Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Favorite 30-30 Deer Bullet

Whichever bullet shoots best from the 30-30 (or 303 Savage) gun I'm using. Hornady and Speer would be my first choices, but Sierra or others are fine if the gun likes them. 150gr or 170gr are the normal choices with 150gr as preferred for whitetails.

The fun thing about 30-30 class guns is you can work up a bunch of loads and shoot them all day long and never be sore.

My dad's 1954 Marlin, the thing shoots most factory ammo into 3/4" groups. Never found a handload that does quite so well, but it shoots Hornady 170gr into 1.25" which is perfectly good for hunting.

Good grief, Rory- a rifle with a tube AND a hammer! Quick give this man a beer to wake him up!

It was my dad's.. I'll take the beer, but don't panic. It's the only one in the safe.

170 gr Nosler Partitions and RL-15, have a modern 26" octagon barreled 30-30 Winchester that fires these to 2400 fps, you guys wouldn't believe what they will penetrate through, nice accuracy from the Lyman receiver peep to boot.

The .30-30 has surprised me more than once.

I can believe what that bullet will do at 2400 fps. A .308 with the 170 Partition at 2500 fps is a penetrating, animal-killing, woods-hunting monster.

I'd gladly hunt timber elk with it Vic, or the biggest black bear that ever scratched his butt on a tree trunk.

I like the lever what ever Hornady 160. I have yet to hit a deer with one but outta a 300 savage it done real well on elk at 350 yards plus. I love the 30 30.

Vic,

I won't ever question you experience but do you really think a Nosler Partition is needed in the eastern deer woods? I am primarily referring to woods hunting at woods ranges and not open field shooting.

Doc

No, not at .30-30 velocities.

It's more a matter of an accurate bullet in a particular rifle, but if used in a .308, then it would become more relevant as you get close to 2500 or so fps.

Any of the .30-30-specific bullets are well designed for the velocity for which they are intended. Out of my M94, I get lower 2100s, so accuracy is the deciding factor.

Hornady 170 fp is the winner there.

My M94AE likes the Sierra 170 flatnose. In factory ammo, the Winchester 170 gr is the rifle's choice. Have not shot any critter with either one.

I shot a couple deer in 2015 with a 125 gr Nos Bal tip downloaded to 30-30 velocities.

That is a plastic tip. It should work in a tube.

Any of the 170 soft points work well

170 grain Rem, but as Strider says all 170 grain bullets work well.

For flat/round nosed bullets, the Barnes 150gr 30-30.....it may be the only Barnes I am enamored with. No, it's not 'needed' in the 30-30, but it is anecdotally more emphatic for bang flops from the 30-30....and I load it in my kid's 308, and it's nice, also. I like the FTX, but have seen expansion issues on occasion. 130 speers ain't bad, either.

My favorite bullet is no longer being made....the 170 gain Winchester silvertip (old style). Shot extremely well out of my M94 with a charge of IMR3031.
Most of the game I've taken with the .30/30 has been with 170 grain Hornady interlocks; the Sierra and Speer 170 grain FP bullets shoot well, too, but I just haven't had much opportunity to use them on game.

Dare I mention a 30-30 Savage 340 BOLT on this thread?

Mine likes the Sierra 125's. Deer Devastatingly downright deadly!