30-30

[Good Cheer]

This reminds me of the NRA write up on cast bullet deer hunting loads' performance in thirty caliber rifles.
It's on a shelf... somewhere.

[gwpercle]

I actually prefer the 30-30 for shooting 30 cal boolits .
The case size isn't excessive for the powder charges normally used ...
10 grs of Unique or 25 grs . 3031 ... don't get lost in the case or require a filler .
I can't find anything wrong with it .
Gary

[versa-06]

I realize a plenty of deer bear & even moose (along with many other critters) have been taken with the 30-30. In some the 1-12 twist helps with the extra velocity which many 30-06's don't have. Seems to me that the 30's work well especially with the right alloy, bullet weight, & velocity. But I'm a lung shooter & it seems that I get a better leaker with the x-tra dia. bullet. I own 2 30-30's and like them well especially shooting yotes through the shoulders. -06

[veeman]

I've read numerous times that the 44-40 has taken more deer than any other caliber. I've also read that the 30-30 has taken more deer than any other. My money is on the 30-30. I've also read that more deer have been wounded by the 30-30 too.

[Digital Dan]

If a fella wanted to shoot soft alloy fast he ought to consider paper patch. I used a .44 mag rifle for a bit over 25 years that was shipping 300 gr pure lead at ~1600 fps. It would put 10 shots in one hole at 100 yards, and nothing shot with it took a step after the fact.

I’m inclined to think 180 grains with a BHN of 8-9 would do just dandy in the 30-30.

[Larry Gibson]

Since '69 I've killed a plethora of deer and other game with cast 30 cal bullets. Those were out of rifles chambered in 30 Carbine, 30-30, 300 Savage, 308W and 30-06. Minus the 30 Carbine I settled on the 311041HP to be the most effective cast bullet for use in the other cartridges. Cast of COWW + 2% tin mixed 50/50 with pure lead and air cooled the 311041HP bullets gave excellent terminal performance.

The HP stem was shortened to give an HP depth of 5/16". The GC'd bullet were sized at .311 and lubed with Javelina or Tamarak 50/50 lube. I found excellent accuracy out of clean barrels for 8 shots+/-. When working up loads or zeroing I ran a couple Hoppe's #9 soaked patches through the bore followed by a couple dry patches every 6 - 8 shots. First shot out of the clean bore always wen to group or close enough the bullet would still be in the heart lung area out to 200 yards. Those first 8 +/- shots would go into 2 moa or less at 200 yards. If more than shots were fired w/o cleaning the bore the groups would open to 4 moa due to the fouling nature of the softer alloy. I always figured if I'd not killed the deer in the first 8 shots I might as well go home and clean the rifle anyway.

Velocities to hold the 2 moa accuracy were 1900 - 1950 fps with the rifles having 10" twist barrels [mostly the 30-06s, some of the 308Ws and the Marlin 30-30 which was a pre Micro with Ballard rifling] and 2200 - 2300 with rifles having 12" twists the M94 30-30s, msost of the 308Ws and one 30-06]. Most shots were under 100 yards and I seldom recovered a bullet. Of the couple recovered bullets they showed excellent expansion with little fracturing and/or sloughing off of the expansion petals.

I've used the 1/8" Forster HP tool to HP other 30, 31 and 35 cal bullets cast of the same alloy to the same 5/16" depth and have had the same excellent hunting accuracy and terminal effect. Such bullets were pushed to 1900 - 2300 fps depending on the barrel twist rate to give a 200 yard effective range.

[versa-06]

I don't see why the 30-30 isn't more popular in bolt action. The Ruger American would make a great gun with a 1:12 twist barrel. A 170 grain bullet (jacketed or cast) will take out just about anything that walks in the Great USA. I would love to have a really light one (I'm Old) to carry around my place here in the Va. mountains. Instead I carry a Savage 243, Winchester 30-30, or Winchester 94ae 38-55 JES rebore, or a Browning 358 lever gun. I just purchased a Ruger #3 454 casull, poly. stocks & it weighs almost nothing.

[Winger Ed.]

I don't see why the 30-30 isn't more popular in bolt action.

It's overshadowed by the latest and greatest magnum, or the high tech-ness,
and magical performance at ranges nobody hardly ever shoots at of all the various spire point bullets.
I don't have any problems with round nose designs myself.

I look at all the African dangerous game rifles-- the big stuff,,,
the shells that are made made for serious killing... before the target 'harvests' you.
They're all heavy weight and round nose designs.

[gumbo333]

I know this is for 30/30 cast boolits, but the Speer .308 170 gr flat point is 30/30 candy. I’ve used it in 3 Marlins and now a Henry. Lethal and accurate. Also for reduced recoil hunting loads in a youth 308 and full size 30-06 bolt rifles. Possibly many cast boolits 160 gr - 200 gr would be equally lethal. I’ve used the Speer bullet for years and years and stuck with it for deer hunting. Don’t have to fuss with oversized boolits.

[ttd444]

my Winchester m94 used to be a 30-30 and i have killed many deer with it. now it is a 35/30-30 that JES Reboring did. a 200gr RCBS FN GC with 2400/tuft of Dacron that goes 1726fps and i killed 5 deer with it. after the shot, the deer might jog about 20ish yards and then fall over dead. granted, the boolit goes to out 20ish to 60ish yards, but at range it is deadly accurate. straight thru the deer's lungs and/or heart will make backstraps.

i used in my 30-30, 150 - 170gr Remington, Winchester and Federal factory loads, 150 and 170gr Hornady, Speer and Seirra bullets with H322 and a 125gr Seirra HPFN with H322. she just liked to H322, i i tried other powders, but i found H322 is accurate in my rifle.

[versa-06]

Killed (some say harvested) many deer & hogs with 30 cal. jacketed bullets. Used mostly 170 gr. FN J-Words in the 30's, 30-06 included out to 183 yds. worked like a charm. Went to cast & just liked that wide meplat so much I couldn't bring myself to take a 30 cal. cast into the woods. I once shot a domestic hog in the forehead with a LEE Soup can 120 gr. 5 gr. of 800-X powder. Found the boolit just under the skin mid belly. I'm sure that the 311041 boolit would be even better on deer, but I just haven't brought myself to leave the 35, 44 & 45 cal. rifles in the house.

[versa-06]

Old & Forgetful, Left out 38-55 & 375 Win.

[veeman]

To me, harvesting is something one grows in a field or garden and picks when it's ready to be picked. I grew up on a farm and that's what harvesting is. Shooting an animal is called killing, plain and simple. My opinion of course.

[Hi-Lux Optics]

.30-30 is a classic, however it's being produced. I have had some dent near the nose when they're loaded, but that hasn't been an issue in shooting them.

[Winger Ed.]

Shooting an animal is called killing, plain and simple. My opinion of course.

That's where I'm at. But sometimes wonder if the folks that get so offended by the term killing won't
hate me quite as much if I switch over and start calling it 'harvesting'.

[jaysouth]

I've read numerous times that the 44-40 has taken more deer than any other caliber. I've also read that the 30-30 has taken more deer than any other. My money is on the 30-30. I've also read that more deer have been wounded by the 30-30 too.

It ain't the bow, it ain't the arrow, it ain't the quiver. It's the Indian that counts.

[popper]

Like Rapeir says, brass is good for high pressure, most rifles limit pressure. Rear lug and barrel metal is the problem.