Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Better 30-30 ammo ?

I have hunted with Federal Power -Shok & Winchester Power point 170gr ammo for years .. Always worked . White Tail , a few Black Bears & Hawgs .. & Feral dogs ...

But Im thinking about testing some advertised
" Better " 30-30 ammo ....for this coming Bear hunting season ...
Im looking at

170gr Federal Fusion
170gr Winchester Power Max

Im just wondering what you 30-30 fans consider
" Top Shelf " ammo ...

I handload my .30-30, and prefer the Hornady 170 interlock bullet.

My first choice of what you have listed is the Federal round. If I did not load for my rifle, that's what I'd buy.

One good thing about 30-30 bullets is that they aren't big compromises. They were designed for 30-30 velocities and impact ranges which is a fairly small target. Not like most pointed .308 bullets that get used in cartridges from 300 savage to the big magnums, from 100 pound deer to elk and moose. what perfect in one application could be a fragmenting bomb in another.

I have shot a few deer with hornady 170's and seen a fair number shot with a general selection of other 150g and 170g ammo and haven't really seen a lot of difference all worked well.

If you want to try some "better" ammo here are a few. I doubt that they will really do much that your powerpoints didn't, but sometimes its fun to try something new and cool.

170 Nosler Partitions

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ter-170-grain-nosler-partition-box-of-20

Hornady 140 monoflex

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...r-140-grain-monoflex-lead-free-box-of-20

I wouldn't waste money on "better" .30-30 ammo. I've killed many deer with 150 and 170 Rem. Core-Lokt, 170 Win. Silvertip and 170 Federal blue box factory loads. They all perform/kill well enough as to leave little room for improvement. Pick what's most accurate in your rifle and you're GTG.

I've alway been partial to 150 gr. Core-Lokt's been shooting deer and bears with hounds with them for over 50 years....past 8 years been using Cutting Edge Bullets 130 gr. Raptors there only a component bullets but are the best bullet I've ever used....

I have also .. Big bucks , a couple of big bear and more than a few bigger hawgs .. useing vanilla shelf ammo ... its works ..
This is more out of curiosity ..

Id like to try some "new tech " on a ole woods carbine.

Absolutely true.

What drives my preference for the Hornady is the difference in accuracy compared to other component bullets. It is noticeably better, but that may change when I run out of the particular lot number I have.

My rifle seems to prefer 170s to 150s, and of the 170s, it really likes the Hornady.

Otherwise, terminal performance has been the same.

Have you tried this "new" vanilla shelf ammo? The groups are repeatable in my Marlin 336 C and display good performance on whitetails. The InterLock bullet would work on other critters, too.

I shot a Bull Moose at 10 yards with a 30-30 and a 170 silvertip. I pulled that bullet out of the heart and it was a perfect mushroom that lost almost no weight. You can't do better with a 30-30 than that.

Bro, the 150gr Powermax is the supreme 30-30 bullet. I’ve killed many game animals with a 30-30, some years about 150 animals. I’ve been very fortunate to have the time and opportunity to hunt in very liberal states when it comes to quotas. 30-30 is my thang. If you are gonna hunt bear with the 30-30 and want the best results (they all work) the 150gr Powermax has no equal in the effect upon impact with the animal. The effect for me has been body jarring impacts with expansion and a half dollars size exit wound. I’ve yet to hit an animal with powermax that didn’t knock the hell out of them. Personally I’d still consider the 160 or 140 grain versions of LeverE for bear.

If there were a magic bullet for the 30-30...



I will even be as bold to say that nuthin on planet earth will stand up to the 180gr 30-06 Powermax.

Considering the fact that I can't say I get "body jarring impacts that knock the hell out of them" even with 165 grain power points out of my .30-06, that's downright fuggin amazing performance from a .30-30. There's only so much available horsepower in a 150 gr. bullet at 2400 fps... Wide expansion with larger diameter wound channels will always result in a shorter wound channel, AKA less penetration.

Two things happened when I switched to 150 gr PowerMax back when they first came out.

First, you knew immediately if you hit the animal

Second, its the first time ever with a 30-30 folk would look at the deer on the rack and say “what the hell did you shoot that with?”

The Winchester/Olin 150 grain Deer Season XPs shoot better groups from my Marlin, Mossberg, and Savage 30-30s than any other factory load that I've tried. I don't know if they are stout enough to be the best choice for anything tougher/bigger than deer, but man are they accurate!

Any 170gr RNSP is a winner in the .30-30.

Back when I was about 14 years old, I managed to draw an antelope hunt tag for the Fort Sumner, NM area. My sole big game rifle at the time was a Marlin 336 30-30 scoped with an El Paso Weaver K-4 scope mounted in Weaver tip off mounts. I studied the Hornady and Speer reloading manuals and ballistics charts religiously for weeks, comparing the performance of 150 gr vs 170 gr Flat nosed and Round nosed 30 caliber projectiles. I drew it out on graph paper, I reread all of my Jack O'Conner books and settled on the Speer 150 gr Round Nose loaded over IMR 3031 in Winchester cases with CCI LR primers. Opening day of the hunt, I killed my first antelope with that 30-30 at about 125 yds. That was 50 years ago and the first of many hunts with that Marlin, which still resides with me today. Never have found a need to hunt with any other load in any of my 30-30s except for the time I failed to grab the ammo box on the way deer hunting and had to stop at a hardware store and buy a box of 170 gr. I didn't get to shoot a deer with the 170 gr. so I can't testify that they don't just bounce off deer or barely make it out the end of the barrel when fired.

While pretty much all the 30-30 bullets work very well I also think the Winchester power max should be a very good bullet. Came up with a couple boxes and found it to be very accurate and hit to same point of aim as my standard round the 170gr power point. Being a bonded core it should be a hair better, whether that's necessary is debatable.

My 30/30 ammo pouch holds a mix of 170 federal blue box and federal fusion at the momemt. They both work and the good news is they shoot to same point of aim in my Savage 99 30/30, so don't have to be concerned about mixed ammo.

I would think the 110 Barnes ttsx would be the one in a Savage 99.

Interesting to read some of Townsend Whelen's early stories, this from the days when the 30-30 was a newer "wonder" cartridge. He was impressed with it effectiveness on game, period. Also viewed it as very good at "long range" when loaded with the newfangled smokeless powder.
Any of todays bullets are likely improvements over what was available a 100 years ago.
The 30-30 might just be an example where Partitions really are to much bullet, and todays C&C's are just right at such modest velocities.
When I look back over several decades of hunting, mostly with 270's, 35 Whelens, and similar, a pretty significant percentage of that game could have been taken with a 30-30. I should note that I am mostly an eastern woods hunter.

I've loaded the 150 Hornady RN for several years without complaint. Always seemed to do it's job on whitetail.

Never been around the powermax, gonna check them out!

I have had a lot of experience with the 160 FTX however. The 308 marlin express cannulure fit perfectly for the 300 savage.

Been regularly flopping cow elk outta hay fields at about 300 plus yards for years! 160 FTX 300 savage lever lotion powder.

I would like to chronograph the factory 30/30 powermax line with the lever ever lotion lineup sometime!

Let's face it the 30-30 is not a hot rod. Hand loading is the way to go. I suspect you are hunting Black Bear mostly so as long as you do not plan on stopping a head on charge they go down fairly easy with some very underwhelming cartridges. I would not try to re-invent the wheel here since a heavy jacket with soft lead core with bonded core or partition get's the job down rather easily. I use a 45-70 but as a kid the 30-30 was super popular and pawn shops and used gun stores are always full of used lever actions in 30-30. In fact I have consideed getting another 30-30 Lever Action just for nostalgia's sake! It does not matter if it is a 30-30 or a 30-06 if I need penetration I like heavy solidly constructed round nose flat base bullets.

I am currently reloading Nosler Partition 170-grainers for my 30-30.
I love the partition's mix of great expansion and lots of penetration.

I really think it's a great choice, as long as the particular 30-30 groups them well.

That having been said, I also strongly agree that just about all the current market offerings for 30-30 are extremely adequate for deer and black bear, and wouldn't disappoint.

We're living in "good bullet times", where you almost can't go wrong.

From the FWIW Department-

I always zero my 94s irons at 200 yards with Federal Champion 150 grain SPs or my 'forever' reload using Winchester primers, 34 grain of H4895 and a Speer or Sierra 150 grain flat SP. These have shared the same POI in all my 30-30 Winchesters, so all are good. That load and zero has put deer on the ground instantly or in 50 foot radius, from 'the other side of the tree' to 235 yards.

Awhile back a favorite nephew gave me a part box of 160 grain LEVERevolution factory loads. Just for grins I put up an old barrel lid at 330 yards, held carefully in the middle and let a couple fly, with no other sight adjustment. I'd have been happy to find a couple of hits in or near the bottom edge. What I found was two clean holes, about 6" apart, right in the center of the lid. You could also tell from the dirt churned up behind it, the LEVERevolution was still hitting pretty hard.

I'm not changing from my regular loads, but I am definitely going to keep a couple of the LEVERevolution round in my shirt pocket when the 94 goes to the woods. A hundred yards more reach, simply by changing ammo, could sure come in handy when Mr. Yodel Dog thinks he's safe in the distance.

As to heavy bullet loads, the 190 grain Barnes looks pretty good to me and I am hunting reload data for that one.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020722037

You have me thinking about carrying a couple in my shirt pocket....

I will say no matter what caliber I’ve shot Federal Fusion through (at least 10 calibers), it has never been accurate.

So far the best accurate 30-30 factory I’ve shot through mine have been
Remington 170 CL’s
Winchester 170 PP’s

For the most common uses the .30-30 has been in R&D for 124 years. Aside from the recent Hornady developments, it is hard to imagine terminal ballistics that haven't already been solved.

I’ve been shooting the Leverevolution 160 grainers ever since they came out. They are the most accurate in my rifle, and the performance on game has been excellent. FWIW, the older Leverevolution stuff shoots a bit better than does the new stuff. I’m not sure why, or what they changed, but it have found this to true.

Top shelf 30-30 ammo to me is 170gr partition seconds bought from shooters pro shop, new WW or RP brass, and enough RL-15 powder to push them to 2150 fps from a 20" carbine barrel, have used WLR and Fed-210 primers, those bullets are accurate and hell for penetration, still haven't got one back from deer or pigs.

Depeding on your rifle, but my Marlin 336 shoots 170 gr bullets from either Win, Fed, or Rem more accurately than 150 gr bullets. No idea why. At normal 30-30 velocities, 170 gr bullet will tag a whitetail out to 150 yards with no problem. I'm talking 50% smallar MOA.

Not real sure how you can get "better" 30-30 ammo. There's not many options and they are all about the same, except for Leverlution. And I've never shot that.

Dang it now I'm going to have to go shoot some deer with the power max .30-30

-Jake

This would have been my answer as well. Vic just beat me to it.

I have a Winchester 94 Sporter on order right now and as it has a 24inch barrel I was thinking I'd get started with some of the Lever Revolution ammo. This will be the first lever gun I've ever owned in maybe 50 years of hunting and shooting, and I reckon the Fallow deer and pigs we get here in Australia might benefit from the experience.

My 1941 Win 94 loves the green box 170 gr CL Remington. No need for me to look any further.

I've liked Remington's 170 gr Core-Lokt Hollow Points for deer. They can be difficult to find but they have worked well for me when I have used them. They probably haven't been any better than any other 30/30 ammo but I like that they are different than what everyone else uses. I do not have a 30/30 with a tube magazine at the moment so have been handloading spitzers for the most part.

In the similar 30 Remington round, it is a toss up between the 150 and 170 gr bullets form Sierra or Hornady. I probably lean toward Sierra as they seem to open up faster but I really don't think it matters much.

it was good to hear that the rem hp's worked well. i haven't shot any of those. but find the 150 & 170 rem CL most suitable.

back in the day i acquired a marlin 30-30 and it came with some half box or so of winchester 150? grain hollowpoints.

shot a little 5 point e. whitetail in a honeysuckle patch. he jumped across the branch, and i shot again.

got to the house, and the copper casings were stuck in the on side hide. the lead cores penetrated.

they worked, but that second shot was probably necessary. now i'm a rem CL fan in 170.

I say don't try to expect too much from your 30-30 to me trying to scope it and make it into things it was never intended gets away from the secret sauce. most people have plenty of other rifles that make more sense to use as a primary deer getter. I say just use the 30-30 as a woods walker, sagebrush walker etc. use it to wack targets of opportunity. We have so many new fangled guns and cartridges. use the 30-30 as a chance to take a break from it all. go back to a simpler time. The hot rod ammo isn't needed.

My 30 year load for 30-30 is
RP brass
CCI 200 LR primer
36 Gr. of RE 15
150 gr. Sierra 30-30 bullet

Between my Dad and I that load has dumped a bunch of deer. My furthest shot was 200 yards at a mule deer buck. He went down so fast I thought I missed him.

I bought a box of the Win 150 gr hollow points but never tried them on game. I had heard there were some issues with the jacket and core separating long after I tried that box.

When I started with the 30/30 I preferred 150 gr bullets but have gravitated to 170s for the most part. I do have a bunch of 130 gr bullets loaded up for the grandkids to shoot but they lean towards something else when it comes time to actually hunt. It is curious that I went the other way with the 30 Remington, the first loads were 170 gr but I now load 150 gr more often.

This ain't rocket science! Close your eyes and pick a random factory .30-30 load and it'll do the job just fine. Ditto any handloads made with over the counter .30-30 bullets. All that stuff has been engineered every which way from Sunday over the last 120 years- they got the bugs worked out of .30-30 ammo looooong ago. Competition is so tough in the .30-30 deer hunting ammo market that you can bet all those companies are putting their best efforts into it. All it takes is a couple silly unfounded rumors to take root on the internet and an ammo company loses a couple million dollars.

Find the flavor your gun(s) shoot best and go forth with the knowledge that you are very well armed for the task at hand.

that's exactly what happened in my instance with the winchester hollow points. the jacket completely peeled away from the core.

i'd like to try some of the new-fangled 30-30 ammo, just haven't done so. my uncle was a big believer in the win silvertips back in the day.

i don't even know if they still sell those or not.

Silvertips were my favorite so naturally the brain trust at Olin discontinued them some years ago.

Let's face it, there isn't a "magic bullet" for any gun, and the standard loadings for the 30-30 that have been around for decades work just fine. I like the Hornady Leverevolution bullets because they shoot very well in my rifles, but if I had to shoot plain old Core-lokt, they would kill just fine, too. I think most of the time I just try new things for the heck of it and because I like to experiment with new loads, and not out of any need.

The 30/30 is a magic bullet. All the tinkerings with it are the folly of deep pocket sports, save one:
The Accelerator.