Who has taken big game with the Lee 309-170?

[Abert Rim]

Just got to thinking that I can't recall reading any stories of hunters killing their deer, bear, etc, with this fine gas-checked boolit. They come out at 178 grains checked from my range scrap alloy. Have an old Marlin 36 in .30-WCF inbound, and hope the bore is good enough to shoot this boolit well.

[versa-06]

At 30-30 speeds & the right alloy, it is as good as a cup & core bullet

[Texas by God]

Not yet but my 30-40 is sighted in for them.


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[Abert Rim]

My Model 36 arrived yesterday and the bore is very good, so I will be trying these real soon. My brass should be in the mail today. This Lee bullet is very clearly the child of the great Lyman 311041.

[Charlie Horse]

I can't hunt deer with a 30-30 here in Illinois, but I did win a buffalo shoot with that boolit out of my Winchester. It performed well at 200 yards, knocking over both small silhouettes (chickens) and the big, metal buff.

[mnewcomb59]

If you can't get 1900 fps with good accuracy and 12 BHN you would be better off using a 357 rifle.

If you cast that thing hard enough for a 10" twist 30-30 and shoot it at 1700-1800 fps you will be disappointed and have a pretty long tracking job. If you can get 1900+ fps and verify that the bullet will mushroom at your max range, it will kill deer nicely.

[waksupi]

I killed an elk at about five feet to keep it from running over me.

[Winger Ed.]

Not the Lee FP, but with a RCBS 170RN. I've killed a few deer.
In .30-30, you can pump 'em up to more or less factory ammo speeds.

I've also loaded it in .308 and .30-06 up to around full house .30-30 speeds,
and it wants to be accurate and make ya look good.

[WILCO]

I killed an elk at about five feet to keep it from running over me.

Was this at a petting zoo?

Can't find the purple font.

[Winger Ed.]

Was this at a petting zoo?

Good question.
Since zoos in the South have recipes posted next to the exhibits.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

If you can't get 1900 fps with good accuracy and 12 BHN you would be better off using a 357 rifle.

If you cast that thing hard enough for a 10" twist 30-30 and shoot it at 1700-1800 fps you will be disappointed and have a pretty long tracking job. If you can get 1900+ fps and verify that the bullet will mushroom at your max range, it will kill deer nicely.

If your shooting out to or past 100 yards you need the speed. But I think 1,700 to 1,800 is plenty fine at closer ranges as long as you hit the vitals. Miss those even with a factory hunting round you could have a lost deer. I have good accurate 30-30 and .308 cast loads of #2 alloy in the 1,700 - 1,800 range that I would not to hesitate to use for deer. But I think I would prefer a boolit larger than .310" for big game. But then you start to edge into muzzle loading ranges.

[versa-06]

I would try powders in the W-748 range, & powder coating is very helpful with achieving a little more velocity. And by the way powder coating is not difficult at all. -06

[35 Rem]

Not that specific bullet but I've used the similar RCBS 32-170-FN in a 32 Winchester Special. I got 3 does last year from as close as 100 yards on out to 160 or so. My load chronographs at 2,135 ft/sec. Alloy is 50/50 Clip on Wheel Weights/Pure lead plus 2% Tin. Expansion in water filled milk jugs is pretty explosive at 100 yards. The most damage is in the 1st 2 jugs with the 3rd noticeably less damaged. I shot some at 175 yards and the damage was more consistent throughout the 1st 4 jugs. It killed the deer well but not as fast as a 35 caliber bullet I've used with a significantly larger meplate in the 35 Remington. The 3 deer shot with the 32 Special ran from about 40 yards to 75 yards. All 3 shots were pass throughs.

If it were me, I'd load that Lee bullet as fast as your gun will shoot it with acceptable accuracy and go hunting. My minimum velocity for cast rifle hunting loads is 2,000 ft/sec. I know you don't have to have that but I want more or less factory ammo killing power when hunting with cast and with cartridges such as the 30-30 you can have it.

[firefly1957]

I have not taken a deer with that bullet it sure does the damage on Quill pigs and feral cats ! Testing shows that my load pretty much works the same as a jacketed factory load in the 30-30.
I cast the bullet dead soft ,spray paint it with enamel paint then bake at 400 degrees with gas check the bullet weighs 184 grains .
I use IMR-3031 to propel it to 2040 f/s and get groups under two inches at 100 yards from a 1953 Marlin 336 (scoped) .
I did try leverlution powder and may shotgun patterns better! The same powder charge of leverlution under a Speer 170 br. hot core made a cloverleaf 100 yard group!
I did notice leverlution makes a lot of smoke for some reason it was not quite as bad as black powder .....

[pmer]

Not that specific bullet but I've used the similar RCBS 32-170-FN in a 32 Winchester Special. I got 3 does last year from as close as 100 yards on out to 160 or so. My load chronographs at 2,135 ft/sec. Alloy is 50/50 Clip on Wheel Weights/Pure lead plus 2% Tin. Expansion in water filled milk jugs is pretty explosive at 100 yards. The most damage is in the 1st 2 jugs with the 3rd noticeably less damaged. I shot some at 175 yards and the damage was more consistent throughout the 1st 4 jugs. It killed the deer well but not as fast as a 35 caliber bullet I've used with a significantly larger meplate in the 35 Remington. The 3 deer shot with the 32 Special ran from about 40 yards to 75 yards. All 3 shots were pass throughs.

If it were me, I'd load that Lee bullet as fast as your gun will shoot it with acceptable accuracy and go hunting. My minimum velocity for cast rifle hunting loads is 2,000 ft/sec. I know you don't have to have that but I want more or less factory ammo killing power when hunting with cast and with cartridges such as the 30-30 you can have it.

I've got 3 deer with this load and alloy. 2 were broadside and passed through and had golf ball sized holes. The other was a monster buck angled towards me. It didn't pass through but it ran less than a hundred yards and took a finishing shot. It went in between the shoulder and neck but didn't find the boolit.
Season opener is Saturday for us middle Minnesotans'

[Abert Rim]

I first started handloading back in high school, 1970. The rifle was a new Marlin 336 .30-30 ordered from Herter's, press was a brand-new RCBS Junior, bullets were Sierra 150s and the powder was good old IMR 3031.
No 3031, or 748 or Re7 at the house currently, darn it.

[waksupi]

Was this at a petting zoo?

Can't find the purple font.

It comes from being in the middle of a trail when the elk is heading up, and tops a rise!

[Texas by God]

It comes from being in the middle of a trail when the elk is heading up, and tops a rise!

The shots measured in feet are much more exciting, for sure!


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[1Papalote]

Tried the Lee 170 but my gun likes the RD311165 more better. Took a TX wtd last year. Neck shot, fairly close

[popper]

Larry G did some testing for me using LeverE and 185gr GC (like RD 311-185), PCd, got almost 2200 fps. Easy to push them that fast.