Author Topic: 30-30 and Mule Deer (Read 1055 times)

Steve Pennington · « **on:** August 14, 2003, 06:17:40 AM »

I am thinking of taking my 30-30 barrel mule deer hunting this year. Got drawn for my first Wyoming hunt. The barrel is a 12 Fox ridge with magnaport job. My question is, should I load 150 gr. Nosler Btips or
125 gr. Btips?

DesertRam · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2003, 06:51:00 AM »

Those Wyoming mulies can get pretty big-bodied. If I were you, I think I would opt for the 150 grainers just to have that little added punch. However, if the 125s shoot better in your barrel, they might be a better choice. There have been lots of mule deer killed with 100 grain .243 bullets, so they'll work.

KYODE · « **Reply #2 on:** August 14, 2003, 07:04:36 AM »

sierra 135gr single shot pistol bullets, or hornady 130gr sspb's may be a couple to look at also. i'm shooting a 130gr hornady sspb in my 14" 30-30AI. shoots pretty darn good with IMR 4198! i hope to try it out this year on whitetail.

Steve Pennington · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2003, 04:32:37 PM »

Kyode, what is your load with 4198? I have the sierra bullets in my reloading cabinet too. Thought I would try them.

KYODE · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2003, 04:43:10 PM »

i use a max regular 30-30 load to form the ACKLEY IMPROVED case. 30.0gr(max listed) IMR4198, 130gr hornady sspb, rem 91/2 primer,win. brass, 2.67 oal.
as i was forming cases, this load averaged 2355fps for 5 shots out of the 14" 30-30 improved barrel.
after the improved case is formed i can add a little extra 4198, and get 2588fps :eek: with the 130gr hornady sspb.

Anduril · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2003, 10:58:35 AM »

I've taken a half dozen mulies (and a few antelope) with my 30 Herrett. Both 125 Nosler Ballistic Tip and 130 Hornady Single Shot Pistol worked well. I started out with 110 grainers like the books say to use, NOT a good idea. I haven't tried 150's on game, I'll stick with what works for me.

Elwood · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2003, 01:09:27 PM »

I remember when Bob Milek used to write single shot pistol articles for "Guns and Ammo" and "Shooting Times" and he lived and seemed to hunt mostly in Wyoming. He used to use the 110 grain bullet in the 30 herret and thought that it was the bullet to use untill he used the 125 grain and became a believer in that weight. He killed his share of mulies and knew his stuff. He wrote in the 1978 Sierra reloading manual
"Probably the best all around bullet weight to use in the 30-30 contender is 125 grains. Bullets of this weight can be driven as fast as 110 grain designs, and they display better overall accuracy." "Because of the low velocities at which bullets weighing 150 grains can be driven from the 30-30 Contender, these bullets should be relegated to silhouette competition use" For what it's worth. Elwood P. dowd

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2003, 06:28:49 AM »

I too have used both the .30-30 Winchester and now the .30-30 Ackley Improved in Contender Super 14" Barrels. I presonally would stay away from 150gr. Bullets, especially in the shorter 12" Barrel. My reason for that statement is due to the lessened Velocity coupled with the 150's higher Sectional Density.

I have been shooting both the 125gr. & 150gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips in my Super 14 .30-30 Ackley Improved. I have run Ballistic Charts with both bullets and the difference in the muzzle velocity of these two bullets is quite a bit, and the higher Ballistic Coefficient of the 150gr. does not compensate for the lower muzzle velocity, and as such the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip is traveling faster down range to better iniate bullet expansion.

In addition, in my barrel the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips are quite a bit more accurate than the 150's. I too am using IMR-4198 in my .30-30 AI loads. In standard .30-30 Winchester loads I also used the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip, but with AA#2230 Powder. In the 3 or 4 Super 14 .30-30 Winchester Contender Barrels I have tested these loads in, they chronograph between 2350 & 2400 FPS, and generally print 5 shots at 100 yards into an inch or slightly less. I also used the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with AA#2230 for fireforming my .30-30 cases to .30-30 AI. Velocity was about the same as in the standard .30-30 Winchester Barrels, as was the accuracy.

The Sierra and Hornady Single Shot Pistol Bullets are designed to Expand and Penetrate at velocities possible with Handguns. Just so happens that the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip's performance falls into this catagory also.

I have been taking Whitetails with Speciality Handguns since 1982, and in all of those years I have never ever had to track a Whitetail due to lack of penetration, but have had to track a few when the wrong bullet was choosen and it did not expand.

Good luck

Larry