30-30 spire point loading data wanted

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

savagefiend

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2013
Messages
19
I am looking for some loading data for 30-30 win. I have a mag fed bolt gun so I don't suffer from the problem that plagues the lever action community. and think I could definitely improve the accuracy and knock down with some good spire points, or ballistic tipped ammo. I live on the desert so over 100 yard shots are common. looking for both some 150gr loading data and some 165/170 and maybe some light 125-130 gr long range varmit loads for coyotes.

any help would be appreciated thanks.
 
Hornady 150 gr Spire Point: 30 gr IMR 3031

As always start low and work up.

That is a good load for 30-30 I have shot many of these. I would be tempted to just load this one bullet weight. Shoot it enough to learn where it hits and enjoy. Why confuse the issue with 3 different bullet weights?
 
Be aware, the 30-30 is a low pressure round so unless you use a bullet that will reliably expand at the lower velocities associated with a 30-30. Most 30 cal bullets won't expand well at those velocities.
 
yes i realize that it is a slower round but in reality not much less than the .308 which uses the same bullet.

james2 thanks for the reply what primers do you like to use?

are these the bullets i want?

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...Detail/Rifle-Bullets/prod9999002115/cat100139

and what OAL would I want? I have to have a friend load these for me since I don't have a press or dies, so the more info i can give him the happier i'll be.
 
Last edited:
The gunpowder can't see the nose of the bullet. Anything that will work for a flatpoint will work for a spitzer. Speer used to show all their bullets of a given weight for .30-30 with the usual anti-tube magazine warning. They made no distinction in the load between 150 gr RN, spitzer, and boattail bullets.

I loaded their middle of the road (95%) charge of IMR 4895 for my Contender.
 
They sell these really handy things called reloading manuals.....
Going with a spire point bullet in a 30-30 won't net you enough benefit to worry about at practical field distances. I seriously doubt there's a rifleman in the country that can hold the 2 inches difference in drop at 200 yds in field conditions.
Also even tho you are using a magazine fed bolt gun, the overall length of the cartridge has to be followed pretty close so it will feed thru that magazine. So with spire point bullets being a bit longer than the flatpoint bullets you will loose a bit of case capacity.
Best to go with either the Speer 30-30 bullets or the Hornady gummy tips.
 
In my tender I use a 130 Nosler BT with good results they only need around 1600 fps to expand and do there job. As for a Varmit bullet look at the 110 grain spire point hallow point
Another option is the 110 round nose if your deer are on the smaller size they should work you might need to slugg your barrel to make shoure you will be able to stabilize the lighter bullets.
Flip
 
A savage based bolt gun has too short a magazine to facilitate feeding spitzer bullets. When loaded to a COL that will fit in the mag all but the shortest bullets have the ogive inside the case mouth

I've owned every bolt action 30-30 made. None are suitable for "super 30/30" work

6cd7e344.jpg
This pic shows a 110g v max loaded as short as possible in a rem 788 mag
 
I think Donny Mac nailed it, there is not enough difference to mess with. The .30/30 is a great round, but it will never be a 7 Mag. Learn the ballistics and holdover for the 150 grain round nose and become proficient with it. It may surprise you out to 200 yards or more. I don't like to use different weight bullets in a gun, I get confused with the point of impact.
 
James2 said:
Hornady 150 gr Spire Point: 30 gr IMR 3031

As always start low and work up.

That is a good load for 30-30 I have shot many of these. I would be tempted to just load this one bullet weight. Shoot it enough to learn where it hits and enjoy. Why confuse the issue with 3 different bullet weights?
Click to expand...

My dad uses a Savage 340 with the Horandy 150 grain Spire points. He uses IMR 3031...not sure the load though. He has killed a deer out to 190 yards with it. So yeah, it is perfectly possible to load spire pointed bullets in a Savage 340, and the gun is perfectly capable of shooting them accurately, and they are perfectly capable of killing deer.
 
the gunpowder can't see the nose of the bullet
Click to expand...

though this is true, the shape of the two bullets, spire point and FN, (both constrained to have the same dia. and mass) will likely lead to a longer area of contact with the rifling... and that will have an impact on the pressure.
 
HOOfan can you find out his loading data for me? that would be great and maybe the exact bullet he is shooting.
 
dale I get what you are saying but I know when I load the my mag with the round nose and even with some flat points i had there was still 1/4-3/8" left in front of the bullet in the mag.

do you have any data for that particular round?
 
ok thanks HOOfan if you could get a powder charge, primer, and over all length of his cartridge. it would be great thanks.
 
http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/s...2115/cat100139 YES, this bullet.

"and what OAL would I want? " You will have to see what length will work in your magazine. Start with 2.550. Do not crimp them. In any case when the case mouth comes to the point the ogive angle starts, you can't go shorter. Sorry, I don't have a spire point on hand so can't give you an oal at that point.

I have used the above bullets in my Win 94. I don't know if they can be loaded short enough for your bolt gun. Some question from the previous posters. Think about going round nose?

I like CCI primers, but these days happy with what I can find. I have never got bad ones of any brand. Large Rifle size.
 
Last edited:
His OAL is 67.3mm. Which is 2.6496 inches. His load is from an old manual, so it is hotter than the maximums I am finding now...so honestly I am reluctant to say what it is.
 
Gents, things change over time. I got my first manual around 1957. I have bought a new manual every few years. Just looking at these manuals and loads for the 30-30 using 3031 powder 150 gr bullet RN:

Lyman 1957 start 29 Max 32
Lyman 2008 start 26.5 Max 28.5

Hornady 1967 start 28.7 Max 33.8
Hornady 2007 start 26.6 Max 31.4

Quite a range of values?

My reason for bringing this up is that things change. The people who write the books only tell us what they found in their testing with their equipment. When we load we have the responsibility to do our own testing and arrive at a good load that is going to be safe and accurate in our equipment. Please do not ever take someones pet load and load it up for your gun.

AS ALWAYS, START LOW AND WORK UP.

Just for info, my pet load for the 30-30 is 150 gr RN over 31.5 gr 3031. COL 2.50 inch. That was a little (.5 gr) under max in the day that I started loading. (1957) These have been fine in my Win 94.
 
There was an article in Gun Digest about the wide variations in loads published for .30-30 by different sources. I don't think it concluded which was to be trusted.
Me?
I'd go by Ken Waters' Pet Loads.

though this is true, the shape of the two bullets, spire point and FN, (both constrained to have the same dia. and mass) will likely lead to a longer area of contact with the rifling... and that will have an impact on the pressure.
Click to expand...

To quote a usually reliable source (ME!) earlier editions of the Speer manual made no difference in load by bullet profile.
Later ones do not even mention the possibility of loading spitzers in .30-30. Maybe because the bolts and singles are less common. Maybe because they checked their data on the internet and realized they were wrong.
 
James2 said:
Just for info, my pet load for the 30-30 is 150 gr RN over 31.5 gr 3031. COL 2.50 inch. That was a little (.5 gr) under max in the day that I started loading. (1957) These have been fine in my Win 94.
Click to expand...
My 30-30 pet load is very close, 31.0gr 3031 under a 150gr RN bullet.

Just a note, when IMR 3031 powder was named it was for the 30 caliber bullet in the 30 WCF with a charge of 31 grains. (3031) If it was good enough then it's good enough for me! ;)
 
thanks fellas It looks like i need to go shopping for some bullets, powder and primers. I have over 100 federal, win, remington cases that are all cleaned and ready to go. gonna try and go with the above mentioned bullets and the 3031 powder.

Is there any other powder that will work just as well a google search of 3031 neted me a bunch of it but none in stock. My brother has been looking for the same powder for his 222 and can't find it either.

thanks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Domino300
  • Locked
30 Carbine Spire point
Replies
3
Views
476
Patocazador
Patocazador
B
  • Locked
30-30 Spire Point load.
Replies
6
Views
826
Bigdog57
B
S
  • Locked
Loading a 30-30 with spire points
Replies
5
Views
552
ssyoumans
ssyoumans
R
  • Locked
.30 cal Ram-Tac load data
Replies
2
Views
401
Raptorq7r13
R
R
  • Locked
I need some load data for 30-30 spitzer loads in a bolt gun
Replies
16
Views
4K
KevinAbbeyTech
K
Back
Top