When John Q. Citizen packs the family automobile and heads out for his annual deer hunt, the chances are that the rifle in the back seat, along with the side of bacon and the coffee­pot, is a .30/30.

The .30-30 Winchester has been putting venison in freezers for more than a century, and it’s still one of the most practical deer cartridges ever created. You won’t win any long-range matches with it, ...