Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Contender 30-30AI loads

Have a 22" MGM 30-30AI barrel on the way for my Contender.
Who has real world loaddata they can share? Hoping to find a 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tip load for coyotes and antelope and a 150gr load for mulies and maybe hogs.
Also any real world experience with the Remington Bronze Point 150gr have couple hundred but have no experience with them.

i have used several of these loads in my 22" 30/30AI carbine.

but....i did not compile data or test all, so the standard "reduce to start & use at your own risk" disclaimer applies. will check tomorrow to see if i stil have a scanned copy of Ackley's published data (on the warm side!), if so i will post that up.

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.30-30 Ackley Improved (T/C Contender Super 14) Data

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110gr Hornady V-MAX / 35.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2700 FPS
110gr Hornady V-MAX / 37.0grs. A.A.2015BR = 2700 FPS
110gr Speer Round nose / 34.0grs. RL-7 "not chrono'd yet"
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125gr Nosler BT / 34.5grs. H-4198SC = 2689 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 34.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2683 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 34.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2627 FPS

125gr Nosler BT / 33.5grs. IMR-4198 = 2617 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. A.A.2520 = 2560 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 36.0grs. A.A.2015BR = 2550 FPS

125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. A.A.2230 = 2507 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 36.0grs. H-322 = 2498 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. IMR-3031 = 2480 FPS

125gr Nosler BT / 37.0grs. IMR-3031 = 2375 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 41.5grs. W-748 = 2473 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. A.A.4064 = 2434 FPS
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130gr Hornady SSP / /33.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2588 FPS
130gr Hornady S.P. / 38.0grs. A.A.2520 = 2520 FPS

130gr Hornady SSP / 36.5grs. H-4895 = 2490 FPS
130gr Speer Flat Nose/38.0grs. H-335 = 2486 FPS

130gr Berger H.P. / 35.0grs. A.A.2015BR = 2371 FPS
130gr Berger H.P. /36.0grs. H-322 = 2346 FPS

130gr Berger H.P. /36.5grs. IMR-4895 = 2257 FPS
130gr Berger H.P. /35.0grs. H-322 = 2245 FPS
130gr Hornady SP /34.0grs RL-10x = 2450fps
130gr Hornady SP /36.0grs. RL-10x = 2580fpsMax. load
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135gr Sierra SSP / 33.5grs. IMR-4198 = 2517 FPS
135gr Sierra SSP /33.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2488 FPS
135gr Sierra SSP /38.5grs. IMR-4895 = 2435 FPS
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150gr Speer / 36.0gr.s IMR-3031 = 2450 FPS
150gr Nosler BT / 36.0grs. IMR-3031 = 2437 FPS
150gr Hornady / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2416 FPS

150gr Speer Flat Point / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2410 FPS
150gr Sierra / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2396 FPS
150gr Hornady S.P. / 38.5grs. Reloader15 = 2390 FPS

150gr Hornady S.P. / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2380 FPS
150gr Speer Mag Tip / 37.0grs. H-335 = 2372 FPS
150gr Hornady / 36.5grs. W-748 = 2370 FPS

150gr Hornady SST / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2369 FPS
150gr Rem PSPCL / 35.0grs. H-322 = 2350 FPS
150gr Hornady S.P. / 37.5grs. A.A.4064 = 2350 FPS

150gr Rem PSPCL / A.A.2520 35.5gr = 2340 FPS
150gr Rem Core-Lockt / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2311 FPS
150gr Hornady S.P. / 33.0grs. Re-7 = 2350 FPS
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165gr Hornady B.T.S.P. / 34.0grs. IMR-4895 = 2255 FPS
165gr Speer Spt.B.T. / 34.0grs. IMR-4895 = 2240 FPS
165gr Hornady B.T.S.P. / 31.0grs. Re-7 = 2126 FPS

Thanks for the data. I have a .30-30AI that I have a couple of loads for. These are a great help. My best load so far is 150 Hornady SST over RL15. I don't have my data book handy, but I believe it is 36 grain.

Thanks, lotsa work there I appreciate you letting us see it. You have any hunting experience with any of these?

Yup. I have. I am one of the original contributors to that load data. Several of us over on Speciality Pistols spent some time about 10 years ago with several different guns to obtain those figures. I have used the Hornady 150 gr SST on 7 deer. The Hornady 150 SP on 2 and the 125 NBT on 3 all from a 14 inch Contender barrel at ranges from about 40 yards to about 175 yards. Have not yet recovered a bullet. As well I have taken 2 deer with the 125 NBT load in a 20 in carbine barrel. One hit the shoulder and exited the brisket on a quartering shot at 80 yards and left an impressive hole and awsome blood trail for about 150 yards. The other was broad side at 125 and hit behind the shoulder and a bit high and she dropped at the shot with a 50 cent size exit. I like the 30-30ai quite well. I have a 309JDJ also and can really see no difference in killing ability between the two cartridges with bullets under 150 grains. There is a greater amount of powder consumed by the larger case. With 165 and heavier bullets the 309 is considerably better. In the 14 in contender I have no problem with shootin deer sized game well past 200 yards with 125 to 150 grain bullets.. In the carbine barrel I am running about 2550 with the 150 and 2700 with the 125 NBT.

ditto...after i started shooting the 30-30AI in a pistol and carbine, i decided my .309jdj had become a surplus barrel, and i sold mine.

Lonerider...your carbine a 1-10 twist?

my carbine seems fairly happy with AA2520, and shoots the Hornady 150 spires , & the the rem 150 bulk 30-30 SP bullets into about 1 moa. (killed a 200# hog with the rem bullets when he was coming in to raid a feeder couple years ago, a bang-flop)

tried a box of factory rem 150 30-30 loads once when fireforming, and it shot those pretty good too.

it has been kind of easy barrel to load for, and has shot about everything i fed it more than well enough for the 100 yard woods hunting i use it for.

I have a Contender carbine also and I love it. It is really a neat, very compact and accurate package. Mine started life as a .30-30 Win. and got reamed to .30-30 AI. I have been reloading for 30 years and I try my best to be very smart and safe. I'll tell you what not to do, because I knew better and did it anyway.

1. Don't use old .30-30 brass to fireform. Use new, good stuff.

(I knew that!)

2. Don't use old data. (Like Ackley's book and load to the max. the first time with outdated powder data.)

(I knew that!)

3. If you see crack in the first case you fire, don't shoot any more.

(I knew that!)

Here's the third case I shot. Lucky to still have my eyes and fingers.

Gerald
yea both my carbine and pistol barrels are 10 twist. And both do best with 150's' I had a bunch of old 200 grain bullets when I first got the barrel and I use3d them for fireforming the first batch of cases. I shot them at 25 yards from the bags and all went into one big hole that could be covered with a Kennedy half dollar That is 50 shots over the course of two days. I was real suprised. Did not chrono and eventually used up the supply of 200 gr bullets and ended up with several hundred formed cases.
I have had a few case head seperations with old cases as well but they were fired many times in the testing for load data that is posted on Speciality Pistols. Kyode(Kyle) and SDHandgunner(Larry) and I had a good time collaberating on that project. I believe a few others guys put in some data at a later date as well. I believe that data has led to a good many fellows getting hooked on the 30-30AI in the contender. I also have an old Savage bolt gun that was converted to AI but it suffers from mag length restrictions and will not run with the Contenders. Out of the nearly 100 barrels I have had in the last 40 years of messing with T/C's The 30-30AI and the 7x30Waters will likely be the last to find a new home.

Obviously using the SST's on 7 deer you like them, but how was their penetration for you? I have used SST's in several calibers like the price and very accurate but have come to think of them almost as varmint bullets. Three deer, max loads in two calibers, yes all three died but very poor penetration, you see that with your 30-30AI?

Did you notice in the above post that I mentioned I had not recovered a bullet yet from the deer I have shot? Must be at the moderate speeds of the AI that they work fairly well. I Have used them as well in a .300 Savage in both pistol and rifle and a .309JDJ with out issue. I have heard of others having problems with them but I have not had those types of issues in the AI. I shot deer fairly close with them and they still gave complete penetration and excellent expansion and some quick kills..that ain't never a bad thing. I have tried several Premium bullets but see no need for them on deer in these guns. I have several shootin friends that use the AI as well and report excellent results with these bullets and even the Remington coreloc. I do however think if I were going after larger critters I would choose a bit stouter bullet.

I had SST I couldnt recover either cause they disentegrated! ....but yeah you have a good point moderate velocities of 30-30AI might be a better fit. Yes definetely not putting together a BIG game gun, trying to build a "stalking" gun for the whitetails in the bottoms and drainages of eastern Wyo.

Rifle: Savage model 219 in 30-30

I really like Sierra's 125 grain spitzer bullet:
- excellent accuracy
- fast expansion
- deep penetration

This bullet was designed by Sierra as a varmint bullet for 308 and 30-06 velocities. But at 30-30 velocity it behaves like a good deer/antelope bullet.

Sherwood

Sherwood, my 219 could be the twin of yours except I don't have a rubber pad. Really neat little rifles. I assume your has not been improved, at least the loaded round pictured doesn't appear so. I have come close a couple of times to Ackley-izing mine, but keep holding off. So far, I've just stuck with WW 150 gr RN 30-30 bullets in mine.

Lonerider, you mention being partial to the 7X30 Waters as well as the 30-30 Imp.....do you have similar load data for it? I am just getting started in that caliber and would appreciate some data if you're willing. I guess this might be considered hijacking the thread, so a pm would be OK.

Hook
PM sent