Anyone deer hunt with an M-1 Carbine?

[45nut]

I have a dandy little Inland GM made in January 1943 and I'm thinking of taking it hunting. I do have some soft point ammo and need to go fire a couple of rounds to make sure it's hitting where I'm aiming.

Would you think it's about the same as a .357 Magnum?

.30 Carbine - 1990 fps & 977 ft lbs @ muzzle

.357 Magnum - 1450 fps & 740 ft lbs @ muzzle 158 gr JSP

.357 Magnum - 1930 fps & 1040 ft lbs @ muzzle 125 gr JHP

I wouldn't have thought they'd be this close. I''l just have to kill something this year with my carbine.

What do y'all think??

[1 Eyed Jack]

Select the right ammo and just be careful about the distance, I think I would limit ot to about 75 yds, maybe 100, as I do know that TX whitetail is not real big, unless you are hunting way south in the brush country, I have seen some midwest sized whitetails down there,

I have a IPM (International Postal Meter) .30 Carbine, I was amazed at how well it shot at the range a couple of weeks ago, after I got my stuff together and got the rifle dialed in, this was with Tulammo, I think the rifle is capable of even better shooting, but I'm not,

this was at 50 yrds, first 5 were high, after adjustments, last 5 were in the diamond,

as long as you can get comfortable with the large peep site, you should be OK,

[JLA]

Yes steve, the .30 Carbine is a bit anemic by todays modern centerfire rifle comparisons but it is capable of effectively killing deer and hogs. I used to have an Inland GM and beck used it deer hunting in the '09 season. I have since sold it off in favor of the Mini 14 but I do still have the load I developed for it. In fact its in an old thread i made on it back when i had it and was testing bullet expansion out to 100 yds. Gimme a sec ill go dig it up and post a link to it here...

[JLA]

Ahh here it is. Developed the load back in May '09 after purchasing the carbine at a pawnshop not long before that. It was a potent load.

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=60507

[45nut]

Cool, do you still have the stuff to make some loads?? If so, call me.

[JLA]

Thats right, I forgot you dont roll your own steve. I got rid of my .30 carb dies. Might give Charles a buzz. He loads it. Hes got a universal M1. I sold my dies when i sold the rifle. That round is a PITA to load for, it breaks press linkages.

[JLA]

Only thing i still have is the .30 carb snap caps.

[swiftman]

The .30 carbine round is legal to use in Illinois for deer hunting, BUT you can't use it in a rifle. Hand guns only.

[zkovach]

I fancy a heavier bullet and would not use my carbine here in mi. But u know the size of the deer there and let us know what you do. I have thought about using mine but would love to see your results first. I still think it's too light here in mi.

[Sandman]

I think it would be fine if you stay within 100yds or so.

[45nut]

I took my carbine along for the ride, but didn't take it into the woods. Sunday morning I was still hunting through the woods, when a huge 10+ point buck burst from his bed in the brush 20 feet to my left. I had my Ruger #77 instead of the handy little carbine and I hadn't turned my scope down to 2.

First, I nearly had a heart attack and secondly, I only had a 20' opening to catch up to the buck that was going about 118 MPH left to right. Missed. IF I had brought my carbine and slung my .270, I would have had a better chance at the biggest buck I've seen in 5 or 6 years.

Bigger than the Ranger 9pt in the pics below. His G-2's were about 2" thick and 10"+ tall

[Zhurh]

Quite a few old M1's floating around out here in rural Alaska. Most are beat up pretty bad but accurate enough. People use them for caribou, moose, bear, whatever turns up. I see people hunting with SKS's, old WWII Japanese rifles, and of late those Russkie Mosins. They were selling them for $107 so people picked a couple up to leave in their line cabins. We get so many tourists in canoes along the Yukon, forever breaking into cabins, taking guns and such. Locals don't feel quite as bad when they lose a hundred dollar gun.

[zkovach]

Nice buck buddy!!!!

[hunte567]

Nice deer