Just use available book 30-30 data. The Remington 788 and Winchester 54 may take more pressure than a lever 30-30 but to what end. You’re certainly not going to garner enough more out of the 30- 30 case to give you any discernible advantage in the field.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
A lot depends on what bolt action your talking about, the Savage 340 family has only a single locking lug. Husqvarna single shots I believe just use the bolt handle. The Rem 788 is really strong as is the Win 54 and Rem Model 30 in 30 Rem(rimless 30-30).
30-30 brass is pretty thin, they beefed it up to make the 375 Win which runs at a higher pressure. I wouldn't do much more than run high end 30-30 data in one of the strong actions.
Not really trying to up the Annie on pressure . I am aware the brass is a problem. Just wondering what people have tinkered with as far as components . Thanks , Kenneth
The brass is not an issue. The web on a 30/30 case is just as thick as the web on my 308 Norma brass. Remember, 30/30 brass was used to form brass for the 219 Donaldson Wasp and that cartridge gets loaded HOT. Having said that, bolt actions like the 788 or the Model 54 can be loaded up quite a bit but I have seen a Savage 340 with the lug cracked by overzealous loading. GD
As others have said, many bolt action 30-30s were not designed for much pressure. However, P O Ackley did develop loads for a two lug bolt action 30-30. That data is in his books.
Still, I wouldn't mess with it. Just use conventional 30-30 data.
I use standard .30-30 data in my Savage 340, but with 150 grain spitzers. If you can find some LeveRevolution powder (which seems to be unobtanium in the current market) you can break 2500 fps out of a 24 inch barrel and break 2400 fps out of the 20 carbine length barrels. I'm sure you could do better out of the Model 54 or 788,
Never had any but the old run-of-the-mill levers and a contender and break opens , although a friend used a bolt 30/30 He used the same cheap discount store ammo I used, and we always managed to put our deer in the freezer with what we had. I think a box of Remington or federal 30/30 was about 6 or 7 dollars back then. What is it today? 2 or 3 dollars a round?
A 30/30 or a 308 can use just about any reasonable load and do well. They don't need high speed high pressure loads to do the job. That's why they're so popular.
It is a 340 , guess I got lucky and hit a good one . It shoots right at 1”at 100 yds Give or take. With an occasional clover leaf . It is ugly as a mud fence , could have been used for a boat paddle in shallow water .😀 Not smooth , but it sure does shoot well with just about anything I have ran through it . Just wanted to play around as I am currently working on some 336 loads . Thought I’d try some other powders and bullets . Hell , I might try loading close to the lands just for grins and see what it does. Thanks , Kenneth
I would rate the 340 in the same class as the M94 strength-wise. Don't hot rod it.
If you're getting MOA with a 340, count your blessings. While I'm sure there are more of them out there like that, all the one's I ever messed with didn't come very close to that.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
Don't know how much useful info these will provide but if you search for "shooting channel savage 340" on youtube that guy tests some cast bullet loads with a Savage 340. He even has one using IMR4831 which is not a normal .30-30 powder.
You'll also get a bunch of other video reviews of the 340, some fairly good and some just "watch me violate safety rules and shoot badly"
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
I would rate the 340 in the same class as the M94 strength-wise. Don't hot rod it.
If you're getting MOA with a 340, count your blessings. While I'm sure there are more of them out there like that, all the one's I ever messed with didn't come very close to that.
This is good advice. I wouldn't hot rod a one locking lug Savage 340 and have long thought that the action was just marginally strong enough for 225 WIN pressures with the emphasis on marginally.
Yep , I had one in 222 and it was an ok shooter , but nothing spectacular. This 30-30 really surprised me cause it is a rough looking gun and the 222 looked mint. Got a friend who says his 222 340 out shoots his 700 222 . Most don’t seem overjoyed , if it weren’t for this one shooting so good it would be gone . Action is rough . Unusually rough , but I don’t mess with it because as it is , it’s accurate. Also being butt ugly makes it a good to carry gun in bad weather Kenneth
I knew an old duffer over in the VA Blue Ridge years ago whose favorite black bear rifle was a 340 .30-30. He loaded soft round nosed gas checked 210 grain bullets (Lyman/Ideal 311284) with the cases stuffed with Surplus 4831 (H-4831 now). He got excellent accuracy with mild pressures, and a few bears as proof in the pudding. Frank Marshall was his name, a luminary in the early days of The Cast Bullet Association, and he sure knew his stuff.
That inspired my .30-30 hunting load for nigh onto 40 years now: a 190 grain soft flat nosed cast bullet over 28.0 grains 3031. A fairly stiff load that was pushing things in a M94 back in the day but which absolutely sings in my M54 Winchester and 1899 Savages. 2050 fps chrono'ed out of the 24" M54 barrel, boringly regular MOA accuracy to boot. At a bhn of 10-12 it expands as well as any factory jacketed bullet.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 02/05/21.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
I knew an old duffer over in the VA Blue Ridge years ago whose favorite black bear rifle was a 340 .30-30. He loaded soft round nosed gas checked 210 grain bullets (Lyman/Ideal 311284) with the cases stuffed with Surplus 4831 (H-4831 now). He got excellent accuracy with mild pressures, and a few bears as proof in the pudding. Frank Marshall was his name, a luminary in the early days of The Cast Bullet Association, and he sure knew his stuff.
That inspired my .30-30 hunting load for nigh onto 40 years now: a 190 grain soft flat nosed cast bullet over 28.0 grains 3031. A fairly stiff load that was pushing things in a M94 back in the day but which absolutely sings in my M54 Winchester and 1899 Savages. 2050 fps chrono'ed out of the 24" M54 barrel, boringly regular MOA accuracy to boot. At a bhn of 10-12 it expands as well as any factory jacketed bullet.
That RCBS bullet comes out just about 200 grains for me. I've used the same 28 grains of 3031. It shoots great. Also have used compressed charges of IMR 4350, which shoot a bit faster out of a 24" M94. 760 does the same, but I don't trust it for cold hunting temps.
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