Im thinking about using my 30-30 for hunting elk this year in really dark timber.

Im thinking about loading up some 160 grain hornady flex tips or some 170 grain corloks. Which would you choose? any other suggestions?

170 Partitions

170 grain Nosler Partitions.

I like the way the 170 Core-lokt is constructed (and works) for things like the moose this pair killed.

I would also include the Partition, XFN, and GMX on my list of other possible suspects. (I think that soft-tipped GMX is possibly going to be the next "best" 30-30 bullet to chase.)

I to am for the Core-Lokt for the 30-30.Being a true Nosler nut job,there just not needed in the 30-30.I do shoot them in all my other rifles but not my 30-30.

Jayco

170gr patition dont barnes make a 150gr hollowpoint

A 30-30 isn't going to push a bullet fast enough to warrant a partition,or barnes,etc.Any 170 gr off the shelf Hornady,Sierra,Speer, Remington, will work

I got good performance on a moose with the 170 Silvertip. So I'll say that one.

Partition or Barnes. The good old corelokt will work too.

+1 on the silvertip 170gr

I'll cast another vote for the 170gr Partition..

CLB

Yup - 170 Partition.

The 160g Hornady FTX are the most accurate bullets in my .30-30. While I load and have hunted (unsuccessfully) a couple times with 170g Speer and Partitions, the FTX are what I will use in the future.

At .30-30 velocities I'm not worried about bullet blow-up and the FTX hold their velocity better at longer ranges. And better accuracy is never a bad thing...

170 grain something. Factories even work.

Wayne

+1

Ingwe

I'm thinking 170gr,may not need the partition at 30.30 speeds but why not.
The 150gr Barnes XFN works at .307 speeds, haven't tried it in 30.30.

Depends on which bullet your rifle shoots the best, factory loads my 30-30's preferred the old Hornady Frontiers with 150 interloc. Reloads my rifles prefer the speer bullets. One of them really likes the 150's the Marlin prefers the 170's.

My attitude is that broadside lung shots, liver shots, or heart shots are best done with fast expanding bullets.

Quartering away shots or shoulder shots are best done with slow expanding bullets.

I vote: YES.

The 30-30 bullets are essentially perfected. Unlike a 308 caliber spitzer that has to work in a 30-40 Krag for Jim and a 300 Wby for JOe, the 170 grain 30-30 bullet is made for large game at 30-30 speeds.

I would pick the 170 grain 30-30 bullet that shot best.

BMT

I have killed two big Arizona elk with my my Win 94. I used 170 grain Silvertip factory ammo for both.

I loaded up a bunch of 170 grain Hornday bullets for a friend's 94 in 32 Winchester which is basically the same thing. Those bullets killed two 500 lb bears in two years. The bullets held up remarkably well. If I were to reload for my 30 it would be that bullet; factory ammo, I will continue to use the Silvertips.

Took a 6x6 with one shot at 110 yards and a Hornady factory 160FTX. Was quartering away uphill and dropped where he stood. See "LeverEvolution" here in this forum for pics.

Nos Partition 170gr
Corelokt 170gr
Barnes 150 flatpoint

I'd go with regular lead and be darn careful on shot placement.

Partitions are great with speed, but without it I'm not sure they wouldn't slow the back end of the bullet up and not penetrate. Given the slow speeds here TSX are just a waste of money too.

If your lower than 2600 fps you don't need fancy bullets Go heavy and keep shots conservative and they'll drop. Take a risky shot with a 30-30 or any round for that matter and your pushing your luck at the expense of the critter.

Spot

A 170 Gr bullet will do the job. All this premium bullet talk is all BS with this caliber and MV.

What? Don't you guys read the internet? You can't kill elk with a 30-30! Of course back before any of the old, and mostly now dead and gone, cowboys and woodsmen that I knew as a kid had a chance to play with a computer and partake of internet wisdom, they were too ignorant to know you can't kill elk with a 30-30 so they just did it anyway. I remember several of them saying they didn't care for the '06 because it kicked too hard and those old winchester and savage lever guns were just so much lighter and handier. Use this round on elk at your own risk! (just be sure you bring a sharp knife)