Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 30-30 flat nosed bullets at 2600 fps muzzle velocity - hunting...

Thanks guys - I'm going to start with the Speer hotcores and see how those go - I had thought of the core lokts too - and I use a lot of Hornday interlocks in my other rifles...

First things first - off to the range!

OK, just got back from the range. The rifle did great! My mission was to fireform 100 cases that I'd loaded with some Laser Cast LFN's that I'd crimped gas checks onto and lubed with Lee Liquid Alox. Used W748 (28 grains) for around 1800 fps - good fireforming load. Here's a target that shows a 50 yard 5 shot group and 5 of the formed cases:



I'm pretty happy with that group given that this was just a random load.

The rifle functioned great though I did experience two failure to fires - looked like light primer strikes... not sure what's up with that but will pull the pin and clean it and it's recess thoroughly.

I'm now ready to load the Speer FN hotcores up - probably going to use Varget as that seems to be the best performer. I'll post the results after I do that - won't be for a few weeks though...

ETA - I just remembered - I loaded those fireforming loads with RP magnum primers - because I have a bunch on hand and figured that they'd work fine for this chore... I'm betting that's all it is - they are definately harder than standard ones and I won't be using magnum primers for my normal loads for this...

I used 30/30 bullets in my 30-06 both Rn and Fn, and without fail there would be a exit hole that I could put my fist in, even one at 125 yds was hit in the center of the chest passed through part of the lungs and exited through the ribs .
I feel they are too destructive and went to seirra Rn .

My model 94 would not reliably set off CCI 250 magnum primers either. I had great luck using 3031 and reloder 15 in my non AI'd 30-30. I am thinking about using the 170 grain Remington corelokt in a light loadin from my 30-06, pushing it to around 2400 fps. Should be very good to 200 yards and recoil light enough for the ladies.

If you are going to shoot a 150 to 180-gr bullet out of the .30-06 or .308 at a muzzle velocity greater than 2,400 fps, just used a RN or SPT, but not the .30-30 flat nosed bullets.

If you are going to be shooting past 125 yards, again, why not use a 150-gr RN or soft point?

I have downloaded the 170, 150 and the 125-gr FN for the .30-06 and .308 Win and they work great at lower velocities. They are explosive inside 100 yards if you push them past 2,600 fps. I tried it once, when I was a kid.

If you really want low recoil, use the 125-gr Winchester bullet at 2,500 fps inside 125 yards, or the 125-gr BT for 200 yards.

I'm assuming you were running those near full speed? That's the kind of performance I was concerned about. But I think 2600 fps at the muzzle will be fine.

Rick - low recoil is a big plus. Especially with a crescent buttplate!

I'm not sure what year your 94 is, but the rebounding hammers are notorious for occasional misfires. I have a modern 94 AE which I had a gunsmith work on to remove the rebounding hammer and install a half-cock. I kept the transfer bar and tang safety. It fires reliably now and has a good safety system. I load the 150 Hot-Cors also, and at 30-30 velocities they worked great on one doe so far for my son. At 50 yards it blew lung out the other side of the deer and hung it on the brush. I doubt you will have a problem at 2600 FPS on deer.

The receiver is 1972 - half cock. It was the magnum primers I am sure.

I still like that rifle!

me too. I'm on the road again - in Little Rock this time. The cases are sitting at home in my shop waiting for me to come back and load em...

One thing I'm looking forward to in the states is being able to find used levers, but that's about the only thing.

OSOK,

I wondered about that, I've always liked the look of the "shotgun butt" for those old winnies. Shotgun butt with a red winchester recoil pad looked smart, if not authentic.

Any of my dream winchesters would have a shotgun butt with a black limbsaver on them now.

Sycamore

Well, the shotgun buttplate is more comfortable in a variety of situations. Especially shooting on the bench.

The crescent is really just fine for hunting though - shooting off of your hind legs or supported - even from sitting and the like. It's the bench sessions where you can't get it aligned with your shoulder just right that cause the problem.