.30-30 Ammo with Pointed Bullets

3873 Views 28 Replies 24 Participants Last post by gcrank1, 2 mo ago

OldCZFan

Discussion Starter · Apr 24, 2022

Since Henry Single Shot rifles do not have magazine tube considerations, does anyone have experience with spire point bullets in .30-30 Win. cases? I ask this for two reasons.

1. - I am getting somewhat low on 150 gr. round-nose .30 cal bullets and at the moment, they don't seem to be readily available. I do. however, have a good stock of 150 gr and 165 gr spire points for .308 Win.

2. - If anyone has loaded such, any increase in accuracy?

It has probably been discussed elsewhere but I don't know where to look.

Thanx in Advance.

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Ballisticjunky

· #21 · 7 mo ago

Im not sure what the rounds will be used for (general plinking or hunting) but ive used berry's plated 150gr FN for plinking with success(enough for me anyway) at 50 yrds compared to 1 brand of factory, they are plated so they move a little slower than the factory but it lets me practice my hold overs 🙂

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gcrank1

· #22 · 7 mo ago

Iirc the original 30WCF was a 160grRN at about 1950fps. It was the 1st US factory loaded smokeless cartridge.
Reloaded to those specs (which is down-loaded compared to 'modern') it will still be fine.
Fwiw, some, including me, have used the 30-30 hunting bullets in down-loaded 308, 30-06, etc. The 30-30 bullets are designed to expand at lower velo's than the 'high-steppers'.

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Olafhardt

· #23 · 7 mo ago

30-30 reload for break action rifles:
Hornady catalog number 3031 which is a 150 grain pointed soft point.
Powder is 31 grains of ÌMR 3031 (changes caliber into 30-31).
Shot out of a NEF break action rifle.
This NEF was originally sold as a 500S&W but I had a factory 30-30 barrel fitted. The 500S&W operates at a much higher back thrust and pressure. My justification for doing this was just because I wanted too. I had previously tried pointed 150 grainers in a bolt action Savage and they wouldn't feed. I couldn't get them to 2 shot feed through my Winchester 94.
I am also a measuring nut. In the woods while hunting I often stepped off distances and found that is rare indeed for me to see any targets further than 35 yards. In more than 65 years of hunting and MEASURING, 80 yards is the longest shot on game I have ever made so I have no use for pointed ammo anyway.

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DANNY-L

· #24 · 6 mo ago

Even if you pick a bullet that doesn't expand properly the 30 cal hole through the lungs won't let a deer go far.

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Ojaileveraction

· #25 · 6 mo ago

Savage 340, 30-30

Wood Plant Hardwood Natural material Wood stain

Not a strong action but 30-30 suitable.

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MidwestBound

· #26 · 2 mo ago

The normal soft point 150-165 grain pointy bullets has worked fine for me.

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Kestrel4k

· #27 · 2 mo ago

A quick call to Hornady or Sierra will ascertain minimum expansion velocities for their various hunting bullets, usually 1800 fps from my experience.

How far out would 125-150gr shot from a 30-30, drop below 1900 fps; before saying that spitzers won't expand from a 30-30?

People have been doing this for at least half a century now; is not rocket science.

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Kestrel4k

· #28 · 2 mo ago

One of my handloading projects this year will be to develop a reduced-recoil, reduced-report 308-caliber hunting load.

With the Sierra 125gr spitzer being rather difficult to find, I have settled on the 125gr Hornady Interlock SST.
My research has indicated that this should be a good bullet for velocity-restricted applications.

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gcrank1

· #29 · 2 mo ago

Cast bullets, the original 'reduced velocity' loading.
No paying through the nose, make more when you need more. Only caveat is you Do Not Use the same dia. bullet as jacketed bullets are; ie, typical .308 dia j-bullet needs to be replaced with (ime) a .309 lead for 30-30, for 30-06 and 30-40Krag .310-.311.

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