"...handguns for rifle cartridges and slap scopes on them, but we still hold them in our hands just like Colonel Colt told us to..."

I think that the ATF has a hand in that (no pun intended) too, since putting a shoulder stock on a handgun is kindasorta illegal...

I believe that proves the point.
Why is it illegal? A shoulder stock renders a handgun less concealable and maybe more accurate and controllable, which seem like qualities that BATF ought to encourage. But-it is illegal. Why? Because it is just flippin' wrong, that's why. You would never imagine John Wayne drawing his peacemaker, clipping a stock on it, shouldering it and firing at some miscreant. Wouldn't happen.

About what most of our gang does too - Won a couple of Turkeys in 3 years? How about winning 3 in one day, and then doing it again the next year (we have a limit - 3 Turkeys max) - I ened up bringing ONE home each year, and donated the other 2

That's home away from Home - if you're in the park, rifles work - I'll contact you via PM

Hard to go wrong with a good .30-30. The price is a little high, but not horrific. Is he tossing in ammunition?

And performance is a big jump. For things like a charging bull or an engine block, I'd prefer a 12ga slug, but the .30-30 gives you less recoil, greater range, accuracy, lighter ammo weight, and more cost efficent ammo. Ballistically, .30-30 and 7.62x39mm are nearly identical- a hundred million AK and SKS users can't all be wrong. :P

In rifle calibers, it's considered a short barreled rifle. IIRC they're legal if you've got the right form ($200). They'd have a lot more power than the usual handgun & be more easily concealed than a rifle. Legal lengths are 16/18" (rifle/shotgun) barrel & overall length of 26".

[quote=nursemike
I believe that proves the point.
Why is it illegal? A shoulder stock renders a handgun less concealable and maybe more accurate and controllable, which seem like qualities that BATF ought to encourage. But-it is illegal. Why? Because it is just flippin' wrong, that's why. You would never imagine John Wayne drawing his peacemaker, clipping a stock on it, shouldering it and firing at some miscreant. Wouldn't happen. [/quote]

Sigh, for the same reason that if you take a Ruger Charger action, and put a barrel from a 10/22 on it, you're legal, but take a 10/22 action, and put a charger barrel on it, you've made an NFA weapon, and it's illegal - the actions are identical except for markings, but put that 10-22 action in a charger stock and barrel, and you've made a "short barrel rifle"

And most any .30-30 rifle is more accurate than most AK's, at least in my experience...

Jesselp, of course the 30-30 isn't the most "flat shooting" of the available deer rifles, but it will sure do the job well. Will it work better than the shotgun? No, only different. You will have womewhat more range, I feel the practical range of the 30-30 is about 200 yards. Not to say that it won't work a lot farther, it's just that the cartridge, range should be limited for the sake of ensuring you make a KILLING, humane shot on the deer, or black bear or whatever. Not to mention, game animals don't always fall down dead at the first shot. sometimes, they run some ways. Sometimes, not. Look at it like this, if you shoot a deer at 50 yards after either stalking it, or while sitting in a stand waiting on it, and it runs, you have from 50 yards, until 200 or maybe a little bit more to continue to make hits on the deer until it falls down, or dies. If however, you make a shot at that 200 yard initial shot and the deer runs, you have to start shooting again from that 200 yards, on farther out until the animal falls. Which do you want to have to do? I know someone might answer here and say 200 yards is pretty short of a range limitation for the 30-30, and sometimes it is. But the thing is that not everyone is a long range guru, and you said yourself that your a little bit inexperienced. That's ok, I am plenty experienced, yet I limit my shots pretty drastically because I like to make sure I drop the animal quickly, plus I don't see as well as I used to, so seeing the deer and making judgements as to horn size and general maturity is a lot harder for me than it might be for you. It's different for everybody. You might turn out to be a dang fine shot with a rifle, and end up with a 300 Win Mag and a fat scope with the capabilities and experience to take shots out to 400 or even 500 yards.
As for that Marlin for $300, sounds like a good enough deal, and barring the gun looking like a beat up hammer, or having been used like a boat paddle for 80 years, I would pay that. You should look the gun over real well, and take a knowledgeable buddy over to look at it with you. That way, you won't get ripped off. Yes, it can happen! Good luck!
Mark

Jessup,
You about summed it up. I sent the OP a PM, as I know the very area he wants to hunt - I've walked the ground during the spring/summer, but hunt a different spot a couple of miles away. Where he's going he'll be LUCKY to see a deer 200 yds out, and it's fairly common that shots are under 20 yds

Like I said, I've been hunting 2-3 miles from where he is talking about for 30 years, and My father hunted there from the 1930s - I made the LONGEST shot any of us ever made - 225 measured yards, and people were amazed I was able to get a shot that long (OLD woods road abandoned since the 19 teens, but still somewhat clear - pure luck to see the deer)

The SHORTEST shot? Somewhere between 3 and 4 yards - I was sitting up against a stone fence when the deer stepped OVER the fence, walked between my legs, and started walking away - I had to wait for her (it was a doe) to get far enough to raise my rifle - think about it - a 3 yd shot, your rifle is a significant portion of the distance