Strongest 30-30 Lever Action

My buddy lived about 60 miles soutwest of the Rochester airport that I flew into for deer season in 2008. I changed flights in NYC, and it was a flight attendant that said where I was flying into was upstate, I just figured that was a generic term for any part of the state outside of NYC. I'm guessing that's your sothern zone then since Rochester is northwest of NYC?

Rifle was already allowed by the time I went hunting in 08. He is a little older than me born in 69, born and raised there until he had to move for work in 2010. He said when he grew up it was shotgun only, but when they added pistol to the regs that's when his family got into Contender pistols. He said he had hunted deer and bear throughout the whole state growing up,

I never asked a whole lot of questions about the zones or when the firearm rules changed. I did read up on most of the regulations at that time about legal methods of take and the other basics. My friend pretty much took care of getting my license for me after he picked me up at the airport.

Paul B. said:
His fnds were that the 3030 brass wasn't strong enough for really hot rodded loads. I have an M54 and I agree with Mr. Waters.
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My friend said the same thing, so he made his .30-30 AI brass from .375 Win cases.
 
I read an article in Shooting Times about loading the 30-30 to max velocities.
The author was using 375 Win brass because of its added a strength in the web area. I actually bought a few boxes, probably much harder to find these days.
 
Rifle issue #103 Jan 1986 has the fastest data for the 150 grain bullet at 2585 fps using Hornady bullet and H335 powder in the .30-30 AI. This was fired from a 24" Winchester 94. I'm assuming this was a FN bullet, however in my 8th edition Hornady manual the only bullet they offer in 150 grains is a RN.

Handloader issue #107 Jan 1984 from a Winchester 94 carbine. The fastest data for the 170 grain I found used a Sierra PH FN at 2437 fps with I4064 powder.

P.O. Ackley's 150 grain data was extremly fast from his book:
Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders/Vol. 1 - P.O. Ackley, 1962

It was recommended to use extreme caution when using this old data.
 
I don't know if its helpful or not but a couple of decades ago I found some data for extra hot 30-30 loads and so had to try them. I didn't have a chrono and don't remember what the supposed extra speeds were supposed to be but the rounds were HOT. The gun kicked and bucked when fired and cases only made it through two loadings before they were splitting.

So i stopped what I was doing pretty quick and decided no more of those Non Manual loads. What was the point? I had a 308 and 30-06 that would shoot circles powerwise around those loads and do it safely. I just decided to accept my 30-30s for what they were instead of trying to turn them into lever action magnums.

John Barness always said that a 4% increase in powder capacity would get you a 1% increase in velocity. So how much more powder space does an AI 30-30 provide?

I don't have a 308 bolt action anymore but if I could find a 308 carbine I think I would load the case with 170gr 30-30 bullets pushed to around 2400fps for sort of a Super 30-30. And that would be how I ramped up the power in the 30-30 rifle. I already do loads like that in 30-06 cases and they are very pleasant to shoot.

I can't tell you what the strongest lever action is. In your case the weak link is the 30-30 brass which was never designed with higher pressures in mind.
 
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I'm guessing that's your sothern zone then since Rochester is northwest of NYC?
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Southern Zone (per the game regs when I lived there) is most of the state. Look on a map, go about 50 or so miles north of Albany, and draw a kind of squiggly line across the state at that point. Everything south of that line was "Southern Zone".

I grew up about half way between Saratoga and Lake George, and hunted there and further north. Rocester is a few hundred miles west, and about a hundred miles south of there.
 
The strongest would have to be a Ruger No. 1 ... it is a Lever action ...sort of ...
and that rascal would be heck for stout ... you could load it just as hot as you wanted !
Gary
 
gwpercle said:
The strongest would have to be a Ruger No. 1 ... it is a Lever action ...sort of ...
and that rascal would be heck for stout ... you could load it just as hot as you wanted !
Gary
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I passed on one of those about 15 years ago and haven't seen one since.

Still suffering non-buyer's remorse.

:D
 
PO Ackley stated that he was able to shoot a 30-30AI chambered Win M94 /without/ the locking lugs (i.e. just the lever was holding the bolt closed), due to significantly lower bolt thrust from the AI case.

Much lower bolt thrust gives a greater variety of performance options than some have stated above.
 
Not quite what you asked but I once owned a Steven’s model 325 in .30-30 with the “butter knife” bolt handle. That thing was super accurate and light and handy. Sold it to a friend for his kids first hunting rifle. Really kick myself about selling it. I can’t say if that action is stronger than a lever action.
 
Stevens 325: This is the Model 340 Savage.........a great gun sold under several names.

Speaking of the "AI" there's one on Gun Broker.

Listed as a Savage 340, it's a "Revelation" brand (still the Savage 340) and in AI with reloading equipment.
 
"I don't have a 308 bolt action anymore but if I could find a 308 carbine I think I would load the case with 170gr 30-30 bullets pushed to around 2400fps for sort of a Super 30-30. And that would be how I ramped up the power in the 30-30 rifle. I already do loads like that in 30-06 cases and they are very pleasant to shoot."

Back in the late 1960s, GUNS Magazine ran an article titled, "Jacketed Dynamite" on doing that very thing, 30-30 bullets in the .308 and 30-06. IIRC, he also mentioned the .300 Savage. From 1964 to 1968 before I left California for good and forever, I hunted the extreme Northwest part of the state and used loads like that in a 1903 Springfield I'd cut the barrel back to 18.5" for hunting in that thick stuff. They did a nice job smacking deer down hard. IIRC, I mostly used the 170 gr. Speer 30-30 bullet as they had a bit more streamlined shape. Shots to 100 yards were rare and it was thick enough that most shots were at a lesser distance but there were a few open spots where shots to 150 to 200 yards were possible. My loads were similar to the ones in the magazine article.
Paul B.
 
My M70 Lightweight is loaded with Speer (discontinued :() 165gr rnsp under IMR 4064. Although not as thin jacketed as typical 30-30 bullets it still gives very decisive results on deer and hogs. Groups really well too.
 
So, go get a Win 94 or Marlin 336, get it rechambered, get dies load up, and go play!

What's the problem??
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No problem. Just wanted to know which of the two was the stronger. I see a 336 in my future, hopefully after an 1886 in 45-90.
 
1972RedNeck said:
Yeah, but I want a classic lever action in 30-30 AI...
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A Model 94 carbine is very lightweight and will kick the crap out of you in that AI version..........loud, too.

Maybe the rifle version with a 24-inch barrel would be a better choice.

The Marlin rifle version is even a little bit heavier.
 
A '94 carbine doesn't have to be "improved" to kick.

My neighbor the gunsmith had a Canadian Centennial with 26" octagon barrel that was a lot more fun to shoot.
 
"A '94 carbine doesn't have to be "improved" to kick."

Interesting. I have a couple of m94 carbines, one from 1911 and the other sometime in the mid 70s IIRC. At a close look, other than the carbine butt plate on the 1911 gun, they look pretty much the same. Guess it would depend on body configuration but the guns are noticeably different.

Take the 1911 year rifle, look at a suitable target and snap the rifle to the shoulder as if jump shooting a deer or bear. The sights are perfectly lined up. I've taken a few deer with that rifle and like how it handles but it flat out kicks the snot out of me.

The mid 70s rifle when I snap the rifle to my shoulder does not have the sights line up as on the 1911 gun. :eek: In order for me to get the rifle to do so I had to install a receiver sight after which the sights aligned up quite well. On closer look, the post 64 version has less drop at the stock which helps lessen the stock slap on my cheek. I've noticed this on several other post 64 M94s as well so I'm thinking that was one of changes made in 1964.
Paul B.
 
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