Spire Point Bullets Loaded In 30-30 Winchester

[RVTECH]

Just as an experiment I am going to load a few 30-30 rounds with some old Sierra 'Matchking' 150 gr HPBT bullets I have to see what kind of accuracy I can really get out of it. I know this limits me to one in the tube and one in the barrel but with the recent success of a Williams receiver sight I installed (sub 1" groups at 50 yards) I want to see just what I can get out of it. Anyone ever try this?

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[giddyupgo55]

Never have, but Hornady now offers there 160 gr. FTX for reloaders to use. These I have used.

 

[orygun]

I had a Savage bolt action 30-30 and wanted to try what you are going to do. It wasn't the accuracy that I was after, just a little better performance at a distance.
Don't be surprised if you have a hard time matching the accuracy of the round nose bullets, though.

 

[deadshot2]

The spire point bullets may not reach out as far into the throat and give you a far greater jump than the round nosed bullets. To get the same jump you may have to load them so long they won't feed from the magazine, or you'll have so little bullet in the case neck when seated that there'll be problems while chambering.

 

[Mark W.]

I have a Model 1895 WInchester in 30-40Krag which of course has a box magazine rather then a tube. I find exellent accuracy with any shaped bullet. Higher speeds with the spire points and ballistic points I load for it.

 

[Greenbug]

I've had a couple of bolt action savages in 30-30 over the years and tinkered around with this a little bit. The problem I found was you had to seat the bullet so deep into the case to fit the magazine that the ogive of the bullet would be inside the case neck. I trimmed down some brass way short and it worked ok, but didn't really get any better accuracy or range out of the spitzer type bullets. If you do this you are going to have trouble with the bullets wanting to move into the case as there is less neck to hold proper tension on the bullet. I'd have crimped them, but trimming the cases so short didn't allow for a crimp on the rounds. Try some short 110 grain V-Max in your 30-30, those worked pretty good for me and I didn't have to trim the cases short for them to fit in the magazine.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

My only objection is that whoever gets your gun after you're gone may not know the unsafeness of loading the tube up with them

 

[RVTECH]

After I am gone? I am not going anywhere.

 

[10 Spot Terminator]

I believe I saw the Hornady flex tip bullets available to handloaders at Cabelas in 160 gr. wt. for the 30-30 ( and others ) . In the majority of the 30-30s' be they bolt, pump or like a Savage 99 rotating box magazine you will most likely have magazine issues as well as short fast taper throat issues. If you dont mind reducing a repeater to a single shot or 2 shot if you carry a live round in the chamber it's your perogative. Personally I dont carry a round in the chamber unless I am in serious bear country where seconds can count. I once had a 25-35 ( rimmed cartridge ) rifle in an early Savage 1899 and was able to use Nosler ballistic tips that would feed through the rotating feed magazine just fine. Dont know if they made one of these in a 30-30 or not. Let us know how your project turns out if you would and good luck.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

After I am gone? I am not going anywhere.

We all will, barring the 7th trumpet blowing in the meantime..

 

[AMProducts]

You can do this, there's nothing wrong with it, however as deadshot said, don't bother putting them in the magazine, they can and will get stuck. Any time you're loading spire point bullets in a .30-30 you have to single load them. I used to do this all the time for my little brother, I would take some of the cheap-o surplus bullets I would shoot out of my .308 and load him up some ammo, but the first time he tried to put them in the mag... we had to pull the gun apart to remove the round.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

The big danger in the magazine is the point setting off the primer ahead of it and then a chain reaction "cookoff"