Can I use an M1 Carbine to hunt deer??

YOU might be surprised that there are states that specifically will NOT LEGALLY allow an M1 Carbine in .30 caliber to be used to hunt Deer. Maryland is just one of those states. The ammunition lacks minimum sufficient power/.velocity to consistently make a clean and effective kill on a Deer ,according to State Game Biologists and so it is banned totally from use ,even with commercially available ammunition, for hunting Deer

I own 2 myself and they are an incredible fun to Carbine to shoot and plink with (ammunition is expensive) but I would NOT even consider using one for a second to hunt Deer.

It would be wise to check with your own State Fish and Game Commission or Department of Natural Resources to verify it is in fact legal or not in your state of residence

I knew a lot of people that hunted whitetails with M1 Carbines down in the swamps of Louisiana. That was years ago, doubt if they still do. I'll bet a lot of them have been harvested with Carbines in a lot of places like that. They were once cheap and plentiful and people used what they could afford.

Just because something works, does not mean you should use it though. People used to use .22s too and that's just wrong.

As to power and accuracy needed for the job, the Carbine round is marginal at best. I would say for no more than 75 yards.

Maybe I'm being conservative, but look, what if the Monster Buck of the Century crosses the field in front of you at 230 yards away, and he's high tailing it back in those woods in five seconds, never to be seen again. You are screwed. You cant take that shot with a Carbine.

I own a Carbine and have shot quite a few others, they just don't live up to the accuracy legends you hear from old veterans. The power of the round has always been criticized. The fact that you are shooting a mutant round nosed pistol round through a longer tube does not inspire the best ballistics confidence.

Now, another factor is value, both market and historical. Despite my protests people have seen fit to start paying near a grand for WWII M1 Carbines, definitely in the 750 range for beaters. It's crazy. Also, while you don't want to retire a carbine to the safe, why take her out in the nasty elements and enviroments encountered while hunting?

With a nice proper hunting package, a .270 or .308 rifle and a good scope, being had for much less, why would you use a Carbine?

Marksmanship and bullet placement are required each and every time that a hunter shoots game. So let's talk about what is really important, which is a hunter's responsibility:

First of all, the .30 US M-1 carbine is too small for taking deer humanely especially at 200+ yards. I knew a man who used one exclusively to hunt deer on his property. His son-in-law clued me in as to how many deer he'd maimed and had to be destroyed later.

You can't really compare the .30 M-1 round to either the .25-06 or the .30-30. The .25-06 has way more velocity (& energy) and the .30-30 has way more energy because it is a heavier round. The idea of using these carbines (& the AR-15) for hunting deer is from the poorly reasoned truism: "Well, if the Army uses 'em to kill people they will surely kill a deer."

The Army is not really interested in killing deer (or men for that matter); the idea is to inflict loses on the enemy. A wounded soldier costs the enemy government more than a dead soldier and so military calibers aren't the best choices for taking game. A deer is a tough critter and in many ways tougher than a man. A man gets shot and he knows he's been shot and so he drops. A deer gets shot and has no idea what has happened so it runs. Which is why you shouldn't shoot at deer (or game) with marginal calibers even if they are legal.

A responsible hunter matches his weapon/caliber to the game he is hunting, which is why we have deer rifles, buffalo guns, elephants gun, dangerous game guns, etc. Leave the .30 M-1 carbines, AKs and the .223s to the military forces that HAVE to use them because they don't have a choice. Get a real deer rifle at least like the minimum .243 or better yet, the excellent .25-06 Remington.

Best.

H

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RE:

Can I use an M1 Carbine to hunt deer??

Some people I ask say yes, some say no...

The specs.....

.30 cal round - 7.62 X 33.... 110 grain (almost as heavy as a 25-06)

1970 fps muzzle velocity (about the same as a 30-30)

Rated to 200-250 yards then after that the rounds drops off significantly.....

Light semi auto rifle...

30 Carbine For Deer

The Carbine was designed to hunt Japanese soldiers at close range. The only thing I would consider hunting with it are turkeys if it is accurate enough to hit a golf ball at 50 yards. For deer get a .308.

I carried one of those in the service and qualified on it. My dear old sarge told me to be sure to never shoot anybody with it unless there was somebody backing me up as the stopping power it had was slim to none and slim was usually out of town. Heck, humans hunt with anything from rocks to dynamite, so take it hunting. It might be a good idea to have somebody with you to provide backup and an injured animal getting away. It was just never designed as a hunting rifle; just for guarding prisoners, for cooks and clerks and non-coms to carry, yada.

It's absurdly underpowered. The 110 grain bullet has a sectional density of a paltry .166, compared to the 25 caliber 100 grain bullet's .216. For that matter, the 250 Savage's original 87 grain load (obviously at 3000 fps), which is unsuited for deer, has an S.D. of .188. For miniatures, you want a velocity over 2400 fps and S.D.> .240. For small-bores, you want a velocity over 2100 and S.D.>.225, though .240 is still a better choice. By the way, the 110 grainer in a 30-30 runs out about 2500 fps, a pretty good jackrabbit round. The 150 grainer goes 2200-2300 fps and has S.D. .226, so it isn't as good a choice as the 170 at 2100+ and .256. You'll find sectional density and construction are the main predictors of penetration. When you get good at looking there, then you can start looking at composition and thickness of jacket walls and other esoterica.

yes you can hunt deer with a 30 cal carbine .it was my 1st deer rifle, and i have killed several deer using it throughout the years.it is capable of reaching out to 150+yards without any problem.(anything over that is kinda risky but are still possible with enough practice at the gun range.)

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Deer, wolves and coyotes. I'm a bitter clinging, God loving, Obama hating American. Never gonna change.