Using 30/30 bullets in other 30 caliber rifles

W

William T. Watts

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I no longer have a 30/30 rifle but have more than 1K Nosler partition & Hornady 170gr bullets, I think they will perform well especially the Partition bullet in a 30/06 Ruger Hawkeye I have. I've shot a few in the Ruger and they seem to group well (1" or better) with the few I have shot. I've used this bullet in a .307 Winchester at or near a max loading (2400FPS) and none have failed to fully penetrate thru and thru the deer I shot. I believe they will shoot and group well plus hold together if I don't try to load them to a max or near max loading (2700FPS) in the Ruger. I have a chrony and think loading them to 2500FPS or a tad higher and see if the bullet will stay together. The loaded round does look a bit strange but I believe this combination will perform well on deer.. William
 
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i used to load them in my '06 and 308. them being hornady and sierras 150-170gr. 170gr i would load up to around 2500fps and have a great time hunting deer.
 
In theory it should work, but I didn't have good luck. Several years ago I picked up a box of 150 gr RN Remington Corelokt bullets by mistake. I intended to buy 150 gr pointed bullets.

Since I had them I decided to load them in my 308 at around 2400-2500 fps. I'm sure they would have killed a deer if I'd hit one, but I never could get decent accuracy. I tried several powder and load combo's and around 3" at 100 yards was all I could get. Yea, it would have killed a deer at 100 yards, but I had much better loads.

I finally loaded up what was left and used them to plink at the range
 
I have a few hundred ".30-30 bullets" sitting here, as well.

I figured I'd trade them off eventually.
If that never happens, they'll make decent plinking fodder for the '06 ...or maybe even my .327 Federal revolvers.

That's what I usually do with orphan bullets, or bullets that I decide I don't like. In the last 5-6 years, they've typically been loaded over an 80-90% charge of Trail Boss. ...Everything from 130 gr .277" Winchester Power Points (most inconsistent bullet line out there), to 220 gr Hornady RNs (.30-40 Krag leftovers), to 60 gr .312" XTPs (in .30-30 :D).

Even if accuracy is "bad" it is still usually good enough for plumping potatoes or eggs at 10-40 yards.

So far, none of the loads that I've worked up under those circumstances are something that I'd be willing to hunt big game with. But I wasn't really considering such, either.

Absolute worst case... I melt them down, skim the jackets off the top, and use the lead for cast bullet alloys.
 
They (170gr Partitions) are as accurate as my solid base Nosler soft point 165 gr bullets in my Ruger 30/06, next test if they will hold together at the higher velocity.. William
 
Either one of them will work perfectly when loaded to approximately 30-30, or even much higher levels, such as moderate'06 loads. The only thing you need to worry about is whether or not your loads are sufficiently accurate.

Fifty years ago, the only thing my father would use in his '06 was a core lokt round nose with huge exposed tip, probably the same thing as they loaded into the 30-30.
 
2500ish fps is max loads with some powders for your .307. 2400 is only max for some powders.
".30-30 bullets" they ain't. They're .308" FP's. Neither Hornady nor Nosler say anything about using 'em for .30-30 velocities only.
 
That also brings up the same old point- shooting has never been a precise thing handed down from Olympus. 500 fps, give or take, won't mean a thing on bullets meant for the sub3,000 class of cartridges, including anything from slow 30-30 up to.308 or '06 class rounds. Most of the time the will work in either velocity y.round.but if you take a flat or round nose bullet designed to work at velocity of 2,000 to 3,000 fps, and fire it at 3,500 fps at a target across a clearing in the brush, you're just asking for a failure.

I will always suggest that people take the stick out of their butts, and realize that shooting is not a practice in which you can expect absolute following of the rules by these devices. The best that you can do is to follow those rules. Use precision equipment and precise processes, and cross your fingers.
 
I failed to note I used federal cases today..

I plan to use the partitions during our regular open season deer hunt in November. The bullet has grouped well with 48.0grs of IMR4064, I need to use my chrony and see what velocity that combination will produce.. Well now I know, I took a break and shot both 170gr Partitions which produced the highest velocity 2649 & 2654 FPS and the Hornady flat point 2559 & 2574FPS. I did not expect the 100FPS difference in velocity between the two bullets. I will check both bullets group size tomorrow .. I failed to note these were Federal cases used, I will use R-P cases tomorrow, the velocity should drop a bit.. William
 
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I had major problems with 30-30 bullets in .308. They literally disintegrated in flight.
Just to be safe, load a small test batch & see how it works out for you.
 
Your partition bullets should be rather tougher th a others, your rifle should cut clean grooves without weakening the jacket. Your velocity is good, reasonable for the bullets, and surely adequate for any deer. If you like your accuracy,aren't shooting at ranges beyond a few hundred yards, and can figure out you yardage, you've got it made. Seriously, what more can you ask for, right? I'd not change a thing,as long as you're getting1-1/2 inch or so groups, and that level of accuracy will put you into the kill zone at the longest distance that anticipate shooting at.
 
The Nosler Partitions & Hornady FP are loaded

I was unable to shoot the groups I wanted to because of the rain we've had the last two days, we still have rain in our forecast for the next two days.. Weather permitting I will attempt to shoot the groups and check velocity of the rounds fired either Tuesday or Wednesday.. William
 
My hunting rifle is a Remington 7600 in 308. After thousands of rounds through 870 shotguns and an older Remington 760 in .300 Sav, there is no other rifle that I would consider for hunting.

However, in one place that I hunt deer very successfully, ranges run from 10-25 yards. After shooting a mid size doe at 10 yards with a factory level 308 load, I made a mess of the deer and lost a lot of meat.

I now load 150 gr. bullets meant for a 30-30 over 2400 powder that chronographs in the vicinity of 1,700 fps. The last five times I shot this load at a deer, I brought home 5 deer. For better paper target accuracy at 50 yards, i am experimenting with 4895 with dacron fillers for best accuracy in the 1700 fps range. However, that one may have to wait a while to hunt. i still 15 rounds of the 2400 load.
 
I shot (4) rounds velocity between 2745 - 2753FPS

I tried to shoot a few rounds between rain showers today, after shooting both of the 30/30 bullets Hornady #3035 & Nosler 30/30 Partition #16333 they didn't group as well as I had hoped using 48.5grs of IMR4064. The standard Nosler .308/165gr Partition #16330 grouped much better in my Ruger Hawkeye 30/06 using the same 48.5grs of IMR4064. The next time out I'm going to use 49.2grs of IMR4064 powder with the 165gr Nosler Partition in the Ruger 30/06. I don't think I will try any other combinations with the 30/30 bullets, If the Ruger groups 49.2 grs of 4064 as well as the lighter charge I shot today with the 165gr Partition I'm going to call it done and use this load to hunt this fall..
I shot four rounds using 165gr Nosler Partition #16330 with 49.2 grs of IMR4064 to chronograph only, velocity very uniform, I'll try these on a target tomorrow weather permitting.. William
 
I've used 30-30 flat tips in my 308 and 307 here in Penn's woods and and the only drawback is a bad ratio of edible meat to purple jelly when shots are close. Hot 150's ruin too much meat under 50-75 yards. 170's less so.
 
I have had good luck with 30/30 bullets in 308, 30/06, 300 mg. Remington use
to sell a 170 Coreloc, for loading. The bullet had two cannulures on it. This was
the bullet they used in all the off the wall 30cals. Like 30 Rem, 300 Sav, ect.
One of my favorite deer rifles is a 95 Win/ 30-06 it loved that bullet. I shot
several deer at 50 yds+- and saw no significant meat damage at 2600fps.
Also another thing I have run across by accident, the 760-742 family of rifles
are more accurate with heavy Rn bullets at low velocity. So firing 30/30 bullets
are fine. Even in my old m-70 in 300H&H at approx. 3000fps I had no bullets
exploding in flight. It do tear up some meat! The accuracy was not an issue
out of any of them. In the light 30 cal bullets made for 30 carbine, I did have accuracy issues at medium to hi velocity.
 
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