Everyone lists a favorite load and mostly the 170 grain bullets are listed. I have used the 150 grain bullets, mostly Speer and Hornady on deer and hogs with plenty of penetration and just wonder why the 170 gets all the honorable mention?
My Marlin shoots the 150 grain bullets so well I have to to shoot em. I just found the sweet spot with Reloader 7 at 26.5 grains under a 150 grain Speer flat nose. I am sure it isn't much faster than 2200 fps but it sure shoots good.
I'm surprised that this topic has recieved so little input. Academy has 30-30 shells on sale either Winchester or Remington for $8.83 a box, I guess I'll see how well this rifle shoots the 170's by buying a box of each.
As far as accuracy, you'll just have to see which weight/load your particular rifle shoots the best.
As far as pure out performance on deer, I prefer 150g 30-30 SP loads over any others. Actually the performance is very close on normal sized deer, but the 150s edge out the 170s for quick kills with my experience.
I have owned a bunch of different 30-30 rifles, mostly Winchesters and only a few showed a decided preference. I used to think there was a performance edge on deer with the 150's but I am not so sure anymore as with good hits nothing goes far and both bullets exit deer reliably. The 150's will even go thru hogs under 150 pounds most of the time.
Most people in this reload section of the forum load their own. I reload my 30/30 with both weights of bullets plus plenty of lighter or lead ones for plinking. My 30/30 is usually more accurate with the 170grn bullets at max loading than it is with the 150's. I haven't tried a factory load in it in years. The few factory loads that I took apart looked like they were loaded with W748. BM
Every so often I think I will stop loading a particular cartridge and use an easily available factory load but I never seem to pull it off. The thirty thirty needs a varmint load and the Speer 110 grain HP varminter at 2500 fps is awesome. The Marlin I have now has yet to see a bullet heavier than 150 grains but I have plans to work up a cast GC bullet the 311291 pushed to around 2000 fps but havent had the time as it is hunting season.
After dismal penetration on a big doe many years ago with the 150s I switched to the 170s in my 3030 win. I now use nothing but cast, I use the LEE 170 gr gcfp and 26 gr of RX7. POWDERMAN.
Powderman, which 150 were you using? I searched for the softest one and came up with the Sierra flat point to use on small east Texas deer but still never recovered one. This bullet also gave the highest velocities for some reason.
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