30-30 spear points vs flat points

blacksmithden

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I wasn't sure whether to put this in reloading, hunting, or just where, so I stuck it here. No offence taken if it gets moved. There are a lot of guys out hunting with 30-30s who might benifit

So, I've always been curious about the penetration of a 30-30 cartridge with a flat nose vs. a pointed one. I loaded up a bunch of Hornaday soft point, jacketed, spear points, as well as flat pionts. 170 grain for both. Shooting a model 94 Winchester lever, one shell at a time in the chamber obviously.
I set up 4L mike jugs full of water, 3 deep at 100 meters and let fly

Results:

Flat point: First jug was split wide open, but not completely "blown apart".
The second jug was split open on the in side, but no exit hole. The 3 rd jug had no damage at all. I found lots of bullet fragments, and the bottom 1/3rd of the copper jacket inside the 2nd jug.

Spear point: First jug was completely blown apart into 3 major pieces and a few fragments. Second jug was also completely blown apart, but all the pieces held together. Third jug was split both front and back. There were bullet fragments left in each jug.

Of course, I've got to know just how deep these things will go.
I had 4 jugs left, lined them up and let fly.

Same results on the first 3, and the 4th had a bullet sized hole in the front, and out the back, although I'd doubt there was much of the bullet left at this point since I found lead and copper fragments in every jug except the last.

My conclusion is, there maybe something to these new spear point bullets that are on the market with the plastic??? tips that are safe to use in our tube magazines. I know one guy who downed 3 moose with the flat tips in one season and not one of em moved after being hit. The same guy told me he shot one once, and spent an entire day chasing it down with multiple shots. He figured it was just that the 30-30 didn't get in deep enough to do enough damage. I'm can't remember the company that's making the factory loaded pointed tips, but there was a write up on them in Guns&Ammo. I think it was titled "New Life For Levers" or something like that. Anyway, just thought some of the tube magazine users out there, who don't reload your own, might be interested.

G'nite Gracy......
 
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Hornady is the company you're referring to, they sell their "leverevolution" brand rubber tipped spire points. About the only benefit on game is it will arrive travelling faster after a long shot, due to the bigher BC, otherwise there's not much difference in terminal effects on game due to bullet nose shape alone, bullet construction's far more important.
 
You could load one round in the chamber and one in the magazine safely. Not that I've ever done it.


My son is starting his hunting career this year with my old dirty thirty.

I'm loading 165 Speers for him because we might have a 200 yd shot and I want to give him every edge I can.

At the range its one at a time. In the field it will be one in the pipe on half #### and one in the mag.

He and I will be side by each in the field, It is going to be a cool weekend.

Can't wait until I can get the "Lever Evelution" rounds to load.
 
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