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30_30 imp

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del2les said:
You will gain some vel, but I like my 30-30AI in a 14" for better gains. "Personally", I would keep the 10" as is and load either a 120gr TAC-TX, a 130 TTSX or a 125gr NAB for improved vels and flatter shooting. I would find or order a 14" in 30-30AI

Click to expand...
Thanks, this is more the info I was thinking of. The barrel is non scoped and I am in elk and grizzly country, I was thinking 135-150gr bullets, right now I have some test.loads made up of 150gr Hard cast semi flat points. Just received the barrel. It fits in a shoulder rig very nicely. Before anyone mentions it, I do have lots of wheelguns also, for.bear protection. I will see what the local LGS has on hand, hopefully something that you mentioned, or Speer hot cores.
 
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.
 
Bud H said:
Thanks, this is more the info I was thinking of. The barrel is non scoped and I am in elk and grizzly country, I was thinking 135-150gr bullets, right now I have some test.loads made up of 150gr Hard cast semi flat points. Just received the barrel. It fits in a shoulder rig very nicely. Before anyone mentions it, I do have lots of wheelguns also, for.bear protection. I will see what the local LGS has on hand, hopefully something that you mentioned, or Speer hot cores.
Click to expand...
In that case and if you plan to hunt elk or use for "just-in-case" bear protection, I would use a 170 or heavier hard cast RFN or one of the monos like the 130 or 150 Barnes or similar. I have found the 130 TTSX to drive deep out of my 30-30AI 14". Enjoy and good luck.
 
Bryant Buttars said:
I have a 14" barrel that I reamed out to 30-30 AI. Absolutely no regrets. And as has been mentioned earleir it is very easy to do. Rent the reamer from 4d reamer rentals and it only costs you $50. I say go for it!!
Click to expand...
I'll leave it as is for now, and work on loads. I had a 10" 30-30 years ago that I shot a elk with, as well as several varmints. Somewhere along the way I lost my load data for it. I may get a 14" barrel later, but just was mostly wondering if anyone had improved the 10". With the chamber, your only talking about 7" to burn the powder and it already gives a huge fire ball.
 
.30-30 Ackley Improved (T/C Contender Super 14) Data

-----------------------------------------------------------------
110gr Hornady V-MAX / 35.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2700 FPS
110gr Hornady V-MAX / 37.0grs. A.A.2015BR = 2700 FPS
110gr Speer Round nose / 34.0grs. RL-7 "not chrono'd yet"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
125gr Nosler BT / 34.5grs. H-4198SC = 2689 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 34.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2683 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 34.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2627 FPS

125gr Nosler BT / 33.5grs. IMR-4198 = 2617 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. A.A.2520 = 2560 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 36.0grs. A.A.2015BR = 2550 FPS

125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. A.A.2230 = 2507 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 36.0grs. H-322 = 2498 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. IMR-3031 = 2480 FPS

125gr Nosler BT / 37.0grs. IMR-3031 = 2375 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 41.5grs. W-748 = 2473 FPS
125gr Nosler BT / 38.0grs. A.A.4064 = 2434 FPS
----------------------------------------------------------------
130gr Hornady SSP / /33.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2588 FPS
130gr Hornady S.P. / 38.0grs. A.A.2520 = 2520 FPS

130gr Hornady SSP / 36.5grs. H-4895 = 2490 FPS
130gr Speer Flat Nose/38.0grs. H-335 = 2486 FPS

130gr Berger H.P. / 35.0grs. A.A.2015BR = 2371 FPS
130gr Berger H.P. /36.0grs. H-322 = 2346 FPS

130gr Berger H.P. /36.5grs. IMR-4895 = 2257 FPS
130gr Berger H.P. /35.0grs. H-322 = 2245 FPS
130gr Hornady SP /34.0grs RL-10x = 2450fps
130gr Hornady SP /36.0grs. RL-10x = 2580fpsMax. load
----------------------------------------------------------------
135gr Sierra SSP / 33.5grs. IMR-4198 = 2517 FPS
135gr Sierra SSP /33.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2488 FPS
135gr Sierra SSP /38.5grs. IMR-4895 = 2435 FPS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
150gr Speer / 36.0gr.s IMR-3031 = 2450 FPS
150gr Nosler BT / 36.0grs. IMR-3031 = 2437 FPS
150gr Hornady / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2416 FPS

150gr Speer Flat Point / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2410 FPS
150gr Sierra / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2396 FPS
150gr Hornady S.P. / 38.5grs. Reloader15 = 2390 FPS

150gr Hornady S.P. / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2380 FPS
150gr Speer Mag Tip / 37.0grs. H-335 = 2372 FPS
150gr Hornady / 36.5grs. W-748 = 2370 FPS

150gr Hornady SST / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2369 FPS
150gr Rem PSPCL / 35.0grs. H-322 = 2350 FPS
150gr Hornady S.P. / 37.5grs. A.A.4064 = 2350 FPS

150gr Rem PSPCL / A.A.2520 35.5gr = 2340 FPS
150gr Rem Core-Lockt / 36.5grs. IMR-3031 = 2311 FPS
150gr Hornady S.P. / 33.0grs. Re-7 = 2350 FPS
----------------------------------------------------------------
165gr Hornady B.T.S.P. / 34.0grs. IMR-4895 = 2255 FPS
165gr Speer Spt.B.T. / 34.0grs. IMR-4895 = 2240 FPS
165gr Hornady B.T.S.P. / 31.0grs. Re-7 = 2126 FPS
 
1700507168615.jpeg
 
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.
 

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