.30-30 Lever Gun Bullet Questions........

[Mr. Neutron]

Hey, All!

I'm curious. I'm going to be working up some reloads for my H009G rifle in the near future. I have a few Large Rifle primerrs I'm going to pilfer from my .30-06 stash. Have a powder (Hodgdon H335; not optimal, but all I could get locally for the time being), have a few cases (hoping to get some Starline brass soon; had great luck with their .45ACP stuff when I shot my Kimber in the matches), and have some Hornady 3305 150 grn. Interlock bullets coming in the mail from Mid-South Shooters Supply. Pretty much the only bullet I could find available that seems like it could be a decent hunting bullet.

Now, I know not all rifles will shoot some bullets very well, no matter what ya try. Some guns just seem to shoot some very decent bullets poorly, and then shoot other bullets spectacularly. My Ruger M77 Stainless MKII is kinda that way. I badly wanted to shoot a Nosler Partition bullet in that rifle. Those projectiles enjoyed a good reputation as a controlled expansion hunting bullet that had good accuracy, and they're a "local to Oregon" (where I live) company. I could not get a decent group with any powder or charge with those chunks of lead & copper. Ditto for their Ballistic Tip bullets, or anything I tried frome Speer, Barnes, or Hornady. That rifle likes Sierra Pro Hunter 180 grainers for hunting, and groups them well at 100. I shot 2 elk with those bullets that were one shot kills, and many deer. For an "accuracy load", and for deer, I used to be able to shoot sub-1" groups with Sierra's 165 gn. Boattail bullets. It just didn't like Noslers or Hornadys, for some reasons. In the end, I felt better about shooting a bullet I felt I could place confidently and consistently over a premium bullet that I had doubts about where it might go..

I'm interested in what .30-30 bullets your lever guns seem to like, accuracy-wise, and maybe which ones do you feel really confident hunting with?

Added in EDIT: Mags called it right below here; I meant to write "3035" for the Hornady bullets I mentioned above, instead of "3305".

[leverjc]

Like you said some guns prefer different bullets. My Remlin likes just about everything and shoots 160grn flex tips, Speer 130 and 150 HC's the best but doesn't like any 170 grainers. The older 336 likes both Remington, Federal and Speer 170's. My Grandfathers Winchester I have only shot Federal 150's out of and likes them. My newer Ubert likes just about everything I have fed it.

From my experience and what I have read all of the bullets I have listed have good reputations of being good hunting bullets except the Hornady gummy tips that I have never hunted with but get 50-50 reviews for both hunting and accuracy.

[JEBar]

Nosler and Winchester have a line of "Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip" bullets .... their 150 gr 30-30 bullets have proven to be outstanding in our old Winchester Model 94 .... they perform well, are outstanding hunting bullets

[Rifletom]

Hornady 170gr JFN Interlock has always worked well in my Mod 94 Win. The 150's worked well also, but, mostly stayed with 170's.

[Mags]

...

I think you meant 3035 round nose bullet. Which is what I use as well. I did not care for the flat nose versions. Too many of then went sideways (keyhole) through the targets. I have H335 too, but have not reloaded using it in .30-30 yet. The Hodgdon reload website has reload recipes for it, a starting point at least.

[Vaquero]

I mostly use 170gr Speer and Sierra in all 5 of 30-30's.
Those same bullets have also worked really well in my 308 Marlin Express.

RP

[Mr. Neutron]

Thanks for all the replies here, Fellas!!! I appreciate it! Now, these are all either round or flat nose bullets, for the tube magazines, correct? Not pointy? It sounds like they are........ I wish they were all available to try out.......

Yeah, Mags, you are correct! I meant to write "3035" instead of "3305". I must've went Dyslexic for a moment there. I guess that explains why I once named a poodle "Ifif".......

[Mr Twister]

My Henry X Model didn't like 150 grain ammo but shoots 170 very well. I've handloaded Hornady 170 gr Interlock with Reloader 15 with great results.

[brianpa]

My side gates like 160gr FTX lever revolution bullets with 29.0 gr. IMR 4895.