. The third ran 100yds after a bad shot. Still got him.
You beat me to it friend! The Mini-30 is a Great Rifle that can fulfill a lot of duties. It has Quality, Reliability, Durability and Shoot ability. Plus it's a Beauty
Colt also markets a 7.62x39 AR15 with 8 round and 5 round magazines for hunting. They used to sell it in both 20 inch barrel and 16 inch barrel versions, but only sell the 16 inch barrel version now. The Ruger Mini 30 used to be a lot cheaper, but is only slightly cheaper now. Ruger has upgraded the barrel, but a friend has an original one he bought in the 80's and it shoots well. I bought a two tone Ruger M77 MkII in 7.62x39. I hand load and reload for it. I've never used steel case ammo.
If you compare 7.62x39 ballistics to the Leverevolution, the Leverevolution blows the 7.62x39 out of the water. Factory ammo from Hornady. 140 grain Leverevolution carries energy over 1,000 ft-lb out to 225 yards. 7.62x39 only carries it to 150 yards. At 200 yards the 140 grain Leverevolution drops 5.98 inches 7.62x39 drops 6.62. Step up to the 160 grain Leverevolution and it carries 1,000 ft-lb to 300 yards. At 300 yards the 160 grain drops 21.62 inches, the 7.62x39 drops 23.81 inches. My dad has a Savage 340 Bolt action with box magazine in 30-30. He loads 150 grain Interlock Spire point bullets for it pushing 2300 fps. He's killed deer with it at 150 yards. I would say it's limit is about 200 yards.
I use a Ruger American 7.62x39 for varmint duty. It's a tack driver. Going to get some good hunting ammo and take it deer hunting this year. Great woods gun
I’ve been using a CZ 527 in 762x39 for a few years now. Most stand hunting I do in Indiana-it covers everything inside 150 yards with ease. It’s light weight and fast and I’ve taken several deer with it. One of these days-I’ll pass it down to my daughter! Excellent short range deer cartridge.
I’ve hunted whitetails with a 336c Marlin 30-30 for 48 years now. Harvested all with one shot. Average shots were at 75 yards. Never lost a animal and usually tracked less than 50 yards. Reason I like the 30-30 is the bullet drop. I just felt if I missed the bullet would safely hit the ground at around 250 yards.
I've seen many deer shot by friends with the 7.62x39 out of an SKS and was not impressed at all with the killing power. All of the deer they shot ran a good ways. I'll take the marlin 336 in 30-30 shooting 170 grain bullets any day over any rifle shooting 7.62x39.
I think depending ammo and grain theyre about the same tbh. I prefer 7.62 strictly for price , practice and availability. Both will take a deer no prob within 100yds. Im in the woods of PA so CZ527 is my choice. My good friend uses his marlin 30-30 lever gun.Both work great whoteee!
I hunt in WV with a CZ in 7.62x39 …. I use it with open sights. It’s a great, lightweight rifle that serves me well in brush and open meadows out to 125 yards. I use a scoped 71’ Ruger in .25-06 for longer range shots out to 400 yards.
In Canada it’s kind of difficult to get Tula and Wolf but we have PPU in pointed soft point which performs quite well (compared to Sellier and Bellot SP) Remington Core Lokt and other American munition such as the Winchester or Hornady unfortunately don’t seem to be perform as accurately in my 527
On the "most taken" topic, I imagine pointy sticks and flint points have 1000s of years of deer and buffalo catching under their belts. If somebody has a 30-30 they don't "need" to get another gun to harvest deer at reasonable distances. Same is true for 7.62×39. The test would be if they can keep every shot in the vitals at the ranges hunted. Your Ruger American certainly has that capability in your hands. Looking forward to seeing you catch a deer with it. I am trying to catch one with my AR version, using some Russion heavy soft points, & maybe some hogs too.😊
In addition to my Ruger American in 7.62x39, I have an AR chambered in it too. Most deer taken here in the woods are within 100 yards. Both platforms are great for defense and hunting. It's a great caliber
@@mainebigfoothunter7088 Indeed, as are "do all" cartridges like .30-06 and .308 Win. The bolt guns - levers, pumps, and single/doubles, too - have one HUGE advantage over the gassers, and that is they may be loaded lighter, or hotter(within max spec.), without worrying about the action malfunctioning. Best of luck taking more game this season.
Excellent topic. Believe it or not I have taken whitetail in Michigan with both a 3030 Winchester and a Romanian Wasr chambered and 762 by 39. Needless to say performance was very similar on both and harvest of the deer was in an ethical and effective manner. One thing I will note is that the 3030 Winchester has more brush gun characteristics and performance. The 762 by 39 In my opinion Would deviate in the event that it hit brush more than a 30-30. Obviously they are limited to energy and effective range between 200 and 300 yd.
“Everyone loves the .30-.30…” primarily because damn near everyone’s dad, uncle or papa owned, hunted and shared his .30-.30 with the next generation. The lever action is timeless and that round does everything one would need out to 100 yards.
The first deer I killed with a rifle (first 2 deer were with 12 gauge buck shot) was with my grand-dad's Winchester 94 in .30-30. It was a small doe and only about 50 yards away, but it was with factory open sights and it dropped her right where she stood. I've got double lung shots that nicked the heart with a .30-06 and they ran 50+ yards. Granted that was at 250 yards
When you consider the .30-30 was introduced in 1895 and was the first smokless powder hunting cartridge and was very popular from the begining, it is very probable that more deer have been taken with that cartridge in North America. That is paraphased from the Lyman Reloading Manual #50.
Said it many times before on your videos comment section but I'm saying it again lol. My first rifle I got on Christmas morning at 13yrs old and that rifle is a Marlin 336 30-30 lever and it has a nothing fancy Bushnell scope and it's slinging 170gr Core-Lokts because that's what it liked, and it has given me many years of success while hunting whitetail deer here in the Northeast. My father over the years tried to get me to buy something else in a bigger caliber and in a bolt but I absolutely love my 30-30 and because it's been so good to me I won't go with anything else. If I go for elk, caribou and so on I would but I don't see that happening anytime soon so my Marlin and I will remain hunting partners lol. Anyways thanks for sharing this great content with us all WTW and I hope/pray all is well with you and the family. 🙏🙏
The 30-30 chambered in the Winchester model 94 has always been my personal jewel. I was uglier than a possum under a trailer truck tire before I started shooting the 30-30. You should see me now. 🤣😂😉
The reason they say that about the 30-30 is that it’s been around forever. There’s much better rounds now and more coming out everyday. Good video! Very eye opening. Keep up the good work
I’ve taken deer with both. My first deer ever was with a bubba’d-up SKS (7.62x39mm) with a wooden thumbhole stock and iron sights. The shot was double lung at about 30 yards. The deer ran 75 yards and died. It worked great! My experience with the 30-30 was nearly identical. Winchester white box soft-point ammo was used for both. For a Northwoods whitetail hunter, either cartridge will get the job done for most hunting scenarios you will encounter. That being said, if you hunt over large agricultural fields or vast swamps, neither cartridge would be my first choice.
If you have some of the Russian steel cased 7.62x39 jacketed hollow point ammo that was available cheap years ago, it works good for deer. I took a young doe at about 100 yards several years back with an SKS...double lung, grievous exit wound. I duplicated the ballistics in a 30/30 loading using 130 grain spire point hollow point bullets...took a young 150-pound feral boar hog just this morning in my pasture at about 75 yards. Dropped in its tracks.
I am fortunate enough to still have some of this but i didnt know how good it was for hunting so a lot of it got shot off before i saw someone do testing on ballistic gel here on RU-vid. Now Ive got it all set aside for hunting purposes. It is actually labeled as hunting ammo but from what i understand most cheap hollow point hunting ammo made in that part of the world did not preform very well but the blue and white box 124gr HP made by state unitary enterprise in Russia is what you want to save for hunting if you have any
Try putting a 170 gr bullet in that 7.62x39 and see how it does. Now that we have tube mag safe spitzers the range limitation no longer applies.. with light bullets they are in the same category but when you wan't serious penetration the old thuty thuty wins hands down.
I have a buddy that uses an AK for brush hunting deer and hogs. As kids it was a SKS. He does very well with it. But I haven't thought about it in a bolt gun. With PSA building decent AKs and now talking about making quality ammo with modern bullets, this can be a real good option. And really good around a farm.
I've killed Many whitetail deer and hog with my Mini-30. I do my own reloading and found the Barnes 123 grain TSX is phenomenal . I've got a B&C score 171 on an 8 point that was DRT at 120 yards. Here in Arkansas that's a good score. Not a long shot by any means, but a high shoulder shot put him down. Thank you Adam for covering an "odd" caliber.
I think the .303 brit has taken WAAAAAAAAAY more game than the 30-30. Many many South African hunters in the northern provinces use .303 in the thick bush
Here's that datapoint: "The 30-30 was the first American small bore sporting rifle cartridge loaded with smokeless powder. It appeared in 1895, with the new Winchester Model 94 lever action. ... The short, light, compact carbines giving very low recoil were responsible for the wide popularity of the 30-30. These carbines have accounted for more venison on American tables than any other arm." Speer Reloading Manual Number #11; Omark Industries, Inc. 1987; page 201. Good report. I have always appreciated the 7.62x39, and with its spitzer bullets, thick brass cases & my Ruger Mini-30, got some pretty stout performance out of it with handloads. These days, I'm enamored with the .400 Legend. It double-stacks in an AR magazine and handloads with 215 grain bullets having an MV 2,350 fps/ME 2,636 ft-lbs, it delivers better than 1,000 ft-lbs out to 300 yards, which is plenty for the woods around here in Oregon.
one more advantage of 7.62x39 , in a ruger action , it can be handloaded up to 308 pressure levels safely , further boosting its power ..... then bullets like the 110 Barnes x bullet can be used to increase the velocity even more and flatten things out ..... making 300 yard shots very easy
I think Lever evolution in 30-30 will change all of those charts by a Lot. Interesting comparisons though and awesome timing, as I just received a new 7.62x39 upper for my AR. Going to check out the Hornady Black very soon!
Exactly what I was thinking when I watch this video it would have definitely been a different outcome have nothing against either caliber have took deer with both took a buck last year with a 30-30 that I hadn't took in the woods since the early 80s dad's gun so I'll never get rid of it generally take the 270 Whitetail Kryptonite
For most hunting situations ( where I've hunted at) No special ammunition is needed. The regular old flat point or round nose 30/30 ammunition like they've been selling for decades will work just fine and reliably kill deer. Any of the Remington or Winchester or Federal ammo from wallyworld will do just fine if you do your part
Horse shit. Trajectory I’ll agree with due to better BC. Put a pointed bullet in the .30-30 (leverevolution), and trajectory probably identical. Energy is not the best indicator of performance. Bullet weight matters a lot. Old .45-70 405 grain loads have very low energy…less than a .243 and possibly a .22-250. Which would you rather have in your hands if a bear was in your sights? Energy is a factor highly influenced by velocity. It’s important but doesn’t tell the whole story. Momentum is gained by bullet weight. Heavier the bullet, the deeper the penetration. I like 7.62x39, but to say it’s better than a .30-30…that’s horse shit. Ymmv.
My first deer was taken with a 30-30 that was when I was a teenager. After I got an SKS I fell in love with the 7.62x39MM where I was hunting it was the perfect round. My favorite is .308 and it's the best battle round also.
1 inch different in drop???? At 200 yards... You gotta be kidding me! Talk about splitting hairs....! I wouldnt shoot at anything over 150 yards.....with either cartridge. The 30-30 is still better.
Hard to argue with the numbers. That said, it would be interesting to see how the Hornady LeverEvolution 30-30 ammo compares. It shoots a heavier (160 grain) bullet using modern propellants. I tried a box in a Model 94 and was shocked to see how much flatter it shoots than the standard loads for this old workhorse. We regularly have the opportunity to take longer shots in Alberta. My go-to hunting choices are conventional (7x57, 270 Win, 308, 30-06, 257 Roberts and so on). The 30-30 was never intended as a long distance hunting round, but it was a pleasant surprise to see how easy it was to hit the 8" steel plate at 200 yards with Hornady's revolutionary take on the old 30-30 WCF. It would be great to see you do a review of this ammo.
He's just picking bullets that show what he wants to be true... You can get 30-30 in 125gr. And you can get 7.62 in 150gr. They perform basically the same... That being said the new lever action ammo Hornady makes for 30-30 takes the prize
This is comparing apples to oranges. 30-30 has a flat or well rounded nose. We all know why that is. A flat nose bullet of course will not have the efficacy of more modern designs. Why the 30-30 is claimed to have taken more deer is simple it was developed in 1895. Was not until 1943 for 762x39 and 1952 for the .308 win. Lot of deer were taken by 30-30's 57 year head start. The fact that deer are still being taken with 30-30 today is why it should remain the champ for many years to come.
Similar velocities. Really it's the rifle that defines the differences in these. Generally 30-30 is a lever action cartridge and it is range limited by the flat nose. SKS is great for deer with that long barrel. A lever gun is light an maneuverable. Cannot really make a bad choice here. You might as well throw 300 blackout into this discussion too.
Interesting. Sidenote when I was in Columbia South America, I saw the soldiers caring 3030 rounds inside of something like an HK 91 he showed me the head stamp, and it said 33rd at it and it said Winchester so just to let you know we make ballistic tip rounds that are made for for other foreign militaries
@@nicholasnapier2684 I think you're confusing similar metric designations for two different rounds. The HK91 was chambered for the .308 Winchester. You cannot load the .30-30 round into a gun chambered for .308 Winchester, unless you REALLY force it. Either way, the end results will not be good. However, it migt be easy to mistake one for the other, if you're simply looking at Metric Designations for those cartridges. The metric designation for the .308 round is 7.62x51. The Metric designation for the .30-30 is 7.62x51R. Very important letter, "R". Differentiates two very different rounds that, upon a casual glance, could appear to have the same metric designation. R. "R". ARRRRRR!!!!
I've used 30 30 and 7.62x39, and the 30 30 is superior, especially with the 170 grain bullet. The 7.62x39 is ok with the barnes tsx, but sketchy with anything else. I'm using the 7.62x39 inside 100 yards. I wouldn't trust it beyond that. The 30 30 is so effective due to the sectional density of the 170 grain bullet.
First i would like to exprese , my appreshation and reaspect for this podcast and the rugged individual, who sponcer it. Thank you sir. Moving right along im going to turn yal to a little trick. Use the 7.62 cartridge in your 30 30 , that way you can get the best of both worlds. I do it al l the time. Works great. Settle down gentil men , im just messing around. You,ll have a good night and a great day tomorrow, out...,
I got 2 bucks last year with Hornady SST 123gr, I push them at 2500fps. 7,62x39 is a great option for short range deer hunting. I have a CZ527, short and lightweight, open sight, its probably my best deer setup.
Handloaded 150gr SST in the 7.62x39, out of my 20" 7.62x39 (AR-15 upper), delivers over 2250 fps, over 1000 ft-lbs at 300 yards thanks to improved BC. It smokes the 30-30 like a cheap cigar.
If youre handloading for a bolt gun you can take either the 30-30/x39 up into some much more effective and "flatter" (not flat, just more flat shooting than factory loads) and considerably harder hitting cartridge choice...
I’ve used the 7.62 X 39 for deer for several years now. Don’t need more than that at the distances I hunt. Mostly under 120 yards. Plus the round will hit the ground before leaving my property. A big bore airgun would work great for me if it was legal here in Northern Minnesota.
The level Revolution makes a big difference also if you reload 125 to 130 grain bullet for 3030 you'll get better performance over the 7.62 x39 with the added velocity
You should compare the Remington Managed-Recoil .30-30 Winchester 125 Grain Core-Lokt Soft Point and the 140 Grain Leverevolution fot drop and energy as they are closer in bullet weight.
Weight has nothing to do with bullet drop when they all start with about the same muzzle velocity. And higher energy up close didn't help either when it came only from increased mass. The 30-30 rounds here had higher friction and more heat loss. Faster bullets at the same mass as the 7.62x39s would be better, to a point. From NASA (because why not lol) _The Apollo 15 Hammer-Feather Drop_ _Because they were essentially in a vacuum, there was no air resistance and the feather fell at the same rate as the hammer, as Galileo had concluded hundreds of years before - all objects released together fall at the same rate regardless of mass._
The performance gap would be even greater if the 7.62x39 was fired out of a 20 inch barrel…and then test bullets like leverevolution from the 30-30…..but you gotta race with what you brought to the track!! Good video keep it up
Winchester model 94 has always been so handy. Handling is equal or better using 7.62x39 in the Ruger American Ranch. Scope mounting options are much more vast with the ruger. Adam…man I love your channel. Thank ya for all of your great content. Makes us happy. I sure would like to see that ruger with very low scope mount. That would improve the cheek weld and make the overall package more handy. Thoughtful Vid. Well done!
If one can find Real 8M3 7.62x39 it’s an easy choice for me because of the platforms you can shoot it out of. However .30-.30 is usually limited to lever guns.
before the ammo disappeared, thanks 'Big Guy', I picked up Barnaul soft point@ about 2450 fps/125gr, and the 154grain soft point. I am feel quite confident in this ammo! Hours of research on RU-vid , gel tests , shoulder bones then gel etc
Growing up and hunting in NYS, I had to use a 20 ga or 12 ha slug gun where I lived. But, when we went to my grandfather's in the Adirondack mountains we could use rifles. My grandfather would use his Win 1892 in 38-40, my dad would use his Win 94 in 32 Special, and my brother and I got to use Win 1894s in 30-30. Ammo of choice for us was 170 gr soft points. We could take 2 bear and 2 deer each. Now, if one of us got a deer or bear, that was it, we just split it up and called it good. Most of the hunting ranges in those thick woods was 35 yds or less. Good luck and stay safe!!! 😉😉😉
762x39 is a great round for me to plink with . Steel core surplus ammo was cheap when I bought my SKS and it never ceases to amaze me what they will go through .
I have used both. Actually the last few years ive been using the Ruger American in 762x39. Originally used Hornady black. The price moved me over to the 154 gr soft point steel cased. Most of my shots are less than 75 yards. Even with the recent increase in 762 prices, its still cheaper than 30 30. I like to practice and the 762 allows me to do that at a fraction of the cost. Don't get me wrong. I like the 30 30. However, I keep using the Ruger in 762x39.
@@takumisato7126 I have no issues with the 154s All were complete pass thrus. I have had the 124s stop just under the skin on the off side several times. Where I hunt both work.
Well… here’s an internet stat for you (I’m making it up) 90% of Whitetail are killed at less than 150 yards! So… the 30:30 is still viable especially in wooded areas. I’ve killed about 25 w my Marlin 30:30 but I’ve also killed (I mean caught) several w my Remington 6mm and my Model 70 Win .270 WSM.
I was making this same comparison with some coworkers. Depsite being two very different cartidges, both are very similar in energy on target. I was looking at a mini 14 in 7.62x39 and had thought it would make an axcellent hunting/sporting rifle.
@@WHOTEEWHO I haven't owned a 30-30 since mid 70's when I went to a Rem. 742 30-06. Have four AR's in 7.62x39. Love the cost of ammo, and most I have is 125 and 154 all soft points, which are now hard to find, so finding a hunting bullet in 7.62x39 is a chore, and just about every 30-30 cartridge does have a hunting bullet on it, although expensive. I'd have to say, there is nothing more woods and hand friendly than a vintage Winchester or Marlin lever action, especially on a cold day. The AR however is tacticool...either cartridge will get things done. Use what you " brung. "
@WHOTEEWHO love your channel guess apart from other channels your demeanor speaks to me 😂. I agree with you on all points here. I'd like to throw this out there that the 30-30 like the 4570 sucks on paper but can't argue with results in the field. Here's my example: 3030 is throwing a heavier projectile than $k$, would you like me to drop a pebble on your big toe or a bigger rock on your big toe from the same distance (remember gravity they're dropping at the same speed), it's momentum. And the other thing about urban legend more deer taken with, that may have been true up to a point in time because it came out in 1894 and was a convenient brass cartridge (30 cal/30 grains blk pwdr.), and was the first convenient repeater to transition over to smokeless making it everybody's go to for about 70yrs, that's a big head start not to mention all my folks lived through the great depression and that all they could afford and that's how they feed their families, I know, I be here if they hadn't. Deer meat is nutritious 😊
I would choose 6.5 Grendel over either of those...but I would also hunt with both of the...lol The 7.62x39 would be more interesting if the bullet diameter was .308 instead of .312.
This man did the math. Saw the drop, thought “yeah but what about…” saw the ftlbs. Interesting comparison, interesting data. Really 7.62x54r, .308, and 8mm are the end of .30 cal I’m into for deer, but x39 looks viable inside 100yds. Not terribly surprising but nice too see.
The 1000 lbs/ft of energy for taking deer definitely falls into the category of Fudd lore, especially since muzzle energy doesn’t correlate to striking power.