Loading down the .308 to duplicate the 30-30

Google H4895 Youth Loads. Hodgdon lists using H4895 @ 60% of their standard max data. That should get you near (or less than) 30-30.

Yep!
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895 Reduced Rifle Loads.pdf

rc

And if you use a FN bullet, you even get similar ballistics ! the 150 gr FN's work great for this.....

I have to ask. Why? Youth or smaller statured shooters should do well with that kind of load.

My wife's model 7 308 shoots well under MOA with Hornady 130g softpoints over a reduced load of H4895. Does just fine on mulies too. I believe the charge I settled on was 37.5g, but check the hodgdon site to be sure I'm not wrong.

The hornady manual lists loads that slow and even gives data for round nose 30-30 bullets

Jason_W said:

Where I hunt, a 100 yard shot would be a long one. Why burn all that powder and produce all that muzzle blast for shots that will likely be 50 yards or closer?

Ideally, I would like to find data that incorporates the same bullets common to 30-30 loads.

I'm also looking into casting my own bullets and loading some of those.

Click to expand...

You will like the light bullet light recoil loads listed on the Hodgdon site for the .308. (link in post #3) I have tried many of the light loads listed by Hodgdon using H4895 and all perform very well. A 135gr bullet @ under 2500 fps from a .308 rifle is very easy to shoot and will take deer to ~200 yards. (since you are talking about ~50 yards you're covered) That data will almost duplicate 30-30 ballistics in a .308 rifle. The Hodgdon load data site shows a 130gr bullet in the 30-30 with velocities of ~2200 to 2500 fps. The reduced .308 loads show a 130gr bullet at just over 2500 fps from a 24" barrel. I would say that's exactly what you asked for...

My favorite reduced recoil load for .308 is a 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip and 38 grains of H4895. It's the load listed at the Hogdon site and it is soft shooting and is extremely accurate. We load it light because it's being shot out of an old Mexican Mouser that was converted from 7x57 and wasn't designed for the pressures of full throttle .308 loads.

also have used the lower velocity data with H-4895. I loaded some 125 and 130gr loads for my grandson when he started shooting at the ripe old age of 3. He took his first hog with a 125gr Nosler BT at 50yds two weeks before his 4th birthday.

This said I have also used the reduced loads with some Rem 150gr 30-30 bullets for exactly the reason your talking about. We hunt some pretty thick stuff and be it deer or hogs at times a 30yd shot is a long one. I wanted a thumper load, that would effectively work just as well as the full power stuff but not have the noise and recoil from my little Ruger Compact and it's 16.5" barrel.

I have used several bullets with H-4895 and it seems that they all shot well up to 150grs and out to 100yds. My particular favorite is the Barnes 130gr TTX. Like ArchAngelCD mentioned it has a very mild recoil, and zips along plenty good enough to reach out if needed, but isn't overpowering up close.

The nice thing about using the 60% reduction is you can still work all the way back up to the max listed load for what ever bullet your using. This usually gives you quite a range to find something that either shoots well or that your comfortable with.

My Rem Model Seven hits it's sweet spot on 165 - 168 grain loads, and doesn't care for 150 grains or less.
If I need .30-30 loads, I use my .30-30 rifle.

I had been in the same situation - all my hunting shots were under 100 yards - didn't 'need' more than my trusty Thutty-thutty. But last year they logged out parts of our hunting lease, and now the good tree stand trees are further from the food plots - I found I needed the extra 'oomph' of the .308Win.
So, situations can change. I have also looked into the .308Win 'reduced loads', but personally don't need them.
I do make 'reduced' 7.62X51 loads for my century old M1916 Spanish Mauser though....... Don't want to stress the old girl. I load it to approximate .30-40 Krag loadings.

There is a Lyman #44 Manual PDF available on the net that lists cast lead in the 155-193gr range at light .30-30 velocities...

ADDING:

http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/OM/Lyman44.pdf

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