30-30 heavy hitters

07blackwater

07blackwater

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I'm getting fond of packing this 30-30 I bought about 2 years ago. Nothing special, it's a '77 that's reblued except the receiver has been chromed. The bore is great and it's a shooter. I paid $200 for it.

I started another thread here where I did some load development with 150 grain pinkers and, like I said, I'm really enjoying this rifle.

So. Now I want develop a load that I can hunt deer and black bear with. I already have a 444 but the thing is so darn heavy it stays in camp to run off critters that might be after our game.

For the 30-30 I was going to try the 170 deepcurl but there seems to have been some production problems and I hear they've quit making them for now.

Does anyone have experience with the Sierra 170's? I've procured some LVR already, I plan to push them as fast as I can.

I'm not set up to cast heavy lead bullets yet so that's out of my reach for now.

I forgot to mention, I've been pouring over the numbers and I'd rather use a slower, heavy bullet than a fast 150 as this gun will be used between 50 to 100 yards.
 
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The 170 grain bullet has always been a superior bullet in the 30-30, IMHO.
I use the Nosler 170 FN bullet with a healthy charge of W748 or IMR 3031
My load chrony just over 2200 at the muzzle of a 20" carbine.
No deer or Black Bear will walk away after being "thumped" with one of those.
I also have tried the Hornady 160 FTX...it was very accurate, but no game taken with it yet.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
I considered the partitions as I've had great success with them in my 7mm mag. I just figured that at 2200 fps or so I wouldn't need such a stout.... well let's just come right out with it... spendy bullet.
 
Maybe I can join your club here. Two days ago I bought not one, but two, 30-30 rifles, from far different locations, which I haven't fired yet!
One, a very low mileage 336 Marlin, made in 1957. Four digit serial number, after they came out with micro groove rifling and factory drilled and tapped for scope.
Number two is a real good condition Savage 340, with a professionally drilled scope base and mounts, holding a 3200 Elite, 2 to 7.
I too, have loaded up some 170 grain bullets designed for the 30-30, for the Marlin. As you probably know, I usually go by my own notes on what I have reloaded before, but these are skimpy on the 30-30, so I went to a Du Pont loading chart from the 1980s. This shows 2.8 grains more of 3031, than does the max on line Hodgdon charts. I have likely used this load in the past, but I cut it down to try.
Dave, maybe you can send me PM of what your load of 3031 is for the 170 grain bullet in a lever rifle.
For loads for the 30-30 Savage I am trying pointed 150 grain, so have loaded some with IMR4895, to see how they go for accuracy and velocity.
I wish I had some LVR!
Bruce
 
Hey Bruce, mines a '94, I guess I forgot to mention that. I guess a different twist but anyway if you want some LVR, Henry at budget shooter supply has some in, that's where I got mine.

I'm just trying to procure some suitable bullets!
 
Back in the day I used to load the heavy Barnes 195 gr (if memory serves) in my 30-30's. it was a great penetrator. At one time you could buy the 195 gr Win bullet for the 303 Savage as well, that was another great bullet. I wish you could still buy the Barnes originals, they were good bullets (and their predecessors, the Colorado Bonded bullets). I think a heavy 30 cal flat point is a great hunting bullet. - dan
 
I'm going to see what velocities I get from the 170's in my 20" barrel. If it's not too fast I'm going to see if I can find some gas checked lead 180's. I don't think I'll be able to get enough LVR in the case with anything bigger than that though.
 
Eagleye said:
The 170 grain bullet has always been a superior bullet in the 30-30, IMHO.
I use the Nosler 170 FN bullet with a healthy charge of W748 or IMR 3031My load chrony just over 2200 at the muzzle of a 20" carbine.
No deer or Black Bear will walk away after being "thumped" with one of those.
I also have tried the Hornady 160 FTX...it was very accurate, but no game taken with it yet.
Regards, Eagleye.
Click to expand...

How many grains are you using? I have both IMR 4064 & 3031 but only tried 4064 so far. I use my Lee loading manual for .30-30 as someone in another thread stated the loads in Lyman manuals are far to light.
 
I will share my 3031 load for the 170 grain bullet with the understanding that you will start 2 grains lower
and work up, using safe practices.
Here it is; Winchester brass, CCI 200 primer, 32.0 grains of IMR 3031.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
I use 34 gr. of RL 15 (max load from the alliant handbook) for a velocity of 2250 out of a 20" barrel, winchester brass, Fed 210 primer.

P.S. + 170 gr. Hornady.
 
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You can always load 30gr of Win 748 and a 180gr RN,or 32gr of the same and a 170gr and lastly 34.5gr and a 150gr bullet...............Harold
 
35 grns of LVR with 160 FTX is a good round for everything I have pointed it at!!!. 2200FPS out of 16" trappers, a little more out of the 20" carbines. Accuracy is 3/4" if you can keep the lever pointed in the 3/4 " direction. YMMV
 
Well I loaded up some Hornady 170 FN with some LVR. With a max charge of 36.3gr I got just shy of 2300 fps out of my 20" barrel. I seemed to get best accuracy with 35.5gr at around 2150 fps.

I was using winchester brass andI cci 200 primers and none of the loads were compressed.

I'm going to load up a few more with WLR primers to see if I can squeeze more velocity out of them and to try and bump the accuracy node up to the max charge.

With iron sights and old eyes it could just have been me. These loads sure show promise and definitely kick!
 
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