5 years ago 2 years ago

What Is a 7-30 Waters?

by Tony Pizzata 5 years ago2 years ago

.30-30 Winchester (left) and 7-30 Waters (right)

Q: I’ve come across references to the Winchester Model 94 chambered in 7-30 Waters, but never seen any mention of it for a long time now. Can you tell me exactly what a 7-30 Waters is and its ballistics?
Kevin Holden

A: The 7-30 Waters was designed by Ken Waters in 1976 by necking the .30-30 case down to shoot flat-nosed .284 calibre projectiles. In 1984 it was picked up by Winchester and chambered in their Model 94 lever-action. In 1986 Thompson/Center included it in their Contender line, both handgun and carbine. Factory ammo listed a 120gn FP at 2700fps with 1940 ft/lb of muzzle energy. The 7-30 with its light 120gn bullet never achieved much popularity with American deer hunters who stuck with the good ol’ thutty-thutty.

What's Your Reaction?

super

fail

fun

bad

hate

lol

love

omg

Posted by Tony Pizzata

Tony's hunting career spans more than 50 years, from small game here in Australia through to big-game hunts around the globe. His first article was published in Sporting Shooter magazine almost 40 years, and he has worked full-time here as National Sales Manager and Field Editor for over 35 years. Tony's contribution to Sporting Shooter's solid foundations spans its printed history as well as its move to a digital future.