-- Loading .30-30 Win for Single Shots

[Squeezebox]

Hello the camp--first time here, up from Aldeer. It was suggested by a friend there I take this discussion here, so I hope this subject is not worn out already-- my apologies if it is. I'll just post what I posted there:


Those of you who know me know that I have a thing for the .30-30. Since I hunted entirely as a guest this season and was never sure where I'd be or what kind of shot I'd have, I only hunted with my .30-30 NEF a couple of times this year. After killing a couple of deer with the Hornady 130 gr spire and the 125 gr Ballistic Tip, I made the surprising(for me) choice to stick with the Ballistic Tip. At .30-30 velocities (2675 fps in my rifle) those bullets act differently than they do at .30-06/.308 velocities and are very effective-- and so far every one has exited whereas the 130 Hornady broke apart in both cases when it hit bone-- that's the 130 gr spire #3020, not the single shot pistol bullet.

Despite what my eyes and the deer in the freezer tell me, using a 125 gr bullet for deer just bugs me. Sure, the T/C Contender crowd swear by them, and for good reason. But still...

So I loaded up some test rounds with Speer 150 BTSP and went to the range with my chronograph. I have stayed within published limits with the powder charges, but I am measuring significantly higher velocities than any load manual I have lists. Haven't shot them for accuracy yet.

I may be the only person in this neck of the woods experimenting with this, but I would like to hear from anyone else who loads for .30-30 single shots, rifle or pistol, and what you are seeing in terms of velocity.

Thanks,


Squeezebox

 

[ShaneHallum]

Deer Assassin would be your man.

 

[Tiny]

Welcome to the nut house.

Yep DA is one around here who has done some good work with one.

I wouldn't trust a 150 spitzer out of a 30/30 myself if I had to use one it would be the BT or SST. I think one would be better off with the hornady flex tip 160gr 30/30 bullet.

 

[Squeezebox]

Ah, excellent, thanks! And you sold that H&R? Why?

Right about 150 gr Spitzer, I was talking about the Speer boattail that is a lighter-constructed bullet. I have shot the 150 Ballistic Tips but the accuracy suffers as compared to the 125. I had never been a big fan of B.T.'s seeing what happened when they hit bone from .308, .30-06, etc., and usually prefer a bullet with lead at the tip. The performance of the Hornady was surprising, I figured it would be tougher than that-- accuracy was excellent though.

I checked back over my notes, and need to make one correction-- the MV averages 2672, not 2675. That's the max IMR book load of 3031 for the Contender. I'll mic the COAL if anyone wants to know, I just seat the bullets to the max length where the action will still close, and I've had no pressure signs or undue brass stretching.

If anybody's interested, I wrote an article about 4 years ago on Aldeer on my .30-30 and .45-70 NEFs- aldeer.com, go to "Guns!Guns!Guns!" and scroll down to article #3. Photos and ballistic tables. What I don't have there are records of the kills I've made so far with these guns, which you have here-- and are great to read. At the time I wrote that I had not hunted with the .30-30 yet, and it has since become my favorite rifle if the situation is right for it. I put Choate synthetic stocks and a Simmons 4X shotgun scope on it, which makes for a very quick and light rifle.

I did try to get away from 3031 (great powder, I just don't like having to measure those huge honking grains), and tried just about every medium-burning powder out there. In my rifle, 3031 had the best combination of accuracy and velocity without pressure of anything I tried. IMR 3031 has accounted for 7 of the last 8 deer I've killed so I have no complaints other than metering it.

I'll search through the archives here some more, many thanks!


Squeezebox

 

[Squeezebox]

I managed to get out to the range this morning and have a short, wet session. This is the better of the two groups- 100 yds, .30-30 NEF, 150 Speer BTSP, 37.0 748, R-P cases, WLR. Avg 2419 fps.

0.665"

I emailed Speer asking them about this bullet on whitetails at 2419. We'll see what they say.

Squeezebox

 

[Squeezebox]

Thanks DA,

It certainly did do the job, and I enjoyed reading your threads.

I don't have my notes handy from when I was working up the 125 BT loads, but looking at the 150 grain notes, Re-7 worked out like this:

28.0- 2297 fps
29.0- 2322 fps

The highest velocity I got with the 150 was 2448 with 33.0 3031 but I was getting flattened primers. I backed off a half grain and that took care of that issue, but the groups were over 2" with that load.

I also like the 125 BT but have not shot anything over 130 lbs with it. Did you?

Thanks,

Squeezebox

 

[Tiny]

Squeezebox,

The reasons you cited for not likeing the BT's are thee very reason I think they would be the better choice in the 30/30. I have shot a handful of 125gr BT's in a 788 but it needs some tweaking. Going to try some TAC with them in it if I ever get around to it and some 3031.H335 sucked with them.

One thing on my want list is one of the H&R rifles in 30/30 just haven't got around to getting one yet,someday though.

 

[Squeezebox]

Tiny,

Honestly, the .30-30 NEF changed my mind about BT's. I still don't use them in anything else, but at the velocities we're talking about they are great deer medicine. I have not shot any deer with them at the ranges DA has this year, but so far I have had no problems with penetration, blood trails, etc.-- which many of my friends who use them in .30-06 class rounds have.

Looking just at the numbers (which is always just part of the story) there really isn't much advantage in the 150 Speer BTSP over the 125 BT.


SB

 

[Locksley]

Interesting

 

[Squeezebox]

I heard back from Speer. I asked whether 2419 at the muzzle would work well on whitetails with the 150 BTSP out to 250 yards, and the engineer there said yes, but just barely, and that he'd like to see higher energy figures out of that bullet.

Not surprising.

I still bet it would work OK, but I see nothing wrong with the way the 125 BT has performed so far. What bugs me about the 125 gr bullet is the possibility of a sharp quartering shot. I'll take those without hesitation if I have to with my .308 or .280 (and have on occasion) but that may be asking a bit much from the ".308 Roberts" load.


Squeezebox