Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 160 FTX in .30-30?

I’m gonna get my model 94 .30-30 back up & running but can’t find any RNs that shoot so well through it but the Hornady FTX are available.

How have these performed on deer for those who have used them? I don’t care about the supposed ballistic advantage as it’ll be a short range ghost-ring sighted rifle.

Thanks for any insights,

Efw

I was going to reccomend that when you were looking for 150 grain round nose. I would gladly trade you a box of round nose 150 for the 160 FTX. My favorite is for the .308 marlin express it's cannalures line up to the 300 savage case.

The FTX has wonderful terminal ballistics IMO.

The guy I hunt with uses them. Both deer he shot this year were under 50 yards, both over 150 pounds field dressed, both pass through performance.

FWIW, he hates wasting front shoulder meat, so he heart/lungs them behind the front shoulder crease. They both ran 30-50 yards with an easy to follow blood trail.

They are accurate (1.5-2" at 100) enough out of his marlin.

Used them on several cow elk at 300 yards with an old savage 99 in 300 savage.

At point blank outta a thurty thurty should be da ticket!

I loaded my Marlin 30-30 to a young lad in my boy scout troop, he killed two deer last deer and two so far this year with my Hornady hand loaded 160 gr FTX bullets. Hasn't had deer travel over 20 yards and the insides are a mess....use with confidence.

I gave a Marlin to my SIL a few years back. He uses them. This year he shot a small buck, bag flop. The range was close, <50 yards.

hogs hate them as well.

This is all great feedback gentlemen thanks a lot!

You’ll do fine, have used them on deer and hogs from short range out to 220 yards. Don’t think I’ve ever caught a round for inspection all were pass through. They shoot great out of my bolt action Glenfield 30-30.

I hear they work great on game. The issue is accuracy. Some barrels prefer other bullets. My Marlin was only OK in accuracy with them and the traditional 150 & 170 gr. round & flat nose stuff worked better. Tried a lot of loads with the FTX but went back to old school bullets when I realized that where I use that gun I'd probably never even shoot a deer at 100 yds or more. If I want to reach further out I have other stuff much more suitable.

I'd love to see your Glenfield bolt action 30/30

If you don't like the FTX I will trade you a box of Hornady 150 round nose, I also have a partial of sierra.

Just pm me if u don't like the FTX

Miss spoke it’s a J C Penny’s Foremost, dad bought it for me at Christmas about 50 years ago. I’ll try to post a pick later .

My single 160 FTX kill at about 50 yards was quite spectacular. He just seized up at the shot, fell and started sliding. I was excited because it would be an easy downhill drag. Too bad he slid quite a ways, across the road and then another 100 yards down the other side....sometimes too quick of a kill isn't a good thing. Bullet didn't exit and was perfectly mushroomed on the hide on the far side. Took out one scapula and no other bones. Take from that what you will.

Rattled in this blacktail on the last day of season several years ago. DRT

Is this bullet designed for the 30-30 primarily?

I have a buddy that wants me to show him how to reload for his 30-30 and I have been able to find a pretty good pile of these locally.

Just short of 200 yards. She went less than 20 yards.

Just don’t use the FTX in a remington model 14 or 141. The twisted magazine tube causes them to pull off every now and then and if they jam up the follower you will have a very difficult time getting them out. Don’t ask me how I know this I do use them in my Marlin 35 rem.

Especially since they never made one. But that of course was your point

I would have liked to been there for that