Found this on another forum, even though this is police use, it kind of relates:
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...the LE agency I work for tested .30-30 loads in calibrated 10% ballstic gel, firing the test-bullets through 4 layers of cotton denim to try to duplicate heavy winter clothing. We found two commonly available factory .30-30 jhp loads that performed superbly in our testing from 16.5 and 20-inch barreled .30-30's.
The two rounds are: the Winchester 150-grain generic jhp (catalog #X30301) and the Federal Cartridge 125-grain generic jhp (catalog #3030C).
The 150-grain Winchester load penetrated about 14 inches and fragmented violently, really unloading its energy into the gel block. This would be a godawful round to get hit with, since it penetrates about the same as our issue .40 caliber handgun ammo...but the handgun ammo is hitting with about 400 f/p's of kinetic energy. The .30-30 however is unloading over 1,700 f/p's of KE over the same penetration distance.
The 125-grain jhp has been loaded for years by Federal Cartridge as a .30-30 load for varmints and coyotes. It penetrated 13-inches into the test-gelatin without much fragmenting and the recovered test-bullets miked at about .62 caliber. The Federal 125-grain jhp is easily the most nail-driving accurate .30-30 load I've ever fired, at least out of the various .30-30 Marlins that I own. Plus it's pretty cushy to shoot, as far as recoil goes.
Either of these two loads would be about as "safe" as you could get for "urban" defensive use. For my part, I'd hate to get hammered by a round that was delivering rifle-level striking energy, but arresting within me over the same penetration distance as a defensive handgun bullet does. As a practical matter, too, in my .30-30's there's not much difference in the POA/POI at 100 yards between 125-grain and 150 grain bullets. The Hornady LeveRevolution ammo shines at longer 250+ yard shots, since it's designed to retain its striking energy at longer ranges. That's not much advantage to me, though, since it's beyond my practical ability with the iron sights on my Marlins. I don't scope a defensive rifle.
So for SD purposes, I personally stick with the two rounds we tested, since their performance more of a known quantity to me. Assuming, of course that over-penetration of the target's torso is a consideration in your defensive planning. If it's not, then pretty much any .30-30 load has the hitting power and practical accuracy to keep you from getting killed provided you do your part. For my money, it hits more destructively than a .223 load...but that just me.
