Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles How many of you guys load for 30-30?

L:

I have played with the 30/30 quite a lot over the years... Inherited a couple passed down via family.. bought a couple on my own. of the Marlin 336 and the Model 94. I still have the first year a Model 336 came out in stainless... and also have a Model 94 Legacy with a 24 inch barrel I prize these two...The Legacy I bought for $350 new, and then was feeling fortunate, as they stopped making them after that year... It was a short run...Then 3 years later, they had them on the market again. However when they started releasing them again, the price went from under $400, and had jumped to OVER $1200...

I've also picked up several of the Marlin and Savage bolt actions in 30/30 around here years ago...they all shot well... Price on the used racks, they went for $100 to $125. For those I preferred using the Speer 150 FN. Before I hand loaded I use to buy the 170 FN bullet rounds. After I started hand loading, I saw the 150 grain FN were more accurate... I've passed on a few of the 788 Remingtons, because they were usually 50 bucks higher than the Savage and Marlins, and the latter two worked just as well for accuracy, compared to others owned by acquaintances from over at the range.

As usual at the load bench, I tried ALL Sorts of powders at the load bench...and bullet combos. For kids use ( via Boy Scouts ) and for wives, I've loaded 10 grains of Unique with 110 grain RN/SPs. Within 100 yds or so, they ALWAYS worked for those I loaded them for....most of the time taking a deer in the yard in local rural homes... or with the boys, it was their first deer hunting with grandpa off the front porch...

Most accurate loads I ever got out of any 30/30, was using SR 4759 with a 20 grain charge...for like 1850 fps MV...hands down winner, and it was duplicating the old loads from around WW 1 and on...

3031 was given that number for a reason.. as I've read from many old sources, it was formulated with the 30/30 in mind, as that was the most used deer rifle in the country at those times. 3031 I find does well in almost any cartridge.. not always the fastest velocity, but for accuracy, it never seems to be a real slouch in anything... even rifles with barrels shot out or near shot out, it and SR 4759 can still do minute of deer out to 150 yds to 200.

I did all this stuff, before powders like Leverolution came out.. but I've always found that the MV of 1850 fps to 1950 fps seemed to be the most accurate in anything I played with that had 30/30 stamped on the barrel.

Everything I've ever done has been with jacketed bullets, I'm not a cast bullet guy, although I use a lot of cast bullet data...

I have used bullet weights as high as 220 grain RN's in several 30/30s, both lever action, bolt action and NEF single shot...

Had one manager over at the range 15 to 20 years ago ask me about loading him up some bullets for his NEF single shot... He was going bear hunting, and wanted the most thump out of it. It was chambered in 30/30, It was the only rifle his budget would afford.. it was $100 at a pawn shop in town. I played with loads and for the biggest thump out of the round, I worked up a 220 gr RN, for a MV of 2100 fps...Stout ? YUP... got flamed by a bunch of the campfire usuals...per usual...

However in testing it, I load 10 cases, that were range pick up brass.. given to me to do so, by the range manager who wanted me to do this for him..
He didn't understand handloading at all....however, I loaded those cases 10 times with that load, which was on once fired brass... I loaded it an 11th time and the primer pockets were still tight...It was Federal brass.. you find that on the ground a lot at our local range in the past... because that was always the lowest price brand at our local Bi Marts... Powder I used was W 748.

Of all the bullets I used in my testing all the time...180 grain and 220 grain Round Noses, were always the most accurate of ALL the bullets tested..
The next most accurate were the 110 gr SP/RN, ( the 110 SP also in the bolt actions)..and the 150 FN Speers.. the FN were always more accurate than any of the RN 150 gr bullets tested, from whatever whoever manufacturer..

If I had your rifle and was going to hunt with it, I'd either pick the Barnes 110 grain TTSX or the 110 or 130 grain TSX. There should be NO problem being able to run those at 2400 fps out of your rifle, even I'd say 2500 fps would entirely be on the table. My powder choices would first be, W 748, followed by 3031.. With a scope on top, you'd easily have a 250 to 300 yd venison getter.

I'll offer a Hint, you can't get enough W 748 in a 30/30 case to over charge it and having it mess up the brass....I got 2100 fps out of a 20 inch barrel Model 94 bought new in 1966, with a 220 grain RN... and to "proof test" the load.. primer pockets were tight on its 12th reload...seating the 220 grain down into the case, so it would function thru the action of the Model 94, you had to roll crimp the brass... charge was sorta stiff...it would push the bullet further out of the case if not roll crimped...

My "Unicorn" rifle has always been a Model 54 Win, in 30/30....but it has alluded me. I think Gonnah silently knows I moan with envy every time he posts something about the one or two of them he has... That is my Cadillac of Bolt Action 30/30s...

The Marlins and Savages I have had, that I picked up for $100 to $125, have always been gifted to folks I know who want a hunting rifle, and are on a very limited budget.. good folks in their 20s, young and married... I've given away 5 or 6 of them I've had in cases like that...the ammo was always cheap... and they always seemed to get their deer with them....

and the guy with the NEF, the loads I did for him with the 220 grain RN, he always got his bear... the family camped a lot, and he always seemed to know each fall, right were one of two were hanging around...he didn't care much for venison, but for some reason he sure loved bear meat...

Good luck with your "new to you" 788....

cheer my friend...

2 points to be aware of:

1) 160gr FTX comes in two styles, one for the 30-30Win and one for the 308mx, which has a different ogive, and the crimp groove is located differently.
if you have the 308MX version and crimp in the groove, it may not fit your mag, or cycle through

2) IMR3031 is an old standby that seems to work in almost every case.
31gr for 150gr bullet
30gr for 170gr bullet
29gr for 190gr bullet
extrapolate from there.... it appears to be very linear

Don't trust my data, confirm it in loading manuals

https://press.hornady.com//assets/p...20Cal%20_308%20160gr%20FTX%20_30-30_.jpg

https://press.hornady.com//assets/p...8%20160gr%20FTX%20_Marlin%20Express_.jpg

Man, what a great post. I love the stories and info!! Yeah, I'll tell you if I ever see a model 54 30-30 on the used rifle rack anywhere, it's going to go home with me. If not, I'll call you and tell you where it is. You just don't see them though. I still kick myself in the azz for not buying one at one of the Portland gunshows years ago. I was just never interested in the 30-30 cartridge for some reason. Probably because when I was a kid my grandpa let me shoot his steel plate 94 and it hurt!!! I was only about 10 at the time, but too much recoil for a kid of that age. It left a bad taste in my mouth. With that being said, I have seen some bolt action 30-30's that have caught my eye. The first one was a few years ago and it was a savage 340. I thought that was a pretty cool rifle, and then I saw a Remington 788, and thought that was even sweeter. I let those 2 get away and told myself that if I saw another one, I'd buy it just for chits and giggles. Well about a month ago I was in a shop over here buying a nice mauser 30-06 and I saw this very nice 788 in 30-30. It was intriguing to me, as I had never seen one set up like a target rifle. It was odd and unusual, but with very nice wood. Above average for any 788 I've ever seen. You can see how a rifle like that can get into your mind and not leave!!! I had to go back and buy it because it was so unusual. I'm hoping to do it justice and want to leave it just like it is. So the weak link is my eyesight. I already have to shoot it right handed because my left eye sucks. But that is life. It's fun putting rifles on the bench and shooting them just as they sit:

Anyone used Big Game with 150 grain bullets? I know its a little slow, but Ramshot lists data and I've got a lot of it. I don't need top velocities, it's my farm gun. My favorite .30-30 load uses IMR 8208, but my supply is limited.

Good points, that is why I specified (30-30) bullet in one of my posts. They were also shown in a picture and you can zoom in on the part #. That price shown is also cheaper than anywhere you can find them elsewhere.

If western powders/ramshot lists it, I'd be experimenting. I also have a lot of big game powder. Love the stuff in my 7mm08 and 30-06.

Your loads look great, BSA. (If you look close in the pic you can see the little dimple I put in the mold cavity to mark the bullet nose for orientation purposes I referred to in my earlier post. Two cavity mold, dimples located differently in each cavity, for segregating them as to which cavity they came out of. Of importance only if trying to squeeze out the last couple thousandths in group size!)

Evidently you have a very short throat. That's ok, you've adjusted your seating depth accordingly. The throat on my M54 is a lot longer, I can seat them out farther. Doesn't really matter as long as you get a little contact of the rifling on the bullet nose. (One of the protocols of seating cast bullets that I follow. I asked Mr. Sinclair, of Sinclair accuracy/bench shooting products fame, what seating depth he used with the bullets from a personal mold of his I bought from him once, and he said "Hell if I know, I just jam 'em up into the rifling.")

What was said earlier about the 1800fps sweet spot with cast jives with what I find. A little more velocity for deer hunting is ok, and accuracy doesn't really suffer much, but rest assured it's enough speed for deadliness. I whacked a deer once with that same RN bullet out of an '06 at a measly 1400fps or so and it surely died. (Those velocities put it squarely in the realm of the .32-40 which was considered the cat's meow for deer before the .30-30 came along.)

Awesome gnoahhh. I appreciate the help on this one. When I set the OAL, I did just that: put one in a case where it had a little tension and ran it into the chamber. I did that a few times with a few different bullets I got from you and took a good average. I set my seater die to that OAL. It is much shorter than mag box length, but sometimes you can't go by box length. I always want to know where the lands are in relation to the bullet. I'll load up some with 3031 powder and will let you know how they do. Also with some of that 375w brass, some of it looked new, just annealed by the original owner and resized with a 32 winchester special die (I'm assuming, as that was in one of the RCBS die boxes I got with the rifle). I checked the shoulder to base dimension and they were too long for my chamber. I used a 30-30 body die to set the shoulder where I wanted it and then finished with the FL 30-30 sizing die. I don't know if that is the preferred method, but it worked. I set the die so it bumps the shoulder back .002" and they chamber in my rifle. I've shot them and fireformed the brass:


Average group size was around 1 3/4" for 3 shots at 100.


One thing to note: On the Hornady brass, I weighed it and found it to be the same weight as the 375win brass. Those are around 147gr, while regular 30-30 brass weighs around 133-137gr's. The new Winchester brass I bought yesterday weighs around 133gr's. I'm hoping the Starline brass that is being shipped to me is thicker than the Winchester brass!!! If I could get my hands on some new Hornady brass, I'd be liking that. Federal 30-30 brass is also heavier/thicker than Winchester brass, from what I have seen.

NOT MY BEST BUT NOT BAD FOR A LEVER

I'm going to play with it this summer. I blundered onto 8 lbs of Big Game at a good price, and need a use for it. Ramshot shows a load, but it is low pressure and less than top velocity. I'm guessing I'll run out of case room, but it should make a tin can, skunk and raccoon load for a peep sighted 30-30

BSA, It has been a long time since I messed with a 788 but as I recall since it is a push feed rather than a "controlled round" feed there should be no difference between single feeding and feeding from the magazine. The extractor engages the rim as the bolt is closed.
Kind regards,
Pavementends

Pretty good shooting lever gun Fotis. That gives me something to shoot for with LVR and 160 FTX in my rifle. As shown earlier, I have shot a .8 moa 3 shot group with factory ammo and the 160 FTX bullet. If I can duplicate that consistently or even 1" consistently, I'd be happy.

Thanks for the info. The extractor on the 788 30-30 is way different than any other 788 chambering. It reminds me more of a hook extractor like you see on 22lr's. I've seen where some guys say they have broken an extractor, trying to push it over the rim of the cartridge. I wish there was more info regarding this. I appreciate the feedback and your experience regarding this. In the back of my mind, I'm wondering why the original owner had a new extractor and ejector in a baggie with this rifle though.. Are they weak? As for the rifle, man I am loving it! The Canjar trigger is something else too. My trigger pull gauge doesn't even read, when trying to see what the pull weight is. Must be in the ounces, not pounds when the set feature is engaged.

I wish I could find components for that price!

Also, for those who worry about the accuracy potential of the 30-30, I recently read an article online where the fellow won several benchrest competitions with one
in the right firearm, the 30-30 is a goer!

Seafire offers some great advice about light for caliber bullets!

Why not make up a test dummy and slowly cycle it out of the magazine and into the chamber? Look in and see how/where the bolt/extractor engages the case rim.

Yep! Load 125 gr Ballistic tips in my Contender with 14 “ barrel. Darn thing is amazingly accurate.

GreggH

I've had good results with H335 and 170gr IL Hdy's in the 30-30. Loaded em with 33.0grs and they scamper right along. Max is 34.0grs, so I backed it off a grain. I realize this powder is taboo for temp sensitivity, but I've got it and for something relatively non-precision as in not made for the benchrest circuit, it's a perfect match.

Hell yes. Quite a few of you guys are offering some great advice. I appreciate it!!

The old owner was running some of those as well. He has some literature about guys using the TC Contenders for silhouette shooting and how they loaded for the 30-30. Some good interesting reading material for sure. He even had some articles on how to turn 375win brass into 30-30 brass, but I have not delved into that too much. I think back in the 80's a lot of guys were doing it. Now days, you might get your azz whipped for messing with good 375win brass.. ha ha. Especially if you own one of those too!!!


I was trying to think of a way I could turn that modified brass back into 375 winchester brass, but that seemed like too much of a hassle..

There's a load in that Nosler manual, back in the pistol data section. It's listed as the most accurate load with the 150 grain bullets. It's crazy accurate in my rifles, and more fun than you can stand. If I had that788 I'd be breakin' the sound barrier on my way to the range to shoot some of it!