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shaman Online Content OP
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I was searching through my Inbox for something else entirely and came across an email I’d missed from Midway informing me that the Winchester 150 grain 30-30 FN had been discontinued from the MFG.

Within 15 minutes, I’d cycled through all 5 stages of grief and was left feeling empty and resigned. Yes, indeed. The bullet was no more.
I’m going back now 20 years. I was new to 24hourcampfire.com. I’d had all sorts of trouble with my 30-30, and been faced with my first serious reloading dilemma. I’m not going to rehash all that, only to mention that Adobe Walls quietly suggested that I try the Winchester 150 grainers and see if my success improved. It did, and through 20 years, it has been a mainstay of my reloading shelf.

Did the bullet fix my problem? Probably not. I’d just had some bum luck. However, I stopped having trouble after adopting the new load, and that was good enough for me. It was Adobe Walls’ confidence in the bullet that really did it.

So here it is, 20 years later. What’s left out there for the 30-30? I need something to believe in. I'm looking for a cheap dependable bullet that gets the job done on whitetails inside 100 yards.

Last edited by shaman; 06/25/22.

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If you reload this bullet and 3031 or H4895 powder shoots excellent in all my 30-30’s.

https://www.bluecollarreloading.com...3060?_pos=4&_sid=b32ae1e4d&_ss=r


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RCBS 30-180 FN


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From Hornady out of Grand Island, NE, there are the 150 grain RNs, 160 grain FTXs, or 170 grain FPs?

I didn't look to see if Hornady offers the 160 grain FTX as a component bullet or if they only offer it as loaded ammo in their LeverEvolution line. I bought a box of it to try in my Savage 170 pump gun and was pleasantly surprised how well they shot. If I was going to hunt with a 30-30 factory ammo, that would be my first choice. In 30-30 factory ammo, the Winchester/Olin 150 grain Deer Season XP is also quite accurate in my Savage.

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Beats me. I’ve only used one once, with factory 170 Core-Lokts. I’m supposed to be getting a nice 336 soon in a trade, along with a few boxes of this ‘n that factory ammo. Not even sure if it’ll make it out this season as there’s a long line of others ahead of it. Can’t recall from my reading if there are any really bad choices, so it’ll probably be a matter of the the most accurate of what I can get.


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Originally Posted by Pappy348
Beats me. I’ve only used one once, with factory 170 Core-Lokts. I’m supposed to be getting a nice 336 soon in a trade, along with a few boxes of this ‘n that factory ammo. Not even sure if it’ll make it out this season as there’s a long line of others ahead of it. Can’t recall from my reading if there are any really bad choices, so it’ll probably be a matter of the the most accurate of what I can get.

Agreed, I don't think that there are any bad choices in U.S. made 30-30 factory ammo. I used to load the 190 grain Winchester/Olin Silvertip that they factory loaded in the 303 Savage just to be different. Also loaded the 170 grain Remington RNCL 30-30 bullets inthe 300 SAV just to be different.

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Take a look at the Hornady 140gr Mono Flex 30-30 bullet.
51 cents a bullet is cheap on sale at Midway now. They work well!
They load/seat easiest with Hornady dies that have enough room in the seating stem for the semi pointed bullets.

Glad you're planning for the hunts to come and fighting to get there!


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Shaman, read your post a couple times and think maybe you’re looking for factory ammo? Can’t help you with that, but can say w/o reservation that .30-30 levermatics and other styles respond quite well to reloading. There are a plethora of bullets available for the cartridge, and you can cast your own if looking for a graduate degree in Loonyism. Hand loads in the .30-30 can whup any factory ammo for the .30-30 ten days a week.


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shaman Online Content OP
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Originally Posted by DigitalDan
Shaman, read your post a couple times and think maybe you’re looking for factory ammo?

Just the bullet.


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Originally Posted by shaman
Originally Posted by DigitalDan
Shaman, read your post a couple times and think maybe you’re looking for factory ammo?

Just the ticket.


Fixed it.


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Originally Posted by Bearcat74
If you reload this bullet and 3031 or H4895 powder shoots excellent in all my 30-30’s.

https://www.bluecollarreloading.com...3060?_pos=4&_sid=b32ae1e4d&_ss=r

I have a Winchester M94 that absolutely loves 3031 and a Hornady 170 fp. Deer ain't liking so well, but none have complained.

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I use the Speer 0.308" 170 grain flat point over 32 grains WW748 (no chrono) from a 1976-mfg Marlin 336A 30-30 (24" bbl, micro-groove) . Groups about 1.25" at 100 yards. It has a good ballistic coefficient of 0.304. Probably only the Hornady 160 grain gummy tip has a higher BC for 30-30 loading.

Speer makes a .308" 150 grain flat point bullet too.


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Hornady, Speer, Sierra and Nosler can all hook you up with great .30 WCF bullets. You would probably have trouble telling one from the other on the inside of a whitetail bucks ribcage. I have used the 170 gr. Remington Core Lokt, Hornady, Speer and Sierra with complete satisfaction on deer and hogs. The Speer 170 gr. has stood out just a bit in my favorite old Marlin as accuracy champion. Five shots in 1.25" at 100 yards at a velocity of 2140 fps from my Marlin 336 is poison in the Ozark mountain timber where shots are well inside a football fields length.


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I’ve never killed a thing with a 30/30 even though I’ve owned a pair of Marlin Sporting Carbines for forever. But I’ve shot them a bunch for fun and the most accurate bullet I’ve ever tried is the 150 Sierra. Out of either of the little carbines it is astonishingly accurate. I see no reason why it wouldn’t be a perfectly good deer and pig bullet.

I also have cast and shot a boxcar load of Lyman 311291s out of them too. Cast from WW and sized .311 then loaded over a pinch of Trailboss for around 1000fps gave good accuracy and was about the sound and recoil of a 22 magnum. Surprisingly the Microgroove gun with the super short throat will shoot circles around the Ballard rifled one with cast bullets.

For powders I never had the need to look further than BLC2 and 3031 for jacketed and Trailboss for cast.

This is the first time I’ve given those little carbines a thought in forever, I may have to drag them out, load up some ammo, and go shoot a pig or two.

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50 yard target with a Model 94 Trapper, and the first time I'd shot cast with the rifle:
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

The bullets: Lyman 311041
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


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Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain


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Originally Posted by Joe
RCBS 30-180 FN

This!

The RCBS bullet, gas checked and powder coated, over 29 grains of WW846. Gets around 2050 fps out of my M54 Winchester using a Lyman receiver sight. I have also used the Lee 170 gr FN and the 311291 RN bullets with similar results.



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Nosler makes a 170 grain bullet for the 30-30. Use them for subsonic loads in a 308. They kill pigs well at 1100 fps, should be great at 30-30 velocities. They are hollow points.

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I have a couple jacketed bullets that shoot well 170 RN and 150 RN, both core lokts.

My brother used to shoot cast, I think it was RCBS 180 grain fn, gc - he'd get 1" groups with it at 100 hundred yards - he used 3031.

I've mostly used 3031 with my 30-30's and my 32 Special.

I've never tried factory ammo.

I'm loading Cast bullet in my wife's 30-30, but I forgot which mold. I used 3031 in it and it shoots very well. I've been shooting gophers with it and cast bullets this summer, so it is accurate enough for that.


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I've shot deer with 150 and 170 gr. core lokts, 150 and 170 gr. power points, 170 gr. silvertips, 150 gr. hornady interlocks and 170 gr. sierra fp.. They all killed deer very effectively. Years ago I killed a bunch with handloaded 150 gr. core lokts over a heavy charge of 3031 {actually an overload according to todays data}. A few of those at ranges between 200 and 250 yards and one at just over 300. All died quickly and none required a second shot. My current loads are pushing 170 gr. sierras at 2240 fps with cfe .223. They group 3 shots into 3/4" at 100 yards consistently and produced quarter sized wounds out the far side of the two deer I killed with them last season.

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Originally Posted by Blackheart
I've shot deer with 150 and 170 gr. core lokts, 150 and 170 gr. power points, 170 gr. silvertips, 150 gr. hornady interlocks and 170 gr. sierra fp.. They all killed deer very effectively. Years ago I killed a bunch with handloaded 150 gr. core lokts over a heavy charge of 3031 {actually an overload according to todays data}. A few of those at ranges between 200 and 250 yards and one at just over 300. All died quickly and none required a second shot. My current loads are pushing 170 gr. sierras at 2240 fps with cfe .223. They group 3 shots into 3/4" at 100 yards consistently and produced quarter sized wounds out the far side of the two deer I killed with them last season.

Good to know. I like the accuracy of the 170 Sierra, but wondered if it might be a bit hard, or not expand enough on deer sized critters.

I've got a doe tag this year and want to use my 30-30 Glenfield, it's been quite a while since I took game with one of my lever action rifles.

Guy

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