Hardcast 30-30 for deer hunting
- Thread starter ldlfh7
- Start date
- Status
R.W.Dale
Member
It's going to depend on a few factors.
If you are coating and staying within 30-30 speeds you can get away with pretty soft alloy. I've gotten good accuracy with bullets that "pencil test" to 13bhn up to 2000 fps.
Basically what will determine needing a check or not is if the accuracy is there for you or not
dogrunner
Member
I've shot several deer and turkeys with my old SRC in .30WCF. Bullet's Lyman's 173...311041, over 30 gr's of 3031. Works great on birds & very little meat damage with a sideways spine shot....basically break the shoulders. On deer or hogs that bullet....straight wheelweights.....created massive damage tho when a major bone was struck...often spraying the off side for yards with bone fragments....real dropper tho! By the way, I lube with alox and do use gas checks.
Meant to add that the load I mentioned chrono's right at 2100 in my gun.
Meant to add that the load I mentioned chrono's right at 2100 in my gun.
ChefJeff1
Member
Works great, Beartooth bullet!
Last edited:
I am using the missouri bullet company 165 gr coated.
Its 18 BNH.
Just found a pound of Varget at the LGS but also have IMR 4227 on hand.
Would either of these be ok for this bullet?
If so I will start loading up some rounds to practice for deer season.
Its 18 BNH.
Just found a pound of Varget at the LGS but also have IMR 4227 on hand.
Would either of these be ok for this bullet?
If so I will start loading up some rounds to practice for deer season.
Everyone has their opinions. Mine is that I like some expansion, and that i would at least temper the nose (providing the bullet has antimony in the content), or make it with a soft nose. I temper by placing 1/2 in water and heating with a torch till it just is about to begin to melt. This makes for a hard shank and a soft nose. I can do this or i actually prefer to make a pure lead nose with a hard water dropped shank. This makes for a Nosler partition effect and get good penetration and expansion. I've used hard cast by it self and got pass throughs with little or no expansion. Can lead to long blood trails.
Winchester and some Marlins have 1 to 12 twists. This works best with cast going up to 2100 or maybe 2200fps. Marlins in general have 1 to 10 twists, which puts a stiff spin on cast and may make them unstable if shot faster than about 1900fps. The above information is correct. If using a soft enough alloy, the speed not be over 1800fps or even lower. They can be just as deadly as your best jacketed bullet. Experimentation may be needed for your situation. I'd at least look into what would best for your general concerns.
This year i have a 1 to 12 twist Marlin (336XLR) that is shooting a 2300fps load. I've got the pure lead nose in a big, long 200 gr. bullet. (RCBS-180-FP). I don't really need this, and it would work for elk, but it will usually drop the deer quicker than any other cast situation if not hitting CNS. Last year i shot my buck with a 7.62x39 using quite a smaller bullet at 175 yards and he only went 20 feet. I love shooting cast, but it does require a bit of homework if you want to be able to know approximately will happen with a good shot.
Winchester and some Marlins have 1 to 12 twists. This works best with cast going up to 2100 or maybe 2200fps. Marlins in general have 1 to 10 twists, which puts a stiff spin on cast and may make them unstable if shot faster than about 1900fps. The above information is correct. If using a soft enough alloy, the speed not be over 1800fps or even lower. They can be just as deadly as your best jacketed bullet. Experimentation may be needed for your situation. I'd at least look into what would best for your general concerns.
This year i have a 1 to 12 twist Marlin (336XLR) that is shooting a 2300fps load. I've got the pure lead nose in a big, long 200 gr. bullet. (RCBS-180-FP). I don't really need this, and it would work for elk, but it will usually drop the deer quicker than any other cast situation if not hitting CNS. Last year i shot my buck with a 7.62x39 using quite a smaller bullet at 175 yards and he only went 20 feet. I love shooting cast, but it does require a bit of homework if you want to be able to know approximately will happen with a good shot.
ChefJeff1
Member
GooseGestapo
Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 6,154
What EastBank and dogrunner said;
I use the Lee .309 150gr FNGC. Mine cast to ~158gr with lube and gascheck. They drop from the mould about .312-313" and I size to .311" for ALL my .30cal rifles I use cast in. (.30/06, .30/30's and .300blkout).
I run the .30/30's over 30.0gr of RL15, or 28.5gr of H4895 or 28.0gr of IMR3031.
I don't know if I'm getting much in the way of expansion. (aircooled w/w with ~2%tin added). They always exit and if bone hit, large exit wounds from bone shards. Never found any lead fragments. One gas-check shed, though.
Only cast bullet I've ever recovered was a 158gr (cast to 164gr) Lee .357 bullet from 4" Ruger Sec.6 over 13.5gr of #2400 for ~1,300fps.
It penetrated skull of pig (frontal shot while rooting) at ~25yds. Was under hide at bottom of chest. Penetrated skull, length of throat and exited chest cavity through breast bone. ~20" of penetration. Had classsic "mushroom" and weighs ~160gr w/o shed gascheck. Never found gascheck...
Cast bullets DO work for hunting big-game.
I've even killed several deer with 50gr FNGC from a .22Hornet over 6.2gr of #2400. And yes, they too completely penetrated !!! (Head shots, however...).
I use the Lee .309 150gr FNGC. Mine cast to ~158gr with lube and gascheck. They drop from the mould about .312-313" and I size to .311" for ALL my .30cal rifles I use cast in. (.30/06, .30/30's and .300blkout).
I run the .30/30's over 30.0gr of RL15, or 28.5gr of H4895 or 28.0gr of IMR3031.
I don't know if I'm getting much in the way of expansion. (aircooled w/w with ~2%tin added). They always exit and if bone hit, large exit wounds from bone shards. Never found any lead fragments. One gas-check shed, though.
Only cast bullet I've ever recovered was a 158gr (cast to 164gr) Lee .357 bullet from 4" Ruger Sec.6 over 13.5gr of #2400 for ~1,300fps.
It penetrated skull of pig (frontal shot while rooting) at ~25yds. Was under hide at bottom of chest. Penetrated skull, length of throat and exited chest cavity through breast bone. ~20" of penetration. Had classsic "mushroom" and weighs ~160gr w/o shed gascheck. Never found gascheck...
Cast bullets DO work for hunting big-game.
I've even killed several deer with 50gr FNGC from a .22Hornet over 6.2gr of #2400. And yes, they too completely penetrated !!! (Head shots, however...).
loose noose
Member
I've shot several respectful bucks up in UP Michigan using a gas checked 170grn. hard cast rounds right at 1900fps, none of the deer went more than 25 yards, after being hit in the boiler room, many dropped right on the spot. Most were shot at 75 yards or less, and the round was zeroed in at 100 yards.
- Status
