Anyone Have a HD Load for 30-30

[DMW1116]

My 30-30 is my tinkering rifle and has to suffer most of my curiosity experiments. I have two good hunting loads using 160 grain FTX and 150 grain JRN bullets and Leverevolution powder. I have a plinking load using FMJ 110 grain round nose bullets and H335, and finally I have a 30-30 disguised as a 9mm using cast 135 grain bullets and W231 pistol powder.

I have half a box of 150 grain JRN bullets left and wondered about making a HD/SD load. I've seen a few videos on use of a lever action rifle for these tasks, but they are usually chambered in a pistol caliber. However, if a 30-30 is what you have, what would be the load for that type of thing? I'm thinking somewhere between 800 and 1000 ft-lbs of energy, which would put my 150 grain bullets at about 1600 to 1800 fps. I have some H335 that seems like a good candidate for that type of thing.

 

[Bfh_auto]

30-30 penetrates a lot better than outside says it should. If I was looking for that role. I would use a hollow point intended for a 300BO and push it to around 2600 fps. It would bring the penetration to a more suitable level while keeping the energy up.
I'm old school. A short shotgun loaded with turkey loads is hard to beat. Unless you run a PCC.

 

[DMW1116]

For my purposes here another gun isn’t an option. I’m thinking a scenario like one of my friends. His only firearm is an inherited Winchester 94. He has a left handed football bat sort of scope for it but that’s all he has and isn’t likely to get anything else.

Yes a 30-30 is quite a bit more potent than many people think. I don’t know that I’d be willing to compromise what little capacity is available by using pouted bullets in a tube magazine. You do bring up a good idea. Some of the heavy round nose bullets intended for 300 BO might be suitable.

 

[Rule3]

I gather you want a reduced load?
I can't find the link I wanted but here is a thread

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?124554-30-30-Reduced-Load

 

[Hugger-4641]

I'm thinking about 18 to 25gr of Hs-6 behind a 110gr hp might be an idea that would suit HD, but not go through your neighbors house after it went through yours???
You won't find a load like that in any manual, you'd have to CAREFULLY do some work up and testing.

 

[DMW1116]

Yes I'd like to get a reduced load. My 135 grain cast load is quite pleasant to shoot, but inside a building, I'd still rather not. A full power 30-30 would be extremely unpleasant inside. The other reasons to develop the load would be less penetration and less recoil. Expansion would be good. The 150 grain JRN is intended for 2000+ fps velocity at the muzzle, so it might effectively be a full metal jacket in the 1600 fps range. There are some bullets I'd like to try, but have not been able to find anywhere. One is the Speer 125 grain flat nose hollow point.

 

[DMW1116]

My 135 grain load uses W231, but less than 6 grains. I tried the same bullet with a dozen or so grains of H335 and it seemed to work but the powder required was about twice that of W231. That much HS-6 seems like a 50 yard string tied to the trigger scenario. I'll check my cast bullet manual and see what it has in terms of reduced loadings of 150 grain bullets. It doesn't have any below 150.

 

[jmr40]

If I were using a 30-30 for SD I'd not do anything special. I'd probably opt for factory loaded 150's vs 170's, but would use what I had. Don't over think this.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Look at what folks are doing with 300Blk/300 Whisper. They aren’t going lighter bullet, they’re going real heavy for caliber going subsonic speeds. Try a powder like CFE-BLK and a 245gr cast FN. https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=204&category=6&secondary=36&keywords=

 

[DMW1116]

If I were using a 30-30 for SD I'd not do anything special. I'd probably opt for factory loaded 150's vs 170's, but would use what I had. Don't over think this.

You realize you're responding to a thread on the handloading forum and this was the first sentence in the thread?

My 30-30 is my tinkering rifle and has to suffer most of my curiosity experiments.

Look at what folks are doing with 300Blk/300 Whisper. They aren’t going lighter bullet, they’re going real heavy for caliber going subsonic speeds. Try a powder like CFE-BLK and a 245gr cast FN. https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=204&category=6&secondary=36&keywords=

I need to check the twist rate. That might be just the ticket. The 300 BO runs at what a 1/8 twist or so? A little Trail Boss would be great for this.

 

[Roverguy]

Lyman 311041 at BHN 12 over 15-16 grs of IMR 4227.

 

[DMW1116]

You’ve tried that load? 4227 is a common powder suggested for such things.

 

[edwardware]

If structure overpenetration isn't a concern, a reduced recoil commercial loading should work.

Reducing structure overpenetration will be a trick in .30 caliber. Light, fragile, and fast is the best I can recommend.

 

[Hugger-4641]

My 135 grain load uses W231, but less than 6 grains. I tried the same bullet with a dozen or so grains of H335 and it seemed to work but the powder required was about twice that of W231. That much HS-6 seems like a 50 yard string tied to the trigger scenario. I'll check my cast bullet manual and see what it has in terms of reduced loadings of 150 grain bullets. It doesn't have any below 150.

Yeah, that was a max guess off top of my head, can't check a manual right now, but I'd venture a guess somewhere from 12 to 18gr of HS6 is gonna be around 1000 to 1200fps with a 110hp. I'll have to work up a load myself and post the results here.

 

[DMW1116]

If structure overpenetration isn't a concern, a reduced recoil commercial loading should work.

Reducing structure overpenetration will be a trick in .30 caliber. Light, fragile, and fast is the best I can recommend.

In that light maybe I have a direction. My local gun shop has 0.308” diameter 87 grain soft point bullets that I believe were intended for handguns. They could go pretty fast and would likely come apart on contact with anything substantial like a 2x4.

 

[edwardware]

My local gun shop has 0.308” diameter 87 grain soft point bullets. . .

In my experience, profile to permit feeding is likely the limit on how lite you can go. If it'll feed, that's promising.

 

[DMW1116]

Ah. Good to know. I don’t know how many they have left. I haven’t been there in a while. The bullets can’t be that popular though. They were there for the whole pandemic.

 

[FROGO207]

Ah. Good to know. I don’t know how many they have left. I haven’t been there in a while. The bullets can’t be that popular though. They were there for the whole pandemic.

I think those were for the 30 Luger. Don't have the info in front of me now though.

 

[Rule3]

Here is the data I was looking for. It is for 170 gr bullet using pistol powders.

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

 

[AJC1]

If I was doing what you were I would be testing either the maker Rex bullets or the Hornaday subx. Overpenitration would be my number one concern. If you live in the boonies then a standard plinking load with big meplat will pump the breaks on anything close enough for the court to determine it was really a threat.

 

[DMW1116]

I completely forgot about those. I’ll check into the Maker Rex. Lehigh used to have a 30-30 specific Controlled Chaos but I’ve not see them any more.

 

[luzyfuerza]

There are lots of reduced velocity/lighter-bullet-weight loads for 30-30 over at castboolits. Here's one example:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sh...0-30-youth-load&highlight=Reduced+rifle+loads

I know that they prefer to talk about lead over there, and you're trying to shoot up some JRNs, but you'll still find some good ideas on that site.

 

[M65Man]

First, what is HD/SD loads? I've reloaded for the 30-30 a lot, it's my favorite rifle-cartridge! I did these for some squirrel loads in my Mod 64 Win using 150g Rem CL and 3031. I believe by memory, th lesser load is aprox 2 grains less than recommended low? The velocity spread was way up there, but they are very accurate. I shot several more 3 shot groups, 25-50 yds, and they're plenty accurate for squirrels inside 40yds. The spread on the 2nd one was twice that of the first, and accuracy not hardly as good. I did some with the 139gr Speer, but not as in depth as the Rem CL.

 

[M65Man]

 

[Yankee1986]

squirrel loads View attachment 1072003

30/30 for squirrels?
Just how damn big are the squirrels in your neck of the woods?