[4] The .30-30 (pronounced "thirty-thirty"), as it is most commonly known, along with the .25-35 Winchester, was offered that year as the United States' first small-bore sporting rifle cartridges designed for smokeless powder.
Since its introduction, it has been utilized alongside the development of flatter shooting cartridges, most prominently those derived from designs subsidized by interest in military expenditures.
(Examples: .303 British, .30-06, and 6.5x55 Swedish) The .30-30 has remained in widespread use almost entirely because of reliable effectiveness in civilian applications, and has put food on the table for millions of people in hunting situations.
[12][13] In any case, a hunting-specific advantage of the .30-30 over those cartridges is that it leaves lower volumes of spoiled (destroyed or bloodshot) venison after a kill, leading to less waste.
The added -30 stands for the standard load of 30 grains (1.9 g) of early smokeless powder and is based on late-19th century American naming conventions for black powder-filled cartridges.
Although military surplus rifles in .303 British were widely available in Canada, the .30-30 was so common that for many years the Hudson Bay Company and other stores in remote areas stocked only .30-30 ammunition.
[25] The cartridge, with flat- or round-nosed bullets and 20th century powder charges, does not meet minimum energy standards required for moose hunting in Finland, Norway, or Sweden.
Modern propellants which produce more energy with less pressure may be used in ammunition to exceed legal requirements for those who wish to hunt across Scandinavia from rifle length barrels without fear of consequential arbitration.
[31] Average recoil from a typical 150-grain load at 2,390 feet per second (730 m/s) in a 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) rifle has been calculated to be 10.6 foot-pounds (14.4 J) felt at the shooter's shoulder.
[36] The practicality of hunting with an inherited rifle and cartridge, especially if the combination has been seen as effective at modest range,[37] is an important factor in some circles.
This is to prevent a spitzer-point bullet from setting off the primer of the cartridge ahead of it in the magazine during recoil, resulting in potentially catastrophic damage to both firearm and shooter.
When used in single-shot rifles or handguns, such as the Thompson Center Arms Contender or Encore series, it is common for shooters to hand load the cartridge with spire-point bullets for improved ballistics.
The more aerodynamic shape results in a flatter bullet trajectory and greater retained velocity downrange, significantly increasing the effective range of rifles chambered for this cartridge.
The heaviest bullets in commercially available ammunition weigh in at 190 grains, which cannot be achieved without reducing the powder charge, thus some power is necessarily traded for even greater consistency in penetration at short to medium range.
Customized unconventional loads with bullets in excess of 190 or 200 grains are not unheard of, with the added weight being considered desirable for intentionally reduced charges and lower velocities that are found a good fit for a particular rifle.
130 grain bullets may be among the lightest commercially available options if one has access, and a fairly popular choice for custom reduced recoil loads on medium game.
"At one time Winchester turned out the Model 54 bolt-action repeater in this caliber [.30 WCF], but it was a decided failure, chiefly because the man desiring a bolt action preferred to use one of the better and more powerful cartridges.
The longer barrel results in significant reductions in felt recoil (due to increased weight) and muzzle blast, with higher velocities, especially if factory-loaded rifle ammunition is used.