.30-30 bullets in .308 Carbine?

[lgm270]

Anybody ever shoot 170 grain round nose 30-30 bullets in their .308? The 170 grain Nosler Partition looks interesting.

  How did they work? 

[ironglow]

  The top load Hodgdon mentions is a bit over 2,000 fps, and that with a 110 gr bullet.  Don't know where a 170 gr would put you..maybe 600 fps?   Are you aiming at a whisper round ?
  That being said, I have no experience with 170 gr in a carbine, but with such slow speeds etc, one must be cautious.
   Sorry I couldn't help more.

[pastorp]

30-30 bullets are designed to openup at 30-30 velocities not 308 velocities. They may expand to violently for big game hunting. Might work for varmits. 

Regards,

[huntswithdogs]

I loaded some 170s for my 788. Don't remember the powder recipe, but they shot great. A ragged hole at 100yds. At the time I was just shooting up some left over bullets, so I never tried using them for deer. I figure they'd have made a mess on impact. You can get RoundNose bullets in 150 and 180 that would be better suited for the 308s velocity.

HWD

[ironglow]

Oops ! I guess I misunderstood your question.. I was thinking the old .30 cal carbine...which of course is .308 cal.

[Sweetwater]

The whole gauntlet of 30-30 bullets can be used in the 308 - apples to apples they are all the same diameter, the only real limiter. In the scheme of 30 caliber bullets, there are various jacket thicknesses and construction which makes them work differently at their intended velocities. When you take them out of their intended velocities, they tend to act like they are constructed differently. Slow a bullet down or shoot it at a longer range and the impact velocity is less and it will open up less or even act like a solid.
 
In your scenario, the 170gr Nosler is a great bullet at its intended impact velocity. It can effectively extend the range of your 308 OR allow you to slow it down for less recoil with a new shooter or smaller person.
 
Jeff
NRA Life

[BBF]

You didn't write what your intentions were. There is no reason why you couldn't download a 308 Win to
 30-30 velocity.

[charles p]

When my son was in high school, he did a science project to show that the ballistic coefficient of a bullet changed its flight path.  He loaded identical 30-06 cases with the same primer, powder, and different 150 grain bullets.  He expected the 150 flat point 30-30 bullets to drop faster, but at 100 yds they were higher than other bullets and shot the tightest grouping of all.  We concluded that since the bullets were more conical and had more surface area in the riflings, they must have exited at a higher velocity.  At greater distances, they shed their velocitiy as expected.
We were very amazed at the tight grouping the 150 grain flat point bullets produced.  It was not a one group fluke, as he repeated the test several times.  Those were some good shooting bullets.  Never used any on game however.
 

[ironglow]

  It would seem that rare instance where you KNEW FOR SURE your range was going to be long..say 300 yards, such a bullet may be a better choice, since the .308 will be slowed down nearer 30/30 velocities..such a bullet choice might insure full upset upon impact.

[LanceR]

It should do fine at .308 velocities.  At the risk of over simplifying things, a flat nosed bullet makes a bigger would channel than a spitzer does which helps account for the fine reputation that the 30-30 has for dropping deer sized game pretty quickly.

A call to Nosler would confirm the issue but I can't picture the velocity difference mattering to any Partition.

Lance

[BBF]

I would think the entrance hole could be bigger on a PT designed for 30-30 V and fired at 308 V's depending on the impact range of course.
BTW. Why use those bullets in the first place?

[Empty Quiver]

They sound like a great fit for a reduced recoil load you would want to hunt with. That bullet would not know  it was leaving a bolt gun if you don't tell it.   Not a thing wrong with using .308 as if it were a 30-30. Trying to use a 30-30 as a .308 would be problematic.

[BBF]

The same could be said for single shot pistol bullets with a much better BC.
Hdy's 130 gr bullet can achieve up to 2000 fps from a 10" barrel
 24.4 gr of RL-7 gets you 1700 fps with that short barrel

[Larry Gibson]

30-30 bullets work very well in the .308W.  If loaded full power they can be very destructive on game.  However, when loaded to 30-30 velocities in a .308W carbine such as mentioned they are excellent deer hunting bullets.  I load WW 150 gr 30-30 RNs and Speer 130 FNs in a .308W carbine for my daughter to sue.  She used it very effectively on several deer.  I kept the velocities at 30-30 velocities so i suggest loading the Nosler Partition to no more than 2200 fps.  However, I would suggest the Hornady 160 gr FTX for the 30-30 or the 30 Marlin (they are 2 different bullets) these days instead of RN or FP 30-30 bullets.  Loaded to 2400 - 2500 fps in a .308W carbine it should do very well on deer to 300 yards.
 
Larry Gibson

[rickt300]

I hunted in Washington state and used exclusivly the 170 gr. Remington RNCL pushed to 2400 fps. You could not ask for better terminal performance and most shots were at 40 yards or less.

[WyoStillhunter]

The OP question is slim on details and we have not heard from him again. 
 
From a practical standpoint the bullets designed for .30-30 can be loaded and used just fine in the .308 Win. if kept close to .30-30 MV.  I would not hesitate to load up to 2400 fps MV.  They should shoot well and perform just fine on the type of game they were intended for as .30-30 bullets.
 
Not a darn thing wrong with loading .30-30 level ammo for a .308 or 30-06, etc.  I have done a similar thing using 200 gr. RN (.35 Rem.) bullets in my 35 Whelen.  Accurate, pleasant to shoot, and just as effective on game as a .35 Rem. 
 
The key to all this is to stay very close to the MV and impact velocity intended when the bullet was designed.  A phone call or e-mail to the Tech Dept. of most bullet manufacturers about a specific bullet's optimum performance velocity will usually get you a solid answer to guide your load development.