30-30 loads.

[Charlie98]

The few Marlins and single Savage 99 I've had all loved the 170grn bullet, cast or jacketed.

Cast bullets in the .30-30 are a natural, but like all cast bullets, they must be sized for each rifle's bore.... to include the Marlin. I've never had a problem getting good accuracy with cast bullets out of a Marlin. To contrast that, and to emphasize my point about bore size, my Savage 99... with traditional rifling... insisted on a .311" bullet for best accuracy... that .001" made all the difference.

In the past, I've use H322 and Reloder 7, primarily, with jacketed bullets, but switched to IMR3031 some years ago.

With cast bullets, IMR4198 is my favorite... not only in the .30-30, but pretty much everything.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Lordy, I really need to get my hands on some IMR 3031! To the LGS'!!

 

[Hugger-4641]

160 ftx and Lever Evolution powder are my most accurate so far in my model 94.

 

[Charlie98]

Lordy, I really need to get my hands on some IMR 3031! To the LGS'!!

I still think IMR4895 (or H4895) is the Unique of rifle powders... it can work just about anywhere, at least in some capacity. Having said that, I'm starting to favor IMR3031 more and more in standard, short-action rifle cartridges. I have actually used IMR4895 in the .30-30... but it was just a test load, IMR3031 just worked better. Once you move to heavy-for-cartridge bullets, Magnums, and other big bores... there are better choices than IMR3031.

 

[AJC1]

I still think IMR4895 (or H4895) is the Unique of rifle powders... it can work just about anywhere, at least in some capacity. Having said that, I'm starting to favor IMR3031 more and more in standard, short-action rifle cartridges. I have actually used IMR4895 in the .30-30... but it was just a test load, IMR3031 just worked better. Once you move to heavy-for-cartridge bullets, Magnums, and other big bores... there are better choices than IMR3031.

I'd sub in n135 for that do it all powder now... basically the same just a few tenths slower...

 

[lightman]

I don't load or shoot a 30-30 very much anymore. My loads were any case, any standard primer, a Sierra #2000 150 grain ProHunter Flat Nose and a moderate load of either 748, 3031 or 4895.

In my opinion the 30-30 is an easy cartridge to find a load for and there are many more combinations other than the ones I listed.

 

[ms6852]

My first 30-30 rifle a 94 I bought 42 years ago and every pay day I would buy a box or two of ammo. By the time I could get a chance to hunt I would have a nice stash of Remington core-lokt. Being in the military and deployed or overseas many years I would not get a chance to hunt with my 94. By the time I retired from the Army I already had accumulated around 63 boxes of 30-30. To this day I still have a few boxes left and are marked $5.99 thru $7.99. The dies are still brand new after all this years. I have yet to load for this rifle, but I have several hundred pieces of brass for it. I wonder what a box of 30-30 goes for now.

 

[AJC1]

My first 30-30 rifle a 94 I bought 42 years ago and every pay day I would buy a box or two of ammo. By the time I could get a chance to hunt I would have a nice stash of Remington core-lokt. Being in the military and deployed or overseas many years I would not get a chance to hunt with my 94. By the time I retired from the Army I already had accumulated around 63 boxes of 30-30. To this day I still have a few boxes left and are marked $5.99 thru $7.99. The dies are still brand new after all this years. I have yet to load for this rifle, but I have several hundred pieces of brass for it. I wonder what a box of 30-30 goes for now.

30 dollars a box at whalmart. I grabbed two boxes of hammer down for 35 each to play with bonded bullets for pig.

 

[FROGO207]

Yeah! A dollar a round or so is what the minimum prices are around here. These days using what I purchased around 10 years ago I can load a box of 20 with premium bullets for around $5.00.
If you can find a Sierra 170 grain FP bullet and some 3031 you should be set as those two seem to be mostly available on line. Have fun and remember that lever is not a MOA rifle but you can improve on factory accuracy quite a bit with not much effort most times.

 

[Akula69]

23.0 grains of AA#2460 under a 160 grain FTX.
27 grains of H335 under a 160 grain FTX.

wild pigs really don't like either load

 

[AJC1]

23.0 grains of AA#2460 under a 160 grain FTX.
27 grains of H335 under a 160 grain FTX.

wild pigs really don't like either load

I have that bullet but neither powder, keep going

 

[GoldieMI]

Speer 150 grains over N133 were magic in 336.
26.X load. Right out of the VV reloading data
In RP brass

 

[2ndtimer]

Decades ago, I used Win 748 and Accurate 2460 to push 150 gr spitzers out of a 14” T/C Contender for IHMSA matches. My son scored a Winchester Model 94 a few years ago and I now use LeverEvolution exclusively with 150 gr FN or RN jacketed bullets.

 

[ms6852]

30 dollars a box at whalmart. I grabbed two boxes of hammer down for 35 each to play with bonded bullets for pig.

Wow! Just about had a heart attack. When I first started hunting I always used a 30-06. Later we changed where we hunted and I needed the lever action for heavy brush. My 30-30 became my pig rifle too. Easy on follow ups. I tried an AR15 but did not enjoy it as much as my lever rifle .

 

[archeryrob]

I am also using 3031 in 29 grains under a 180 grain RNFP cast , gas checked, powder coated, bullet and estimated to be about 2000 FP

 

[1KPerDay]

Pretty much all I load in .30-30 is 8.7 grains Unique under a 170FP Laser cast. Fun as heck indoors on steel plates.

Daughter shoots Winchester 1894 .30-30 on steel

youtube.com

Winchester 94 .30-30 shooting reduced-power loads

youtube.com

 

[hunt127588]

My most accurate loads in a JM Marlin 30-30 is a max load of IMR 3031 behind a 150 gr round nose. Also, a max load (per Hodgdon) of LeverEvolution behind a 160 FTX will cut holes. These are both hunting loads and not plinking loads. Work up to these as they are max.

 

[ms6852]

So I was wondering when it comes to the 30-30, does the microgroove rifling reduce accuracy? If shooting cast do you have to increase velocity to keep barrel from leading or no difference at all?

 

[FROGO207]

I have a Marlin 336 with microgroove barrel and Lasercast and regular coated bullets work just fine. They do have a different POI than jacketed but are fairly accurate and I find no excess leading in it. All similar to what I find in my 4 Win 94's.

 

[DMW1116]

Find too fast isn’t a good idea with cast in a microgroove barrel. My loading manuals say 1600 fps is about the top for best accuracy and I’d have to agree. My 336 also seems to prefer slightly larger bullets than 0.308 or 0.309. My most accurate load so far uses a Missouri Bullet Company White Tail #4, which is sized slightly larger than usual. I think 0.310 or 0.311 inches.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I have a Marlin 336 with microgroove barrel and Lasercast and regular coated bullets work just fine. They do have a different POI than jacketed but are fairly accurate and I find no excess leading in it. All similar to what I find in my 4 Win 94's.

That’s how my Marlins are, both 336’s in .30-30 and .35Rem. I have been using gas-checked in them for years and that “seems” to be the key in my rifles. For .30 I use Quality Cast .310” HiTek coated 173gr FNGC and for the .35 I use Hunters lubed 200gr RNGC. I buy them unchecked at .359” and run them through the Lubrisizer to check and lubricate with the blue goo.

I don’t get leading but the red HiTek leaves a funky residue. Both are Minute of Chest Cavity accurate.

 

[Show Me]

Yep , the Lyman flatnose classic 30 30 mold with aluminum tape on both sides . Honed out Lee sizer die gets me .311 when pushing gas checks on. With a good coat of tumble lube is fine for my Ted Williams. Old pitted barrel but it's as good at 65 yds as any other open sights get me. Dosent take much to entertain me. TGIF

 

[rdnktrkr]

I'm with the IMR3031 around 30grs and a 150gr FN bullet, 100yrds and in they work great, I bought some Leverlution powder to try with a box of 170gr plastic tip bullets I picked up but I still have a couple 100 or so of my 150gr loads

 

[Show Me]

I'm with the IMR3031 around 30grs and a 150gr FN bullet, 100yrds and in they work great, I bought some Leverlution powder to try with a box of 170gr plastic tip bullets I picked up but I still have a couple 100 or so of my 150gr loads

The FTX with that boat tail hasn't worked out so good with my 30 30 or .308 but I know a guy that has excellent results. Might just be me.

 

[DMW1116]

I’m still trying to decide on that one myself. I have to give the 336 a really good scrub and shoot a few jacketed loads to answer my questions then I can go back to cast level loads.