Advice on reduced 30-30 loads

[Woodbridge]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice. I'm planning on this coming fall being my daughter's first year behind the trigger of the 30-30 for deer season. She has quite a bit of practice shooting her .22 cricket but now it's time to start her on centerfire rounds. I'd like to transition her to full house loads first with something reduced. I'm thinking some cast or plated 30 carbine bullets. I've followed Hogdens reduced 4895 advice in the past but currently have stock of red dot and blue dot on hand. I have read that either can make fine reduced rifle loads. The trouble is finding any published data. Thoughts?

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

You can always load .30-30 Short Range (.30-100-6) or .30-30 Miniature cartridges.

.30-30 Short Range is a cast 100 gr bullet loaded with 6 gr Unique, Trail Boss, 4756, or Universal. .30-30 Miniature is a 100-110 gr jacketed bullet loaded with about 8 gr Unique or 231. You might be able to adapt your powders.

see here for more…https://www.marlinowners.com/threads/30-30-short-range-and-miniature-cartridges.47476/

You can then move up to something heavier.

 

[Ru4real]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice. I'm planning on this coming fall being my daughter's first year behind the trigger of the 30-30 for deer season. Thoughts?

Be careful selecting. You don’t want to make early experiences bad ones. I shot a rabbit in the neck just behind the head small game hunting with my kids once. It died within seconds, but before it died, it cried. My daughter shoots now, 15 years later, but won’t hunt.

A lost animal, weighing on a hunters mind, can be a bad experience.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I have good luck with cast/coated 115 lrn and 6 grains Trail Boss for pinker ammo. Red Dot might substitute there. Red Dot used to be popular for reduced rifle loads, a search should find what you need.
For a medium power load a 110 jacketed with 18 grains of 4198 works well.
You could do both loads with the plated carbine bullets.

 

[Seedy Character]

I loaded 120 gr powder coated bullets over a case full of Trail Boss. 13.3 gr @ 2300 fps, IIRC shoots 1" @50 yards. My 9yo grandson loves it and deer, not so much.

6.0 gr Unique makes a good plinker.

I prefer bulkier powders or those that fill the case over half full.

 

[Show Me]

Back in the day. Twin girls. We didn't have the money for the now obsolete version of the mini 14. It was all we had for the farm and hunting. Those two killed squirrels, yotes, cattle chasing dogs and a deer or two when they weren't arguing. .223 killed deer before we discovered it was two small. They had three girls and three boys. I bought a pair of simple savage .223. Then two .243 . this year I picked up a pair of on sale .308 with a healthy rebate. Plenty of dead deer so I don't get to hunt. Not enough freezer space. Started small and worked our way up worked for us. I should have kept that old mini.

 

[AJC1]

Unique, 4227 and 2400 all make very easy shooting rounds. Working up to hunting velosity would probably keep them more interested than one big bang and quiting.

 

[Barbaroja]

I think your on the right track looking at cast loads. Good luck

 

[greyling22]

Here is the reduced cast loads page out of the Lee book. Might find something that helps you

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

9 grains of red dot does well in 30/30.

 

[Rule3]

Here are reduced loads using pistol powders. Click on the upper right hand side. It only shows a 170 gr lead bullet.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

 

[GooseGestapo]

Lyman also produced a cast bullet manual that contains hundreds of reduced loads.

 

[Woodbridge]

Thanks for everyone's feedback so far. I have looked in both my Lee manual that was referenced here and my Lyman manual. I have been able to find info on both Unique and 2400 but nothing published for either blue or red dot so far. There seems to be some concensus on 8-10gr of red dot.

 

[AJC1]

Thanks for everyone's feedback so far. I have looked in both my Lee manual that was referenced here and my Lyman manual. I have been able to find info on both Unique and 2400 but nothing published for either blue or red dot so far. There seems to be some concensus on 8-10gr of red dot.

Those same manuals will have 4227 which I like and will give you another option.

 

[Crosshair]

@Woodbridge Look at the 32 H&R load data for a look I. That's what I've done for coming up with reduced 30-30 and 100 grain subsonic 300 Blackout loads.

Of course, do it at your own risk.

 

[Slamfire]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice. I'm planning on this coming fall being my daughter's first year behind the trigger of the 30-30 for deer season. She has quite a bit of practice shooting her .22 cricket but now it's time to start her on centerfire rounds. I'd like to transition her to full house loads first with something reduced. I'm thinking some cast or plated 30 carbine bullets. I've followed Hogdens reduced 4895 advice in the past but currently have stock of red dot and blue dot on hand. I have read that either can make fine reduced rifle loads. The trouble is finding any published data. Thoughts?

Go shoot some ten shot groups with your reduced loads before sending daughter out to hunt the mighty beauties with a reduced load! Or even for practice loads. Though you did not state, I am assuming that your 30-30 is a lever action. In my experience, these rifles only shoot well within a limited velocity range. Lever actions are about as stiff as a trampoline. That is, they are not stiff, they are very flexible and don't vibrate consistently over wide energy inputs. Basically, you find a load that it likes, and you stick to it. And those loads are typically within factory velocities.

This did not work well. Only two hit paper



very sensitive to velocity and powder. Not actually a bad group in my rifle.



But push velocity too much and big stringing




If she is shooting a 30-30 bolt gun, do what ever you want, those things are much less sensitive and will be less frustrating for someone to shoot round groups.

 

[Roverguy]

17 grs IMR 4227 and 170 grs GC cast. If Marlin microgroove, bullet sized .310”. Not much more noise or kick than her .22.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Have a look here. Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - 3rd Edition - 1980 - Reduce.pdf (marvinstuart.com)

 

[greyling22]

the 30-30 pages from the lyman cast manual.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice. I'm planning on this coming fall being my daughter's first year behind the trigger of the 30-30 for deer season. She has quite a bit of practice shooting her .22 cricket but now it's time to start her on centerfire rounds. I'd like to transition her to full house loads first with something reduced. I'm thinking some cast or plated 30 carbine bullets. I've followed Hogdens reduced 4895 advice in the past but currently have stock of red dot and blue dot on hand. I have read that either can make fine reduced rifle loads. The trouble is finding any published data. Thoughts?

Google search Seafire and Blue Dot. I've used his testing for reduced velocity blue dot loads.
15 grains gives about 1700 fps with a 150 grain plated bullet.

Use at your own risk. This is s not pressure tested data. While it's safe in my guns it might not be in yours.

 

[ATCDoktor]

14.5 grains of IMR 4227 and a 150 grain Berrys plated flat point bullet is extremely accurate in all my 30/30’s.

100 yards with Marlin 336Y 16.5” barrel


Same load, same distance with 125 year old Marlin 1893 with a 40% bore.

This load is accurate, gives about 1450 fps and would be a good starting point as you start creeping up the ladder reference power in the 30/30.

 

[Woodbridge]

"before sending daughter out to hunt the mighty beauties with a reduced load!"

I certainly do not plan for her to hunt with reduced loads. As I stated, I would like for her to get plenty of shooting practice and would like to work her up to the full-house hunting loads.

Thanks for the additional Lyman info, good stuff, my manual is newer.

 

[Seedy Character]

I do not believe working them up to full loads is totally necessary.

Let her shoot all of the reduced loads she wants. Have fun. Get accustomed to the workings of the rifle. Learn sight picture. Steady hold. Trigger control.

When hunting season opens, heavier clothing for cold, adrenaline of game in sights and the increase in recoil will be unnoticed.

 

[AJC1]

I do not believe working them up to full loads is totally necessary.

Let her shoot all of the reduced loads she wants. Have fun. Get accustomed to the workings of the rifle. Learn sight picture. Steady hold. Trigger control.

When hunting season opens, heavier clothing for cold, adrenaline of game in sights and the increase in recoil will be unnoticed.

There are to many factors to consider, for me to support or deny this idea. Obviously range to target is a huge player in this equation that will change everything. In a blind and bambi is 25-30 yards away? Is she shooting in an open field? I have to believe dad has done this before and probably has a vision of what the final day will look like. If I was dad I would be using a heavy bullet right at the edge of subsonic speed. I would choose a 300bo bullet designed to work at those speeds. But that's just me.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Go shoot some ten shot groups with your reduced loads before sending daughter out to hunt the mighty beauties with a reduced load! Or even for practice loads. Though you did not state, I am assuming that your 30-30 is a lever action. In my experience, these rifles only shoot well within a limited velocity range. Lever actions are about as stiff as a trampoline. That is, they are not stiff, they are very flexible and don't vibrate consistently over wide energy inputs. Basically, you find a load that it likes, and you stick to it. And those loads are typically within factory velocities.

This did not work well. Only two hit paper

View attachment 1058161

very sensitive to velocity and powder. Not actually a bad group in my rifle.

View attachment 1058162

But push velocity too much and big stringing

View attachment 1058163


If she is shooting a 30-30 bolt gun, do what ever you want, those things are much less sensitive and will be less frustrating for someone to shoot round groups.

Good advice and the targets are helpful. But... you really need to post the usual disclaimer about your Marlin's chamber being reamed with a Bratwurst.

My results in my 336RC aren't much different but I did get "more gooder" results with 20.8gr. of IMR 4227 and a Quality Cast 170gr. HC-WFN-GC Hi-Tek coated bullet at much lower recoil than IMR 3031 "Light" loads and close to 2Kfps velocity. That's not shabby. And, my Marlin's chambers appear to have reamed with a Knockwurst, which is much tighter than a Bratwurst.

That load was originally intended for my Savage bolt action .30-30 and it's accurate enough but that gun does MUCH better with 2400 (double-base powder) and a QC 150gr. HC-WFN-GC Hi-Tek coated bullet - or a plain-Jane Sierra 170gr. JFP and 30gr. of IMR 3031. That's just a good load.

I really think the Marlin's action is less "springy" than the Savage's. Can't prove it, just seems that way. IMO...

The T/C is SOLID! but with only a 10" barrel (I don't have my Super 14 .30-30 barrel anymore, idiot that I am) that IMR 4227 load seems like it barely has enough bore to get moving. IMR 4227 is a good load-pressure, single-base powder and it is "fast" for a rifle powder but, really, where it excels is in carbine-length barrels. 10" is a just a touch shy of carbine.

I also found a good load using LeveRevolution which - IIRC, could be wrong - you had said previously was a miserable waste of good powder in your Bratwurst Marlin (??) but it wasn't stellar and didn't have any less recoil than that good old IMR 4227 recipe or any one of a dozen IMR 3031 recipes I've tried.