I feel you're pain, but I think you're over-reacting. I can't speak to the Hard-mode Raid (haven't done it)...but you do NOT need to be level 30 for any of the other end-game content. I've done the Nightfall that last two weaks with only one KTO each time. Today with two 28s and our thrid being a level 26 Warlock. Similar success with the Weekly Heroics with a FT.... ..and I'm soloing the Heroic Dailies at Level 28. What I noticed made a big difference in how effective I was in my raid runs wasn't my "level"....but how LEVELED-UP my weapons were. I saw more of a difference between going in with my primary weapon with a 267 Attack....and it fully-levelled up to 300, than I saw going in as 27 versus a 28. The difference between 267 and 300 meant the difference between putting down a level 28 Vex with two less-than-perfect shots....and requiring four to get the job done. So rather than fretting over something that you have NO control over, take advantage of the arsenal of raid weapons you've been lucky enough to amass. Make sure they are fully levelled up, and you'll be doing all you can to make yourself effective in the Hard raid. Because, its just a fact of life when you are dealing with a random process...the more SPECIFIC the outcome you are looking for, the LESS likely it is to occur. Because the number of possible outcomes you DON"T want, increases.