Best all around 30-30 factory load

I alway liked the Winchester 150 power points, but the Hornady stuff is pretty nice performance if you can find it.
 
On the Marlin forum this question gets discussed usually on a weekly basis, in between 30-30 vs 35 Rem or 444 vs 45-70 threads (kind of like bear defense threads here on CGN)

At least in the marlin lever guns the one load that comes up over and over again as shooting and performing well in a lot of different guns is Remington 170 gr Core-lokt green box. Another honorable mention probably goes to the Federal blue box 150 gr FP and 170 gr RN loads, a lot of rifles seem to like one or the other. My Marlin shoots the Fed 170s extremely well.

Just buy a couple of different kinds and see what your gun likes, you can't really go wrong with any factory 30-30 ammo.
 
Winchester 170 silvertip...the best, in my thinking. Walmart...of all places...seems to carry them on a somewhat regular basis.
 
My Marlin 336 with 20" barrel, if sighted in 3" high at 100, is dead on at 200 yds with LeverEvolution 160 FTX, and with the 140 Monoflex that I use now. (Basically a GMX bullet with a flexible tip)

While at 200 yards most 30.30 rounds are heading for the dirt at about 650 ft/sec, these puppies are still pumping along at just over 1000 ft/sec.

Frankly, made my Marlin into a legit 200 to 250 yd hunting rifle, and can't bring myself to downgrade it now with anything else.
 
sir_springer said:
My Marlin 336 with 20" barrel, if sighted in 3" high at 100, is dead on at 200 yds with LeverEvolution 160 FTX, and with the 140 Monoflex that I use now. (Basically a GMX bullet with a flexible tip)

While at 200 yards most 30.30 rounds are heading for the dirt at about 650 ft/sec, these puppies are still pumping along at just over 1000 ft/sec.

Frankly, made my Marlin into a legit 200 to 250 yd hunting rifle, and can't bring myself to downgrade it now with anything else.
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I'm thinking you must be using energy data, not fps, as the 3030 is moving a lot faster than 650 fps at 200 yards. I could be mistaken, but point blank range of a 3030 is around 200 yards, and that's the old tried and true stuff.
 
heronfish said:
I'm thinking you must be using energy data, not fps, as the 3030 is moving a lot faster than 650 fps at 200 yards. I could be mistaken, but point blank range of a 3030 is around 200 yards, and that's the old tried and true stuff.
Click to expand...

Yep, you're right - my bad (and red faced)! Should read ft. lbs, and at 300 yds, not 200...not that anyone shoots stuff at 300 yds with a 30.30, I hope! Shouldn't try to get too technical after midnight!

Anyway, point being that much improved ballistics of the flex tip bullet wrings the most out of a great old caliber and leveractions. Very accurate in my Marlin, too.

Edit: Looking at Federal and Hornady LeverEvolution specs, seems to me that years ago when LeverEvolution hit the market, the difference in performance was considerably greater at 200 yards. The new ammo made a pretty good splash when it came available, even reflected in sales of lever action rifles, and I'm wondering if other manufacturers upped their ammo somewhat to close the gap and be more competitive...if that's even possible. Part of the magic of Hornady's ammo has to do with the proprietary powder they came up with regarding burn rates and pressure curves...the extension of which led to the Superformance line of ammunition. Comparing the two brands now, there's not a great deal of difference at 200 yards, although beyond that is where the LeverEvolution really shines.

FWIW...
 
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