308 with 30-30 ballistics?

[deckhandmike]

I don’t think underpowered ammo helps anyone hunting. Build a berm for a range. You’re overthinking this.

[sghart]

First of all you can load any bullet designed for the 30-30 in your 308 cases and fire them all day long at 30-30 velocities. I would suggest IMR 3031 as a good powder to start with.

Your 308W bolt gun can't tell the difference between a 150 gr FN

https://www.sierrabullets.com/product/30-caliber-150-gr-fn-30-30/

or a spitzer bullet:

https://www.sierrabullets.com/produc...mm-150-gr-sbt/.

30-30 ballistics are perfectly adequate for any game in this state. 30-30's have taken deer for over 100 years. Before that is was heavy lead at 1300 fps.

Just choose a bullet that is designed to expand at 30-30 velocities. Your bolt gun won't know the difference.

In my earlier post I mentioned that I use heavy cast bullets in all of my rifles. At the time of my post the website was suffering from some problems so I cut it short.

I wanted to add that I know that lead bullets are not a viable hunting option. But they allow me to get a lot more range time with my hunting rifles.

And 30-30's are not "underpowered".

[deckhandmike]

Why not use a 12 gauge slug instead?

[Calif Hunter]

My shooting buddy brought out a Savage 340 in 30-30 to shoot today,, it was pretty nice and shot well.. He was saying magazines were still available and reasonable.. I saw a used 340 in 30-30 the other day ,, asking price 350$.. I would buy a used Savage before cutting up a model 7,, but thats me..
Reloading will get you where you want to go..
Cheers

As I posted earlier, I had a Savage 340 and it shot great with regular .30-30 loads. The magazine is short and limits your ability to load longer spitzer bullets unless you are going to use it as a single shot. Most of the 150 gr or heavier spitzer bullets would have to be seated above the ogive to fit in the magazine and that just doesn't work. The 130 gr Hornady Spirepoint fits and works well at .30-30 velocities - but I could not get the accuracy that 150 gr RNFP or RNSP provided. I was hoping for better trajectory from the lighter faster bullet and that did happen, but without enough accuracy for me. I also tried the Sierra 125 gr spitzer.

[NapalmCheese]

I took a shot at a buck with my .30-30 with a peep site and completely missed at 7 yards, I figured a low power scope scope or red-dot would help for the next time around but I didn't want to spend extra money outfitting my rifle with one when I had a 3-9X scoped .308 already.

I don't think a low power scope, a red dot, or a 3-9x scope will help you at 7 yards. Well, maybe a red dot if it's too dark to see your front sight, or a nice ivory bead.

Did you mean 70 yards?

Hodgdon lists 45.5 grains of H4895 max for 150 grain bullets in .308 at 2900ish fps. Using the 60% rule with H4895 you can safely load reduced velocity rounds starting at 27.3 grains of H4895 with 150 grain Barnes .30-30 bullets for presumably 1740 fps. Just add powder till you hit the 2200 fps range or so and voila, .30-30 ballistics in a .308 with .30-30 copper bullets meant to expand at lower velocities than .308 Winchester bullets.

[200Apples]

.30 cal pointy bullet stuff w/ the ballistics of .30WCF/.30-30?

Sounds like 7.62 X 39...

[pacrat]

OP,

It is a looooong standing general practice among Mil-Surp folks. To down load 308 ammo, using 300 Savage Data. In order to safely shoot the many imported Mauser small rings that were rechambered to 7.62 CETME cartridge. Which is dimensionally identical to 7.62 NATO and 308 Win. But arsenal loaded to 42K PSI.

300 Savage cartridge is a near ballistic twin to the venerable 30-30.