I don't know offhand if Speer still makes the bullet but they did make a 130 gr flat nose in .308 dia.. I had no trouble loading them to over 2500 fps in my 24" barreled 94. The bullet was made for lever gun use. Just a thought that loaded to 2300 fps and reduced bullet weight would make for more tolerable recoil level for a young person. Personally I've allways thought that the flat nose bullets used in 30-30 & 32 Specials are responsible for the rounds effectiveness within the range parameters they were designed for. MB
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
If you want a 150 gr pointed bullet, I would highly recommend trying the 150 gr gold dot made for the 300 blk. When run at just over 2k fps it has given me sub moa accuracy out of my ruger American ranch. While I haven’t shot a deer with it yet, the gel tests show it should perform very well. At less than $15/50 it is easy to justify trying it out.
I don't know offhand if Speer still makes the bullet but they did make a 130 gr flat nose in .308 dia.. I had no trouble loading them to over 2500 fps in my 24" barreled 94. The bullet was made for lever gun use. Just a thought that loaded to 2300 fps and reduced bullet weight would make for more tolerable recoil level for a young person. MB
Sierra makes a 125 grain HP designed for the 30-30 as well.
I know of a few guys that used Ballistic Tips in the 30-30 but these were in Contenders not sure how they will work when seated to run through a bolt gun.
Performance was just fine for them on whitetails.
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
I played with the pointy bullets in my Henry 30-30 for a bit. I just went back to some regular 150-grain, Midway seconds. They shoot great at regular velocities. I killed several deer with them. One was 168 yards. None of the deer went anywhere.
You did not "seen" anything, you "saw" it. A "creek" has water in it, a "crick" is what you get in your neck. Liberals with guns are nothing but hypocrites.
Gnoahh's idea of the cast bullet looks good as well. I've already got that mold. I will probably give it a try. After the Obama years, I'm always on the lookout for a DIY alternative.
I doubt you have that mould. I designed it and had Saeco make it as a custom job back in the 80's. The body length of the bullet is designed to fit neatly in the neck of the .30-30 without protruding into the powder space, and the ogive above the crimp groove is designed to fit the ball seat (throat) of typical .30-30 factory chambers, with a nose diameter of .301" to give firm support on top of the lands for a bore-riding effect. Body diameter is .310 as-cast which has given good results in many .30 rifles when custom sized to throat diameters. (Ignore groove diameter- throat diameter is key.)
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
From what I've read on Contender forums, many times, the 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip is the darling of the 30-30 shooters. If it works fro ma 14" Contender barrel is should work just as well from a rifle barrel.
I have a 14" contender, and that is the bullet I use. It shoots damn good, group-wise, but I haven't shot any game with it. Every time I get excited about hunting with it, I go to the range and discover how much of a pistol shooter I ain't.
I'm learning more here all the time. This place has got some good info.
My thuty thuty is addicted to 150s and 160s. Do y'all scope those contenders?
Yeah, I do scope mine. I sent it to a gunsmith in OK shortly after I got mine and had him run a throating reamer up into the chamber to recut the throat. Since then, it is a tack-driver that deserves an optic. I've used a 4x handgun EER scope and a 2.5-8 rifle scope. I shot the deer while using the handgun scope, but I shoot better with the rifle scope. I can see easily killing something with the gun at 200-250yds.
Mine is a 1:14, and I have had no problems stabilizing the RCBS version of the cast bullet Gnoahh posted here, as well as a Lee 200gr cast bullet, but both are about 200 grains from my alloy. The best shooting I have done with the gun is with these two cast bullets.
I treat most of my .30 cast bullet target rifles with a 1 1/2° included angle throating creamer to create a gentle taper that seems to help ease bullets gently into the bore straight. I have a sewage die made with the same dreamer to put a matching slight taper on a select few suitable bullet designs. Every little bit helps in this game. 1/2 MOA accuracy and sometimes better, with cast bullets, is the result of a lot of anal skullduggery.
For cast bullet hunting/plinking loads in more prosaic rifles, I don't bother with such shenanigans. I just load 'em and shoot 'em.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
Other than the FTX “gummies,” I wouldn’t EVER load a pointed bullet for a .30-30. I couldn’t live with myself if somebody got hold of them, loaded them in a tubular magazine and had an accident. Wouldn’t be able to sleep at night waiting for the phone call from the shooter’s lawyer.
Last edited by mrchongo; 07/12/20.
"Keep your mouth shut, work hard. Life is tough. Work through it.” -- Stetson Bennett, Quarterback, Georgia Bulldogs
Other than the FTX “gummies,” I wouldn’t EVER load a pointed bullet for a .30-30. I couldn’t live with myself if somebody got hold of them, loaded them in a tubular magazine and had an accident. Wouldn’t be able to sleep at night waiting for the phone call from the shooter’s lawyer.
Interesting....are you also one of those guys who think that people shouldn't be allowed to pump their own gas?
Other than the FTX “gummies,” I wouldn’t EVER load a pointed bullet for a .30-30. I couldn’t live with myself if somebody got hold of them, loaded them in a tubular magazine and had an accident. Wouldn’t be able to sleep at night waiting for the phone call from the shooter’s lawyer.
Sweet Jesus. I bet the white guilt is eating you up.
Other than the FTX “gummies,” I wouldn’t EVER load a pointed bullet for a .30-30. I couldn’t live with myself if somebody got hold of them, loaded them in a tubular magazine and had an accident. Wouldn’t be able to sleep at night waiting for the phone call from the shooter’s lawyer.
Sweet Jesus. I bet the white guilt is eating you up.
Heck, I hear people saying they just load 2 rounds, one in the chamber and one in the Mag. But then again, if in the moment you got confused it might not be good.
If you feel the need for pointy bullets in a lever gun the Flex Tips are the way to go. I've been using them since they came out. Although, I don't know why. I have never shot at anything beyond about 250-300 yards with my 94. Come to think of it, I can probably count on both hands the shots I've taken at game beyond 300 yards with any of my rifles. If I hunted out West it would be different but here in Texas most shots I've been presented with have been inside 150 yards. I like it like that.
Most shots that have presented themselves to me beyond 300 yards have been in pipe line senderos but most of those I've hunted are pretty narrow and usually by the time I see an animal in the sendero at that distance he's almost to the other side and I don't have a good shot. The exception is close to my feeder when they're interested in something besides getting to the other side and I usually set my feeder up within 100 yards of my blind.
Last edited by Filaman; 07/13/20.
What goes up must come down, what goes around comes around, there's no free lunch. Trump's comin' back, get over it!
Other than the FTX “gummies,” I wouldn’t EVER load a pointed bullet for a .30-30. I couldn’t live with myself if somebody got hold of them, loaded them in a tubular magazine and had an accident. Wouldn’t be able to sleep at night waiting for the phone call from the shooter’s lawyer.
Sweet Jesus. I bet the white guilt is eating you up.
Heck, I hear people saying they just load 2 rounds, one in the chamber and one in the Mag. But then again, if in the moment you got confused it might not be good.
If you feel the need for pointy bullets in a lever gun the Flex Tips are the way to go. I've been using them since they came out. Although, I don't know why. I have never shot at anything beyond about 250-300 yards with my 94. Come to think of it, I can probably count on both hands the shots I've taken at game beyond 300 yards with any of my rifles. If I hunted out West it would be different but here in Texas most shots I've been presented with have been inside 150 yards. I like it like that.
Most shots that have presented themselves to me beyond 300 yards have been in pipe line senderos but most of those I've hunted are pretty narrow and usually by the time I see an animal in the sendero at that distance he's almost to the other side and I don't have a good shot. The exception is close to my feeder when they're interested in something besides getting to the other side and I usually set my feeder up within 100 yards of my blind.
Not sure what that has to do with what he posted or white guilt, but fascinating.
Yute Rifles, Yute Seasons, Yute Hunting-- these used to be important concepts in our household. It dominated my thinking and writing for the better part of a decade as I had 2 sons to get through the process. My last armed yute hunt was 2014.
Now I have a granddaughter, Mooselette. She's starting the process up all over again.
You will have some great times hunting with the Grands. I still have one 18 year old grand that stays with me. He likes to shoot and fish. Be Well, Rustyzipper.
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Winston Churchill.
Personally I would just stick with .30-30-specific bullets and be done with it. All the makers have put a lot of work into them over the decades to make them as efficient as possible. Lots of competition in that corner of the market and nobody could afford to make a lousy bullet. Within acceptable .30-30 distances there's really no need for streamlined bullets. But, that's just me.
Nope. Its not just you...
+1
Yep me too. Those RN 150s are awesome. Look super old school Cool too...
Heck, I hear people saying they just load 2 rounds, one in the chamber and one in the Mag. But then again, if in the moment you got confused it might not be good.
Oh Hell no...
What if in the heat of the moment you got confused andreversed the order it and ended up loading one in the Mag and then one in the Chamber...or even worse...what if you got so panicked you loaded the rounds backwards...!
About the last thing I'd do is load up some of those new fangled BT bullets with those plastic tips... you know they're gonna melt on ya...
Y'all gonna put your eye out if you're not careful...
"Supernatural divinities are the primitive's answer to why the sun goes down at night..."
Heck, I hear people saying they just load 2 rounds, one in the chamber and one in the Mag. But then again, if in the moment you got confused it might not be good.
Oh Hell no...
What if in the heat of the moment you got confused andreversed the order it and ended up loading one in the Mag and then one in the Chamber...or even worse...what if you got so panicked you loaded the rounds backwards...!
About the last thing I'd do is load up some of those new fangled BT bullets with those plastic tips... you know they're gonna melt on ya...
Y'all gonna put your eye out if you're not careful...
Truth!
And I am very afraid, just like I should be. Scary stuff.
I designed it and had Saeco make it as a custom job back in the 80's. The body length of the bullet is designed to fit neatly in the neck of the .30-30 without protruding into the powder space, and the ogive above the crimp groove is designed to fit the ball seat (throat) of typical .30-30 factory chambers, with a nose diameter of .301" to give firm support on top of the lands for a bore-riding effect. Body diameter is .310 as-cast which has given good results in many .30 rifles when custom sized to throat diameters. (Ignore groove diameter- throat diameter is key.)![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/K6DbHUKm.jpg)
