I first tried Prvi Partizan ammo when I fired some of their 7.65 x 53 in my Argentine Mauser. It worked pretty well so I decided to try some of their .30-30 Winchester. Prvi Partizan Uzice (PPU) is in Serbia and they have been in business since 1928. They have a full line of sporting and military ammo, now available in this country at very reasonable prices. I fired their 170-grain .30-30 in a Winchester Model 94 and a Remington Model 788. Velocity results (8 shots with each) are:
Remington 788 (22 in bbl): Average 2117 fps
Winchester 94 (24 in bbl): Average 2139 fps
These velocities are about the same as these rifles do with other factory 170-grainers. I fired a series of three-shot groups at 50 yards to evaluate accuracy. The picture shows four consecutive groups fired with the Remington 788. The average of the four is 0.32 in, or, about 0.64 minute-of-angle.
Holy Cow! This is about the best performance of factory ammo I have ever seen, regardless of caliber, and I have tested a lot of different rounds in recent years. The next four groups were a bit larger, the overall average of eight groups coming out at 0.46 in, or about 0.92 MOA. The 788 is one of the most accurate .30-30s around, and the Winchester 94 did not do as well, but it still gave a respectable average of 2.25 MOA for several groups.
A dissembled cartridge is shown in the next pic.
I found 31.7 grains of a silver gray, ball powder with flattened grains. The bullet, weighing 171 grains, has a flat base with an almost straight ogive and a generously exposed flat, lead tip. These components sure work well together. The empty brass seems substantial, weighing about the same as Remington or Winchester .30-30 brass, so reloading the Prvi cases should present no problems.
Remington 788 (22 in bbl): Average 2117 fps
Winchester 94 (24 in bbl): Average 2139 fps
These velocities are about the same as these rifles do with other factory 170-grainers. I fired a series of three-shot groups at 50 yards to evaluate accuracy. The picture shows four consecutive groups fired with the Remington 788. The average of the four is 0.32 in, or, about 0.64 minute-of-angle.
Holy Cow! This is about the best performance of factory ammo I have ever seen, regardless of caliber, and I have tested a lot of different rounds in recent years. The next four groups were a bit larger, the overall average of eight groups coming out at 0.46 in, or about 0.92 MOA. The 788 is one of the most accurate .30-30s around, and the Winchester 94 did not do as well, but it still gave a respectable average of 2.25 MOA for several groups.
A dissembled cartridge is shown in the next pic.
I found 31.7 grains of a silver gray, ball powder with flattened grains. The bullet, weighing 171 grains, has a flat base with an almost straight ogive and a generously exposed flat, lead tip. These components sure work well together. The empty brass seems substantial, weighing about the same as Remington or Winchester .30-30 brass, so reloading the Prvi cases should present no problems.