30-30 loads?

[kevinsmith5]

Since single shot 30-30's are not limited to the flat nosed projectiles of a tube fed lever gun I thought I'd ask everybody what they were loading for theirs before I set out on really getting serious with mine. Bullet, powder, primer, case? results?

[omcforever]

Winchester case/cci primer LR/nosler 125 BT/3031 powder and just tune it in! Very accurate deer load when dialed into your gun.

[rsl]

My 30/30 Handi will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards. with Winchester 170 grain Power Point factory loads.. Give them a try..

[kevinsmith5]

MIne will do that too. I'm looking for handloads in bullet profiles not usually available in the 30-30.  I can stretch the 1" at 100 to under an inch at 150 with the Hornady LeverEvolutions.  Figure a similiar profile without the flex tip should be able to match or better, but want to see what others are doing.

[quickdtoo]

I'd work with the 125gr Sierra PH SPT #2120, it's got a broad terminal performance range, they show data for 30-30 TC Pistol @1800fps all the way up thru 30-06AI @3400fps, their 30-30 TC data should work great for it.  A friend uses it in his 308Win for mulies, works great, I load it in my 30-30AI H&R. I have their manual if you need a load for a particular powder you'd like to work with.

Tim

http://www.sierrabullets.com/index.cfm?section=bullets&page=bc&stock_num=2120&bullettype=0

[cwlongshot]

Years ago, I was shooting the Nosler 125BT from my Contender carbine. With great success. For some time now, this same exact load is just as good in my Handis.

The 150 Nosler BT has proven just as good in the Handi. My pop shot one last year with it. Shot her at about 80 yards, she took two or three steps, he thought he missed, and she toppled over dead. Quarter sized exit

I recently picked up the new Hornady FTX 160 Gr. bullet. I have these loaded up waiting for a trip to the range... Time will tell. I really DO like the idea of a heavier bullet.

 I load it with the Hornady or Speer 170FP bullets for my marlins.


 I use one powder for all my 30-30 loads, WW748. One thing about this powder, seems powder companies have been backing off the amounts for this powder for some time. Mine is about 4Gr's ABOVE current published max. But if you look back about 20 years when I found this load, it was BELOW max by about 2-3 grains!!! At my loading, its safe in my guns, gives me all the accuracy, velocity I could ever need. Give it a try.

CW

[carbineman]

We have used the 130 grain Barnes in whatever form(X-XLC-TSX) they make them these days with R-P cases, W748 propellant, 9 1/2M Remington primer. Seat these about 25 thousandths off the lands of the rifling and accuracy should be under MOA. The Barnes have been the best accuracy wise for us. I have not tried the Sierra or Noslers mentioned above, as the Barnes shot well from the get go. If it ain't broke we don't fix it. BLC-2 propellant works well also. We have some WC846 surplus that does a great job and uses BLC-2 loading data.

I use the 130 grain Hornady SSSP (now discontinued) with the same components for practise rounds, as the Barnes are more for hunting rounds because of the cost factor. All the data comes out of the Hogdgon #26 manual

[Blackhawker]

All of my single shot 30-30 loads are fired from both T/C pistols and rifles.  I've experimented with roughly five or six powders for this caliber and I've settled on two powders that seem to work the best for both pistol and rifle loads.  I have also found these powders to work well, if not the best in my 94 lever action with flat or round nosed bullets as well.  The two powders I work with are H-335 and Hodgdon's Varget.  As for bullets, I typically shoot 125 or 150 grain pointed soft points from the single shots and 150 or 170 grain round noses or flat points from the lever action. 

You're probably asking, why not shoot 170 grainers from the single shot?  Basically, I have worked up loads that perform well in both lengths of barrels for my T/C's.  I typically don't shoot 170 grainers from them because of load variances from pistol to rifle barrel lengths.  So please don't be mislead by my personal system, 170 grain bullets work very well in single shot rifle barrels too.

I'm sure that you'll quickly find some loads that work for you given the data presented thus far.  It has been my experience that the 30-30 is a fairly forgiving caliber to work with for accuracy.

Good luck and have fun!

[quickdtoo]

Barnes has data for the 130gr TSX BT (spitzer) if anyone wants it, I'll be working with the TTSX later this year, it has a .350 BC, the TSX is .340.

Tim

http://www.barnesbullets.com/images/30-30WinchesterWeb.pdf

[lefty41]

I recently picked up the new Hornady FTX 160 Gr. bullet. I have these loaded up waiting for a trip to the range... Time will tell. I really DO like the idea of a heavier bullet.

  I use one powder for all my 30-30 loads, WW748. One thing about this powder, seems powder companies have been backing off the amounts for this powder for some time. Mine is about 4Gr's ABOVE current published max. But if you look back about 20 years when I found this load, it was BELOW max by about 2-3 grains!!! At my loading, its safe in my guns, gives me all the accuracy, velocity I could ever need. Give it a try.

CW
[/quote]cwlongshot, I have been trying to find load info for the Hornady FTX 160 GR. bullet. Do have WW748 powder and IMR4865. Do you think that load data for the 150 gr bullet would work, or is there any new data for the FTX?
Thanks

[cwlongshot]

That data is available directly from Hornady is you send them a Email asking for it.

 I HAD the data, but seem to have miss filed the file.

CW

[quickdtoo]

Here tis...

[greg916]

I like the traditional bullets for the 30-30 with a lot of lead exposed. They just seem to work well for me. My favorite powders are 3031, ww748, and for the lighter bullets rl7. I like my bullets to stay +/- 3" for a deer load. About 220 yards is about all I can get regardless of what bullet I use. One of my favorites , a 170 gr flat nose has a MPBR of 170 yards. I have not tried the Hornady LE's yet,but hope to soon.

[JPShelton]

Back when a .30-30 Marlin 336 was the only rifle I had, I used to load 125 Sierra Pro-Hunters on top of 3031 and used them two at a time (one in the spout, one in the magazine) for California mule deer when hunting areas where I might have to shoot beyond 200 yards.  It was the max load from the Sierra Manual back then and it was pleasant to shoot, accurate, and surprisingly effective on the four or five deer that I killed using it.  I only had to shoot one of them twice, IIRC, and that was because I muffed the first shot.  Other deer I shot with the .30-30 fell to a load using Sierra's 170 grain flat nose.

My dad used my rifle a few times with loads tipped with the now discontinued 130 grain Hornady Single Shot Pistol bullet.  He wasn't very impressed with it, but I suspect that he didn't hit his animals squarely with it, either.  I used the same load on Spanish goats and mouflons out in California and dropped them instantly dead.  If they still made those bullets, those are the ones that I would use if I had a Handi in "Thutty-Thutty."  Since they don't, I'd have to use the Sierra 125 because of past positive experience with it.

-JP

[lefty41]

Thanks to cwlongshot and quickdoo for the load info on 30-30 FTX! Now to find some in the Columbus, OH area. Maybe Vance will have them.

[GeorgiaDave]

Greetings from Georgia,

  Years ago we used to load ballistic tip bullets for our lever guns, and it made a great 2 shot gun. I had a bunch of rounds loaded with 150 gr. Noslers, and a full charge of H4895 that I tried in an open sight NEF 30/30. Man did this gun love those rounds. I had never even considered putting a scope on the gun because it was the designated "swamp gun" and would never see a shot much over 75 yards. That lowly old ugly single shot with the beat up wood was a certified deer slayer. I contribute as much to the load choice as I do to the gun. These rounds used a regular LR primer, and whatever brass we had on hand and never bothered to sort it by brand. Full length size, prime, fill, seat, repeat. We still lovingly refer to these rounds as being "meat seeking bullets". Nothing fancy, but VERY effective. They work equally well on pigs. I would like to see what kind of group they would shoot with the aid of a scope, but I just can't see that particular rifle "wearing glasses". Good Luck and God Bless.

Dave

[kevinsmith5]

Thanks for all the responses. Now all I have to do is wait for the 125 gr Sierras to come in the mail.  With the size deer we have around here (Eastern NC) anything larger borders on overkill anyway.