reloading the 30-30 heavy

thebuckhunter

thebuckhunter

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I just picked up a brand new marlin 336 in 30-30. looking through all my manuals and can't find anything heavier than a 170gr load. Was just wondering why only up to 170grains? I have a box of Barnes TTSX in 200gr and was thinking that these would be perfect for bear. Heavy and slow. Just wondering if anyone out there reloads heavy bullets in the 30-30 and what their experiences have been? Where did you get your reloading data?
TIA,

-Jason
 
I would stay with a bullet designed to expand at 30/30 velocity in a hunting application. You will not be able to drive that Barnes 200 grain,TTSX fast enough out of the Marlin 30/30 for which that bullet is designed for. Paper punching is another matter entirely. Sorry I can't help you with load data.
 
Terrible idea to use the 200gr monometal in a tube magazine lever gun. If you're into heavy bullets, check out the fairly new introduction of the 190gr Barnes Original soft point flat nose
 
Original 30/30 was a 160 grain bullet. So the 170 is already a "heavy". 30 caliber typically not large enough without expanding - it is not a 45 caliber already, but has the advantage of going faster, shallower trajectory and then still "opening up" on impact to work like a 45-ish bullet. Not going to happen at all unless the bullet expands at the cartridge's impact velocity. Might be fun as a single load at-a-time shooting at paper targets though? But then you could try that with pretty much any 30 caliber bullet so long as you can keep it off the lands when chambering it.
 
If you're going to single load a monometal, check out the Barnes 110gr Tac-Tx. Designed for 300 Blackout, gives great expansion and penetration. Acts like a heavy bullet
 
Marlin 336 and Rem 788 have a 1-10 twist and all other 30-30's 1-12"...........a 170gr Partition will work for everything IMO.
 
I have 2 Marlin 30-30 rifles, a 336 Carbine, and a 336A Rifle [24"]
Both absolutely love the 170 Speer over 35.5 grains of Leverevolution.
Good velocity, and often turn in groups around MOA.
The Norma 170 and the old CIL KKSP also shoot well in these rifles. Dave.
 
Eagleye said:
I have 2 Marlin 30-30 rifles, a 336 Carbine, and a 336A Rifle [24"]
Both absolutely love the 170 Speer over 35.5 grains of Leverevolution.
Good velocity, and often turn in groups around MOA.
The Norma 170 and the old CIL KKSP also shoot well in these rifles. Dave.
Click to expand...

you dialed it in nice. Almost identical to me. Im still running CIL KKSP and you are right MOA groups at 100 and 200 yrds. A real deer stopper. Never tried on bear but should be just as good.
 
I have yet to see a need to shoot any bullet heavier than 170 grains in a 30-30, but many people I
know fool with heavier ones. This invariably turns the lever 30-30's into single shot rifles, since the
actions of both the Marlins and the Winchesters will not cycle a longer OAL cartridge through them.

The 12" twist will probably stabilize a 200 grain RN bullet, but it will be pretty slow in that little case.

I feel that the 30-30 shines with properly designed [cannelure in the correct location] up to 170 grain
bullets that expand reliably at the modest velocities that the 30-30 churns up. Dave.
 
30-30 velocity is ideal for the cheap 150-170gr cup/core bullets, you get proper penetration and expansion at all practical 30-30 distances. No need for solids, or heavy for cal, or bonded bullets with these.
 
I use 190 grain Barnes original in my .30-30 and my .303 Savage. Hawk makes a fine 190 grain bullet for these cartridges also. Barnes has data that will push the 190 out of the old .30 WCF at around 2000 fps. Both of these bullets are made for the .30-30 and the .303 Savage. I killed a 400 pound black bear with this load in my .303 Savage this past spring. I like them

Darryl
 
Thanks for the input. I've been reloading for 20+years and this is my first 30-30 and my first lever. I've never reloaded for speed. I guess I'll stick with 170's and decide from there.
-Jason
 
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