30-30 a 200 yds cartridge?

[Cteve]

30-30 is a great caliber, I used it last year and will use it again this year. It is situational I use it within a couple hundred yards.....My .308 would be used if I could get a shot off any further then that. Honestly I have only shot a couple deer over 50 yards away, as I don't have the luxury or want of hunting fields. the few times I did, it was easy to walk out into the field and pick which deer I wanted to shoot out of the bunch but I didn't get the same feeling of glory I get when I get one from the woods. Not even sure I would call it hunting, more like just shooting a deer. 30-30 in thick bush, tracking or in a stand, man that gets your heart going.
...also the Federal Hammerdown ammunition is great stuff, I would recommend trying it out.

 

[Rod]

I'm a bit reluctant to get involved with this thread but here's my 2 cents. I like the 30 WCF round and have quite a few lever guns in this caliber and used it to hunt and harvest deer over the uears. I considered it a 100 yd max round. I own plenty of other rifles, calibers with scopes so why would I consider using the 30-30 for a 200 yd shot hunt. Yes, I most likely could do the shot but why take a chance on wounding an animal and sending it for a painful horrible death when there's better options for a quick clean kill. Out of respect for the game I hunt I like to choose the right gun and cartridge for the job at hand.

 

[Valiant]

I've been shooting a 26" 1894 with 20 grains imr4198 and cast 180g.
At 2 shoots this year I was surprising myself making hits at 300 yards on silhouettes . I was aiming way above the silhouettes in order to be on.
I plan on putting a climbing Lyman on it and I'm curious about what it will do on paper.
The wind really blows the little 30 cal around once you get out a few hundred yards. Way more than compared to a 45-70

 

[708fan]

If you’re chosen bullet expands well enough to blow up a milk jug at 200 giver.

 

[The True North]

Easily a 200 meter rifle, even with 170 gr. round nose Federal Power-Shok. Anyone saying otherwise either doesn't own a 30-30, or can't shoot.

 

[Joel]

Easily a 200 meter rifle, even with 170 gr. round nose Federal Power-Shok. Anyone saying otherwise either doesn't own a 30-30, or can't shoot.

I got curious about this one. Borrowing the .189 G1 BC from Hornady's 170gr FN, and IF you really do start with the advertised 2200 fps, you're getting to 200 yards with 1451 fps and with a 5 mph crosswind, 6 inches of drift.

If you start with say 2100 fps, obviously it gets there at lik 1350-1370 fps.

IF the bullet expands properly at that range, less has killed deer before. I mean, thats kind of a 357 at the muzzle and then some. But it doesn't take a very strong wind to blow you clean out the killzone it seems. But I'd want to know how those bullets expand before giving it a go.

Fo example, Brobee's video with the 300 yard elk shot spined it, right? Have wondered what would have happened if it didn't

 

[The True North]

I got curious about this one. Borrowing the .189 G1 BC from Hornady's 170gr FN, and IF you really do start with the advertised 2200 fps, you're getting to 200 yards with 1451 fps and with a 5 mph crosswind, 6 inches of drift.

If you start with say 2100 fps, obviously it gets there at lik 1350-1370 fps.

IF the bullet expands properly at that range, less has killed deer before. I mean, thats kind of a 357 at the muzzle and then some. But it doesn't take a very strong wind to blow you clean out the killzone it seems. But I'd want to know how those bullets expand before giving it a go.

Fo example, Brobee's video with the 300 yard elk shot spined it, right? Have wondered what would have happened if it didn't

All I know is that the round nose soft points federal sticks in their 170 gr. ammo seems to expand if you breath on it wrong.

 

[Joel]

All I know is that the round nose soft points federal sticks in their 170 gr. ammo seems to expand if you breath on it wrong.

Sounds like it's perfect for the application then lol. Gotcha!

This is an aside but always kinda wondered why people choose pointed 150gr bullets for the 7.62x39 instead of something made for the 30-30. Beats being on the ragged edge of where a spitzer was designed to expand. Unless they really want to push them past 100 yards I guess. But if you can do 2100 fps with a round or flat nosed 30-30 bullet...

 

[The True North]

Sounds like it's perfect for the application then lol. Gotcha!

This is an aside but always kinda wondered why people choose pointed 150gr bullets for the 7.62x39 instead of something made for the 30-30. Beats being on the ragged edge of where a spitzer was designed to expand. Unless they really want to push them past 100 yards I guess. But if you can do 2100 fps with a round or flat nosed 30-30 bullet...

I'm sure it comes down to ease of manufacturing, along with the fact that hunting ammo for the x39 sees very little demand in the first place.

 

[Joel]

I'm sure it comes down to ease of manufacturing, along with the fact that hunting ammo for the x39 sees very little demand in the first place.

Handloaders I mean. Like the ones who post on this forum. We can use anything we want.

Maybe too much bullet ends up inside the case for a proper powder charge, but barring that, Hornady was getting 2200 fps from an SKS in their testing. Thats definitely shorter barreled 30-30 territory.

 

[Suther]

Handloaders I mean. Like the ones who post on this forum. We can use anything we want.

Maybe too much bullet ends up inside the case for a proper powder charge, but barring that, Hornady was getting 2200 fps from an SKS in their testing. Thats definitely shorter barreled 30-30 territory.

I feel like not many people want to use a flat or round nose bullet in guns that don't require them? They really limit you with the crappy BCs, and a large number of reloaders I've met get harder for high BCs than they do their wives.

Plus isn't there a difference in diameter? Doesn't x39 use 310cal bullets? Or are you suggesting 308cal bullets will work OK too? (I haven't played with reloading x39 yet, absolutely would if CVA or Rossi starts chambering it in one of their single shots though...)

 

[Joel]

I feel like not many people want to use a flat or round nose bullet in guns that don't require them? They really limit you with the crappy BCs, and a large number of reloaders I've met get harder for high BCs than they do their wives.

Plus isn't there a difference in diameter? Doesn't x39 use 310cal bullets? Or are you suggesting 308cal bullets will work OK too? (I haven't played with reloading x39 yet, absolutely would if CVA or Rossi starts chambering it in one of their single shots though...)

yeah the 308 cals work just fine in the bolt action 7.62x39s I've had. The Venn diagram would have some overlap of "loose spec 308 bore" and "tight spec 310 bore" I think. A few others on the board here have had the same results too. And my SKS is just as "accurate" with them as it is the proper diameter bullets. or I should say no more inaccurate haha.

If its for hunting, and limiting the range to 150 yards anyway, I'd think it better than something thats gonna be on the ragged edge of where its made to expand, essentially a 308 or 30-05 at 400-500 yards.

You're probably right on the people not wanting to use round or flat bullets where not needed tho.

JBMauser here has taken a bruiser of a whitetail with a 150gr Barnes flat nosed HP bullet made for the 30-30 out of a Howa mini. Very much within its performance wheelhouse. He's posted pics in another thread.

 

[dan belisle]

Used to shoot steel rams at 200 yards with a 14 inch 30-30 contender. It will certainly kill a deer at that distance. - dan

 

[The True North]

yeah the 308 cals work just fine in the bolt action 7.62x39s I've had. The Venn diagram would have some overlap of "loose spec 308 bore" and "tight spec 310 bore" I think. A few others on the board here have had the same results too. And my SKS is just as "accurate" with them as it is the proper diameter bullets. or I should say no more inaccurate haha.

If its for hunting, and limiting the range to 150 yards anyway, I'd think it better than something thats gonna be on the ragged edge of where its made to expand, essentially a 308 or 30-05 at 400-500 yards.

You're probably right on the people not wanting to use round or flat bullets where not needed tho.

JBMauser here has taken a bruiser of a whitetail with a 150gr Barnes flat nosed HP bullet made for the 30-30 out of a Howa mini. Very much within its performance wheelhouse. He's posted pics in another thread.

Interesting.

 

[Joel]

Interesting.

Aye. I'll let him talk about it if he sees this post.

Have loaded bullets made for the 300 BLK here and they shot well, but are too long for most magazines. The 30-30 spec bullets seem like the ticket if someone wants the 150s.