338-30 anyone?
- Thread starter Dosing
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
If you want to, that's a good enough reason. But be aware that bullets made in that diameter are almost all built to expand at much higher impact velocity than what the 30-30 case can provide. You will have a challenge finding bullets that are "soft" enough to make it an effective hunting round.
Make a 338-06 and download it to see what a 338-30/30 would be like. That saves buying custom everything, and when the novelty has worn off after 20 rounds, you can load it up to where it's useful and have the realistic option of selling it at some point.
Or you could try a 35-30-30. I always wanted but never got around to it. 35 Remington bullets would work well in it. Easy to get components for.
- Location
- Near Coldwater, Ont
Hornady used to make a 0.338 dia 200gr flat point for the 33 Win that would probably expand at the velocities you would get from a necked up 30-30 case. I am pretty sure they are discontinued though. You can get bullet moulds and cast your own though.
Jim
Jim
Having gone down similar rabbit holes quite a few times myself, I would now suggest picking up an older (pre micro groove) .35 Marlin or you could likely even find an 1886 Winchester in .33 Winchester. When you consider the costs of a new barrel or a rebore plus a reamer and likely paying someone to do some of the work, a used '86 is occasionally still found for reasonable money in .33 and I actually prefer them to the .348 in a model 71. Any '86 is a way nicer rifle than a '94 in my opinion. A used .356 in a '94 or a .35 in a Marlin are the easiest routes and no deer or black bear will ever know the difference. With the price of any decent factory rounds, every caliber requires reloading if you want to shoot any amount at all so its really down to component availability.
For .338 hunting bullets, the Hornady FXT is available and Woodliegh also makes an excellent jacketed bullet for the .33 Winchester if you can find them. Quite a few people have also reported positively on filing a flat point on a 210 grain, .338 Nosler Partition for use in the .33 Winchester. Lastly, the old 200 grain Hornady FP bullets are still to be found occasionally. I just box a box since Christmas from someone on here. There are options if you are set on the .338 caliber.
On the other hand, your idea sounds like a cool project so keep us posted if you go that route. A 200ish grain, .338 caliber cast bullet performs very well but is not a significant jump from the .32 special's 170 grain bullet which everyone knows is much more powerful than the .30-30! There I go flirting with logic and sentimental reasoning again...
For .338 hunting bullets, the Hornady FXT is available and Woodliegh also makes an excellent jacketed bullet for the .33 Winchester if you can find them. Quite a few people have also reported positively on filing a flat point on a 210 grain, .338 Nosler Partition for use in the .33 Winchester. Lastly, the old 200 grain Hornady FP bullets are still to be found occasionally. I just box a box since Christmas from someone on here. There are options if you are set on the .338 caliber.
On the other hand, your idea sounds like a cool project so keep us posted if you go that route. A 200ish grain, .338 caliber cast bullet performs very well but is not a significant jump from the .32 special's 170 grain bullet which everyone knows is much more powerful than the .30-30! There I go flirting with logic and sentimental reasoning again...
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
That resolves the problem of having to find flat nose bullets, but think typical jacketed bullets driven at 2150 fps might not upset particularly well, although penetration will be good. How about cast? A .338/200 gr cast bullet at 2000-2150 would be a decent load for deer and black bear.
I would use 7-30 waters brass necked up to 338 to give more powder room. A 338-30 improved. Many years ago I wanted to take a 307 lever and rebarrel to 7mm and improve it for more case capacity. A few people talked me out of ‘wasting my money’. Then I saw the 7mmSTE in a magazine. Pretty much what I was thinking. So moral of the story is don’t get talked out of something you want because others don’t appreciate it.
