Home › Browse Calibers › .30-30 Win.
Common uses: Hunting
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 170gr Federal Power-Shok JSP |
| Muzzle velocity | 2200 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 1827 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.254 |
| Case length | 51.8 mm |
| Overall length | 64.8 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 42000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:12" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2200 | 1827 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 1890 | 1348 | 0 |
| 200 | 1611 | 979 | -8.3 |
| 300 | 1371 | 709 | -30.2 |
| 400 | 1181 | 526 | -70.6 |
| 500 | 1052 | 417 | -136.1 |
At 1,000 yards, .30-30 Win. (170gr at 2200 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 100.0 MOA / 29.1 MIL, retaining 763 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1371 | Supersonic | -30.2 | 9.6 | 2.79 |
| 400 | 1181 | Transonic | -70.6 | 16.9 | 4.90 |
| 500 | 1052 | Subsonic | -136.1 | 26.0 | 7.56 |
| 600 | 966 | Subsonic | -232.9 | 37.1 | 10.78 |
| 700 | 903 | Subsonic | -366.8 | 50.0 | 14.56 |
| 800 | 850 | Subsonic | -543.4 | 64.9 | 18.87 |
| 900 | 804 | Subsonic | -768.6 | 81.6 | 23.72 |
| 1000 | 763 | Subsonic | -1047.5 | 100.0 | 29.10 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .30-30 is the quintessential North American deer cartridge, closely tied to the lever-action rifles that made it famous and long regarded as a benchmark for woods and brush hunting. Its moderate velocity, manageable recoil, and effectiveness on deer and black bear at short to medium range have made it a mainstay for generations of hunters. Because it is typically fired from tubular-magazine lever guns, it is usually loaded with flat- or round-nose bullets, which limits its ballistic efficiency and practical range compared with modern pointed-bullet cartridges. It is most effective inside roughly 150 to 200 yards, where its combination of adequate energy and light, handy rifles is hard to beat, though flexible-tip loadings have somewhat extended its reach in recent decades. Ammunition and rifles remain inexpensive and ubiquitous, cementing its reputation as a practical, no-nonsense hunting round rather than a long-range or target cartridge.
Introduced by Winchester in 1895 as the .30 Winchester Center Fire (.30 WCF) for the Model 1894 lever-action rifle, the cartridge was among the first American sporting rounds designed around smokeless powder rather than black powder. Its case derives from the earlier black-powder .38-55, necked down to accept a .308-inch bullet. The "30-30" name reflects the .30 caliber paired with an original charge of roughly 30 grains of smokeless powder, and over a century later it remains one of the best-selling and most widely chambered hunting cartridges in North America.
Run this cartridge in the ballistic calculator · Compare it against another cartridge · How this data is produced