180gr./1700 FPS Ok For Deer?

[emrah]

My goal is a sub-100 yard load with a Lee C309-170 boolit. Mine weighs in at 181 grains after .311 sizing and lubing with gas check attached.

I'm trying to get a hunting load using Alliant 2400. I get great groups with 16.0gr., but know it might be a little slow (1500 fps-ish). I don't have a chronograph so I'm relying on published data and YOUR experiences.

I want to push it to 18.0gr. I THINK this would be about 1700 fps. Possibly 1800. It's out of a 20" barrel Win. 94 Ranger.

What do you think? Acceptable load under 100 yards?

Emrah

[iron mule]

with good shot placement i do not see a problem with this/// a lot of handgun rounds do not or barley meet this //// but the most important thing is the shot placement
mule

[imashooter2]

15.5 grains of 2400 gets a Lee C309-150F (actual weight 160ish) to ~1,750 fps average in my Marlin 30AS .30/30. You have a heavier boolit, but more powder. I'll bet you are right where you want to be.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
BOOLIT PLACEMENT, BOOLIT PLACEMENT, BOOLIT PLACEMENT.

[HammerMTB]

A J-word bullet of similar ballistics poorly placed will not drop a deer sized animal. Your load will work OK if, as has already been said, you put the boolit where it must go to terminate the critter.

[lbaize3]

+1 on what everyone else has already said. I use a .233 case necked up to 7mm (7 TCU) with a 140 grain bullet at about the velocity you mention. Dropped every thing I have hit with it....

[williamwaco]

Think of it this way.

Your .309 170 grain bullet at 1500 fps is a very high end .357 magnum load with one significant exception. The .309 bullet has significantly higher sectional density. This means it will penetrate much deeper than the .357.

Handgun hunters have been taking deer at the ranges you specify with 160 grain loads in the 1200 to 1300 fps range for ( If I remember correctly ) 80 years and they consider it to be quite effective.

You load is significantly less than a 30-30 equivalent but nontheless It is quite adequate for deer at sub 100 yard ranges.

[mpmarty]

I don't know about where you hunt but here in Oregon more deer die from 22 rimfire than any other caliber due to the proliferation of poachers shooting at night with lights.

[badbob454]

broken record again /......placement , get it in the sweet spot , should drop in 50 feet or so the lee 170 gr is a flatt point and should mushroom up a few calibers, given soft enough lead ... go for it

[Bret4207]

Shot placement is key. Many, many deer have been turned into meat with a 100 gr lead boolit at 1400 fps out of a 32-20. Many more have fallen to a 90 gr round ball. You probably won't get the DRT "bang, flop" like with a 338 Win Mag, but it won't be much longer than that.

30.0 3031 puts my RCBS 30-180FN over 2100 IIRC, that boolit comes in around 192 grs. But you have to decide whats good for you.