30-30 load request

[30calflash]

Hello, what is your standard velocity load for a 30-30 with 150 grain jacketed bullets?

I've both Remington corelokt and Hornady RN to try in my Marlin.

I've several powders, was hoping to narrow the field a little.

[sghart3578]

While I can't necessarily help with your jacketed loads, my best accuracy for my 150gr and 170gr loads with cast comes from IMR 3031. A close second has been H4895.

[ShooterAZ]

My go to powder is Leverevolution. It will give top velocity and accuracy with lower pressures than many other powders. Jacketed or cast, this stuff really shines in the 30-30. 3031 is a time proven performer, but LVR is hands down my favorite.

[John Boy]

Flash - bookmark and read, including velocity ... http://reloadammo.com/3030load.htm

[30calflash]

Thanks for the info thus far. I'm not trying to push it to the max, just what factory loads do. Only with jacs at this point.

I hope to run some this weekend on a range that has 300 yards available and want to see what it's capable of, I don't plan to use it for hunting to 300, wouldn't push it that far for hunting. But it's nice to know what the rifle/load/shooter may be able to do with what we have.

[Bird]

IMR 3031 or W 748. I load to within 1/2 grain of maximum.

[Texas by God]

IMR 3031 or W 748. I load to within 1/2 grain of maximum.Very likely what R-P and W-W load in their factory ammo! I like those two and IMR 4320 and R15.

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[Char-Gar]

3031, 30 grains

[725]

I'll echo Char-Gar: 30 grs 3031 @ .30-30

[OverMax]

Experimented w/ many. Only one garnered my smile._ AA-2230

[Texas by God]

This is where I started 45 years ago.
And still use it.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180921/0a495bc41ddf5c4a7f64b4a7f77c7233.jpg

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[popper]

LeverE and ftx will get you to 200 for hunting, coreloc barely. 300 is a fun idea.

[Texas by God]

It always struck me as hilarous that the 30-30 in a Contender is a long range hunting tool and a scoped Marlin 30-30 will barely lob a bullet 200 yards.
Some people[emoji41]

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[Minerat]

Imr 4064 35.0 gr - CCI 250 primer - 150 gr RNSP - WW brass- 2378 fps average

[BoolitBill]

Even though I am getting old and forgetful, this is the load I can remember: 29gr of 3031

[bob208]

30.5 gr h335. for a caliber that is so "short ranged" it seams to work well with so many different powders. I use it to 200 yds. only because that is the longest we can shoot around here.
"

[Larry Gibson]

30calflash

If your Marlin has a 20" barrel then 200 yards is realistic with the 150s using LvR powder. With the 160 FTX Hornady 250 is very doable. If you've a 24" barrel then 300 yards is certainly possible. With a 20" barrel expect velocities to be 125 - 150 +/- fps less than recorded below. I did this test in May of 2011.

LeveRevoltuion Powder; 30-30 w/150 gr Bullets

Picked up a pound of the new Hodgdon LeveRevolution powder. I wanted to get a feel for this powder before attempting cast bullet loads. The suggested load on the powder lable said 35.5 gr with the 160 gr FTX bullet. I didn't have any of those but wanted to see how that powder did with 150 gr jacketed. I've a supply of 150 gr Winchester 30-30 PPs so I decided to work up a load with those. I started at 36 gr and worked up to 40 gr.

FLS'd PMC cases were used with WLR primers A LFCD was used to apply the crimp. AOL was 2.53". The rifle used for the test is my M94AE which has a strain gauge attached for psi measurements via the M43 Oehler PBL. The test was ran at TRRC range in University Place, 240 ft ASL with the temp at 48 degrees.

A 5 shot string of factory 160 LeveRevolution 160 gr FTX rounds were fired prior to the test to get a "reference" for velocity and the peak MAP (Maximum Average pressure). The factory ammo ran 2433 fps at 36,800 psi(M43). A previous test of that factory ammunition at 75 degrees gave 2452 fps at 37,800 psi(M43). The SAAMI MAP for the 30-30 is 42,000 psi. Given the temperature this morning I decided that a psi(M43) of 37,000 would be my MAP with the reloads.

Bottom line is 40 gr of LeveRevolution under that 150 gr PP is a 100% density load. It topped out at 37,100 psi(M43) with a velocity of 2551 fps. Accuracy for the 5 shots was 2.1" with the aperture sights. The time/pressure curve was not as steep with considerably more time under the "rise" than with the factory load. The peak psi was reached at mid barrel length (12") with the reload vs 9" with the factory load. Standard factory 150/170 gr jacketed load hit peak psi at 7 - 8" of barrel. Yes I can measure where the peak psi occurs in the barrel.

Some years back after reading Paco Kelly's articles on loading for the newer M94s I developed a Paco 150 gr load using H335 in a similar M94AE with a 24" barrel. Loads were developed by watching primer back out and stopping when the primer was no longer backing out. This indicates there is then sufficient psi to be pushing the case back against the bolt. PO Ackley gives a very good description of this technique in his writings. I stopped 3 gr under what a current loading manual listed as max for that bullet at the time. Velocity was 2527 fps and accuracy was good. That load tested this morning revealed a MAP of 44,400 psi(M43), obviously over SAAMI's MAP for the 30-30.

Bottom line here is that the LeveRevolution Powder is allowing a very real 2550 fps with 150 gr jacketed bullet at factory level psi's below the SAAMI MAP. That's pretty darn good to me and is a worth while powder thus far tested. I'm looking forward to some 311041s over this powder in this M94AE.

Results of 10 shot confirmation string with LeveRevoltion powder and the 150 gr Winchester PP 30-30 bullet. Reminder; testing was done in a 24" barreled M94AE Black Shadow rifle.

Before the results of the test load let's review factory 150 gr loads as tested in this same rifle. They range from 1975 fps with some older REM-UMCs up wards of 2301 fps with some new R-P and Federal 150 gr loads. The psi(M43) MAP of the 2300 fps loads was right at 38,800, pretty much where it should be given the temperature of the day and a commercial chamber/barrel used in testing. The old "Paco Kelly 150 gr load using H335 runs 2450 fps with the psi(M43) MAP at 40,200 with the highest psi at 42,500 psi. This would really be pushing the SAAMI MAP of 42,000 psi on a warmer day. Must be why I list it as a max load in my notes!

The LeveRevoltion load of 40 gr under the 150 gr PP in PMC cases with a WLR primer ran right at 2540 fps with a psi(M43) MAP of 37,000. The 10 shot velocity SD was 22 fps and the ES was 45 fps. The psi(M43) SD was 800 and the ES was 1,800. That is very uniform. Accuracy BTW was 2.4" 10 shot group at 100 yards with my tired old eyes and the aperture M66 rear sight with a post front sight, about the best I can do any more.

So for results we see a big performance gain of 240 fps over the fastest factory 150 gr ammunition and a 100 fps gain over the best reload with normal powder. All with less psi and better internal uniformity. The cost of the powder ($22.99/lb at the most expensive gunstore in town) is very comparable to any other newly manufactured canister powder available today. Certainly an excellent load with jacketed 150 gr bullets or the Hornady 160 gr FTX. I will definitely be trying this powder with 177 gr 311041s in the 30-30 and perhaps there might be some applications in the .308W.

Larry Gibson

[Drm50]

On 150g jackets I go 32.5g /IMR-3031 book says 2300fps. 130gr jackets are 35.0gr/ Win 748 at
2600fps. For Speer 110g Hp it's 37.0g / IMR-4064 at 2710fps. & for the 100g 1/2 jacket plinkers
6.4g/ Unique at 1200fps. These are my standard loads that I have been using for years. Most of
shooting is done with Marlin 336s. That's what loads were developed for. I have went with lighter
bullets than 100gr but didn't get accuracy. Never saw need for heavier than 150g. Shot a lot of deer
with 150s with no problem. The 130 do well also. I don't like to go much over 100yds with iron
sights on 30/30 for deer and not over 200yds with scope. Furthest I have killed a deer with 30/30
was about 125yds. I have made shots on targets and varmits with 130s that make guys talk to themselves. I'm running Lyman 66 sights on 336s and stock irons on 1894 Win. I guess I'm not good
enough shot to pull off all the 250-300 yd deer kills I hear about with 30/30. I like 30/30 but it does
have its limitations.

[popper]

scoped Marlin 30-30 will barely lob a bullet 200 yards. No, just the RN or FP with BC of 0.2 has a 2ft drop @ 300 ft. and energy @200 is 1k ft-lb, sometimes the legal limit for rifle hunting.
LeverE works for me using 170 & 185gr cast RD style boolits as well as the 150 coreloc, most anything in the 30/30/

[Larry Gibson]

Scoped Marlin with 150 RN at 2350 fps;

Zero at 175 yards, 2.75" high at 100 yards
Is 2.75" low at 200 yards
Is 10" low at 250 yards with 1450 fps remaining.

Doable with 150 RN and LvR powder.....much better with the Hornady 160 FTX with LvR powder though........

[Ramjet-SS]

Larry the information you present is fantastic. Based on a very long thread some time ago I have been using LVrev for some time with cast bullets fantastic velocity and the accuracy is as impressive. I appreciate the great information you provide.

[smkummer]

If I was using a scoped 30-30 rifle, I would sight in like Larry posted and with masking tape, tape that data to the buttstock. My main range has a 200 yard berm, that’s basically one step (maybe 2) higher on the elevation ladder on a open sight from the 100 yard setting with a full power jacketed load.

[FergusonTO35]

30 grains IMR 4064 under any 150 grain slug is deadly out of my Glenfield 30.

[30calflash]

Thanks for the info presented thus far.

My interest were in being able to get on target out to 300 yards with the scoped Marlin. I mentioned I've several powders but I was limited by some time constraints before getting to the range.

I used the Hornady 3035 150 rn bullet, Rem case, Win LR primers and an accuracy load from a Lyman manual with Win 748 powder, 33.8 grs. OAL to the crimp groove.

Started at 100 yds, 3 shots group centered well on target, a 100 yd 'D' reduction. I came up 4 MOA and fired 3 into a D repair center at 200 yds, group about 2 MOA a little high and left. Fired 1 round at a 10" swinger and hit it. Came up another 6 MOA, 10 total from 100, and fired 3 rounds. Group high, to the right some, with one round about 2.5" above the top edge of the paper. Approximate group size about 12". These was fired from prone with a sling.

At this point my back started to tell me it wasn't happy and I stopped for the day. Not a conclusive test but a point to start from again and try a few other loads mentioned here.

Besides the Win 748 I have IMR 3031, 4895, 4064. Also some Accurate 2230 and 2520. I want to use the powders I have on hand and use a few up before getting another.

Again, thanks for the help. 30CF.

[Texas by God]

Wouldn't a tight sling affect a tube magazine/ two piece stock lever action rifle adversely?

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[30calflash]

Wouldn't a tight sling affect a tube magazine/ two piece stock lever action rifle adversely?

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I didn't use a tight sling, just snug. I couldn't attach it to the magazine band in place so I used a USGI web sling, looped up on my support arm and a small loop on the keeper end. That end was set to slip over the muzzle and have the keeper rest on the end of the forend. Even trying to be consistent it's something that needs to be worked on in future range sessions.

Although not tight it could have made a difference in grouping as the change in size from 200 to 300 was a lot. But with 3 rounds fired at each distance it's not enough to make any hard decision upon, other than another test with some more rounds fired will be in order. The next time I won't have 300 yds to work in though.

[FergusonTO35]

If you're serious about accuracy in a lever action .30-30, you may want to look at getting one of the half magazine versions with no barrel band. My cheapo Glenfield 30 is bolt gun accurate with it's favorite load even though it has a skinny barrel and somewhat rough bore. I bet the 336XLR would be even better.

[Texas by God]

I've yet to try Lever Evolution powder but Larry G and Popper are making me want to. If it works in any other caliber I load for....I bought some Superformance soon after it came out only to find it's Un- versatile. However it is flat magic in the 22-250 with higher velocity and great accuracy!

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[30calflash]

If you're serious about accuracy in a lever action .30-30, you may want to look at getting one of the half magazine versions with no barrel band. My cheapo Glenfield 30 is bolt gun accurate with it's favorite load even though it has a skinny barrel and somewhat rough bore. I bet the 336XLR would be even better.

There was an article in Handloader magazine that I understand as the magazine dilemna can be overcome by not filling the entire mag. I loaded 3 rounds, levered in the first and started firing the groups. There were only 2 rounds max in the magazine at one time.

I think this would act in a similar manner as a half magazine rifle.

[popper]

You should try it. Works great for 30/30 & 308MX. SIL got 3 shot cloverleaf @ 100 with the MX (factory FTX) vs my FTX reloads with LeverE - he also got a pretty good sized pig with it. It does work and works well with cast. Hot loads in the MX are worse than dove loads in a 5# 12ga SS high drop stock. It should work OK in 308W, just never tried it. The faster pressure curve , maybe a compressed load from the factory?