Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .30-30 single shot Contender carbine loads

I have the barrel and dies, now just need some ideas on best loads with pointy bullets. I have quite a bit of Rel 15 and Varget on hand; Alliant and Hodgdon both have data but I'm curious if anyone has tried them in the Contender. Bullets 130 gr through the 160 FTX.

I have the .30-30 AI and shoot 125 Ballistic TIps and 150 Hornadys out of it. It shoots well with RL 15 and Tac. I haven't tried Varget yet. I especially like the 125 BT, because it is so accurate and at .30-30 velocities it acts as a deer bullet.

Both Varget and RL-15 are very good in the 30-30. While not true in other chamberings, the 30-30 operates at a low enough pressure that substituting bullets of the same weight doesn't affect pressure all that much. So you can use data for flat/roundnosed bullets of the same approximate weight.

I'll second the 125 BT as a superb bullet for deer. I use it in my 30 Herrett exclusively. I have a 30-30 bolt gun, but shoot only cast bullets in it, so can't offer any pet loads for jacketed.

Ive got a handi rifle in 3030, that really likes BLC 2 with 150 SIERRA flat points. I tried to get it to shoot the 125 Nosler BT to no avail, I tried several different powders but dont remember which ones. Its a hoot to hunt with and I at least take one deer a year with it.

Good Luck with it.

Thanks all. I also got a PM suggesting the Sierra 135gr Single Shot Pistol bullet, and 3031 powder. I may take a stab at getting this running this week, maybe finish the season with it next weekend, if it shoots well.

I'd have to look it up, but I think that Sierra bullet is discontinued. I do know for sure that it was the only "single-shot pistol" bullet I tried that didn't work as expected on deer. I was very disappointed in its lack of DRT ability. I only tried it on two deer, IIRC, but neither of them went down anything near as fast as with the 125 BT or any other bullet I used in the 30 Herrett. More velocity might help, but I don't know.

testing some 125 Nosler BT's today, with Varget, we'll see how they do.

35 gr of Varget averaged 2401 fps at the chrono. Fast enough, but a little more velocity variation than I like to see, about 75 fps ES. It seems pretty accurate, although the range session was pretty rushed, due to a variety of things. No problem keeping 3 in an inch or so at 100 yards, and I suspect it would do better.

The rifle is obviously throated for 170gr factory loads; I have only about .180 of bullet seated in the case mouth, and it's still a little ways off the lands. It should still be fine for small deer

One of my favorite loads in my son's 30-30 Contender Carbine is the 150 grain BT over 28 grains of IMR 4895. This is listed as the most accurate load in Nosler #4 in the handgun section, so I thought I would try it. Three shots go inside an inch every time, usually well under that. This is with a 2.5x scope. 1950 fps from the 21" carbine barrel, very mild load with low recoil. Kids and small shooters find it fun to shoot and it kills deer dead.

Sierra did discontinue that single shot pistol bullet. I bought 1,000 of them from a guy who had them sitting on his shelf. They work very well in Contenders. I load them for my girlfriend in her 30 Carbine Encore. They are deadly on deer to 100 yards. I load her up cast bullets for practice. So my supply will last our lifetime. Tom.

I bumped the charge to 36 grains, nudged the scope a bit lower, and took it hunting. One shot, one doe, even though the little dickens ran 50 yards with no lungs. The doe was quartering toward me, and the 125 BT hit her exactly on the shoulder where I aimed, going through the scapula and exiting just ahead of the diaphragm on the other side - high through both lungs. Small deer, but fairly par for the course in that area.

The load is still pretty mild in pressure, so I will keep working up a bit. This is a good barrel, it shoots well and is by far the best TC barrel I have ever had.



yes, I know I need to refinish the stocks, so they match

tex_n_cal - Welcome back to the United States! Have you tried IMR 3031? That's my main powder for the .30-30 in my Contender and all other guns. I have tried all the others and I keep going back to it for the accuracy.