Best boolit for .30-30 on Deer?

[FergusonTO35]

Hey guys. I am planning to use boolits in my Marlin Glenfield 30 for deer this year. This rifle has a 20" barrel with what looks like micro groove rifling, it doesn't say so on the barrel. I'm thinking a gas check 150 grain at 2,000 fps is what I need since this is pretty close to the 150 grain j-word slug at 2150 fps I've always used. Would the Lee 150 grain GC flat point be a good choice? What about powders? I use Varget in my j-word loads but it seems boolits would prefer something else. How about Accurate 5744 or Hodgdon 4895? These two seem to be quite favored for boolits in leverguns.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

Give a look at Ranch Dog Outdoors 165 grain RNFLgc. Designed for the thutty thutty and according to him, it works.

www.ranchdogoutdoors.com

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[x101airborne]

my ballard marlin just loves the 160 ish Ranch dog air cooled 50 pure / 50 wheelweights. And it kills hogs well, but I have yet to drop a deer with it. I dont remember my charge, but I am using 4895 surplus with a .7 grain dacron filler and the ranch dog on top. The dacron is probably not needed, but that is what I was using during my last range session. I still have more testing to go.

[runfiverun]

i use the rcbs 150 fngc.
as long as the nose gently engraves the rifling,the body fills your groove diameter, the round dechambers,and the boolit has a flat nose you have a good boolit for the 30-30.
there is no reason that the varget you have now won't work at about the same load you use now.
michaels 165 is designed for the marlin rifles,so it would do the job too.
i am just not a fan of tumble lube designed boolits.

[btroj]

I have the RD 165 and the NOE version of same. I like how well they shoot. I prefer the traditional grooves of the NOE version.

It is just so easy to get it to shoot well.

Run have sound advice on how to get a rifle to like a bullet.

[Larry Gibson]

Fergusonto35

I use 2 different 150-155 gr cast bullets (RCBS 150 and a 150 gr GB WFN similar to the RD bullet) in my 30-30s but they are 12" twist. I push both to 2200 fps for hunting. Given the 10" twist of your Marlin MicroGroove barrel I'd suggest a heavier 170 - 190 gr bullet and keep the velocity down under 2000 fps for best accuracy. The 311041 at 177 - 180 gr and the RCBS 180 FN at 190 gr have always worked well in Marlins with MicroGroove and 10" twists best for me. All will kill deer just fine, it's a matter of which shoots the best at the highest velocity. Since 1950 - 2000 fps is about max velocity for best accuracy with 10" twists the heavier bullets get the nod from me. 26 - 28 gr H4895 will be a very good loa with the 311041 or the 180 FN.

Larry Gibson

[Hamish]

This is looking like one of the usual suspects:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=129155

Ferguson, I can't help but wince a little every time I see you post. A couple of years back I made the mistake of selling my '53 Massey Harris Ferguson TO35. Wut-uh-dunce.

[303Guy]

I'm a heavy boolit fan for better or worse (probably better in the Brit) but anyway, I found a load for 200gr j-word using W748 - 34grs and producing over 2200 fps. That seems a little hot. I'd personally be looking at a 200gr FN at 2000 fps or less - probably less and I'm not sure on the powder. It is 'similar' to Varget. I'd think Varget or H4350 would be good. H414 (W760) maybe? I don't have a 30-30 so I'm only speculating based on what I've read. No doubt a heavy boolit isn't the only way to go and perhaps a lighter and hense shorter boolit would reduce chamber pressure and allow for a dacron filler (whichs acts as a was and seems to protect plain boolit bases).

[leadman]

22,000 fps!!!!! 303guy tell us how you are getting that. Must be them propiratory downunder powders. LOL.

I shoot the 311041 at about 13grs on top of 28grs of H4895 and it shoots real well. Have carried it elk hunting in the junipers but so far have only dispatched jack rabbits and crows with it. Makes a mess of them.

[Gee_Wizz01]

Another vote for the RD 165. I also have both the real Ranch Dog and the NOE traditional groove version. Both work equally well and that large meplat works great on critters. When you hit a deer or hog they make a loud thwaaaak sound, that is unmistakeable. They both are extremely accurate in my rifles. Another boolit I get good results with in the .30-30 is the Lyman 311291 170gr RN. Yes the round is perfectly safe in a tubular magazine. The 311291 also shoots extremely well in my 30-06 giving 1 1/4" 10 shot groups at 100yds.

G

[chuck4570]

I have a glenfield model 30. I don't have a ranch dog (Noe) mold yet, but it shoots LBT 170GR. LCFN very accurate with 19GR. of 4759 for about 1850 fps. Expansion is excellent with A/C WW.

[Lonegun1894]

I have both the Lee 150grFNGC and the Lee 170grFNGC, and both work well pushed by smokeless level loads of 3031. The 170 is very slightly more accurate than the 150 in my Marlin, but only by about .5" at 100yds, so the only two reasons I use the 170gr over the 150gr are that I have more confidence in the 170gr and that I prefer heavier bullets for most uses. But I have no doubt that the 150 would work just as well on any deer as the 170, especially considering that most of our deer are on the small side.

[303Guy]

22,000 fps!!!!! 303guy tell us how you are getting that.

No, not me. It's just a load I came across on the net. Probably a bolt gun? I wouldn't expect that from the Brit (although I have come close but with zero accuracy).

[nanuk]

303guy, what powder do you use suggest for that 22,000 fps? dynamite?

[Lonegun1894]

dynamite? We dont need no stinkin dynamite! Pass the C4 please? JK. Sorry, I'm sure it was a typo, but we gotta have some fun somehow...

As an aside, it the boolit velocity is 22,000fps, may I ask what the bolt velocity is?

[runfiverun]

im gunna go with 6 sumthin.
might be 600 yds dunno.

[303Guy]

OK, OK. I've corrected the typo. I was a bit slow yesterday!
Not enough coffee in the morning.
I hope I didn't send someone out to try replicate that velocity!?

[largom]

The Ranch Dog 165 and the Lyman 311041 both shoot great in my Marlins with Micro Groove. To be honest about it, my Marlins [have several} have been the easiest guns to work up good hunting loads for.

Larry

[white eagle]

I use the ranch dog with conventional lube grooves
and leverevolution powder and excellent combo

[Lonegun1894]

303Guy,
I'm pretty sure we all knew it was a typo, but hope you understand that we just had to have our fun with it.