2 30-30 questions.
- Thread starter Gerald
- Start date
If you want heavy for 30-30 I would go Barnes 190gr FP. 180 RN may penetrate well but will most likely not expand as well as a FP at 30-30 velocities. I would also suggest crimping rounds in a lever action as the rounds rest against one another in the mag tube. Any change in OAL of the cartridges due to recoil could potentially cause a misfeed or pressure spike if the bullet is pushed into the case. Google shooting with Hobie 30-30 for real world bullet tests including the 190 FP.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Somewhere, I read that 160 grain was the original loading offered for 30-30 - marketers must have convinced buyers that there were advantage to choices of 150 grain or 170 grain
170 grain bullets that are designed for 30/30 work really well in the 30/30.
I don't really think you would gain much with Barnes because at 30/30 velocities the regular bullets work good.
If you really want heavier bullets maybe pull 303 savage 190 grainers? Or find bullets designed for 303 savage but I think more trouble for nothing.
I would crimp. If bullet slides into case you would probably have a jam and probably have to take gun apart.
I don't really think you would gain much with Barnes because at 30/30 velocities the regular bullets work good.
If you really want heavier bullets maybe pull 303 savage 190 grainers? Or find bullets designed for 303 savage but I think more trouble for nothing.
I would crimp. If bullet slides into case you would probably have a jam and probably have to take gun apart.
Gerald: One thing to consider is the danger of loading round-nosed bullets, into a tube fed rifle. This practice is widely discouraged, because the bullet tips will come into direct contact with the primers of the cartridges loaded ahead of them. So, there is a real danger of one or more being set off, by impact, if the rifle was jarred, or dropped. So the practice is discouraged, for obvious safety reasons. The only exceptions being some of the soft, polymer-tipped Hornady bullets. Which are perfectly safe to load, in tube magazines.
So no....it is definitely not worthwhile loading 180 grain roundnosed bullets, in a lever action .30-30.
That's why flat nosed bullets are recommended, for loading in lever action rifles. So as already suggested, it's better to pick from bullets of that type. I agree with Valiant....the 170 grain fp bullet is always a good choice, for the .30-30.
As for crimping cartridges for lever actions...Yes. MiG25 offers the answer: Spring pressure. A firm crimp is required to keep bullets firmly in place, against spring pressure. Otherwise, as cartridges are loaded and spring pressure increases, uncrimped bullets can and will get pushed back into the case. Anyone who owns a lever action who's had this happen, knows how annoying, this can be.
So no....it is definitely not worthwhile loading 180 grain roundnosed bullets, in a lever action .30-30.
That's why flat nosed bullets are recommended, for loading in lever action rifles. So as already suggested, it's better to pick from bullets of that type. I agree with Valiant....the 170 grain fp bullet is always a good choice, for the .30-30.
As for crimping cartridges for lever actions...Yes. MiG25 offers the answer: Spring pressure. A firm crimp is required to keep bullets firmly in place, against spring pressure. Otherwise, as cartridges are loaded and spring pressure increases, uncrimped bullets can and will get pushed back into the case. Anyone who owns a lever action who's had this happen, knows how annoying, this can be.
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Actually round nose are ok, it's the spitzers you have to watch out for.Gerald: One thing that hasn't been discussed, is loading round-nosed bullets, into a tube fed rifle. This practice is widely discouraged, because the bullet tips will come into direct contact with the primers of the cartridges loaded ahead of them. So, there is a real danger of one or more being set off, by impact, if the rifle was jarred, or dropped. So the practice is discouraged, for obvious safety reasons. The only exceptions being some of the soft, polymer-tipped Hornady bullets. Which are perfectly safe to load, in tube magazines.
That's why flat nosed bullets are recommended, for loading in lever action rifles. So as already suggested, it's better to pick from bullets of that type. Bullet weight being your choice.
As for crimping cartridges for lever actions...Yes. MiG25 offers the answer: Spring pressure. A firm crimp is required to keep bullets firmly in place, against spring pressure. Otherwise, as cartridges are loaded and spring pressure increases, uncrimped bullets can and will get pushed back into the case. Anyone who owns a lever action who's had this happen, knows how annoying, this can be.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet, is that if you crimp your bullets ( and you should ) the position of the cannelure on the 180's will leave the overall length too long to cycle through the action. This is the problem I encountered loading for my brother's .307. Load up a dummy round and test for function before you do a batch of dozens.
That was one of my thoughts on this also. The reason I asked for input was because I have some round nose 180 grain but the crimp ring looks to be too far back towards the base to ensure proper feeding. I thank everyone for the input.
Gerald
Gerald
