Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .30-30 win. bullet weight?

What's better, 150 or 170 grain bullets for blacktails?

Have used, and will continue to use, both 150s and 170s on whitetails. Body weights range from 60 lbs to 200+ lbs.

Personally, I stick with the JHPs, if using factory fodder, as they have been superb, esp. the Remington Core-Lokt JHPs. I can't fathom a factory load giving any better or more consistent performance from about dozen feet (closest one I've killed) to 200 or so yards.

Moss, If you reload, use the Speer book, look at the 170grFN or even the 150grFN and stick with either 748 or H335 with a CCI 250 Mag primer. Out of my Marlin 336 30-30 accuracy is really good and the 170gr will give me 2 bullets touching at 100 yards if I do my part on a 2 shot group. I showed my step-son this same 2 shot group and he couldn't do it but he has a nervous disorder. His hands shake a little.

Shot a medium Blacktail with a 150 grain Sierra flatnose at about 30 ft. Bullet entered left shoulder and ended up in the right hindquarter. Knocked him down, he got up pointing the other way, second shot took out a rib and completely ruined the shoulder hit by the first shot, he got up AGAIN and the third shot broke his neck.
Penetration and bullet performance was fine, but he was a tough little fellow
I liked the 150s a bit more than the 170s but there isn't much difference

Going to depend mostly on which one your rifle shoots the best.

Agree with Ranch 13 on that. Back when I used the 30-30 a lot I never could tell a dime's worth of difference between the killing power of the 150 or the 170. My M94 shot 150s a lot better than it shot 170s ( like a couple of inches better) so that is what I shot.

BCR

Win power points,, sierra 150-170s,, my win 94 prefers 170s

VA-have you (or any other of you fellas) used the Win 150 HP load much? It shoots darn well in my 30/30.

Thx

Dober

I shot my 8 point that is on the wall at my house, using 150 gr. Remington cor lokts. Both them and the 170's shoot great out of my rifle. The only difference at 100 yards, is the 170's hit between 1/2" to 3/4" lower.

+2

How does the flat-tipped 150 Barnes X-bullet work from the .30-30?

+3 I use what the rifle likes best there is not much differance

Yep. About half the JHPs fired 'round our camp are the Winchester. The other half, Remingtons.

In the field, there ain't much (if any) difference, and both shoot well, hit hard, expand reliably (and WELL), and flat out kill deer.

Ain't much more you can ask for, IMHO....

I think so much of the load I use, that last year, I loaded over 500 rounds to use for Whitetail and hog hunting over the next few years.
The recipe is a Speer 170 grain FP over 35 grains of IRM 4320, and a CCI LR primer.
This load is MOA accurate in my Marlin 30-30 rifles, and almost as accurate in my Savage 170 pump rifle.

After many years of observation.....the 170 grain bullet in a .30-30 does seem to have a very slight advantage over the 150 grain as far as penetration. The difference is small but still there. For that reason I've always chosen the 170 grain as the only advantage I've seen in the 150 is a percieved advantage in trajectory. This I have found to be all in the mind since no .30-30 is a true long-range round to begin with (probably 200 at max). I believe a good 180 or 200 grain bullet might even be better......something along the lines of the old .303 Savage.

It has been many a moon since I have packed a 30-30, but I always found the 170 was my favorite.

CK

The 30-30 is a short range gun but, it is capable of shots out to 200 yards shall the need arise and the 150s will shine on those longer shots. That said, you will not find a difference at close range IMO.

I reload 150 Core Locts to around 2300 fps in my Marlin 336. Gives text book mushrooms and does well at close range.

Reloader7RM

I like the 170 gr., I might want to shoot him going away if he is big enough and close enough and I assure you the 170 has a little better penetration, and will put him down on the spot. The 170 will also make and exit hole on elk and sometimes the 150 stops on the off side hide, and I like two holes and a good blood trail.

170 gr. Core Lock or Hornaday.

Either would work. I'd load 170's if I were doing it again. The one blacktail I killed with a 30-30 I used 150-gn Speers handloaded and I thought they maybe were going a little fast for typical 30-30 ranges, based on the carcas afterwards.

Either will work fine, though. It's hard to go wrong with a 30-30.

-jeff