Powder for 30-30 Win.

I would say 4198 but I have used IMR3031 and Win 748 for years. Looking at the Hodgdon site, it shows Ball 2 works well and gets decent velocity.

Varget should work very well, I use RL 15 quite a bit, and those two powders are in the same burn rate class. My second pick from your on hand powders would be the BLC2

I'm relatively new to .30-30 loading too. Been using IMR3031, have several other powders too. But I have 16lbs. of pulled surplus WC-846 that I want to try, it's supposedly very similar to BLC-(2) and load data is very close. Haven't got there yet.

If anybody has any experience with WC-846 in ANY calibers, I'm all ears! I hear it's good for .308, but I don't shoot/load that one. Supposed to be OK in .223 also. But I'd be tickled if I can use it in .30-30, .303, .30-06, 7.62x54R, 7.5x55 Swiss, or any handgun calibers.

I don't know the XBR 8208 powder, but the others you list will have some use in your rifle. Varget and RL15 are good choices with the heavier bullets.

XBR-8208 works well in .223, not sure about the bigger cals. There was quite an informative article on its history in shooting times OR handloader in the past couple of years.

I used to load a lot of 30-30 years ago, and used IMR4198 and RE7, with good results in both 150gr and 170gr bullets.

You could do that , but I don't think you'll find it to be very useful to use separate powders with the different bullet weights. At least none of the 4 30-30's and the 30-30 ai that hang out around here have ever shown a need for different powders for the 150 or 170 gr bullets.

Hey, I like loading the 30-30.

My reloading records have a load using H4198 with the Hornady 150 gr Interlock that I felt was an accurate load. The data I referenced for this load was Hodgdon's data. The Hodgdon's data indicates it would be a little slower than some other powders. Maybe not the best hunting load, but a good practice round.

Sorry, I havent used the other powders you have.

In the 30-30 I have also used Accurate 2495, Benchmark and Winchester 748.
The Winchester 748 was very accurate on my Model 94 using load data from the Hornady manual.

H1

Of the ones you listed I would use IMR 4198 but 30 gr of IMR 3031 is my favorite for 150 gr.
I can usually get 1.5" groups out of it at 100 yds with my old 1952 Ballard rifled Marlin 336RC so I don't mess with that load.

I use 33.6gr win 760 and sierra 170gr fp bullet been using it for years!!

Not on your list but I like W748 and my cast 170 grainers.

I used to use a lot of different powders but as I age I am cutting down on the variety of powders I use, SO, I have been sticking with the IMR 3031 for a lot of my medium size rounds. It works with a lot of calibers I load, is usually easy to get, and makes my powder storage a lot less cluttered.

Ram Shot Big Game is my favorite IF you can find it. If not I use BL-C2

You didn't ask what other powder to buy, you asked which of your 4 powders I would use.

Answer: In 30-30 you can expect the same performance from BL(C)-2 and XBR 8208. Either one.
Your two 4198 choices will work but I'm certain (in my 40 years or so) you won't be as happy.

You can use any of the four powders, as long as you find reliable and safe manufacturer's load data.
But for my money in my guns and those 4 powders on your shelf, I would use the 4198 powders last.


But, here's the truth: Every gun is its own platform. Don't be afraid to try the two 4198 powders just in case your gun likes them.
Maybe your rifle(s) absolutely love H4198 or IMR4198. Maybe. To find out you gotta put the rounds in. No other way to find out.



I know you didn't ask, but...
Best 30-30 bullet I ever put in a deer is Nosler Partition flat nose. It is designed differently than the other partitions, it works perfectly at 30-30 velocity.
Or, if you are recoil sensitive, Sierra 125 grain hollow point flat nose. Being light weight,
it doesn't carry its energy as far as a 170 but within 75 yards it is a good killer and very flat trajectory.

When I started loading, my M94 was the first to gets dies. I bought a can of IMR 3031 and a can of Hercules Hi Vel #2, alas, no longer extant.
That was the Christmas of 1959. 3031 is STILL the powder of choice, for me. 4064 is a nice powder that I've used quite a bit.
Of the ones you've mentioned, my choice would be BLC2. It meters better than anything else, where the IMRs don't do so well.
Have fun,
Gene

IMR4198 and AA5744 with a 150gr Lee FNGC cast bullet. Mine drop at 155gr and I use 21gr. off AA5744 or 20 gr. IMR4198. Both very accurate loads in all three 30-30 rifles.

I've used Win 748 and BLC-2 with excellent accuracy and velocities. Now working with LeverEvolution powder and accuracy seems to tighten up a bit with the Sierra 150 grn FP bullet.

I use 8208 in my 30-30 Contender (14" bbl.) and in my Win 94 and Marlin 336. It works wonderfully with jacketed 170grn FPs, and cast Lyman 311041 boolits. It meters beautifully, gives great velocity and accuracy, and burns clean. No need for me to search for another powder, but it does seem funny that I'm using what is considered a "benchrest" powder in what many people consider a dismally inaccurate cartridge. Lol

As with all cartridges there are more than 1 good powder for loading them. IMR3031 was developed for loading the 30-30 and for years the best choice. Of course that was when there were only a handful of powders available. Of course it's still a very good choice and I use it a lot. I'm also using Hodgdon's fairly new Leverevolution powder and it produces higher velocities and has been accurate for me in my guns. I have also used 4895 and 4064 in the 30-30 but they produce lower velocities than 3031. One thing, be sure to load bullets meant for loading in the 30-30 because "normal" 30 Cal bullets probably won't perform well at the lower velocities normally associated with the 30-30. If you can find some I would recommend either IMR3031 or LVR. If you don't want to buy powder I would probably use the IMR8208 XBR you have on hand. I have not used BL-C(2) personally but several friends gave it a try and that powder didn't produce acceptable accuracy for them. Varget will probably work fairly well too but the only real way to know is to load up some ammo and see how it performs in your rifle. Don't forget the range report!

I look at your powder choices and I am not optimistic that any of them will do, though BLC-2 could be the best choice. I am of the opinion that powders in the burn rate of IMR 3031 are the best for this cartridge, though I did not test IMR 3031. I shot N135 which is a fast powder, and I shot IMR 4064, which is a little slower. For the 30-30 cartridge, I conducted a number of tests trying to find the “best load” for my Marlin 336 carbine and at the end of it, I think I learned some things.

If you notice, my charges start with factory recommended loadings. I worked my way up and the velocities were low, very low. From what I have read, factory 170 grain ammunition should be between 2100 and 2200 fps. Maximum loads from the manuals gave me 1800, 1900 fps. After that I started at the top end of the manual and worked my way to three grains above the maximum loads. I never had any pressure issues. My cases were fired lubricated. This is a practice of mine as I have found that dry cases will take the load of the bolt disguising the signs of excessive pressure. I want sticky extraction when I reach maximum loads. Most of the time I used a coating of Johnson paste wax, for the 7 Feb data I coated every loaded cartridge with Kiwi Mink Oil shoe polish. This stuff provides almost effortless sizing, similar to Imperial Sizing Wax, so I was very sure that the full thrust of cartridge combustion would be applied to the bolt face. I never had any sticky extraction issues even though I was three grains above maximum with most powders. This trend was consistent with all the powders I used, so it is the gun, and I really don’t know why. I quit adding powder, either the case was full, such as with AA4350 or IMR 4064, or the groups got large and irregular, such as AA2520 and AA5744.

I noticed that the factory new cases all fell into my Wilson case gage to the proper depth. All new unfired rims were between “Go” and “No Go”. However, once fired cases averaged 0.017” above “No Go”! If I had not lubricated the cases I am confident I would have experienced case head separations. I also could not find the barrel throat. I loaded one case extra long, was able to insert it into the loading port, but found, I could not eject the round. Guess what, 2.550” is just at the maximum length that a loaded cartridge can have and still be ejected in this mechanism. It is all due to the ejector position in the receiver. The ejector locations limits the cartridge length; the ejector is forward of the rear opening of the port, an unfired cartridge has to tip out when the base hits the ejector. If the bullet is too far out it won’t clear the ejection port. I suppose it is possible to insert single shot rounds that are over 2.550”, but to remove them unfired from the rifle, you have to unscrew the lever screw, remove the lever and remove the bolt! This is, of course, impractical. It is my guess I was able to stuff in so much powder because my chamber is cut huge and the throat is a ridiculous distance ahead of the bullet. Given this volume to fill, maybe that is why I did not blow up my rifle with my loads.

As velocities changed so did the point of impact. A grain difference in charge would move the group as much as three inches. I would like to claim that there was a pattern to group size, but I could not figure one. I had some very excellent groups at 1800, 1900 loads with slow powders. Those same powders gave me blown groups at higher velocities. All groups were blown when the 170 bullet reached 2200 fps. As I scoped each shot I saw how the bullet moved up or down depending on chronograph velocity. This mechanism is extremely sensitive to changes in bullet velocities, the best powder, at the velocity I wanted, was N135. And I don’t think it is any coincidence that this powder gave the lowest extreme spreads in velocity.

The second best grouping was with IMR 4064, but only when velocities were close to 2100 fps. The extreme spreads were not as tight as N135.
Considering that a number of test combinations produced groups in the six inch group size, I was very happy to have a ten shot group that was 2.0” in diameter at 100 yards. The better groups were around 3.5” at 100 yards and were round.

I think the 30-30 is a natural for cast bullets, the neck is very long and the velocities just right for cast. With jacketed bullets, even though modern steels are much better than old, the velocities you can achieve are still gated by the strange vibrational patterns that happen when all those components hanging off the barrel move, and I am certain, they all move differently. You have to find a “sweet spot” when all the bells on the line are clanging away at the same time. When anyone of them are out of sequence, groups get large.
Marlin M336 microgroove barrel,

Slamfire IMO is correct, powders in the burn rate range of IMR3031 are probably best. After all, 3031 was developed for use in the 30-30 and the original charge was 31.0gr under a 160gr lead bullet.