30-30 reloading recommendations

[rainydays]

Hey guys, I'm going to help my neighbor get started reloading for his 30-30 Winch. lever. I reload alot, but never for the 30-30.
Would be interested in getting some feed back as to what would be a good bullet weight and brand and powder combination for this round. It will be used for whitetail hunting. Your expierence would be greatly appreciated. Thanks--tr

[Catfish]

The way I pick powders for a new round is as follows. Look up the round in a reloading manual and go to the bullet weight you want. Then look to see which powder gives you the max. velosity. The reason is not so that I can get the fastest loads, but the powders giveing the fasrest velosities are those that are at the optomin burn rate for that round and usually something near the fastest powder will also give you the best accuracy. Yor best accuracy may be with loads that are far from max. loads and be relitively slow for the powdr your loading, but rember that a deer cannot tell the difference between a bullet going 2,000 fps and 1 going 3,000 fps. As for bullets I would bow a bow of 150`s and a box of 170 flat nose bullets and hunt with the bullets the gun shoots the best.

[Joe Boleo]

I follow the Lyman relaoding manual and have been using 150 and 170 grain flat point bullets and IMR3031 or IMR4895 with Winchester primers. Some of the .30/30s are real shooters and turn in impressive groups. Within its limitations, the .30/30 is a fine cartridge. Take care...
Joe

[Rocky Raab]

The classic loads for it are 31 grains of 3031 under a 150 bullet, or 30 grains under a 170. Either one is still an excellent choice, but most experienced hunters stick with the 170-gr bullet.

A more modern powder that will give you a bit more smash is RL-15, and there are no flies on a load using W748, either.

[Dan Morris]

Rocky has listed the loads I use in daughters 94. Didn't intend
to load for it but the amount she shoots it brought it on LOL.
As we have mulies, I stay with the 170gr.She has both .308 and .270...she just likes the 30-30.
Dan

[270man]

Rainydays,

Here is my 2-cents. No one mentioned Hodgdon 335 ball powder or Hodgdon Varget. I have quantities of both and had good results with less than maximum loads from the various manuals. I see no reason to mess with max loads/pressures in the 30-30. I've also tried H4895 and it is okay too. The H335 flows through a powder thrower with great smoothness & weight accuracy.

Like the rest, I stick with 150gr and 170gr flat(round)-nose bullets, mostly Remington bulk for lower cost. My small quantity of Sierra 125gr Flat Nose HPs is gone but they were wonderfully accurate in my Marlin.

I sure won't argue with someone like Rocky when he says that "experienced" reloaders stick with the 170gr weight. However, you can get a little higher velocity and a little flatter trajectory with the 150gr. Maybe the big eastern whitetails need the greater penetration available with 170gr, but I believe the lighter 150gr bullet should be reliable for most whitetails.

270man

[dakotah]

I use 170 grain bullets only and have used Hornadys, Remington and Winchester bulk bullets. The Winchester may not be available any more(???). Any of these bullets should work well.

IMR3031 and H4895 are the two powders I have used. I have a bunch of H335. I may try that.

As I recall the H4895 was the most accurate powder in the 30-30.

I also use almost identical loads in my 32 Special. The 30-30 is in a Mossberg and it shoots almost everything very well. The 32 Special shoots well (M-94 carbine) but is more picky in load combinations.

I like heavier bullets cause I like to ensure deeper penetration. But then I don't hunt from a blind or a stand. If you or your neighbor is shooting at standing deer I suspect either bullet would work equally well.

[rainydays]

Thanks guys for taking the time to furnish your reloading expierence for the 30.30. It is appreciated.--tr

[GoodOlBoy]

Laser cast makes a 170 gr RNFP cast checked bullet in their trueshot line that I have seen some very impressive results from in "heavier" game like large hog. You can get them for around $28 per hundred, or $49 per 500 directly from laser cast. A little cheaper from cabelas etc. They are inexpensive, accurate, and I have yet to see a 30-30 that doesn't shoot them well. They also make a 200 gr RN GC, but they only guy I know of who ever loaded them for a 30-30 was haveing problems with accuracy and keyholeing with them as he worked up and down the fps load scale. The 170s worked MUCH better for him.

Sorry for the late reply.

GoodOlBoy

[PJgunner]

I second the motion for cast bulelts in the 30-30. Sometimes they take a bit of tinkering with to get the best results, but they will work. However, I strongly suggest that if you go that route, then get the equipment and make your own bullets in the proper hardness. IMHO, many commercial bullets are way too hard for hunting use.
My preference in jacketed bullet falls with the 170 gr. weight. I think the Speer is the most streamlined in shape of the flat nosed 170 gr. bullets, but any of them will do a fine job on deer, be they Whitetails or Mule Deer.
Any of the powders already mentioned will do just fine.
Paul B.

[GoodOlBoy]

PG I third your motion that many comercial casst bullets are just way too hard. The laser cast in particular tends to be a rock hard bad motor scooter. I will say however that at normal velocities (and sometimes a little beyond) I have never gotten much in the way of leading with laser cast. I like them because casting bullets is just one more thing to add to my already overloaded piled of work to do. If it wasn't I would.

GoodOlBoy

[dakotah]

I agree with the cast bullet comments. I have seen some rifles that are fully capable of full power loads with cast bullets. One rifle my brother was using shot cast bullets better than jacketed. Cast bullets can be a little harder for beginning users -- but in the long run they are worth it.

I think that micro-groove barrels (Marlin) are more difficult to accurately shoot cast bullets. But micro-groove barrels are not impossible to accurately shoot cast bullets.

[GoodOlBoy]

AH but the marlin shoots the hard laser cast bullets VERY well.

Just an FYI

GoodOlBoy

[dakotah]

I think the full power cast loads my brother was shooting in that Mossberg were less than 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I thought those groups were sufficiently accurate.

[PJgunner]

I agree that the harder bullets will shoot a bit better in the Marlins, but I also agree that softer bullets will shoot just as well and are better for hunting. The trick is to properly size them. Iprefe .310" regardles of the hardnes of the bullet, but have been considering trying .311" in my one and only marlin to see if it'll make any difference. That's one of the nice things about shooting cast bullets, there are literally endless ways one can experiment in order to achieve better accuracy.
Paul B.