30-30; what bullet weight for what circumstance?

Slaymoar

Slaymoar

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I have seen different loads, but the main ones that keep being available in most stores around where I live are the ones I am interested in;

- 140 LE
- 150 gr
- 160 LE
- 170 gr

Other than the LE (Leverevolution), there are some RN/FN, softpoint, partitionned and various other types of cores. So instead of doing a "vs" of each bullet, I wanted to know/discuss what each type was simply suited for..

As an example, would I be way off by saying this:

- 140 LE: 300 yards varmint round / coyote and wolf. Capable of medium sized game with well placed shot.

- 150 gr: Workhorse of the 30-30 world, perfect medium game ammo for up to 150-200 yards.

- 160 LE: up to 300 yard medium sized game ammo, as long as your specific barrel keeps them flying with 1000lbs of energy at that distance

- 170 gr: With the right core, best choice for black bear or larger game up close (within 100 yards), possibly Moose or Elk - someone said they exclusively used the Federal 170 partitioned for everything


I'm pretty much just making assumptions here, what have been your experiences? I'm guessing that within reason, most of them pretty much overlap each other and are not "worlds appart" in terms of knockout performance. Maybe more of a edge towards something or another?

Thanks
 
I'd worry more about bullet construction than weight. Find one well constructed bullet that shoots well and go hunting. Energy really means nothing other than how it pertains to how much is required for the bullet to do its work. 300 yards is a long ways with a 30-30.
 
The good ol' 30-30 is certainly capable of taking everything you mention at the distances listed but that will certainly depend on what you are shooting. An open sighted model 94 would be no good for me beyond 150 yards. Now if you have a bolt action or single shot with optics then that's a different story (! Not that a lever action is not capable of being very accurate).

The 30-30 may very well have killed more game in this country then any other caliber and in the hands of a competent shooter and as you have already stated, with a well placed shot, is a great big game cartridge. Although I never have I would not hesitate to shoot moose or elk with it.
 
200 yards is pretty much the limit for a 30-30 IMHO and I stick to shots under that.

The 30-30 is a short range cal and is found in lever guns for a reason.

Not sure I would worry about any of the different bullet weights other than what shoots best in your gun.

Only exception might be moose, or big bears, where, as mentioned, bullet construction is gonna be a bigger factor.
 
I used federal fushion 150gr dropped two deer in there tracks last year. I tried out the leverevolution at 160gr in the summer at the range. Very impressive accuracy at 200 yds. Where I hunt a 150 yard shot is a long shot. I think I would use it on anything but a grizzly.
 
Lefty has it, 170 gr and stick with the yardage you and your firearm/sights or scope are capable with!
160 le would be something to check out as well, there really are no varmint loads for 3030, just make it dead ones!
 
In my single shot turdy-turdy's I shoot spire point bullets like the 150 SST and 150 NBT... the performance with LVR and CFE-223 would really surprise some lever shooters... in my lever actions I shoot the 160 FTX bullets over LVR or CFE-223... they perform about as good as any I have tried... and tested against the old standard Win 170 SilverTips, they are much tighter grouping. Terminal performance is... well, terminal.
 
I use only 170gr for 3030, its a medium energy bullet at the best of times. Other than a handy truck gun and short range shooting, almost every full sized bullet exceeds its killing energy. There is no point going light with something thats already light, but that said, 3030 Lever is still gotta be the most fun to shoot with iron sights.
 
hoytcanon said:
In my single shot turdy-turdy's I shoot spire point bullets like the 150 SST and 150 NBT... the performance with LVR and CFE-223 would really surprise some lever shooters... in my lever actions I shoot the 160 FTX bullets over LVR or CFE-223... they perform about as good as any I have tried... and tested against the old standard Win 170 SilverTips, they are much tighter grouping. Terminal performance is... well, terminal.
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Nice! How would the 150sst compare to the factory 160 leverevolution ammo in terms of ballistics? Flatter? Any solid performance at 300 yards?
 
I was shooting 160grn North Forks but they were to long to crimp.
They run 2400fps out of my Ruger no1 very accurate.
I ordered some 150s to see if they will seat and crimp, it probably doesn't mater in a single shot plus the 30-30 has that long neck.
 
In a 30-30 I would just go with a 170 gr. Every rifle I own has just one load. I think this thing with different loads for different game is overdone, you would forever be fiddling with your sights and having to remember what the last fiddle was for.
 
I'm going against my better judgement in posting my experience of 22nd November 2005. Took a decent WT deer at 260 yards. Using a 1956 manufactured Wnchester M94 carbine, Williams Firesite front bead, and FP receiver peep sight. Winchester 150 grain Silvertip of the old style. Was standing 3/4s on to me, and I aimed for his white throat patch and I knew that the trajectory would still place the bullet into the vitals of the chest area. DRT shot. He was standing still, just watching me for 9 long seconds before I launched the Silvertip at him. I practiced all summer previously at an outdoor range. The internal damage was very dramatic. And I lost the front third of tenderlions to bits and pieces of the bullet nose disintergrating, as well as the top of the heart and it also pretty much destroyed both lungs. Unfortuneately, I've long since lost track of the remaining 77 grain expanded copper jacket I found inside the carcass. A 100 yard sight in of +3inches, I knew that the 14-16inch drop was doable in this single instance.
 
Slaymoar said:
Nice! How would the 150sst compare to the factory 160 leverevolution ammo in terms of ballistics? Flatter? Any solid performance at 300 yards?
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The 150 SST/BT's are definitely flatter than the factory LVR 160 loads... BUT, rather than consider them a "300 yard" load (which I don't), I would prefer to think of them as a "slam dunk" 200 yard load. Platform has a huge impact on accuracy... you can't expect to drop a "hot load" into a sloppy, shot-out M94 and turn it into a long range shooter... But an accurate gun with a performance load in .30/30 can is quite capable.
 
roba said:
In a 30-30 I would just go with a 170 gr. Every rifle I own has just one load. I think this thing with different loads for different game is overdone, you would forever be fiddling with your sights and having to remember what the last fiddle was for.
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Right!
 
My granson Mossberg 464SPX just is a performer with Leverevolution, after testing a bunch of them the 160 FTX would be the only one id'e shoot with confidence up to 200 metres... In my book that is... JP.
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caramel said:
My granson Mossberg 464SPX just is a performer with Leverevolution, after testing a bunch of them the 160 FTX would be the only one id'e shoot with confidence up to 200 metres... In my book that is... JP.
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JP, et al;

Some of you reloaders shoud try performance bullets in your .30/30's... In lever actions, you can put one in the pipe and one in the tube, for an accurate "two-shooter" without fear of a "magazine kaboom!" I also shoot .30/30 in bolt actions and single shots... Where there is no fear of accidental discharge. I tend to shoot the Hornady SST's and Nosler BT's for range work and hunt with Hornady Interbonds and Nosler Accubonds for hunting... I have found the POI to be virtually identical shooting the SST/IB and BT/AB's with identical loads. Having been a 40+ year lever shooter, I am amazed what the .30/30 cartridge can be capable of... And I don't say that, to push the limits.
 
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