Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best Powder for the .30-30 Winchester?

I'm getting ready to start reloading for a Model 94 30-30. I've flipped through quite a few loading manuals and magazine articles, and have zeroed in on IMR 4064 and 4895, also Win 748, H 335, BLC2, and RL15. I'm going to try 150's and 170s, but I'm also curious to try the 190gr Hawk. What powders are you guys getting results with?

I like BLC2.

I like RL15, personally... but that is because so many of my other rifles like that same powder. I don't believe that I've ever tried anything else.

36 gr RL15 w/ 150 gr Win PP, CCI-200, WW brass, approx 2400 fps from carbine

I like R15 also. It works great with 180rnsp. Hammers everything I've shot it at.

I have always used 748, but I see that TAC produces some impressive velocities.

I've used 748 for years, and the Hornady 170 grain FP in Remington cases. I would like to try another bullet with a better BC, but that combo is wicked accurate in my M94, and I'm afraid to change it.

Another vote for RL15. I use it in .30-30, .303 Savage, .300 Savage, .308, and in a Model 742 .30-06.

Personally I don't like 4064 because it doesn't meter well. I ran some RL 7 in the 32 Special, it and the 30-30 are practically the same.

FWIW,

Dale

Rl-15 or IMR 3031 works for me.

Another vote for 748, max velocities and lower pressures...other ball powders mentioned may work as well, BLC-2 and TAC...


Ingwe

The old standards, IMR-4895 and IMR-3031, both work great. If I had to pick the more accurate of that pair it would be IMR-3031 by a slim margin.

748 and H335 will both give top end velocities and usually good accuracy as well. If you're going after velocity those two would do it. They do burn kind of dirty but in a lever it doesn't seem to be a big deal, the cleaning patches just come out really black.

I've tried TAC and got wide velocity variations and real so-so accuracy, but only tried one bullet - 150 Remington RNCL - before giving up on it. TAC seems to like being run at higher pressures than the .30-30 gives. Someone else here, however, reported good results with it.

RL-15 is a great powder for the .30-30. Now that I ran out of 4895 and 3031 I just use RL-15.

As a FWIW, 748 seems to have fallen into disfavor now that RL-15 and TAC have come on the scene. But I was going back over my old notes and targets the other day and noted that it consistently gives top end velocities in the .223, .308 and .30-30 combined with excellent accuracy across the mid-range bullet weights. It is still a good powder.

Boy, I sure do ramble on...

Just get some RL-15 and go shooting.

about anything will work in it..

however if you have one that accuracy stinks..I have found, that slow the MV down to the 1800 to 1900 fps range, they can still shoot real accurately..

SR 4759 is a good route, or if you have to have a FULL case, then 4350 and 4831 will give the same MVs...

remember, original 30/30s were not as fast as the loads nowadays..

same thing will work out on an inaccurate 32 Win Special.

Ditto

Am I the only one experimenting with Varget and 170 grain bullets?

And Trail Boss and 140 grain bullets? (Objective is a .22-like 30 cal load for plinking with cheap cast bullets.)

33.0-34.0 RL#15 with 170 Hornady FN works real well in my Mod 94. If you are going to shoot 150's, 36.0gr RL#15 works well. Tom

My Marlin 336 likes 33gr of RL 15 and 170gr Hornady FPs.

I've been running ImR 4064 or H335 mostly,and with 170s in recent years. W748 was my favorite with lighter bullets in a M94 Trapper. The nice thing about the 30-30 is that so many combinations work well and only the most accurate rifles will discern the small differences.

Thanks for all the advice guys. It seems like RL15 is the front runner, but it can be a little hard to find in Alberta right now. I'd like to try a spherical because of the easy metering, I think I'll give H335 a go, as BLC2 can be scarce as well.

bl-c2