What works best for you? I have heard that the 150s are a better choice for deer than the 170s. But the greater sectional density of the 170 makes me think it would be better... to make up for the lack of energy the 30-30 generates. What have you had most success with? Right now I am geared up to use the PMC Starfire 150s. But I saw a box of Federal Nosler partitions believe it or not... I think they were 170 grainers...
30-30 ammo: 150 or 170 grainers for deer?
- Thread starter Dogger
- Start date
Will Beararms
New member
Warning: I am not an expert on ballistics. I can only relate to you the experiences I have gained from 26 years of hunting Whitetail deer in Bradley County, Arkansas (45 miles north of Louisiana).
I have never lost a deer that I actually hit using the cheapo Remington Wal Mart specials. The technical name is Remignton Core-lokt 150 grain soft points. I once shot at a Buck thinking I had hit it. The next day, I actually killed the deer and there were no wounds from the previous day. The deer had unusual horns so there was no question it was the same deer. All of my deer shot with the .30-30 dropped like a rock at ranges under 100 yards.
Most of the people I read about use the 170 grain but I was always told that the 150,because of the lighter bullet would give the capability for more distance.
I truly believe the .30-30 is the ideal brush gun with the 150 grain bullet pumping out almost 2000 FPS inside of 100 yards.
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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
I have never lost a deer that I actually hit using the cheapo Remington Wal Mart specials. The technical name is Remignton Core-lokt 150 grain soft points. I once shot at a Buck thinking I had hit it. The next day, I actually killed the deer and there were no wounds from the previous day. The deer had unusual horns so there was no question it was the same deer. All of my deer shot with the .30-30 dropped like a rock at ranges under 100 yards.
Most of the people I read about use the 170 grain but I was always told that the 150,because of the lighter bullet would give the capability for more distance.
I truly believe the .30-30 is the ideal brush gun with the 150 grain bullet pumping out almost 2000 FPS inside of 100 yards.
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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
I haven't shot a deer with either but in my rifle ( Win 94 trapper) the 150gr. is a lot more accurate. I can't prove it but I think the shorter barrel doesn't stabalize the heavier bullet at longer ranges(for a 30-30). Just something else to think about. as if hunters don't have enough to think about already 
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keep your options open &
never miss!
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keep your options open &
never miss!
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by STEVE M:
I haven't shot a deer with either but in my rifle ( Win 94 trapper) the 150gr. is a lot more accurate. I can't prove it but I think the shorter barrel doesn't stabalize the heavier bullet at longer ranges(for a 30-30). Just something else to think about. as if hunters don't have enough to think about already Good luck with what ever you choose!
[/quote]
I haven't shot a deer with either but in my rifle ( Win 94 trapper) the 150gr. is a lot more accurate. I can't prove it but I think the shorter barrel doesn't stabalize the heavier bullet at longer ranges(for a 30-30). Just something else to think about. as if hunters don't have enough to think about already
Good luck with what ever you choose![/quote]
I've killed three deer with .30-30... and have seen a lot more killed with same. I've always used the 170 gr. bullets, and have blown holes the size of tennis balls through the deer. Two whitetails, northern Arkansas, and a medium muley in Kalif.
None was over 85/90 yards away. Ons shot for each. I can't find any fault in the 170 gr. bullets.
Hey, WillBearArms, I grew up in Mtn. Home, in Baxter County. Know where that is?? J.B.
[This message has been edited by Jay Baker (edited July 16, 2000).]
None was over 85/90 yards away. Ons shot for each. I can't find any fault in the 170 gr. bullets.
Hey, WillBearArms, I grew up in Mtn. Home, in Baxter County. Know where that is?? J.B.
[This message has been edited by Jay Baker (edited July 16, 2000).]
Will Beararms
New member
Jay Baker:
I grew up in Warren, (Bradley County)Arkansas which is almost in the middle of a line drawn from Texarkana to Greenville, Mississippi.
I went one semester to the U of A and then I finished at UAM. I drove the pig trail to school while going to Fayetteville.
We still have a house down there but I live in a major metro in the Southwest area because of the opportunity.
As they say in LA (Lower Arkansas), Have ah goodun.
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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
I grew up in Warren, (Bradley County)Arkansas which is almost in the middle of a line drawn from Texarkana to Greenville, Mississippi.
I went one semester to the U of A and then I finished at UAM. I drove the pig trail to school while going to Fayetteville.
We still have a house down there but I live in a major metro in the Southwest area because of the opportunity.
As they say in LA (Lower Arkansas), Have ah goodun.
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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
K
KilgorII
Guest
Hey WillBearArms,
Email me at JALowry1@aol.com I have a question for you.
KilgorII
Email me at JALowry1@aol.com I have a question for you.
KilgorII
Dogger. Most of my deer hunting experience with the 30-30 has been in the rain forests of Northern Califonia, up around Eureka and Humbolt County, and that was over 30 years ago. My choice was any good 170 gr. bullet. Ranges were short, and 50 yards was considered a fairly long shot. I don't believe I ever had a shot over 75 yards. Most shots were at the south end of a northbound deer. Little California blacktails. There was always the chance of picking off a Black Bear or two as well.
If most of your shots will be at relatively short range, in thick brush, I believe I would use the 170 gr. bullets. If you are hunting in an area where shots could reach out to, say 175 yards max, I personally would stay with the 170's, but would not rule out the 150's. Recently, I purchased a somewhat used Winchester 94 Canadian Centennial rifle that somebody made into a shooter. Two boxes of 150 gr. Federals came with it. Just the standard stuff, no premium ammo whatsoever. It was very accurate in a 20 inch carbine I was sighting in, and I figured to just shoot it up for the brass.
I do about 98 percent of all my 30-30 shooting with cast lead bullets now, even for hunting. They work just as well for most shots. Just don't try Texas heart shots with cast lead and you'll be fine.
Just for info. There is a cartridge called the .303 Savage, which pushed a 190 gr. bullet at somewhere between 1850 and 1900 FPS, depending on barrel length. This round was so similar to the 30-30 that you just about have to look at the headstamp to tell them apart. They are not interchangeable though. You can duplicate the .303 with a 190 gr. cast bullet. Some "old timers" I knew years ago, swore that the .303 was a better killer on larger deer and elk, than the 30-30 due to the heavier bullet.
Steve M. said he had accuracy problems with the 170 gr. bullets, probably due to not quite enough velocity. I think he is right.
The 150 gr. Federals I mentioned clocked 2290 FPS in a 20 inch barrel, 2350 FPS in a 24 inch barrel and 2490 FPS in the 26 inch barrel of the Canadian.
Hope this helps.
Paul B.
If most of your shots will be at relatively short range, in thick brush, I believe I would use the 170 gr. bullets. If you are hunting in an area where shots could reach out to, say 175 yards max, I personally would stay with the 170's, but would not rule out the 150's. Recently, I purchased a somewhat used Winchester 94 Canadian Centennial rifle that somebody made into a shooter. Two boxes of 150 gr. Federals came with it. Just the standard stuff, no premium ammo whatsoever. It was very accurate in a 20 inch carbine I was sighting in, and I figured to just shoot it up for the brass.
I do about 98 percent of all my 30-30 shooting with cast lead bullets now, even for hunting. They work just as well for most shots. Just don't try Texas heart shots with cast lead and you'll be fine.
Just for info. There is a cartridge called the .303 Savage, which pushed a 190 gr. bullet at somewhere between 1850 and 1900 FPS, depending on barrel length. This round was so similar to the 30-30 that you just about have to look at the headstamp to tell them apart. They are not interchangeable though. You can duplicate the .303 with a 190 gr. cast bullet. Some "old timers" I knew years ago, swore that the .303 was a better killer on larger deer and elk, than the 30-30 due to the heavier bullet.
Steve M. said he had accuracy problems with the 170 gr. bullets, probably due to not quite enough velocity. I think he is right.
The 150 gr. Federals I mentioned clocked 2290 FPS in a 20 inch barrel, 2350 FPS in a 24 inch barrel and 2490 FPS in the 26 inch barrel of the Canadian.
Hope this helps.
Paul B.
Dogger,
Your question has been asked by illustrious gun writers such as Waters and my personal idle, Craig Boddington, and seems to have no answer except for "whatever works best in your rifle".
On paper (that most obnoxious of human inventions, it seems) the 150-grainer offers more velocity and the 170-gr more penetration. However, in the field, you must consider that most game taken with the 30-30 will be taken within 100 yards and will be pretty much deer-sized. So neither the flatter trajectory of the lighter bullet nor the better SD of the 170-grain pill would make a perceptible difference.
I would still use the 170-grainer. Since there isn't much velocity to begin with, I would rather have a heavier-for-caliber slug - but that's just me and my positive obsession with sectional density. Others may swear by the 150-gr - and hats off to them.
Reality is that the 30-30 will never be able to kill by shock nor be a wonderfully deep-penetration round.
What I would do if I were you is ask your rifle. Whatever is more accurate and feeds more reliably is what I would use.
I have never shot game with the 30-30 - only used it for plinking and fun. But if I had to kill a deer with it, I would feel that either a 150 or a 170-grainer would be just as good.
Your question has been asked by illustrious gun writers such as Waters and my personal idle, Craig Boddington, and seems to have no answer except for "whatever works best in your rifle".
On paper (that most obnoxious of human inventions, it seems) the 150-grainer offers more velocity and the 170-gr more penetration. However, in the field, you must consider that most game taken with the 30-30 will be taken within 100 yards and will be pretty much deer-sized. So neither the flatter trajectory of the lighter bullet nor the better SD of the 170-grain pill would make a perceptible difference.
I would still use the 170-grainer. Since there isn't much velocity to begin with, I would rather have a heavier-for-caliber slug - but that's just me and my positive obsession with sectional density. Others may swear by the 150-gr - and hats off to them.
Reality is that the 30-30 will never be able to kill by shock nor be a wonderfully deep-penetration round.
What I would do if I were you is ask your rifle. Whatever is more accurate and feeds more reliably is what I would use.
I have never shot game with the 30-30 - only used it for plinking and fun. But if I had to kill a deer with it, I would feel that either a 150 or a 170-grainer would be just as good.
Will Beararms
New member
The reality is that indside of 100 yards, the .30-30 will knock large Whitetail Buck down due to the shape of the bullet--------- Ballistics or no ballistics; Boddington or no Boddington.
The reality is that I have shot through brush and killed deer at 45 yards and so has my brother more than once. I no longer take these shots but I did when I was younger.
I will happy to give you the name of the Butcher we use for processing our venison if anyone so desires.
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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
The reality is that I have shot through brush and killed deer at 45 yards and so has my brother more than once. I no longer take these shots but I did when I was younger.
I will happy to give you the name of the Butcher we use for processing our venison if anyone so desires.
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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."