7-30 Waters in Winchester AE. Buy or pass?

[Newtosavage]

You just have to have enough to cover the primer. Plus with the rimmed round the bullet til is never really dead center. I have just filed off the lead tip of sp bullets, the weight stays consistent and they shoot just as good. The tip has to be big enough tho the speers worked. But you want copper.

The 140 TTSX with the tip removed is about 70% of the diameter of the primer with, of course, no pressure on the center. I have no way to know whether that's safe, but based on the amount and location of contact with round nose lead bullets, I'd have to guess it is. It's darn tempting to get some 7mm 120 TTSX's, pull the tips, and run them through that 7-30 Waters just for the halibut.

 

[troy fairweather]

Some of the round nose ammo has more point then I'd like, example is the 35 Remington 200gr cor - lokts. The tips clearly sit on the primer, but never have I seen any problems. Even Hurd of guys using the 150gr sp 35rem tho I never felt old about them. Maybe you could make a few dummy rounds with primer and bullets and bounce them in a tube, the 7-30 has less recoil then the 30-30 does.

Like you said you could load a tsx in the chamber and normal lead ammo in the mag, mostlikly you will only need one shot anyway.

 

[cdb1]

I would pass on the purchase but just because I would has no bearing on whether you should or not. The two main reasons I’d pass are, if I wanted a 7mm lever gun it would be a BLR. I’d want more velocity than the Waters. The other reason is because though I like the looks of the 94 better than a 336, I like pretty much everything else better on a 336. It’s certainly easier to get a good trigger on a 336. Even with my seriously clumsy fingers I was able to install a Happy Trigger in about an hour, and the Happy Trigger is as advertised.

 

[Varminterror]

For hunting with pointed bullets in a tube mag levergun, load one, chamber it, load two more - 2+1 in the rifle. The recoil of the first will not generate sufficient force to set off a primer, and there will never be a point behind a primer as the rounds move down the tube.

It’s really not so complicated.

 

[Varminterror]

I like pretty much everything else better on a 336.

I even like the looks of the 336 better. Especially with a scope on top.

 

[earlthegoat2]

The lever gun accuracy myth is a product of modern times. Levers do not have the inherent accuracy of bolt actions everyone so blindly loves. Modern manufacturing has made bottom of the barrel bolt guns pretty darn accurate and has not done as much for the accuracy of levers.

Not everyone likes bolt actions so levers persist. The annoyingly large amount of folks who place needlessly high accuracy on a hunting rifle as a top priority will always say lever guns are inaccurate.

Levers can be more accurate but they generally take a bit of work. Headspace seems to be excessive in all of them and the locking lugs could use some lapping in. Triggers are easy on Marlins I don’t know about Wins.

 

[Newtosavage]

I even like the looks of the 336 better. Especially with a scope on top.

Yea, but the 94 AE looks better scoped than the 336 IMO, and I like the action, straight stock and lighter weight of the 94 design.

To me, levers shine in speed vs. the bolt guns. I've killed literally hundreds of feral pigs with my old 30-30, and probably over 100 now with my bolt action 7.62x39's. There is no question I can get on a pig faster with my lever gun.

 

[Llama Bob]

I think the bullet issue is definitely the key. Deer are small - ideally your lever gun would be chambered in the 6-6.5mm range. 7mm is better than .308. But with the concern about pointed bullets you'd want to reload to get access to the Hawk 7mm flat points, Sierra 120gr etc.

 

[Newtosavage]

How are the Hawk flat points any different or better than the Sierra 120 grain flat points or the Hornady 120 FTX? I've not heard of Hawk before.

 

[Llama Bob]

How are the Hawk flat points any different or better than the Sierra 120 grain flat points or the Hornady 120 FTX? I've not heard of Hawk before.

Hawk is a bonded bullet manufacturer that makes a huge line of soft-lead copper-jacketed bonded bullets where you can within reason specify the jacket thickness to tune to your velocity and game. They're the solution to many "the bullet I want doesn't exist" problems.

However in this case for small Eastern deer I'd say they offer no advantage other than possibly obdurating better than the Sierra. It would just give you another opportunity to try to find a good load. They do get you grain weights up to 175 for larger game.

 

[Newtosavage]

I think I'm going to pass on the rifle. I've given it almost a week now and I just can't justify spending $600 on it. I'm not willing to go back to lead just to shoot a 7-30 Waters when I already have two 7mm-08's that shoot copper real well.

Well, it was nice to actually see one in the flesh so to speak, after hearing they existed since the 80's. Especially one in that nice of condition.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I think I'm going to pass on the rifle. I've given it almost a week now and I just can't justify spending $600 on it. I'm not willing to go back to lead just to shoot a 7-30 Waters when I already have two 7mm-08's that shoot copper real well.

Well, it was nice to actually see one in the flesh so to speak, after hearing they existed since the 80's. Especially one in that nice of condition.

Good for you to figure it out ahead of time.

One of my decision making steps in a case like yours is that; once I've decided that I can afford it and might buy it..... Is there anything else I'd rather have for the same sum?

Todd.

 

[Newtosavage]

Good for you to figure it out ahead of time.

One of my decision making steps in a case like yours is that; once I've decided that I can afford it and might buy it..... Is there anything else I'd rather have for the same sum?

Todd.

Yup, that's part of my process too. I have a few other priority "wants" ahead of it, including something special for my wife and I on our 30th anniversary trip later this year. Or, maybe right now, spending it on some deeply discounted stocks so I can buy TWO $600 rifles in a year.