There are a myriad of rifle options for deer hunting, and everyone has their favorite. What likely ranks at the bottom of the list of most of today’s hunters would be the lowly .30-30.
But that’s exactly the caliber favored by Ricky Hano when he’s hunting the swamps of Joyce WMA.
And there’s a pretty basic reason — it’s small and lightweight, which is important when pushing through salvinia and swamp grasses in a pirogue.
“I’ve got friends who hunt with .270s, but you’re carrying an extra 3 to 4 pounds,” Hano said. “Weight in a pirogue is important — The more that pirogue sinks down in the water, the more you drag on stuff.”
And the long-range abilities of larger, faster calibers really are unnecessary in the tangle of this swamp.
“Fifty yards is a very long shot in there,” Hano said.
He uses is Hornady LEVERevolution rounds to ensure he doesn’t have any problems, however.
“They’re made for lever-action guns, and they’re faster and more accurate,” he said.
