Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 30-378

Just a quick question for thought and I'd like to hear some feedback please. I've recently purchased a Weatherby Mark V 30-378 and I'm well aware that different rifles prefer different rounds. I am not a freeloader but with this caliber it looks like it's going to baptize me by fire in the near future but my question is I have 5 boxes of Weatherby brand 180g factory ammo that came with the rifle and 2 boxes of Nosler 200g factory ammo that came with the rifle but I did a search and saw where an online business has Norma brand ammo loaded with an 170g tipstrike bullet and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with these bullets. I am a long time 30cal man and my favorite 30 cal round is a 150g core lok out of my 300win mag sendero because it will cut the same hole out of a lead sled at 200yds (which I must interject I am a hunter only and have never done any long range shooting) but since I bought a 30-378 I thought I might try my hand at it this another reason to get into reloading but for $3 a round for factory ammo in this caliber I thought was a deal and I understand that reloading my own will get it a whole lot cheaper. Just wanting thoughts on the Norma 170g tipstrike ammo in 30-378. If you want to PM me as well that's fine too. Looking to hear what factory ammo your weatherby mark v 30-378 likes as well.

I think at the speeds that rifle will be getting you’d be smart to stay with a stoutly constructed bullet of reasonable weight for the cartridge. In this case and of the choices you list above I think the 200gr Partition is your best choice on game followed by the 180 factory Weatherby load. If hand loading and speed is what you like then maybe a 165TTSX or TSX? Monos like to be driven fast and perform best when done so whereas cup and cores with various ballistic style tips can be less than perfect for use on game when driven beyond their performance bracket. That’s a great cartridge but it’s not a cheap one to feed. I think you’d do yourself and the potential of that chambering to use stout bullets and I’d strongly suggest looking into the monos since that cartridge will generate the speeds to get some phenomenal performance from the TSX-TTSX type bullet.

A local shop has factory Weatherby brass for the 30-378 so if you decide to get into hand loading and want new factory brass let me know and I’ll pass on their number. I’m sure they’d ship it.

Best of luck and enjoy your new rifle. 👍

ETA…If Norma ammo is what you’re after then maybe their EcoStrike line would be a better fit for the 30-378. The Norma advertisement for the TipStrike says “Rapid expansion” and up to 75% weight retention….I read a quick review where the 170 Tipstrike worked well but the muzzle velocity was around 2650…substantially slower than what you’ll be going.

Thank you

Excellent advice ^^^^^ .... SIL had a "friend" load up some 150gr Hornady SST's for his 30-378 because the BC of the SST's. He shot a 4x4 bull elk 3 times with this load at ~300 yards. The elk eventually died. However, no bullet exited. And two empty jackets on the off side hide when skinning. Daughter has since claimed the rifle for her deer rifle. It is an absolute lightning bolt for KY Whitetails. And she has yet to catch an SST.

Long story short, you need to match the bullet (and construction) to the speed and intended target. I am working up a 200gr Partition load in my new-to-me .300 Win Mag as an "all around" load.

Sendero558:

Never used any factory fodder with the 30-378 as I acquired brass before scoring the rifle.

Been using a 30-378 for about 20 years going with Nosler Combined Technology slugs and some partitions all at 180 grains with the barrel and bullets treated with moly. Load has been 119 gr of H870 (no longer made) with the slugs leaving at 3,384 fps from an Accumark. Early on I was doing 120 grains of powder but started getting some heavy bolt lift and about another 100 fps of velocity if one was out in warmish weather. Backed it down a grain, and bolt lift, primer pockets, etc all seem fine.

It's accounted for moose, caribou, and elk with shots from about 50 out to 350 yds. I think this is too much speed for even the Nosler slugs, as I'm yet to recover any bullet remnants or jackets. With the last three elk, I've done behind the shoulder shots hitting a rib on the way in, and during breakdown, have found no evidence of a slug ever making it to the offside body wall. I.e. entrance but no exits and lots of apple sauce internally.

Got exits on caribou, but again nothing recovered on elk or moose. No animals have complained, so I'm still employing the same prescription as I'm happy with and really like the accuracy.

Given the velocities possible with lighter slugs, my inclination is to avoid them, but i have not tried any of the mono brands.

If one ever has the misfortune of doing a solid shoulder or ham shot, he might experience some spectacular meat damage.

On another Weatherby (257) that I run quite hot (like 3,700 fps with 100 grain slugs) I had a quartering away pronghorn take a step forward and down just as I cleaned up the slack. Absolutely ruined the onside loin from the hip pointer up through the on-side shoulder.

I do like speed, but the impacts are a bit explosive. Likely, the heavier slugs would hold up well ballistically for long range pokes and with their greater bulk would probably give one some pass throughs. Factory rounds I've used in some other Weatherby cartridges have typically been hot stuff.

Have a good one,

My brothers seem to prefer 98 H1000 and a 210 gr Berger hunting VLD. Killed lots of stuff out to ridiculous ranges. That load and a good scope and 1.5MOA steel target was easy at 1000 yds.

PS if you plan on reloading in the future, start looking for Federal 215 primers now........ they are a wee sparse.

My buddy used a 30-378 with 200gr Cutting Edge Lazer over H1000 at 3245fps on the last visit to Africa with amazing results.

Zebra at 340yds, kudu at 697yds, baboon at 812yds....all one shot kills.

Thank you for the input gent. Its definitely going to be fun and exciting trying different loads and distances. Now I am just waiting on the bases for the scope to come in so Optics Planet can send them to me.....apparently there is a breakdown in communication between what Leupold has in stock and what Optics Planet has in inventory because we went from in stock until the conformation order came back to my email saying it was going to be 2 more weeks then they "should" ship then......