.30cal Luger cartridge

Doubs · 09-09-2002, 04:35 PM

Among the many stories written by Skeeter Skelton was an article about Lugers. One old cowpoke Skeeter met had a .30 Luger and confessed to holding it in high regard. He explained that it was the only pistol he'd ever owned that would shoot through a wagon tongue. Why that was important to him, he didn't explain.

With hardball, they will penetrate quite well. With a properly constructed softpoint or hollowpoint, they can be explosive on thin-skinned varmints.

Four or five years ago, my father and brother were sitting in lawn chairs under a maple tree in Pop's backyard. It was mid-evening.... a nice time of day in Western Maryland in Summer. One of them noticed a fully grown groundhog coming up the edge of the lawn toward them and it was acting strangely. Fearing that it may have rabies, Pop handed my brother a .30 Luger (the same Erfurt I now have) and told him to kill it. My brother got as close as seemed prudent and put the first shot into him. A FMJ, it passed through without any seeming affect. The second shot was a Hornady 85 grain hollow point of the semi-jacketed type that they sold before the current XTP style. I had loaded a box of them for him. According to my father it nearly turned the groundhog inside-out and killed him instantly. To use his expression, the .30 Luger with a softpoint or hollowpoint is "wicked".

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09-09-2002, 04:35 PM	#4
Doubs User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Byron, Georgia Posts: 1,742 Thanks: 826 Thanked 1,788 Times in 590 Posts	Among the many stories written by Skeeter Skelton was an article about Lugers. One old cowpoke Skeeter met had a .30 Luger and confessed to holding it in high regard. He explained that it was the only pistol he'd ever owned that would shoot through a wagon tongue. Why that was important to him, he didn't explain. With hardball, they will penetrate quite well. With a properly constructed softpoint or hollowpoint, they can be explosive on thin-skinned varmints. Four or five years ago, my father and brother were sitting in lawn chairs under a maple tree in Pop's backyard. It was mid-evening.... a nice time of day in Western Maryland in Summer. One of them noticed a fully grown groundhog coming up the edge of the lawn toward them and it was acting strangely. Fearing that it may have rabies, Pop handed my brother a .30 Luger (the same Erfurt I now have) and told him to kill it. My brother got as close as seemed prudent and put the first shot into him. A FMJ, it passed through without any seeming affect. The second shot was a Hornady 85 grain hollow point of the semi-jacketed type that they sold before the current XTP style. I had loaded a box of them for him. According to my father it nearly turned the groundhog inside-out and killed him instantly. To use his expression, the .30 Luger with a softpoint or hollowpoint is "wicked".