30/30 loaded with 311291 ok for deer?

[Sharps-Nut]

    I was thinking of mixing it up a bit this deer season and using a 30/30 marlin loaded with a lyman 311291 180 grain lead round nose.  I have never shot a deer with anything but bolt guns and loading with my own cast bullet seems like it would add to the satisfaction.  Any advice or input? Shot placement, lead hardness, velocity or powder recommendations?  Thanks Sharps-Nut

[D Crockett]

I would not use round nose bullets in a Marlin . you might  set off a round in the tube that holds your bullets before they get to the chamber. Always use flat nose bullets in a marlin D Crockett

[jhalcott]

  That bullet is listed as about 170 grains. Yes it will kill deer from a 30-30. A flat nose bullet that MAY be better in your 30-30 is the 311041. I do not know why the factories load ROUND nosed bullets in the 30-30 If they could blow the gun up! A POINTED bullet may set a primer off due to recoil though.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=001293030B
  I would never leave the ammo in the gun and just "top off" the magazine after a hunt. I'd remove all the ammo to inspect it for any problems before reloading it in the gun. You can't tell if a bullet has been shoved into the case or IF the RN has been pounded into the next primer with out doing this.

[Larry Gibson]

There has probably been a bajillion rounds of factory RN bullets (many of them FMJ) fired through lever action 30-30s without any blowups. I shoot 311291s through my lever guns and have for years.  Pointed bullets are another story. 

The 311291 will kill deer fine if cast soft (50/50 WWS/lead) and loaded to a velocity of 1900-2000 fps. Max range will be about 150 yards in which range most deer are killed any way.  In your Marlin size them "as cast" and clean the barrel after every 5 shots when working up a load other wise you begin to get traces of leading at the muzzle. % shots will be plenty enough for hunting , if youv'e not got the deer in 5 shots then go home, clean the barrel and ponder where you went wrong. If you don't like the RN a mepalat can be put on the bullet with an appropriate nose punch when sizing the bullets.  You can also hollow point the bullets to about 1/2 the nose length with a Forster 1/8" HP tool.  Expansion is good with that alloy and even better when HP'd.

My 311291 bullets cast of that alloy do weight right at 180 gr when fully dressed and 174 gr when HP'd.  My M94 likes that bullet or the 311041 over 30 gr of H4895 with a 3/4 gr dacron filler in FC cases with WLR primers.  Velocity from the 20" barrel is right at 2041 fps and shoots into 2-3 MOA (aperture sight) at 100 yards for the first 5 shots.  If I don't clean the barrel the next 5 shots open the group to 4-5 moa.

Larry Gibson

[Sharps-Nut]

Larry thanks for the information.  I have loaded that bullet and it was recommneded to me for the 30-30 so  I was with you on the saftey issue.  I was questioning if it had the right profile to be a good terminal effect.  Sounds like that could be improved with some work.   I will look in my lyman book for your load and bring it up from a starting load and see how it goes.  I got a couple weeks to get this thing  worked out as a meat getter round or buy some copper condom rounds.  50/50 whell weight to pure lead is about whats in my lead pot right now and I am off work tommarow so, oh bullet making I will go.   SN

[Larry Gibson]

sharps nut

Good luck hunting.

Larry Gibson