.30-30 hunting loads for Texas deer and hogs

[selmerfan]

I'll be loading cast boolits for my best friend hunting in Texas. He'll be using a Win. 94AE in .30-30 and shooting Ranch Dog's 30-165-RF boolit. Would any of you care to share your favorite hunting loads and alloy combinations on the boolit? His longest shot would be 150 yds at the outside, most under 100 yds. He has a Weaver K4 on the gun and is a good shot. The only cast boolit hunting I do is with my .357 Max Encore for whitetails here in Iowa. I have the following powders available:
700x
Unique
AA #9
IMR 4198
Varget
BL-(C)2
N133
H335

Bullets will be gas-checked. I have Lyman's cast boolit handbook and can access that as well as Lyman #49 for reference, but I want your real world experience. Thanks for your help!
Selmerfan

[felix]

Use 4198 or slower for a "factory" load. If you are loading a bunch of rounds, use Varget because of its ambient temperature stability. If not enough of that on the shelf for the "shipment" amount, use H335. Load right at 35K-38K CUP. ... felix

[Lead Fred]

I have used Ball C, linotype, and GC.
I use White Lubes 2500+, homemade may not be enough. I wasnt going to take the chance

[selmerfan]

I also have H380 and RL15

[selmerfan]

Felix, any suggestions on charge weights for the Varget?

[257 Shooter]

Check out this link [URL="http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=74993&highlight=Favorite+30-30+loads"]

[Larry Gibson]

For hunting loads I prefer 2150 fps in the 30-30 out of my 24" barreled M94AE. I use a heavier 177 gr 311041 cast of WW/pb at 50/50% and are AC'd. With the 12" twist accuracy should be good with a good load at those velocities but the barrel must be cleaned every 5-7 rounds to maintain best accuracy. This isn't a problem with hunting rounds. Py practice bullets are cast of WW + 2% tin and I shoot them with the same load and do not have to clean the barrel to maintain accuracy. The WW + 2% tin isn't a bad hunting bullet by itself but I like the increased terminal ballistics of the better expanding WW/pb alloy on deer and pigs.

I use 28 gr of H4895 and I would recommend that powder for the RD 160s also. Of the poders mentioned I would start with the 4198 looking for an accurate hunting load around 2000 fps. If that didn't work I'd switch to Varget and work from 28 gr to a mildly compressed load. If neither was satisfactory I'f go buy a pound ofH4895.

BTW; I use Hornady GCs or my own home made ones (.012 brass shim stock) and Javelina lube. I've run the gamut of th better lubes and Javelina works as well here as any and better than many.

Larry Gibson

[Nobade]

In my rifles that bullet, cast from air cooled wheelweights and paper patched over a lightly compressed load of Varget is very accurate and expands nicely when it hits. With paper there's no leading at all, and gaschecks aren't needed. A 100% fill of IMR4895 also works, does about the same thing.

[DLCTEX]

I use the Lee 309-170 FP air cooled WW. Worked well on the one doe I've shot with it.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Using the 31141 of ww with a bit of lead and lino, and a bit of tin too, I ran a test in a pre-64 94 starting a month ago.

Three shot groups on a good bench, off sandbags with a redfield receiver sight on the standard carbine. The loading started at 20 grains of Varget and went to 32.5 grains, all shots at 100 yards. Loaded singly, extra 20 grain loads were used for foulers after the barrel cooled after every 6 shots.

Bullets were air cooled, sized .310, GCs applied/lubed in a 45 sizer, and dipped by hand in thinned LLA, 3/4 of the neck length was sized after the cases had been fired and I used the Lee fcd after seating to the longest length that would feed smoothly, about 2.55". Cases trimmed to 2.026, match prepped, same lot, Remington 9 1/2 primers.

I got an inch and a half group at 23 grains, but I wanted Factory speed. The Lee book indicated 2110 fps at 32 grains. All of the groups were useful, but at the 31 grain level the rifle would hold 10 ring on the sr-1 consistently. That's what, 2 1/2" ?, and I suspect about 2050 fps.

I'm changing receiver sights to get better usable elevation markings on the sight, but I think that's my load for this old deer rifle.

BvT