30-30 Winchester for deer

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Cheapshooter

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At ±100 yards 150 or 170 grain bullets. Remington Core Lokt of Winchester Super X Power Point? NOT Hornady Lever Evolution. I'm not trying to make a 30-06 out of It. If I need more range I have a 7MM Remington Magnum.
Leaning toward the 170 gr because as I understand that is the bullet weight the 94 Winchester was built around.
 
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I'd find what runs best through the gun and go with it. Deer aren't armor plated and they die with arrows blasting through them. The 30 30 will do fine with either bullet weight would be my guess.
 
Never heard of a 200 gr load for the 30-30. But no matter.

150 or 170 grainers have been killing them dead for 118 years, they die real well, and it doesn't ruin meat like the big bangers. 30-30 is a really good deer cartridge.
 
Being in MO, and based on the size of the deer, you dont NEED more than the 150s. However, as has been mentioned, I'd try the 150 and 170 just to see what the gun liked more.

For a period of time growing up in FL, I carried a Marlin 336 and used the 150s for both deer and hog. I never felt undergunned.
 
Having driven through the Ozarks many times, it would seem that a Ford F-150 might be the preferred weapon there. Sure a lot of dead ones along the roads....but seriously the 150's in a 30/30 have been taking deer for a long time and I guy really doesn't need any more. The Mo. woods are a lot like my area, and long shots are seldom necessary.
 
Last deer I got was with Federal 170gr. Carefully chosen after exhaustive...aw shucks, because it's what I had available at the time (last November). It worked fine.
The last one before that with a .30-30 was 150gr, either Remington or Federal (I can't recall exactly, but I do know I've used both) and that worked fine as well. Now that I think on it, I can't remember any issues with .30-30 and either bullet weight on deer. Just dead deer that I've shot with 'em. :cool:

I guess I'd recommend trying the different brands and weights available to you and see if your particular rifle shows a marked preference for one in terms of grouping.
 
Cheapshooter said:
NOT Hornady Lever Evolution. I'm not trying to make a 30-06 out of It.
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Well the Leverevolution can't turn a .30-30 into a .30-06. Hornady list the load at 2400 fps with the 160 grain bullet, Federal, Winchester, and Remington list their 150 grain loads at 2390 fps. I'd shoot whatever is the most accurate in your rifle, both of my rifles happens to like the 160 grain FTX bullet. My Remington 788 bolt action .30-30 outshoots my varmint rifles at 100 yards with that bullet handloads or factory Hornady ammunition. My old M94 on a good day hovers around 1.25" for three shots at 100 with the old buckhorn sights.
 
Remington Core Lokt in either weight would be my choice. I don't know enough about the Winchester Power Point to have an opinion on it, but I have shot a few deer with Core Lokt's and they have always done a good job. Plus, the Core Lokt's cult like following comes from years of doing a good job.
 
Leaning toward the 170 gr because as I understand that is the bullet weight the 94 Winchester was built around.
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Actually the first offering was 160gr at a blistering 1960 fps ...... it was a red hot mama compared to the black powder loadings of the day. Hard to argue that 10 grains matters either way.

In my entire circle of friends and family, best unbroken string of clean single shot kills belongs to Win's 150gr hollow points. Wish I could buy them for reloading
 
The main reason for not considering the Hornady LE is based on internet information. Lots of reading turned up lots of reviews that say It doesn't work well in 94 Winchesters. Some rave about it's accuracy in the old "cowboy" gun, most say It is inconsistant at best.

While I am in Missouri, the area I hunt is in the Northern flatlands, not the Ozark hills. I have options of Ozark style woodlands around Thomas Hill lake, and open fields in surrounding areas where 200+ yard shots are not uncommon. My Remington 700 in 7MM Rem. Mag has done fine in the woods as well as the open fields, but I thought why not something else in the tight shooting places. I've also used a G2 'tender Super14 in 35 Remington, and now have the option of a NEF Handi Rifle in 500 S&W Mag.
Do't they say variety is the spice of life? :D
 
Hornady uses some deceptive advertising with their Lever Evolution ammo. All other ammo makers show their 30-30 loads zeroed at 100 yards. Hornany does not tell us at what range they zero their Lever Evolution ammo, just that it is about 1/2" high at 200 yards. Makes for some pretty impressive trajectory numbers at 300 yards when you compare it to standard loads zeroed at 100 yards. You also end up hitting enough higher than the line of sight at 50 yards to easily shoot over a deer at close range.

Use any standard round nose 150 or 170 gr round nose 30-30 bullet and zero it at 250 yards and you end up with about the same bullet drop as the Lever Evolution ammo at 300 yards.

The Lever Evolution ammo is an improvement over standard ammo, just not nearly as much as it seems at first glance. The pointed bullets have a little less drop at extended ranges, but their biggest plus is keeping energy numbers up at longer ranges. They seem to be quite accurate and are reasonably priced, so there aren't a lot of negatives. But it is still a 30-30 with the same limitations of effective range. You might squeeze another 50 yards out of the round with their ammo.
 
As mentioned above the 30-30 has been bringing home the meat for over 100 years so either weight bullet at 100+/- yds and well placed will make them deader than a rocking horse ;):);)
 
jmr40 said:
You also end up hitting enough higher than the line of sight at 50 yards to easily shoot over a deer at close range.
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Well.... there's "deceptive" advertising... Hornady shows 3" high at 100... but "shoot over a deer at close range" is a tad dramatic. If it's 3" high at 100, it's no more than 1.7" high at 50 and a max of 3.2" high at about 120. Maybe of POI a bit farther than we might like but much smaller than "shoot over a deer".
 
150 grain handloads used to work beautifully for me. And as I don't like to think too much and didn't need to use the .30-30 for long range shots I zeroed at 100 yards dead on, and not knowing any better kept killing deer, not knowing or caring that I wasn't using the MPBR system. I have taken longer shots since them with other rifles zeroed using the MPBR system but almost every time old "aim high" birdie starts chirping on my shoulder and I hold high and shoot right over the top of them, so I still tend to zero dead on 100 yards.
 
We can analyze this till we are blue in the face but the fact of the matter is at 100 yards the deer nor the shooter will be able to tell the difference in a 150 or 170 gr bullet.

As a matter of opinion between the two I would use the 170 gr for shorter range, especially if your hunting area is wooded. But I wouldn't feel any less confident with a 150 gr

As for the LeverEvolutions I like them in my .35, they are a bit faster and use a flex-tip pointed bullet as opposed to the round nose, so the trajectory is a little flatter. I have found them to be the most accurate factory ammo I've tried. Which is irrelevant now because you can't find .35 rem ammo anywhere. I've already bought a set of dies and when I start reloading for it I'll be duplicating that Hornady factory load.

But my experience is with a Marlin 336, so a Winny 94 could very well not like the LE ammo. But I'd be more inclined to believe that it varies from rifle to rifle not brand to brand.

I said all that to say giving the LE ammo a try might be worthwhile. Use what groups best in your rifle.
 
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