30_30 imp

[sodakota]

I'd get a new barrel. I've chambered my own rifles it's not hard. But I think the best plan is buy a 14" 30-30AI barrel and either keep or sell the 10" 30-30. Sell if money is the issue or keep if variety is important.
I like many AI chamberings. The 30-30 AI would be a good one in a single shot.

I only have one AI chambered rifle that I'd would have left it factory. But it is decent at any rate 375 H&H AI. It's a pretty pre-64 Winchester.

 

[Bud H]

I'd get a new barrel. I've chambered my own rifles it's not hard. But I think the best plan is buy a 14" 30-30AI barrel and either keep or sell the 10" 30-30. Sell if money is the issue or keep if variety is important.
I like many AI chamberings. The 30-30 AI would be a good one in a single shot.

I only have one AI chambered rifle that I'd would have left it factory. But it is decent at any rate 375 H&H AI. It's a pretty pre-64 Winchester.

I may pick up a 14" later, but I like the short.10" as it fits in a shoulder holster. In the tender.i have three 14" barrels, 41.mag, 357 mag and 223 in the encore I have 15" barrels 223, 7-08 and 338 fed. I also have rifle barrels, 223, 17 HMR and 300 win. I have a few AI guns and have built several when working as a gunsmith. So, chucking it up in my lathe and doing it isn't a problem, was mostly wondering if anyone had on a 10" and was it worth it. If I get a 14" I will definitely do it. I wouldn't mind a few JDJ barrels later also. I have two encore actions and two tender actions.

 

[Bob Milek]

I have a 10 30-30 barrel and am considering making it imp, is it worth it in such a sort barrel?

A 10" barrel for what gun? The .30 Herrett was designed specifically for the 10" barreled Contender, when they couldn't get the performance out the the 30-30 in the 10". It is extremely effective. Does require some work in sizing, fire forming, etc- but if you want to stay with the 10" barrel it would still be my choice. Since it was designed for the Contender, it was not designed around bolt action pressures.

 

[Bob Milek]

Maybe lighter bullets first and see what you get? Then go AI if that looks promising? Good luck and let us know what you come up with.

From Paco at Leverguns.com,

Using the Hornady half jacket soft nose 100 grain plinking bullet over 39 grains of A2015 gives close to the magic 3000 fps...still in 20 inch rifles. This load scares coyotes into deep respect for the far reach of leveraction rifles.....Hornady's number for this bullet is 3005. With a 3 inch high at 100 yards it is on at 300 yards and down 20 inches at 400 yards...ouch that's good....and we are still talking a 30-30! With a 1 ½ inch high at 100 yards it is down a measured 11 inches at 300 yards. Brush gun, isn't that the phrase some use? I think I have mentioned before the adjective I use to describe how I feel about that phrase, and those that refuse to believe the 30-30's real ballistic potentials.

When you start getting close to 38 grains of powder, any powder, and over...the 30-30 case starts getting crowded...I very partially size my brass. As long as it's fired in the same chamber it usually works well. Full length resizing is really hard on brass...especially 30-30 brass. I only have to do it after a long number of firings. Plus I use nickel brass from MidwayUSA, I buy it in bulk and it is strong.....

Another favorite bullet for me is a spire point...I clip the nose off so it can be fed into the tube. It is Hornady again #3010...a 110 grain jacketed spire point. 35.5 grains of H4198 pushes it to near 2900 fps at around 38,000 psi. Hornady makes a twin to this bullet at 130 grains #3020...and 39.5 H335 and close to 2800 fps....this a top bullet for long range and killing power for deer sized animals....I've taken Virginia Black Bear with this load. It's a varmint bullet for 30-06 class velocities, so from the heavy loaded 30-30 it will act like a game bullet. Again with a 1½ inch 100 yrd high it's nearly on at 200 and down around 10 inches at 300.

He is asking about a 10" barrel- much different that a 20" tube. The reason the Herrett cartridges went by the wayside was mainly the introduction of the 15" barrel for the Contender, which brought the .30-30 back up to their level.

 

[Bud H]

A 10" barrel for what gun? The .30 Herrett was designed specifically for the 10" barreled Contender, when they couldn't get the performance out the the 30-30 in the 10". It is extremely effective. Does require some work in sizing, fire forming, etc- but if you want to stay with the 10" barrel it would still be my choice. Since it was designed for the Contender, it was not designed around bolt action pressures.

It's on a Contender I suppose I should of mentioned that.

 

[Ernie]

All I could find at the LGS was Berger 155 and 150 Nosler ballistic tips. Not any light weight bullets. I think these will do good for elk and bear. No powder that I wanted, trying trying SR 4759, as I have that. I'll load some up and send them across the crony and report back.

Of those two choices, I would go with the 150 NBT, if it were me.

 

[Ernie]

The 150 grain Nosler Partition would be another choice.

The 155 grain A-Max or ELD-M would well too (double lung shots)

 

[Bud H]

Of those two choices, I would go with the 150 NBT, if it were me.

The NBT's say minimum 1800 fps for optimal expansion, if I can get 2200 faster, I think they will work. I was really hoping for some Speer hot.core as they have worked really well for me in the past for slower cartridges. Max range for this is probably going to be 100yds.

 

[KYODE]

Just thought id drop a 30-30AI pic in here
Love this gun. My load is the 130gr hornady single shot bullet with imr 4198. Its a pretty soft bullet at these velocities but has worked in the past on does and a small predator/varmint. Im not nearly as nit picky as most internet chat. I would like to work on a couple other loads sometime. A 150gr for a heavier bullet choice and maybe another 125gr since the 130 hornady ssp is long discontinued.

 

[Bud H]

View attachment 512806

Just thought id drop a 30-30AI pic in here
Love this gun. My load is the 130gr hornady single shot bullet with imr 4198. Its a pretty soft bullet at these velocities but has worked in the past on does and a small predator/varmint. Im not nearly as nit picky as most internet chat. I would like to work on a couple other loads sometime. A 150gr for a heavier bullet choice and maybe another 125gr since the 130 hornady ssp is long discontinued.

Nice looking pistol, one of the problems of today, is finding components locally, at least for me anyway. We have a smallish LGS here, or I go over a hundred miles east or west to the big ones and hope they have what I'm looking for...or the internet. With the now trend of long range big boomers with ultra high BC bullets now becoming normal, or all copper bullets it is sometimes hard to find just the right bullet for what we need or used before. One idea I have had is to get a Corbin swage set up, for low speed rounds, or order bullets from smaller manufacturers, that do the old cup and core soft lead style. Finding the perfect bullet for all situations is part of the fun, as this is my only non scoped SS SP, and limited too 100 yds or less, this is much easier for me, then if I scoped it.

 

[Bud H]

This is my 30-30

 

[TxPhred]

He is asking about a 10" barrel- much different that a 20" tube. The reason the Herrett cartridges went by the wayside was mainly the introduction of the 15" barrel for the Contender, which brought the .30-30 back up to their level.

I understand, you are correct, my purpose was to highlight the lighter bullets to add speed which I felt was the original request with the AI option.

There are also some, iirc, pistol loads for TCs in the Lee reloading manual that compensate for pistol length rifle calibers.

 

[Ernie]

A bullet that should kill well with slower 10" 30-30 MV's is

Barnes Tipped Triple-Shock X (TTSX) Bullets 30 Cal (308 Diameter) 110

The Barnes Tipped TSX features a 100-percent copper body with rings cut into the shank. A polymer tip boosts the ballistic coefficient, improves...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[TxPhred]

I have a 10 30-30 barrel and am considering making it imp, is it worth it in such a sort barrel?

Bud, I have quite a few old stock Hornady and other brand bullets I will check through to see if I you think they will work for you. Will update later today.