7-30 waters

[colonyfirearms]

I have a Winchester mod 94 in 7-30 waters.
Is there any bullet I can use other than the round nose or flat nose in the tube mag?

[Rocky Raab]

That's a yes and a no.

You can use any bullet you like, as long as you only have one in that tube. That makes your M94 a two-shooter. And assuming your bullet feeds properly, which can be problematic in a lever gun. I tried a few loads with Ballistic Tips in my own M94, only to learn to my chagrin that they wouldn't feed from the magazine, nor would they eject if unfired!

There is also some disagreement about whether that whole "no pointed bullets in a tube magazine" rule is valid at all! At least one experimenter was unable to get rounds in the tube to go off until he used FMJ bullets, and even then he had to pound the butt on the ground because normal recoil wouldn't do it. And when they DID go off, there was no giant Ka-Blooie. Rounds in the tube aren't held in a tight chamber, so what happened was that the case ruptured, the powder burned in a slow POP-fizzzzzzz and the worst result was a real mess in the tube.

Lastly, unless you can't get the right bullets, there's little point in it (pun unavoidable). Your ballistics aren't much better, and it's a 225-yard round at best anyway. The advantages of pointy versus blunt don't really begin to appear until past 250.

[Ol` Joe]

Rocky that wouldn`t have been relayed to you by a certain un-named editor would it?
I remember a writer/editors essay on the subject a couple years back and his claim round nose bullets were as bad as spitzers. As I recall he tried, and couldn`t get the ammo to blow the plug out of the end of the mag tube, and had trouble getting more then one cartridge to fire.
I found it a very interesting and informative artical, though some don`t seem to enjoy his writing. IMO it would be a good read for anyone loading for a tube mag rifle if we are talking of the same.

[Rocky Raab]

I remember the article distinctly, but can't recall who wrote it. Always was horrible with names.

[Ol` Joe]

Dave Scovill if my memory serves, in Rifle or Handloader.
Which magazine I`m not sure on. He does a lot with lever actions and that artical has stayed with me for some reason. Wish I had kept the issue for referance.

[Rocky Raab]

It just may have been Dave. If so, it was in Handloader, because I don't get Rifle.

I like Scovill, know him and have written for him. Lots of people don't like him or his writing, but I do. He's also a fair and capable editor, IMO.