Author Topic: New to me 30/30  (Read 859 times)

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Offline Jon in TN

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New to me 30/30
« on: December 16, 2010, 06:46:29 AM »
I just traded that sportster off for a 30/30 Handi. Now I've got me another woods rifle. What weight bullet do your Handi's shoot best? I'm hunting whitetail, so all off them are enough for the kill....

Thanks,

Jon

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2010, 06:53:29 AM »
Congrats, both of mine shoot 125gr-150gr just fine, I've not shot anything heavier, I've hunted with the 125gr Sierra SPT in my 30-30 AI Handi, never got lucky enough to see a buck tho!  :-\

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain

Offline siamese4570

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2010, 08:09:24 AM »
Jon, Just sold my 30-30 barrel (got my eye on something else).  It worked well with plain old 150 gr Rem Cor-locks and win 748 powder.  You'll like shooting it, doesn't beat you to death.

siamese4570

Offline RickC.

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2010, 09:32:33 AM »
I've killed two deer so far with 125 Ballistic Tips.  36.0 3031 averages 2672 in my 22" Handi-- that's IMR's max load listed for the T/C Contender.

I originally hunted with the 130 Hornady Spire (#3020) but the one deer I killed with it required a long tracking job and a second shot.  The first bullet had come apart when hitting two ribs, and the shot was 110 yds.  I've had no such trouble with the Nosler BTs. 


                     Rick
"You cain't teach what you don't know anymore than you can come back from where you ain't been"- John Osteen

Offline Jon in TN

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2010, 01:35:52 PM »
Lots of good info guys! Unfortunatly, I have very little time to shoot much less reload. So I'm stuck with factory loads until I get to a different place in my life. I have a box of 150 grain Fed. Fusions that came in the deal. Do an of you have a factory round that your 30/30 likes in particular?

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2010, 01:37:33 PM »
Yup, see the middle target I posted, click it to make it legible.  ;)

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain

Offline RickC.

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2010, 02:46:29 PM »
Hard to fault the accuracy of those 150 Rems in Tim's rifle!

This was the Speer 150 BTSP over 37.0 748, avg 2419 fps, 3 shots 0.665" @ 100 yds:



I have not hunted with this load-- partly because Speer engineers told me this velocity is adequate for this bullet, but just barely and they'd like to see a couple hundred more fps before using it on whitetail, but mostly because the 125 Ballistic Tip has been great and I don't see any reason to change right now. 

I suspect this bullet might be OK at 2400 or so because I killed a bunch of deer with the 165 BTSP in a .308 Win with an 18 1/2" barrel for over 20 years before I ever got around to getting a chronograph-- and the Win 760 load pushed it to only 2510 in that rifle (a Rem 788).

Man, just see how your rifle likes those Fusions, and if it works out, go hunt with it and don't give it another thought.  If they don't, you can certainly do worse than green box Rems that Tim used!

Congrats on the .30-30, mine is a close rival to my .45-70 for being my favorite Handi!


                     Rick
"You cain't teach what you don't know anymore than you can come back from where you ain't been"- John Osteen

Offline cwlongshot

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2010, 11:53:32 PM »
 Sorry, no experience with this caliber and factory loads. I have loaded and shot, but one load, in all my 30-30s for many many years... XX g of 748 powder and a 170 Hornady FP bullet. This load is above max in current manuals so I will not post here.
 But back 25 years ago when I arrived at it, it was below max and still shoots great. Recently I tried a box of the Hornady 160 FTX bullets. WOW do these babies shoot!!! One deer so far with them and she died in mid stride about 50' from impact. I think the bullets are on the fragile side, but worked well enough. Maybe try a box of factory FTX for the 30-30...

Merry Christmas,
 CW
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Offline rsl

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2010, 04:36:24 AM »
My 30/30 loves Winchester 170gr Power Points right out of the box.. Same hole at 100 yards when I can hold it. Ha.Good luck..

Offline petemi

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #9 on: December 18, 2010, 04:38:40 AM »
I haven't reloaded for my .30-30 handi as yet, even though I have dies, bullets, powder and brass.  My Marlin 336 always liked Winchester 170 gr. Silvertips, and the Handi seems to enjoy the same diet.  I did have some problems with 170 gr. Cor-Lokts....completed boiler room pass thru with little expansion.  I believe, from past experience, the heavier bullet on the factory load may not be moving fast enough to perform properly.....I could be very wrong.  When I went back to the Winchesters, the problem was over.

I have 165 gr. Ballistic Tips to load for it and I will do so soon.

Pete
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Offline cjrjck

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Re: New to me 30/30
« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2010, 11:18:12 AM »
Because it is a single shot, spitzer bullets are okay. I load the 130 grain Barnes tipped TSX. Since Barnes went to the TSX style bullets, they are almost always the most accurate of any I try. Terminal performance is unreal.