Which bullet for 30-30?

[Kennedy]

What do you guys think is the best bullet for 30-30? I'm looking for penetration. I got some nosler partitions and Speers in 170 grain. The last buck I got I used 160 ftx which dropped him in his tracks. So what do you guys use and what powder?

 

[Stocker]

Accelerator bullets for penetration

 

[VikingsGuy]

140 grain Hornady 30-30 Monoflex. Better BC than typical 30-30 bullet to maintain terminal speed and energy, 95% weight retention for penetration and no lead.

Or, Barnes 150 grain TSX 30-30 FN. 99% weight retention, no lead.

Powders according to Hornady/Barnes posted load data.

 

[FLS]

170 Partition.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I like the 150 gr Barnes TSX as well. All copper if that matters to you. I have also loaded some Hornady FTX in 160. I load them with H-4895.

 

[44hunter45]

I going to assume this for a lever gun? My 30WCF is the oldest rifle in my safe. I don't hot rod it.
I ran 150 Speer flat points over IMR 4320 for years and killed many deer with it.
I am now using 170 FP over IMR 3031.
It's a fun rifle in the think cover for still hunting.
There is something special about dropping the backpack full of gear and just hitting the woods with a rifle and a knife.

 

[Gunner46]

I'll play the Devil's advocate for a moment. You want penetration? Junk the 30/30 and get a 458 Win Mag & some 500 gr flat point bullets. Penetration!

That bit of sarcasm aside, it would benefit us all if you would elaborate about the conditions/game/ ranges you expect to be hunting.

Penetration on a woodchuck is a tad different than on a coyote, a whitetail, a bear, a hog.........Mo' Info please.

 

[shootbrownelk]

What do you guys think is the best bullet for 30-30? I'm looking for penetration. I got some nosler partitions and Speers in 170 grain. The last buck I got I used 160 ftx which dropped him in his tracks. So what do you guys use and what powder?

What weapon? Handgun, Lever rifle, bolt action?

 

[44hunter45]

I'll play the Devil's advocate for a moment. You want penetration? Junk the 30/30 and get a 458 Win Mag & some 500 gr flat point bullets. Penetration!

That bit of sarcasm aside, it would benefit us all if you would elaborate about the conditions/game/ ranges you expect to be hunting.

Penetration on a woodchuck is a tad different than on a coyote, a whitetail, a bear, a hog.........Mo' Info please.

I do intend to retire the mighty 1894 some day and get a Marlin 45/70.

I am the first to admit the 30/30 does not handle high angle shots well. Especially front quartering shots. It is not a bone breaker. You want a good broadside.
I have a tang sight but still limit myself to 100 yards with it. Before it came to me, my dad lost some good mule deer bucks with it. He saved until he could get a 30-06.
He cursed that rifle and wanted his deer Dead Right There.

 

[Kennedy]

Its a 94. The gun was my dads. He bought it new. He past away so I have the gun now my son is using it. I want to find a bullet that will kill game. I got alot of 170 grain Speers but I haven't shot nothing with it yet. 2 boxes of partitions and 1 box of hornadys. Ill probably try Sierra also if I can get some.

 

[VikingsGuy]

The only gun that has possibly killed more game animals in the last 70 years than the 30-30 might be the 30-06. Within 150 yards, 150-170 grain cheap "cup and core" CorLokts in 30-30 have killed literally millions of deer in the US. And a modern TSX FN, or monoflex are more potent than those. I don't think you have anything to worry about with any of the suggested 30-30 rounds on this thread humanely and efficiently killing a deer within 100 yards with any decent shot placement. If one of these bullets don't make a clean kill of deer at 100 yards you missed your shot or took an ill-advised shot -- and no bullet makes up for that.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I’ll be using 170gr cast boolits in my 30-30 this year

 

[2rocky]

What ever happened to the Lever Evolution bullets from Hornady?

 

[noharleyyet]

What ever happened to the Lever Evolution bullets from Hornady?

Still going strong...using 325g FTX in a 45-70. Pig introduction soon.

 

[6speed]

"Kill game" is a broad term. The last deer I killed with my 30-30 dropped in its tracks. I hit it with a speer hot core 150 flatnose over 30 grains of 3031 (easy load to remember and my 336 likes it). Inside 100 yards on deer its easily a killer. Bigger game or longer ranges may change what your looking for. If you can hit where you want a 170 grain inside of 150 yards should be enough for about anything they sell a tag for.