[hombre243]

I just got 3 boxes of these bullets and am loaded for the test bench tomorrow if possible.

IMR 4198 is my powder choice. It is the first time I am using this stuff. It doesn't fill the case very well so I hope it works ok. Lyman manual gives 25.0-28.0 gr. for this bullet. (Sierra #2020)

I am using R-P cases and Federal LR primers. COAL is 2.240".

My loads are incremented .5 gr. Low end load is 25.5 gr. Top load is 27.5gr. 10 each. I will sight in with factory loads, then shoot 5 shot groups at 50 yards to compare groups. If all is well, I will move to the 100 yard targets and check out the groups from there. Hopefully these little pot knockers will work for coyotes and ***** out to 100 yards. They're cheap enough for me to get more for stock if I like them.

I will be posting results and pictures as soon as I can get the testing done.

 

[greyhawk50]

Back when I had my 30-30, the 125 gr. FN/HP was my favorite load. Originally intended for the smaller species of deer in Pa. Should also work well for coyotes. The accuracy was very acceptable out of my 336 considering it wasn't a target grade rifle.
Hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

 

[hombre243]

Back when I had my 30-30, the 125 gr. FN/HP was my favorite load. Originally intended for the smaller species of deer in Pa. Should also work well for coyotes. The accuracy was very acceptable out of my 336 considering it wasn't a target grade rifle.
Hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

Thanks G_Hawk. Maiden voyage for the new rifle. I figured I would give it a few factory loads down the pipe and then test the 125s. Reports are pretty good, and I know it is a med-short range caliber, so I know I cannot expect 2-300 yard performance. I have other rifles for that. I just wanted a 30-30. Next will be a 12 ga shotgun. I am thinking Winchester but that is for later anyway.

 

[Gumpy]

I've got an model 1100 Winchester pump. I've had it for bout 20-30 years and I'll have it when I die. It's killed everything from deer to squirrels.

 

[444Hal]

Varget @ 35.3 or IMR3031 @ 34.5 worked well in my XLR

 

[hombre243]

Back when I had my 30-30, the 125 gr. FN/HP was my favorite load. Originally intended for the smaller species of deer in Pa. Should also work well for coyotes. The accuracy was very acceptable out of my 336 considering it wasn't a target grade rifle.
Hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

GH, I wasn't impressed with the 125s but it was nasty out. Rain and wind but also I hate to get wet when I am trying to work and that day it was work. I think they have potential.

If I sight for the 125s, my 150s will be an inch high at 50 yards. Around 2" at 100. I will set my sights so they meet somewhere in the middle. More testing is in the works. I ordered some more 150s.

I have about 2-3 lbs of Leverevolution powder in stock here and the 150 and 170 gr loads are all the Lee manual shows. 170s are too heavy for yotes, but, cost wise only a half a buck/100 more. I did like the group I got first time out with factory 150s so I may work with that. Time will tell which works best.

I said I hate to get wet when I am workin, but it was still good to get out and shoot finally. And that little Mossberg is very comfortable to shoot. It handles recoil well. It torques a bit to the right and I have to realign, but that's probably because it is hard to shoot backwards using a mirror and the thumb on the trigger.

 

[Gumpy]

Don't forget you were holding it gangster style also! Lol

 

[hombre243]

Don't forget you were holding it gangster style also! Lol

Had to do something to hold it steady while I held the mirror up to the scope to aim. It was wobbly until I layed it flat side down. The recoil knocked my glasses and hat off and got a piece of my ear. I was just glad it wasn't an AR.

**Don't get me started lyin again Gumpy...we're gettin close.

 

[UncleSarge58]

Try the Lee 170gr RNFP Cast from 50/50 WW & Lino w/ Copper GC over 26gr IMR-3031 & Work your way Up. Max is 28.5gr IIRC.
28gr Works Best in My 17.5in AI chambered 336.
Gives Me 3/4in. 7rd groups @ 75yds!
UncleSarge58

 

[hombre243]

Try the Lee 170gr RNFP Cast from 50/50 WW & Lino w/ Copper GC over 26gr IMR-3031 & Work your way Up. Max is 28.5gr IIRC.
28gr Works Best in My 17.5in AI chambered 336.
Gives Me 3/4in. 7rd groups @ 75yds!
UncleSarge58

Thanks sir,
I will be getting to the lead bullets when I find a decent load for what I already have...125 fnhp, 130 fnsp, 150 (round, flat and spire), also 170 flat nose. It may be awhile but thanks for the top.

 

[hombre243]

Very embarrassing but the more loads I tested the first and second time out, the worse the groups got. I talked to a friend of mine and he asked me if I got all the factory grease out and I said I thought so.

I did a pretty thorough cleaning and then went to the range again, this time I got better groups by swabbing the bore with a Hoppe's patch and then a dry one, every fifth shot. The groups were ok, but still not up to my idea of ok, fine.
I stripped the rifle of the bolt and lever parts and gave it a real scrubbing when i got home. I tried running some Ballistol soaked patches, some Kroil soaked patches, dry patches and then Hoppe's I was still getting dirty patches. I got some J-B Bore Cleaner and scrubbed the heck out of the bore and then took the rifle to my friend so he could use the bore scope to look in the bore. Spotless. I ran some Hoppe's patches in and out enough to satisfy myself the bore is as clean as I can get it.

I just got some 170 gr Speer fnsp to try so hopefully I can have some for the weekend. I have several powders to try and tomorrow I hopefully will have time to go get 1# of IMR 3031. If I can't find a powder this rifle likes out of the 6 I will be loading, then I will try more but I just hate wasting bullets. I have a list of loads to try: IMR 4064; Rel 10; Rel 15; H4895; H-LVR; and IMR 4198. If those don't work I will use IMR 8208 XBR and the IMR 3031. I like the specs on the 170s. The 125s and the 150s are shooting ok for now and I will use them until they are gone. Then, I want to cast a few but I have to get the sizer, mould and gas checks. That is about the same cost as 300 of the bullets I will be testing.

Being on disability is a pita and I can only buy stuff once a month and not that much at that. So it is slow going.

Oh yeah, the embarrassing part is that I was totally wrong about whether i got the rifle clean enough. When i stripped it I found yellowish drops, like honey or 2/3 dry epoxy inside the receiver. I imagine the bore was coated with it also. Once I got it out of the receiver everything felt smooth as butter. The scope showed the bore needed some more polishing but it was absolutely perfectly clean. Next stop, the reloading bench and then the range. New report and pictures to follow.

 

[UncleSarge58]

hombre,
Those 125gr Sierras will Probably Like a Load of 36-37gr BLC#2 in your Factory Chamber & Barrel.
Haven't Tried it myself Yet, But I am Told (From a Very Reliable Source) that it turns the .30-30 into a Dang Flat Shootin' Rifle.
US58

 

[UncleSarge58]

Instead of goin' thru all that Trouble to Clean the Bore.
Next Time, Mix yourself up a Batch of Ed's Red (Google It)
Real Easy to Mix a Gallon Up, right in the Garage or Shop.
Ingredients are Cheap & Readily Available at any Auto Parts or Hardware Store & It Really Works.
Same Stuff that was called RBC (Rifle Bore Cleaner) that we used, when I was in the Army.
(Many Years Ago)
US58

 

[hombre243]

hombre,
Those 125gr Sierras will Probably Like a Load of 36-37gr BLC#2 in your Factory Chamber & Barrel.
Haven't Tried it myself Yet, But I am Told (From a Very Reliable Source) that it turns the .30-30 into a Dang Flat Shootin' Rifle.
US58

Thanks for reminding me. I want to get that also. The Lyman manual lists it so I may try it too. Rel 15 is supposed to give best accuracy, but every rifle has its' preferences. The BLC-2 is shown to be best with the 150s and IMR 4064 best for the 170s. I will probably have to try them all so wish me luck.

 

[hombre243]

Instead of goin' thru all that Trouble to Clean the Bore.
Next Time, Mix yourself up a Batch of Ed's Red (Google It)
Real Easy to Mix a Gallon Up, right in the Garage or Shop.
Ingredients are Cheap & Readily Available at any Auto Parts or Hardware Store & It Really Works.
Same Stuff that was called RBC (Rifle Bore Cleaner) that we used, when I was in the Army.
(Many Years Ago)
US58

Probably won't need it now. I got the cosmoline out and the bore is good.

 

[UncleSarge58]

Here's a Very Useful Link to Ed's Red & Other Firearm Related Stuff:
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm#Bore Cleaner
Good Read. Oughta Be a Sticky Here Too.
US58

 

[mm93]

Old post, but I went through the light bullet in a .30-30 for my nephew's Marlin 336 when he wanted a flatter shooting gun/caliber for longer shots on deer. I went with the 130 Speer, but it's very close to your 125 gr. Sierra.
I found that H335 was an excellent powder for these fast moving, lightweight bullets in the .30-30 Marlin. I used a charge of 35.0 grs. of H335, and his 336 loved it. Accuracy was under 2" at 100 yds. with his scoped gun, and velocities were around 2400 fps.
He took numerous mule deer with that load at ranges out to 250 yds., and all were clean one shot kills. He still ended up moving up to a hotter .30-06 bolt gun later, but it doesn't really bring down deer sized game any better than his old 336 in .30-30 did.

 

[hombre243]

Old post, but I went through the light bullet in a .30-30 for my nephew's Marlin 336 when he wanted a flatter shooting gun/caliber for longer shots on deer. I went with the 130 Speer, but it's very close to your 125 gr. Sierra.
I found that H335 was an excellent powder for these fast moving, lightweight bullets in the .30-30 Marlin. I used a charge of 35.0 grs. of H335, and his 336 loved it. Accuracy was under 2" at 100 yds. with his scoped gun, and velocities were around 2400 fps.
He took numerous mule deer with that load at ranges out to 250 yds., and all were clean one shot kills. He still ended up moving up to a hotter .30-06 bolt gun later, but it doesn't really bring down deer sized game any better than his old 336 in .30-30 did.

I have a Mossberg 464. I do not know how much difference there is between Marlin's MicroGroove rifling and my square groove but so far my rifle likes slower bullets. I had one good group with factory loads but could not come close to duplicating it.

That was when I took the rifle out the first time and after all the scrubbing I did to clean out all the factory gunk and I am wondering if this gun shot better with the gunk. I may have to shoot it w/o the deep cleaning and see how it does.

Right now it is squirrel and rabbit season and deer coming up tomorrow. No time to play with the 30-30 but I appreciate your tips. If anyone has any H336 around here I will try it.

 

[SHOOTER13]

My Winchester Model 1894 in .30WCF has taken more Pennsylvania White Tail deer than all my other rifles combined...iron sights to boot.

Circa 1977...

 

[greyhawk50]

Back when I was loading the 125 gr. FN/HP for my 336, I used H-4895 with good success. I used the Hpdgdon Loading Data and loaded at or near the max. recommended load. Just saying.
Wishing youy much success.