Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 30-30 bullets

So, I have decided to dust off my old marlin 30-30 to shoot a deer or two. Having only killed one deer ever with a 30-30 I thought I’d ask those with more experience with the cartridge for their input. The lone deer I killed was shot with a hand loaded pre interlock 150RN hornady bullet. No idea on the velocity or load other than I probably used H322.... although the average sized Tn doe died very quickly the bullet spit out its core and did not exit. I’m planning on hunting some pretty thick cover and a pass through would make trailing much easier. I have 150 &170 hornady interlock, 150 and 170 sierras in my stash. Any one have any input on any of those bullets on deer out of a 30-30. Thank you in advance.

Both the Hornady 150 and 170 made for the .30-30 will work well...killed many deer and one elk with the 150s...

I prefer 170's, but I think both will work.

I prefer 170’s

I let the rifle determine which weight it likes, some are markedly more accurate with one weight of the other. Both weights work fine on deer. I have used the .30-30 Hornady, Sierra and Speer bullets with no complaints on any of them.

Mine likes 170s. The Interlock bullets have been good to me. My buddy still uses his 30-30 exclusively, and his rifle shot my 170g Interlock load like crap. His shoots the flex tip (FTX?) Hornady bullets really well. He went two for two pass through results this season on big deer.

The one that ran 50 yards was easy to follow. He double lunged above the heart, and the trail was like an 80s slasher movie.

I learned to hunt with a Win 94 in 32 Spc. It and the 30-30 are almost identical so what you say about 1 usually applies to the other. Anyway, I got my 1st deer and 1st elk with it, the elk when I was 15. Dad bought the ammo and I don't remember what it was but 170 gr was by far the most popular back then, usually Win or Rem.

They both do fine

I have killed 3 deer with 30-30s firing 150 grain bullets and 5 deer with 30-30s using 170 grain bullets. None of my 150s ever exited. Only one of my 170s failed to exit (this year, about 2 months ago)
So for full penetration, I recommend 170 grain bullets. I have used Winchester Power Points, Remington Core-Lokts and Speer Hot cores. The one that came apart and didn't exit was a Hot-Core.
I am using AA2230 powder but my old load was also H322 back in Nevada and Idaho.

Nosler makes a 170 partitions and I bet it's great, but for deer it may be a bit more money than would actually be of any benefit. 170s with standard bullets seem to work perfectly for me and several of my friends.
My friend Randy has killed 9 deer with his 30-30 and he and I have seen the same thing. 150s work but don't exit, 170 work and do exit.

So I would stick with 170s for the most part.

I've been using the Sierra #2000 for a long time
with no problems. I used whatever the Speer
30/30 specific 150 grain is when I first started
loading because that was what was available.
No problems with it either. Killed deer.
I mostly use W748 , but have tried AA2520,
RL15, H4895, and Lever.

I guess I'm the exception, because all of the
30/30's I've ever shot game animals with were
through and through shots- none recovered.
The only bullet I've ever recovered from a game
animal was from a 357 magnum rifle that I
shot a spike with. I pulled a bit and broke the
onside shoulder and broke the offside shoulder
and it lodged in the ball and socket.

Thanks all, I loaded the 170 Sierra and hornady and 150 sierras. All with 322... hopefully one shoots better than the others. I’m sure, if properly placed, all will work fine. I did manage a first for me this year, I finally shot a deer with my 375 marlin and 220 hornady flat points.... definitely a good blood trail on that one!

Ben

170 partitions work great

My Marlin has a definite preference for the Hornady 160g FTX over 150g or 170g flatnose.

Same here. The Winchester shoots all bullets about the same, but the Marlin has definite preferences.

I just asked about the FTX and here is the thread:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...s/15465206/160-ftx-in-30-30#Post15465206

My 94 was my 16th birthday present and it shoots 150s really well. Never tried any other weights. Killed deer & coyotes with Speer HC 150s, Win power points, and R-P CLs. I’ve got a bunch of ILs & Sierras I’m gonna try, and a friend here sent me a box of 150 GR ETips to try out.

Started reloading in 2000 and put together a load with RL15 right away and haven’t tried anything else because it’s so accurate.

I just got a ghost ring sight set that I’m thinking will be perfect for this rifle can’t wait to carry it afield again.

I have tried many bullets with my trusty Glenfield carbine. Hornady, Sierra, and Core-lokts all perform as expected. My 30-30 shoots best with 150's.

Sherwood

My 336SC shoots 150s better than 170s, but it shoots either weight well enough to kill deer without drama. I haven't loaded any ammo for it, since the factories have had 125 years to figure things out, and I reckon they have by now.

have shot two winchester 150 grain hollow points into a deer, 30-30. both left the copper clad in the front side of the deer, the lead penetrated and kilt it. never more.

Mine too!

Anything from 150 to 170 should be fine for deer. Go with best accuracy in your rifle.

I killed my first moose - a 3 year old bull - with a 170 plain jane, at about 60 yards. Complete pass through. Whatever it was I used on my first deer worked fine also.

This year I carried the aperature-sighted '94 with 160 FTX,one day, unsuccessfully, for caribou. It seems to like them OK - in fact- they printed a couple inches higher than the 150's I initially sighted in with. I'd go to 200 yards with them.
(Next day i killed a caribou at about 15 yards with the scoped 7X57...... )

Maybe next year.....