30-30 bullets in a 30-06?

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Savage30L

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I have some 150-grain flat point bullets and am contemplating loading some up in 30-06 cases to try. Of course I'd want to download them to around 2400 fps, and I wonder which powder to use. Would 4320 work? I also have H414, IMR 4064, and IMR 4895. It seems like someone here must have tried that at one time......
 
I haven't done it in the '06, but have in the .308 with hundreds of rounds. I used H4895 for those and the 150gr Rem RNCL for 30-30. The rifle is a Ruger Compact with a 16.5" barrel and even with factory ammo it doesn't exactly hit any real impressive velocities.

I loaded them for my three grandsons as they got into hunting. Recoil was minimal and accuracy was surprisingly pretty darn good. I really like the Hodgdon loads because we could drop to 60% of the max load, and then work back up as they got accustomed to them. None of their shots were past about 70yds and the deer and hogs we took were usually a bang flop. Below is a batch of reduced on the left and standard loads on the right.

27322.jpeg
 
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They will work just fine. At 2400 they should work just like out of a 30/30. If you push them faster they may make a pretty explosive varmint bullet!
 
Not 30-06 but 300 Savage. I loaded 168gr round nose over 40grn of 4895.
I shot a telephone book with those and some 150grn JSP with the same powder charge. the round nose made a big hole out the back and the JSP went right through. My take away is that the round/flat nose will do their expansion just a little faster and more. They were murderous on whitetail.
 
Savage30L said:
I have some 150-grain flat point bullets and am contemplating loading some up in 30-06 cases to try. Of course I'd want to download them to around 2400 fps, and I wonder which powder to use. Would 4320 work? I also have H414, IMR 4064, and IMR 4895. It seems like someone here must have tried that at one time......
Click to expand...
They'll work, but that profile will not be as accurate. The profile is designed for tube magazines, not accuracy. Save the bullets for your 30-30 and buy spitzer type bullet for the 30-06.
 
I used to use 42 grains of IMR 4895 with a 168 SMK during standing and sitting rapid in my 30-06 in NRA Highpower matches. This was a very old load I got from Camp Perry competitors from the 1960's. Only worked in bolt guns. Garands only shoot well and function perfectly with ammunition duplicating service round (ish) velocities and pressures. Bolt guns are more tolerant.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with 30-30 bullets as long as you keep them within 30-30 velocities. I have not tried to push mine fast, I only used them in my 30-30's. I have seen jacked rifle bullets explode in the air from being pushed above their structural capabilities. I don't remember how far down range they went poof, but there would be this blue-black streak in the air, and the pits would report a miss!
 
I've loaded flat points in both 30-06 and .308. I picked up a box of 150 Noslers at a yard sale, and shot them in my 03-A3 in 100 yd. CMP matches. I used my low recoil bolt gun load of 35.0 grs. IMR 4198.

My Dad wanted to use 170 FP's for deer in his .308. My notes claim I loaded 42.0 grs. of IMR 4895.
 
The powder you want to use is the IMR-4895. It'll be more tolerant of being downloaded any of the others.

Hodgdon currently only endorses using the H4895 version in reduced loads. If I remember correctly the instruction is that it can be downloaded as far as 60% of the recommended maximum charge. I have done this with some 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips in .30-06 for reduced recoil practice. Unfortunately the rifle, ammunition boxes and notes are gone now. I do remember that changing primers made a difference in how clean the load was. My research also suggested that IMR-4895 can be used for the same reduced loads, just that Hodgdon found more consistency using H4895.
 
Savage30L said:
I have some 150-grain flat point bullets and am contemplating loading some up in 30-06 cases to try. Of course I'd want to download them to around 2400 fps, and I wonder which powder to use.
Click to expand...
Both 150's and 170's make great deer loads out to 200 yds or so. I've used 3031 & 4064 with equal accuracy and at the velocity you're looking for.

I've tried Speer, Sierra, Hornady and Remington Core Loc...all about the same for accuracy. In my scoped .308 Sako, any one of the above is good for 1-1/2" groups at 100 yds from a rest.

Same bullets work well in .308, and .30-40 Krag and at the same velocity. I have a Savage 99 in .300 Savage that I've been meaning to try with this combination but just haven't gotten around to it....yet. Best regards, Rod
 
Explosive varmint bullets work well enough. When there’s nothing left but sausage for a spot the size of a large grapefruit, you learn pretty quick to aim forward a touch. Heart shot? What heart? Pushing a 30-30 bullet to extreme velocity but not so much to cause centrifugal self destruction would make for a pretty impresssive hole if you could keep it tame enough to hit with.
 
Most of the medium burn rate powder’s particularly the extruded powders load down well.
Just use the starting load’s for most powders,
Lee‘s manual goes even further in giving a formula for roughly determining the velocity, and often a powder measure suggestion for “dipping” the powder charge.
The Hornady bullets are particularly good as the Interlok feature prevents “blow up” or shedding of the jackets.
The Speer’s are also adequately constructed to accommodate the extra velocities.
 
I also have some old (probably 1970s vintage, maybe 1960s) Hornady 150-grain round nose, and would like to use them up. I assume that the suggestions for the 150-grain FP would work also for the round nose bullets.....correct? The box doesn't say "Interlock", so these might be plain old cup&core bullets.

Again, all of these will be for short-range deer hunting, probably no shots greater than 50 yards.
 
who's bullets? maybe they have some load data that is what you're looking for.
 
film495 said:
who's bullets? maybe they have some load data that is what you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Hornady. I don't have a Hornady manual, though. However, I think I've gleaned enough information from the posts on this thread, to know what I want to do....45 grains of IMR 4895 should do the trick for me. I have plenty of 4895 on hand.
 
After further review, I think I'll drop to 40 grains of IMR 4895. Where I hunt, 40 yards is a long shot...the vegetation is really thick. One of the reasons I'm pursuing this is because I inherited a whole box of Speer 150-grain flat point bullets, but I don't have a 30-30.
 
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