need load help with lever action 30-30

[tom ga hunter]

after years of looking i have just found an as new 336a in 30-30 made in 1980..what loads should i start with??.. it basically shoots 1" with some pointed 150gr contender loads but i know i've got to go blunt point..going retro next year

[rickt300]

Well what do you want to load it to hunt? I have tried to figure out which 150 grain bullet designed for the 30-30 was the best deer hunting bullet and so far they all work just dandy. Reloader 15 seems to be the best bet velocity wise though Win 748 is a top performer also with the caveat you have to use magnum primers which some leverguns have a hard time igniting. I use the most 150 grain Hornady RN's seconded by their 170 grain Interlok for hunting. I shoot more cast 311291 gas checked bullets for fun than anything else unless I get a good deal on a run of Remington 150 or 170 grain RNCL bullets. I burn Reloader 7, IMR 4198, 3031 and H4895 and like Winchester primers and cases the best.

[tom ga hunter]

thanks

[big medicine]

I had trouble getting the 150 grain bullets to group, but the 170 gr Hornady and Rem bullets shot great. I had real good luck with AA2520, AA2015, and H335. My 30-30 load for the 170 gr RN is going out at 1956 fps and I just shot a nice hog of a doe on New Years day. At 130 yards the 170 was just the medicine.

[tom ga hunter]

thanks