Old-school 30-30 silvertips any good?
- Thread starter TheCoachZed
- Start date
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
The very first Silvetips they came out with in 30-30 were too hard. That was quickly fixed, and they became an excellent hunting bullet. Years back they were a favorite, before I started reloading.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Attachments
I can only offer an example of one and a couple anecdotal 'fun facts' on the old Silvertip bullets. Years ago I shot a decent AB mule deer with a 170 gr ST factory load. The shot was pretty standard broadside shot about 75 yards. The bullet land tight behind the shoulder right where it should of and killed the deer right quick. The only thing was when gutting it out I noticed that bullet had completely come apart in the lungs and not a single fragment managed to even make it through the offside chest wall. So not the greatest penetration, if that shot had been on the shoulder probably wouldn't have been as good a result.
Anyway I remember reading a comment from a well known American gun writer (can't remember the name off the top of my head) that the winchester silver tip was one of the hardest bullet designs to get right in manufacturing and had very inconsistent performance due to varying thickness of the AL cap. If the cap was the right thickness it performed perfectly delaying expansion just a little, but if it wasn't, the bullet was basically like a ballistic tip with the too hard cap smashing into the bullet at impact for explosive expansion. That was why some hunter swore by them and others swore at them, both groups could be right.
The other anecdote was that while winchester designed the 170 gr 30-30 ST as a regular game bullet, the 150 gr ST was actually designed as an anti-personel bullet at the request of jails who used Win m94 30-30s extensively as jail guard guns.
Anyway I remember reading a comment from a well known American gun writer (can't remember the name off the top of my head) that the winchester silver tip was one of the hardest bullet designs to get right in manufacturing and had very inconsistent performance due to varying thickness of the AL cap. If the cap was the right thickness it performed perfectly delaying expansion just a little, but if it wasn't, the bullet was basically like a ballistic tip with the too hard cap smashing into the bullet at impact for explosive expansion. That was why some hunter swore by them and others swore at them, both groups could be right.
The other anecdote was that while winchester designed the 170 gr 30-30 ST as a regular game bullet, the 150 gr ST was actually designed as an anti-personel bullet at the request of jails who used Win m94 30-30s extensively as jail guard guns.
Interesting read.Never before read any thing like this about the Winchester Silvertip.Only ever read good reports on them or heard of reports from other hunters who have used them.Could perhaps be the earlier ones that I read here earlier ,that were at times too hard,perhaps some of the earlier ones were too soft as well?
Also never heard of any Silvertip being designed as an anti-personal bullet. Not sure why one would use a controlled expansion bullet for an anti personal bullet,but I suppose it could have been done.
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Some interesting experiences here: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt.../printthread/Board/34/main/685492/type/thread
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Interesting read.Never before read any thing like this about the Winchester Silvertip.Only ever read good reports on them or heard of reports from other hunters who have used them.Could perhaps be the earlier ones that I read here earlier ,that were at times too hard,perhaps some of the earlier ones were too soft as well?
Also never heard of any Silvertip being designed as an anti-personal bullet. Not sure why one would use a controlled expansion bullet for an anti personal bullet,but I suppose it could have been done.
I heard that the round to use for anti-personnel work in the .30-30 was the PHP stuff (called Powermax Bonded now, I think?). I used one on a bear and it was beautiful work.
I shot two dozen deer with them, with predictably boring results... most exited the offside chest wall with a golf ball sized hole, so good and proper expansion... nothing I saw would cooberate that they explode on deer sized game. I used them for many years and I assume from many different production lots... I am referring here specifically to the 170 grain .30-30 and .32 Win Spl loads... JME.
