For sure, when thinking about adding a caliber to your collection, check the availability and cost of : ammo, dies, bullets, cases etc. Know your comfort level, some calibers are an Easter egg hunt to find ammo/reloading components for, and can be frustrating at times. If you are into rare or obsolete rounds then that pain is part of the experience, and viewed as something positive to have something rare/unique, but if you are not into it, don't go there.
Reboring Handi-Rifle 30/30 to ???
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Do you handload and/or cast bullets? I happen to like the old .30-30 a lot; but I haven't fired my levers in years. You can do a lot of "tinkering" with bolt guns or a break-open like your Handi. Almost all of the .308" components become possibilities, not just round or flat-nosed bullets meant for tubular magazines. My last buck fell to a 150 gr. 'Combined Technologies" Ballistic Silvertip. They were a team effort by Nosler & Winchester, and probably haven't been produced in a few years; but wow - not your average performance from a round-nose factory load!
If all that isn't your cup of tea and your solution is a re-bore... I have no advice - I couldn't make a choice for myself without months of serious consideration.
It's a choice that gets too personal; I don't begrudge anyone about their favorite cartridges, we all know what works for us. But it's fun to look at all the cartridges out there & try to figure out our next new favorite. Good luck with that! Keep us posted, 'cuz we're all nosey, I mean curious....
If all that isn't your cup of tea and your solution is a re-bore... I have no advice - I couldn't make a choice for myself without months of serious consideration.
It's a choice that gets too personal; I don't begrudge anyone about their favorite cartridges, we all know what works for us. But it's fun to look at all the cartridges out there & try to figure out our next new favorite. Good luck with that! Keep us posted, 'cuz we're all nosey, I mean curious.... That's going to be a fun little gun! I put a Leupold 2-7X on one of my .30-30 bolt actions ("great minds think alike...") for my 'hunter'. I kind of always wanted to try 180 gr. bullets, but couldn't find good data. Just as well, they're made for the faster .30-cals. and probably aren't worth the powder & primers to try. I use the published 170 gr. .30-30 data for 165 & 168 grain bullets. Look at a 170 round-nose next to a 165 btsp, there's less bearing surface, so less friction. I have a bunch of pulled 165 BTSP's, and found a load at about 1850 FPS that's fun for just for punching paper. I would have no hesitation to boost it up and take it to the field for deer. And you have all those light 100-130 grain choices out there for 'chucks, etc.; you don't need a cannelure or heavy crimp because you're single-loading the rounds anyway. If, or when, it ever gets boring you still have that option to rebore it. Good luck and have fun (safely, of course)!
for my 'hunter'. I kind of always wanted to try 180 gr. bullets, but couldn't find good data. Just as well, they're made for the faster .30-cals. and probably aren't worth the powder & primers to try. I use the published 170 gr. .30-30 data for 165 & 168 grain bullets. Look at a 170 round-nose next to a 165 btsp, there's less bearing surface, so less friction. I have a bunch of pulled 165 BTSP's, and found a load at about 1850 FPS that's fun for just for punching paper. I would have no hesitation to boost it up and take it to the field for deer. And you have all those light 100-130 grain choices out there for 'chucks, etc.; you don't need a cannelure or heavy crimp because you're single-loading the rounds anyway. If, or when, it ever gets boring you still have that option to rebore it. Good luck and have fun (safely, of course)!
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