I am sure its been done.... But it would surely be a stunt. I would think that bringing a $300 .30-30 on a $15-20,000 safari would sort of like shooting yourself in the foot. Sure, you could still get around, but the experience is going to be frustrating. A good bolt gun is worth more than it's weight in gold if you ask mem. A .30-30 on DEER sized game might be a 200 yard round If you practice constantly at that range, but what happens when a trophy warthog is standing out at 150 yards in 15 mph crosswind and you can't get closer... and he's quartering away. I am not saying a .30-30 wouldn't kill him but you have to hit him and hit him in the right spot.
A .30-30 is fairly quickly outlassed by the likes of almost any common .25 caliber or larger high velocity rifle with regard to retained energy, availablity of premium bullets and ammunition, wind bucking ability, effective range, inherent accuracy, rifle ergonomics etc, etc... If you really wanted to take a levergun to africa, and you wanted something versatile, I would look into something like a Browning BLR in .308, .30-06, .270, .338 mag (I am assuming they make one, but I don't know).... Those calibers would make the shot described above considerably easier and less prone to wounding. Would a .30-30 work? sure if I had a corporate sponsor and a 2 month safari.
www.africahunting.com
