Range

[wgaynor]

So, I've been loading my .30-.30 with a 170 grain (lee mould) flat point, plain base bullet at around 1500 fps using Industrial Pistol Powder. Accuracy is fairly good without any leading.

I've shot it at around 75 yards so far, but how far can I expect to shoot this bullet at 1500 fps? At 75 yards, would this be a good deer stopper?

[kbstenberg]

That is more up to your ability with a rifle, Your rifles ability and how it likes the bullet you make, the quality of the bullet you make, the alloy, the phase of the moon, your loads. Than anything else. Too many variables.

[1Shirt]

At 1500 it will shoot to 100 and far beyond, depending on your sight adjustment and your shooting ability. That said, the 30-30 can be loaded with cast up to factory vols with no problem. I personally would not consider 1500 what I would want to shoot deer with unless they were very very close. Think you would be better off to consider about 1800 fps as a good minimum for deer. I am sure you will find others who disagree with me on vol factors. So be it!
1Shirt!

[fcvan]

I had a buddy who was deadly accurate with his Winchester 30-30 he'd owned since the 1960s. He had only shot factory ammo and had never touched reloads. He did however save his brass. He was the kind of guy who neck shot deer with his rifle from 150 yards with witnesses and pictures. He was also adept at snap shooting soda cans at 50 yards as fast as he could cycle the action. I witnessed this after reloading his brass to match the factory loads he liked. He shot his gun a lot and knew where it hit at the instinctive level.

Using factory 150 grain bullets, his energy at 150 yards is the same as your 170 load at the muzzle. I had always thought of the 30-30 as a 100 yard gun and yet another buddy cleanly took a deer at 225 yards. He was an excellent shot and used a scope. His energy at 225 yards was the same as your load at 100 yards. Both of those men knew their weapon and the performance of the ammo selected.

If your gun shoots that round accurately, you can consistently hit a soda can from field type conditions, (sitting, kneeling, prone, from a rest, or standing) at varied and unmeasured distances out to 100 yards, know and understand the location of vital organs on the deer in your area, AND can do all of this whilst buck fever and adrenaline are coursing through you, your load will be a deer slayer!

Seriously though, I am amazed at the guys who sight in their rifle from a bench once a year and can't understand why they can't drop their deer at 400 yards. All of the best hunters I know are quite adept at knowing the capability of their weapon and the behavior of the animal they are stalking. I have a buddy who doesn't bench his rifle, he shoots off hand as 'there ain't no benches on the mountain.' Your load sounds like a good plinker which likely means you'll shoot it more often and therefore be able to deliver what energy your load produces with repeatable precision.

I'd keep it at 100 yards max or get a plain based gas check maker and run your velocities a bit higher. I make my 30 cal gas checks from aluminum flashing for standard gas check shanked boolits. I have the Lee 309-150 F for 30-30 and a member here sent me some Lee 309-170 F to try. Lately, I've been running them in a Springfield 03A3 30-06 and looking for about 1850 fps. Fun to shoot and certainly inexpensive. Good luck with your endeavors.

[sundog]

Years ago, one of the grandsons and I loaded some 31141 for him circa 1600 fps so he could tolerate the recoil. Well, he shot a deer with that load and hit back into the ribs. Off side exit hole took out a big chunk of rib and the deer ran about 60 yards and piled up. Shot distance was about 50 yards give or take. So, yeah, it'll work.

[wgaynor]

Sweet. This rifle and these loads are also my go to gun for 2 legged varmints (the predatory kind). I just wanted to make sure it would do the job.

[runfiverun]

compare your.308 170 gr boolit at 1500 fps to
a .357 158 gr boolit at 1500 fps.
you'll probably get a little more penetration with the 30-30.

[on1wheel01]

I have been thinking of casting for my 308 for hunting. But not sure yet if I really want to go that route.
But yes I think that would be a great knock down round

[dverna]

My opinion differs a bit.

If recoil is not a problem for you, why limit the velocity to 1500 fps? If leading and/or accuracy is not a problem, why limit velocity to 1500 fps?

With a .30/30 the goal for a hunting load should be to match factory ballistics as closely as possible with a load that is reasonably accurate. If you get a longish shot you will have a flatter trajectory and more energy.

You can kill a deer with a .22 but that does mean it is adequate. The goal is to kill as effectively as possible. That means having a bit more energy than minimum and a load that is as forgiving as possible if you get the range wrong and put the shot too high or too low.

Spend some time and have fun getting a "real" load for hunting. You quarry deserves it.

[runfiverun]

with a gas check you can better jaxketed velocitys with cast in the 30-30.
you could also just buy some hornady bullets and use a 308 and smoke your best 30-30 load by another 400 fps.
or get a 300 wiin mag for a 40 yd shot on a 120 lb deer.
lot's of guy's do that too.
or use a bow and 200 gr arrow at 200-300 fps,or a 160 gr round ball at 1400 fps.

[quilbilly]

One of the terminal ballistics tests I did last year was with my 30/30 using the Lee 160 rngc at 1550 fps. At 40 yards I got 17+ inches of penetration into soaked phone books and through an 1/8" thick sheet of plywood veneer buried 1-1/2" into the phone books to simulate a clipped rib. The boolits tumbled as you would expect with a round nose and made a huge, vicious "wound channel" almost 2" across even at the end. I usually hunt wih a muzzleloader but from those observations, I would say your load and boolit will be more than adequate out to 150 yards.

[1bluehorse]

with a gas check you can better jaxketed velocitys with cast in the 30-30.
you could also just buy some hornady bullets and use a 308 and smoke your best 30-30 load by another 400 fps.
or get a 300 wiin mag for a 40 yd shot on a 120 lb deer.
lot's of guy's do that too.
or use a bow and 200 gr arrow at 200-300 fps,or a 160 gr round ball at 1400 fps.

LOL....:-D exactly.........

[Wolfer]

I shoot a 311041 with a small HP at 1700 fps from my 30-30 and my 30-06. Worked good for me.
My neighbor has had some health problems the last few years and can't get out with his hawken so I've been loaning him my spare 06. He manages to shoot a deer or two every year from his back deck.

This year he was having some shoulder issues and was nervous about shooting full power loads so I gave him some of my cast loads with the warning that they would probaly work best at 100 yds or less.
Well he didn't see a deer at 100 yds so he shot one beyond 200 yds. First shot it went down but got back up. Second shot put it down for good.
One shot was a pass thru with good expansion the other was angled and went about 20" before lodging against the hide on the far side. Perfect mushroom all the way back to the crimp groove.
Don't know how fast this boolit is going at that range but it can't be very fast. But obviously fast enough.

[wgaynor]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't shoot with gaschecks right now because I want to load as cheaply as possible (kids are expensive and I work for a non-profit org). I know that a 34 grain .22lr can be pushed out to 200yards with some work. I didn't know with the velocity being the same, if a difference in weight and bc would alter the usable distance that much. I know with practice, all things are possible. I once had a karate instructor throw an ink pen through a 2x4 pine board... Just wasn't sure if the load was usable in a pinch.

[youngda9]

If you're not sure on energies, just keep your shot to a broadside double-lunger and there should be no problems.

[wgaynor]

Do you think the 170 grain bullet cast from wheel weights (air cooled) will expand any at 1500 fps, or should I try to put a hollow point in them with my forster Hollow Point tool?

[fcvan]

The 311041 at 1700 fps muzzle should be going about 1250 fps at 200 yards for about 600 fpe, according to an online calculator. According to the deer your buddy shot, it was a life changing, er, ending experience! I'm working on a similar load for a Springfield 03A3 and that level of performance at 100 to 150 yards looks promising.

[Wolfer]

The 311041 at 1700 fps muzzle should be going about 1250 fps at 200 yards for about 600 fpe, according to an online calculator. According to the deer your buddy shot, it was a life changing, er, ending experience! I'm working on a similar load for a Springfield 03A3 and that level of performance at 100 to 150 yards looks promising.

This is the main reason I like a small HP in my boolits. If the deer is close and a little shears off so what. If its further out I can still count on some expansion. In this case though the boolit was mushroomed below the bottom of the HP so it might work without it.
I know many people on here don't like HPs but I do and will continue to use them.