30-30 Ammo choice question

[J Miller]

OK, here is the scenario;

You have decided you are going to use a 30-30 caliber rifle for all of your hunting / shooting needs. The reason is irrelevant for this question.

You are going to reduce your components and ammunition to one bullet weight and style. In other words, reducing everything to a minimum.

Which bullet weight would you pick, and if you can articulate it, why?


My answer; years ago I chose the 150gr as my do all 30-30 bullet. I honestly do not know why.
Early on I know I tried some Hornady and Speer 170g gr bullets but never did continue using them. I cannot remember the last time I purchased any or what my reason was for discontinuing their use. Today I use mostly Speer 150gr bullets, but also use Sierra, Hornady and Winchester as well.

I've never successfully hunted big game with any of my 30-30s so I can't comment on bullet performance. However for every other use I've come up with the 150gr bullet has done just fine.

Joe

[Blaine]

For my first 30WCF, I bought a box of GreenBox 170s. They shot good. End of story. I don't tinker once something works. If I sold everything except the 30WCF, I'd be looking for a heavy handload with Nosler 150s, or the equiv. I hope I never have to give up hunting with my 45-70, though......I don't like to tinker with something that works really well

[Pisgah]

I base my choice of bullet weight solely on what the particular rifle shoots best. Most .30-30s I've owned have shown a slight but distinct preference for one over the other. As to bullet type, I feel that the plain ol' cup & core bullets are as close to ideal as you can get for the .30-30. No need for any exotic bullet or even any loading other than plain WinFedIngton stuff from WalMart. Trying to improve on any of them is pretty much just gilding the lilly.

[BigSky56]

Joe, Been using 170's for years on deer and elk in dark timber, Matter of fact Iam going to try some RN 180's this year to see how they work out. Maybe if I was hunting speed goats at long distance I would try 150's. Ive found with the heavier bullets you can eat right up to the hole and for me meat on the table is the trophy. danny

[Chuck 100 yd]

My .30-30`s (over a dozen all seem to favor the 170 gr. bullets. Maybe that`s because that`s the bullet I like best to.
All like the 311041 Lyman cast bullet also except one .
My Win 94 Canadian Centennial 26" likes the RCBS 150 gr. better.

Shoot em if ya got em!

[Ray Newman]

Pisgah: +1

[L_Kilkenny]

Boy, this is a tough question. I can tell you what I've chosen for my primary bullet in my 30/30(s). The 125gr Sierra JHP. But that is totally based off accuracy testing and the fact that they are varmint guns. My nephew used some of my reloads using that bullet on a small doe a few years ago with devastating results (complete pass thru, fist sized exit). But I'm not sure I'd want to make it my primary big game bullet. More than likely I'd do some experimenting on different 150's and 170's and see what shot best.

LK

[Old Savage]

I would go with Federal 170s.

[clc79092]

All my winchester 30-30's seem to prefer the 170 grain.

[LeverBob]

Been using 170 gr. cast since 1964...never needed jacketed.

LB

[JimT]

I use the Speer 130 gr. FP in my Trapper. Have used it on dogs, coyotes, cats, small deer, medium sized deer, big deer ... would not hesitate to use it on larger game but would pick my shot carefully.

[El Chivo]

I think the flatter shooting 150's are a good choice, you can zero at 125 yards and you are good out to 200 without a lot of compensation.

I have a comment about stability, of course the 170's hold energy better, but several people have told me they have had longer bullets tumble. The 150's seem like a more natural proportion of length to width and might be more stable.

[Leverdude]

My 30/30's rarely see anything except Rem 150 SP's over Blc2.

Early on I used PMC 150's, they shot well, were cheap and killed deer I shot with them. When I started handloading I switched to Rem bullets because I could buy them in bulk cheap & they work good for me.

So, if I had to choose one load that would be it.

[Hobie]

170 gr. Available everywhere, accurate in my gun, most loads shoot to the same POA, and it works for worst case scenario. It IS what I settled on for my .30 WCFs.

[Modoc ED]

I use 170gr whether factory or reloads. I've taken game from rabbits right up through elk with the 170gr .30-30.

Off the top of my head without looking at my Renneberg book, I believe the .30-30 was originaly developed using a 168gr bullet and later the 170gr bullet was developed and made available from Winchester.

[Leverdude]

I use 170gr whether factory or reloads. I've taken game from rabbits right up through elk with the 170gr .30-30.

Off the top of my head without looking at my Renneberg book, I believe the .30-30 was originaly developed using a 168gr bullet and later the 170gr bullet was developed and made available from Winchester.

Could be wrong but 160 sticks in my head as the original weight.

[Modoc ED]

I use 170gr whether factory or reloads. I've taken game from rabbits right up through elk with the 170gr .30-30.

Off the top of my head without looking at my Renneberg book, I believe the .30-30 was originaly developed using a 168gr bullet and later the 170gr bullet was developed and made available from Winchester.

Could be wrong but 160 sticks in my head as the original weight.

Could be but like I said, I don't have my book handy. I'll look it up later today as time permits.

[JimT]

Anything you want to know about the 30-30 is available right here on Leverguns! In the ARTICLES section is an excellent overview of the old cartridge ...

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/3030history.htm

and yes .. 160 was the original weight ...

[jlchucker]

170 grain for sure. If limited to just one for the rest of my life it would be a plain-base 170 grain cast from a special-buy mold from a group buy that came via another website. My choice for this bullet would not be because it shoots any better or worse than other 170 grain bullets, but because I've got the mold and the lead, and if I was unable to get more gaschecks, I'd still be in business. If the choice were limited to one jacketed bullet it would be the old-style Winchester Silvertip. Too bad it's still not offered as a component.

[Modoc ED]

Anything you want to know about the 30-30 is available right here on Leverguns! In the ARTICLES section is an excellent overview of the old cartridge ...

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/3030history.htm

and yes .. 160 was the original weight ...

Ok Jim. I'll take your word for it. It'll save me time not having to look it up. Thanks.

[76/444]

I would pick the 170grn. bullet because I always like to shoot the heaviest commercial and easily available bullet offered in any particular caliber. I like the deepest penetration possible and feel that heavy slugs do deep better. If I want to shoot a lighter bullet than 170grn,.... I would go to another caliber where that lighter slug I wanted to shoot, would be that calibers heaviest bullet offered.

[J Miller]

I would pick the 170grn. bullet because I always like to shoot the heaviest commercial and easily available bullet offered in any particular caliber. I like the deepest penetration possible and feel that heavy slugs do deep better. If I want to shoot a lighter bullet than 170grn,.... I would go to another caliber where that lighter slug I wanted to shoot, would be that calibers heaviest bullet offered.

76/444,
That is logic even I can understand

Joe

[meanc]

The only ammo I've found that can consistently shoot 1.5" grps and better @ 100yds out of my three 30-30s is the factory loaded Remington Express 150gr core-lokt.

So I guess the bullet/load that gives the best hunting accuracy out of calibers I have multiple guns for gets the nod.

[stretch]

Hard to argue with the 170 gr. Remington SP Core-Lokt bullet for that caliber.

-Stretch

[tman]

Hard to argue with the 170 gr. Remington SP Core-Lokt bullet for that caliber.

+1, but, i'd add the leverevoulitions. IF, the 30wcf was my only gun, for that RARE 200 YARD+ shot -Stretch

[Ken 45LC]

I started out using nothing but the Remington 170 gr. Then one year (around 1988) i asked my dad to pick me up some shells while he was out. He brought me home some shells in a generic looking box that said Hornady on it. I asked him if he bumped his head, these things look so generic i'll be lucky if they fire. He just told me to try them, they'll be fine. Well, being a teenager and wanting nothing more than to prove my dad wrong I immediately set up the bench and shot 3 while he stood there watching me. On the way to check the target i told him i'd be lucky to have a 4 inch group (at 75 yards with an old weaver 4X scope). Sun of a gun, those things made the best group of my life, in a mickey mouse pattern with 2 of the three touching. So not wanting to eat too much crow in front of my dad, I said it's a good thing my shooting skills can compensate for these generic shells. I had to adjust the scope a little to change the point of impact, but for the next 3 or 4 years i always bought those generic looking bullets until i started rolling my own.

Here in Pa, the 30-30 in 170 gr is enough for deer, bear and the occasional ground hog. And if it works, why fix it?

Thanks,
Ken

[L_Kilkenny]

I would pick the 170grn. bullet because I always like to shoot the heaviest commercial and easily available bullet offered in any particular caliber. I like the deepest penetration possible and feel that heavy slugs do deep better. If I want to shoot a lighter bullet than 170grn,.... I would go to another caliber where that lighter slug I wanted to shoot, would be that calibers heaviest bullet offered.

I don't see it that way. I figure if you are using the heaviest bullet for that caliber you are probably marginally armed. I don't care if it's 50gr in 22mag, 60gr partitions in .22-250, 110gr in .243, 220's in a 30/06, etc etc. If you feel the need the biggest available for "average" use than you need to step up. Does that mean I won't use heavy for caliber bullets for game that may be bigger than a caliber is "well" suited for. But I'm not gonna BUY a 22mag for "solely" coyote hunting and I'm not gonna BUY a .243 "solely" for deer hunting. I would use them if that's what I had though. I wouldn't buy a 30/30 for deer hunting "if" I thought I needed the heaviest bullet. Good thing I think 150's are big enough and generally plink and varmint hunt with it anyway.

LK

[buckeyeshooter]

I bought 20 boxes of federal blue box 150 grainers at Cabela's Wheeling 3 years ago after season at $6.99 a box. I have a die set and reload but I'm set for a long time in 30-30 ammo.

[JohndeFresno]

Well, you said that you want to limit your choice to ONE gun and load for all things. So I opt for the heavier bullet, which is also one of most available cast bullets you will find, through several suppliers -

The Lyman 311041 at 173 grains - for a combination game, survival, disaster defense, and all around levergun load.

All copper rounds are required here for taking game; but concerns for the environment won't play into any scenario where one might have to defend the family or provide meat in a "Katrina" scenario; and ranges still allow lead for practice.

Reasons for my preference:
1) Proven track record of the 170 on a wide variety of game. I am not finished developing my ideal 170 grain load, so I can't make the best comparison between the 311041 and a simialr 150 grain flatnose round. But we can see a fair comparison between identical bullets in the two bullet weights in the charts below, lifted from the Remington website.

You can see that a 170 grain round holds its own at close ranges. The smaller bullet shows more energy on paper at short ranges; but the larger (170 gr) bullet retains more energy at 100 yards or more, while still staying within the prescribed 3 inch drop for up to 175 yards; and it penetrates better on things like tough hides or (frankly) heavy clothing or cover, if family defense is part of the equation.

Now that our Governor has enacted a law that requires fingerprinting of ammo purchasers, making hunters and shooters the subject of immediate documentation like a minority member in 1939 Germany, there is all the more reason to settle upon one or two rounds and load up a reasonable store before something else is decreed. This table, lifted from an interactive search engine at the Remington website, shows the viability of the 170 grain bullet over the 150 grainer, as pointed out in item #1, above. It fares well while being heavy enough to be a bit more effective than the smaller round.

2) The lead bullet is cheap to reload versus a plated one.

3) You can use the same bullet to safely load a 7.62x39mm rifle, providing that the rifle has the right bore and it is in good mechanical condition (I've posted this before). This is "Junior's Load."

4) Should one get into casting, it is an easy bullet to cast, from what I have learned (I'm not there yet, however).

5) Did I mention that it is cheap to reload, thus you can store up a hefty supply with minimum expense?

I hope that the tables below don't get too mangled when they are displayed. Here is a comparison of the two bullet weights of like bullet type.

Cartridge Information - both using Remington 9 1/2 primers:
R30301 Remington® Express® 150gr Soft Point Core-Lokt® BC 0.193
R30302 Remington® Express® 170gr Soft Point Core-Lokt® BC 0.254

Velocity (ft/sec)
_______Muzzle_100__200_300_400__500
150 SP CL 2390 1973 1605 1303 1095 974
170 SP CL 2200 1895 1619 1381 1191 1061

Energy (ft-lbs)
_______Muzzle_100__200_300_400_500
150 SP CL 1902 1296 858 565 399 316
170 SP CL 1827 1355 989 720 535 425

Short-Range Trajectory
_________50_100_150__200_250__300
150 SP CL 0.2 zero -2.4 -7.6 -16.1 -28.8
170 SP CL 0.3 zero -2.7 -8.3 -17.1 -29.9

Long-Range Trajectory
________100_150_200_250__300__400__500
150 SP CL 1.6 zero -4.3 -12.1 -24.0 -64.2 -133.2
170 SP CL 1.8 zero -4.6 -12.6 -24.5 -62.6 -125.3

As a footnote, I am still working up the "ideal" load; but I am very happy with the stability and consistency of the 173 grain Lyman bullet.

[Edited to correct weight of Lyman 311041 - usu. 173 gr. for hard cast - JdeF]

[a357lever]

i like rem 170 or fed 170 these are underated game getters inside 100yds they will take about anything in lower 48, with well placed shot of course.

[dr walker]

If I was going to only use a .30-30 for all hunting and shooting: I would use Barnes 150 gr x bullet.
Cost in this situation is irrelevent (only 1 gun to buy ammo for leaves many dollars to spend on ammo).

With my limited hunting experience, I believe the X-bullet to be the best.
My experience with the .30-30 and X-bullet is limited to whitetail deer, but I have seen 2 different deer that were shot lengthwise with complete and straight penetration.

[Griff]

I use 4 .30-30 bullets, the 125HP, 2 150s and a 170. Mostly, all my .30-30s like any of those bullets. But... I prefer the 150gcfn that I cast for target work. My 2nd favored bullet is the 125HP for coyotes. On deer I've only used Federal 150 factory loads. I've got a few boxes of Speer 170s, but only have about 50 loaded, whereas, I have a couple hundred of both the Sierra 150s and my cast 150s loaded and several hundred ready to load. Have 50 rounds of the 125s loaded and about 500 bullets.

[SmokeEater2]

If I was going to choose just one load for any caliber I suppose I'd start out by trying as many bullet weights and load combination's as possible and find out what the rifle liked the best and then stock up on it.
When I was a youngster my Dad bought me a Winny 94 in .30WCF and at the same time he picked up a couple of boxes of Federal,Winchester and Remington ammo in 150 and 170 grain (only weights available around here then) and we adjourned to the pasture with some targets to try the rifle out. That ol' Winny had a decided taste for the Federal 150's so every time I had some extra scratch (not very dang often!) I picked up more and stashed 'em.
I've taken more large game with the .30 WCF than any other caliber in my lifetime and those 150's have always done the job much better than a lot of gun writer's will admit and I know several folks who use nothing but 170 grainer's and fill the freezer with them yearly. I'm old and set in my ways but I just don't believe a bullet weight of +/- 20 grs. means nearly as much as matching the load to the rifle and then placing the bullet in the right spot when needed.


JMHO.