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chutesnreloads
09-02-2019, 01:49 PM
Anyone know what these were designed to be loaded for?I have an old 1980ish box of Winchester 30 cal. 180 grain Silvertip component bullets. Looking to load them in a .308 for hogs.I know 180 grain is a bit heavy for .308 but unless they're designed for .300 WinMag velocities they may work fine for 100 yard or less hogs.If they're too tough to expand I'll save them for something else

Winger Ed.
09-02-2019, 02:18 PM
Back in the day, they were the new, modern and improved do everything bullet.
The 180s were very popular as a hunting bullet in .30-06 & .300Mag.

As I recall, the silver tip is a rather thin Alum. cap over a spire point.
It looks like it'd perform like a FMJ,
but they do expand and splat more or less like a common lead exposed spire point.

I shot a bunch in .270 back then for deer hunting.
They did real well.

They're still offered in factory loaded 168 grain for .308.
168 to 180 doesn't sound like that big of a leap for handloading if you're careful about it.

That 180 in .30-06 is still a favorite for hunting.
It'd be in the groove for shooting a hog at 250, maybe 300yd.
The speed of it from a full house .308 at a hundred should be pretty close.

chutesnreloads
09-02-2019, 02:42 PM
Thanks.... mainly concerned about expansion.Also have a bag of the old Remington bronze points but from the way I've seen one go through a deer from a 30-06 I don't think those will expand enough for quick kills

too many things
09-02-2019, 06:19 PM
may be better to do a 150 flat in a 308 the 180 is bit heavy for a 308

Larry Gibson
09-02-2019, 10:30 PM
Winchester made 180 gr Silver Tips (and other weights) for various 30 cal cartridges. Are yours RN?

swheeler
09-03-2019, 09:57 AM
I don't remember any Round Nose Winchester Silvertips, thought they were all capped with the "truncated cone" looking aluminum nose cap. I would rather have a 150 grain ST in the 308.

30calflash
09-03-2019, 01:44 PM
I was selling some of the same a while back. From what I gather the 30 cal 180's work well in the non magnum rounds like 300 Savage, 308 Win, 30-40 and '06. The ones I had were not round nose, but they weren't spire points either.

swheeler
09-03-2019, 03:16 PM
Correct they are fashioned after a truncated cone, they have a meplat.

chutesnreloads
09-03-2019, 04:08 PM
These are not roundnose.They're not very pointy but they are not roundnose

redhawk0
09-03-2019, 04:14 PM
I bought up 1500 of the 180s when Winchester discontinued them. They are (IMHO) one of the best 30-06 bullets for deer size game. Mine will make a caliber size hole going in, and a 4-5" coming out. I still use them as my deer load. They worked good from my old 308 Win also.

I also bought up 500 of the 170 FN for the 303 Savage and 30-30. I've not taken game with these (yet).

As far as hogs go...you might get too rapid of an expansion with them. You'd likely do better with a 180gr RN Cor-Lok type bullet. Hogs are pretty tough.

redhawk

Petrol & Powder
09-03-2019, 04:21 PM
Not all Silvertip bullets had aluminum jackets but all Silvertip bullets had some type of silver finish.

I can't really speak to their rifle bullets because I never bothered loading them. (there were far cheaper and better choices)
Their handgun bullets were sometimes good and sometimes not good. The 32 ACP hollow point had a good track record and the old Seacamp pistols were actually designed to shoot that particular cartridge. Some of their other offerings weren't as successful.

I would use Winchester data for the appropriate bullet weight and go from there.

swheeler
09-03-2019, 04:30 PM
"Not all Silvertip bullets had aluminum jackets but all Silvertip bullets had some type of silver finish."

No that's not correct, The Ballistic Silvertips NOT SILVERTIPS are Nosler Ballistic tips in silver plastic for Winchester. All Silvertip bullets have the Aluminum nose cap.

and we were talking about 180 gr 30 caliber

swheeler
09-03-2019, 04:59 PM
The difference in the 30 cal Silvertips was location of the cannelure. In the early 1990's Cabelas sold them as bulk bullets, about 15.00 per hundred and I loaded them in the 300 Winchester, good elk medicine.

you'll notice the 30/40 Krag(factory) has more bullet out front than H&H (factory) or Win
247751

chutesnreloads
09-03-2019, 05:04 PM
Thank you Redhawk.That is precisely the experience oriented answer I was looking for.Yes hogs are tough but a good hit to the central nervous system puts them right down....My reason for wanting a less tough bullet with good expansion.Not hunting for meat but I prefer they don't run off after being hit.The extra expansion just ups the odds a bit

Winger Ed.
09-03-2019, 05:05 PM
Also have a bag of the old Remington bronze points


They look like something for deep penetration, but they were marketed for rapid expansion on deer size game.
They are reputed to work along the lines of a Nosler ballistic tip, but with metal instead of a plastic tip.

I wouldn't use them for hog hunting.
Since they've been discontinued, and there is still a small demand for them, they might be worth selling.

Larry Gibson
09-03-2019, 06:04 PM
I don't remember any Round Nose Winchester Silvertips, thought they were all capped with the "truncated cone" looking aluminum nose cap. I would rather have a 150 grain ST in the 308.

swheeler

It is said....."a mind is a terrible thing to lose"......at least that's how I remember.....

However, in regards to Winchester Silvertip bullets I remember correctly. Back in the day [not to be confused with the bullets now marketed as "Silvertips"] the Winchester aluminum tipped Silvertips were sold in spitzer form, round nose form and flat nose form. The aluminum cap merely protected a large lead point on the bullet tip. The aluminum covered tips were made not to increase penetration but to promote better expansion which they did. They also better protected the bullet tips from damage during recoil and during feeding.

The 30 caliber Silvertips of various weights for various cartridges were made in all three mentioned configurations. The 180s were made in spitzer (pointed) and round nose configuration. The 150s, 165s, 180s, 200s and 220s were loaded in cartridges of 300 Savage up through the 300 Win Mag [not all weights were loaded in all the cartridges].

Here we see a factory Winchester 150 gr Silvertip with the spitzer (pointed) nose shape;

247771

Here are some round nose 190 gr Silvertips made for the 303 Savage;

247772

Here, on the left, we see some round nose 200 gr Silvertips made for the 35 Remington and the 358 Winchester. On the right we see some Flat nose 150 gr Silvertips made for the 30-30 Winchester;

247773

Apparently my memory isn't all that bad........

Larry Gibson
09-03-2019, 06:07 PM
These are not roundnose.They're not very pointy but they are not roundnose

Load them to 2500 fps + out of your .308W and they'll do well on hogs. They are excellent game bullets, I wouldn't hesitate to use them.

maxreloader
09-03-2019, 07:37 PM
I don't remember any Round Nose Winchester Silvertips, thought they were all capped with the "truncated cone" looking aluminum nose cap. I would rather have a 150 grain ST in the 308.

I have a drawer filled with hundreds of them and a lot are round-nosed. the only ones with meplats are the levergun calibers.

swheeler
09-03-2019, 08:29 PM
Those green boxes sure look like Sierra bullets to me? Show us where the box says Silvertips ROUND NOSE;-) I'm guessing someone ran those bullets into a nose die and swaged them to RN:popcorn:

swheeler
09-03-2019, 08:31 PM
I have a drawer filled with hundreds of them and a lot are round-nosed. the only ones with meplats are the levergun calibers.

I just posted a picture of 30 cal for 30/40 Krag and 300 H$H factory loaded they have a small flat on the tip just like the 308 Gibson posted.

redhawk0
09-03-2019, 09:06 PM
Thank you Redhawk.That is precisely the experience oriented answer I was looking for.Yes hogs are tough but a good hit to the central nervous system puts them right down....My reason for wanting a less tough bullet with good expansion.Not hunting for meat but I prefer they don't run off after being hit.The extra expansion just ups the odds a bit

If you're not worried about ruining meat...then use the STs. They will do well. I also have some of the Remington 180gr bronze tips. I had to seat them slightly deeper than the cannelure. The bullets are so long that they wouldn't feed correctly from my Ruger M77 MK-II box magazine. I stopped using them because I didn't think they provided reliable expansion. They might do better on a tougher game like a hog though. They just weren't quite as effective on deer size game.

redhawk

Larry Gibson
09-03-2019, 10:29 PM
Those green boxes sure look like Sierra bullets to me? Show us where the box says Silvertips ROUND NOSE;-) I'm guessing someone ran those bullets into a nose die and swaged them to RN:popcorn:

Oh my gawd.....I have been "outed"........caught red handed putting Winchester bullets (they are original STs, not re-swaged) into empty Sierra boxes.......what to do about the other Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Speer and probably a couple other boxes that I've put odds n ends bullets of different make in....then......sheessshhh.....what about all the cast bullets I've put in those boxes........it's probably going to hit it now......:dung_hits_fan:

I suppose I'll get a visit from BBC [Bullet Box Police] now so if you don't here from me for a while I've probably been carted off to one of the "detention camps" to the south of me until I can prove I'm not some illegal alien who has the bodacious hypocrisy to actual put a different make and kind of bullets into an empty Sierra bullet box..........:veryconfu:veryconfu:veryconfu

Or perhaps I'll never will get out of BBJ [Bullet Box Jail....] for these indiscretions..........

247785

maxreloader
09-03-2019, 10:47 PM
I just posted a picture of 30 cal for 30/40 Krag and 300 H$H factory loaded they have a small flat on the tip just like the 308 Gibson posted.

well... since my cellphone is my only camera and I cant post pics with it here, if you pm me a number to text/send a pic of the pointed ones to I can, and then you can play the "upload a pic to cast boolits game". I tried texting/sending to my email and it just wont go through. I used to have a neat thingamajiggy that would transfer but that was from my old (they called it obsolete) phone. Just cant win! :veryconfu

maxreloader
09-03-2019, 10:55 PM
After extremely careful inspection (with my glasses on this time) I could find a lot of calibers that looked round but had just the slightest "flat spot" on the tip. However on the 375 H&H Mag and the 257 Roberts silvertips look to me to be ROUND nosed without a "flat" spot at all. I didnt go through the entire drawer but I'm sure I could find others.

swheeler
09-03-2019, 11:26 PM
Oh my gawd.....I have been "outed"........caught red handed putting Winchester bullets (they are original STs, not re-swaged) into empty Sierra boxes.......what to do about the other Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Speer and probably a couple other boxes that I've put odds n ends bullets of different make in....then......sheessshhh.....what about all the cast bullets I've put in those boxes........it's probably going to hit it now......:dung_hits_fan:

I suppose I'll get a visit from BBC [Bullet Box Police] now so if you don't here from me for a while I've probably been carted off to one of the "detention camps" to the south of me until I can prove I'm not some illegal alien who has the bodacious hypocrisy to actual put a different make and kind of bullets into an empty Sierra bullet box..........:veryconfu:veryconfu:veryconfu

Or perhaps I'll never will get out of BBJ [Bullet Box Jail....] for these indiscretions..........

247785

See, someone is always watching and you will get caught![smilie=w:

Mr_Sheesh
09-04-2019, 07:36 AM
Hopefully you won't hear "Get a rope", Larry :)

Larry Gibson
09-04-2019, 08:42 AM
Yeah, might even be "labeled" a "cereal" box offender........:groner:

swheeler
09-04-2019, 09:09 AM
I've never seen bullets shaped like that, are you sure you haven't gotten into your suppository stash? :bigsmyl2: you need those immediately, double dose :kidding:

Texas by God
10-02-2019, 06:32 PM
You guys are having way too much fun with this one. To the original poster, the 180 grain Silvertip from the 308 will kill any hog deader than dead can be dead.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

FerricOxide
12-11-2019, 03:48 PM
Too bad they don't make them anymore. A buddy has 5 rounds of 308 loaded with silver tips he found. Really worked well on his deer he got this fall. He's been trying to find more but seems there isn't anything quite like them made now.

Larry Gibson
12-14-2019, 10:23 AM
They were excellent bullets for hunting.

kenblacksmith
07-20-2020, 03:50 PM
My uncle has several boxes on his shelf, I've asked him why he doesn't use them. He replied, they blow up and cause too much meat damage. I collect them, mostly because they look cool.

dsh1106
07-20-2020, 07:58 PM
I have three boxes of these left, 220 grain factory loads for 300 WM.
These are good for up to Elk size game, I've taken a whitetail at 200+ yards with these, the exit wound on the opposite shoulder was 4+ inches.

I also load these for whitetail in my 270, they have never failed, provided I did my part.

Hogs, not sure I would use the silver tips, the bronze point would be my choice, as they were designed for thicker skinned animals.

Scott

Dapaki
07-20-2020, 08:54 PM
Good memories! I haven't seen a 30-30 silver tip in ages!

MostlyLeverGuns
07-21-2020, 12:14 PM
In some areas of the country (eastern PA) they were a subject of controversy with haters and supporters in the deer camps(1960's-1970's). Failures to expand or 'blow-ups' were both presented by the 'knowing'. Bullet performance has come a long way with today's bullets providing consistent performance. Use them for jacketed load development, target practice, get a current bullet with known results for killin' stuff - include time, fuel, and game loss in the equation and modern bullets like the Nosler Partition start looking cheap for actual hunting.

nicholst55
07-21-2020, 08:40 PM
In some areas of the country (eastern PA) they were a subject of controversy with haters and supporters in the deer camps(1960's-1970's). Failures to expand or 'blow-ups' were both presented by the 'knowing'. Bullet performance has come a long way with today's bullets providing consistent performance. Use them for jacketed load development, target practice, get a current bullet with known results for killin' stuff - include time, fuel, and game loss in the equation and modern bullets like the Nosler Partition start looking cheap for actual hunting.

I agree completely, and I am old enough to remember the campfire discussions about the performance of factory ammo. When you take everything into consideration, the slight increased cost of modern, so-called 'premium' bullets is really a minor consideration when planning a hunt. I tried using whatever bullets I could get hold of back in my younger, poorer days. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn't. Lessons (plural) learned. I have friends who still criticize me for using a 'two-dollar bullet on a fifty-cent deer,' but that's okay.

samari46
07-22-2020, 01:33 AM
My cousin's neighbor in Penn. Raised pigs and late fall used to shoot them with a 30-30 and then butcher them for winter meat. In that area folks didn't have a lot of money so did their own slautering and butchering. He comes over ad asks to borrow my cousin's Marlin 93, my cousin had only a few rounds and had not gotten his deer for that year. Told the guy use my model 70 in '06 which was loaded with standard cup and core RP 180 grain softpoints. We wander to where the pigs were in their fenced in yard. Told him just put the cross hairs where you want the bullet to go. 6 shots six dead pigs. Found one of the 180 grainers on the off side and had expanded perfectly. Little noisey but did the job. Frank