30-30 expected accuracy.

[jackieschmidt]

I think the shooter you are referring to might be named Turner if I remember correctly. I have tried to find information on his 30-30 shooting and have come up empty.

His name is Micheal Turner. He shot a 30/30 in Group and Varmint for Score.

His creation was a true labor of love, from his own custom built action to the meticulous prep work on the brass.

It wasn’t smoke and mirrors. The thing was a true sub .200 rifle.

If I remember, the 115 Berger was his favorite bullet.

 

[vonb]

I just went through this same exercise of finding a decent load for the 336 with a 20" barrel. Two loads that I found were MOA were:

- RP Brass
- Winchester 150 gr Power point
- CCI 200
- 2.550 OAL
- Max load of IMR 3031
This gave 2,247 fps.

Other load:

- Starline Brass
- Hornady 160 FTX
- CCI 200
- 2.550 OAL
- Max load of LeverEvolution
This load gave 2,370 fps.

 

[arlaunch]

1.25-1.75 inch, 5 shot groups is a realistic expectation.

Try the Hornady 170 grain bullets with W748 and or IMR 3031.

All of these components are available right now.

 

[Todd Earhart]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try some different loads with 4895 and 3031. The 160 ft x and 180 RN was the only bullets I had on hand to try. Round and flat nose bullets are about like leverevolution and not as easy to find as I thought. The factory ammo I've shot for years has been 150's.
Todd

 

[Firearmsunlimited]

1935 Winchester Model 55, open sights at 100 yards. Standing 64 year old that forgot his glasses.View attachment 1371176

Hell if I forgot my glasses I would be lucky to hit the cardboard. Not bad Joshb

 

[JFrank]

Mine shoots about the size of a baseball at 100 yards.
I use whatever I can find around 150 gr

 

[hoz53]

1935 Winchester Model 55, open sights at 100 yards. Standing 64 year old that forgot his glasses.View attachment 1371176

Dead Deer. Thats pretty good for an old guy (like me). I cant see the front site without some kind of correction.

 

[joshb]

Dead Deer. Thats pretty good for an old guy (like me). I cant see the front site without some kind of correction.

Ha! I felt older when I saw the target. I picked up a scoped JM Marlin last spring. I’ll be shooting some test loads tomorrow. I want to see if it’s an eye thing or an old guy standing thing.

 

[choprzrul]

Are you shooting over a chrono? My 94 30-30 Trapper had horrible ES until I found that it likes a really stiff load of W748 under a 170gr Sierra.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

If you have been single loading during testing, put a couple or three in the tube, changes the barrel harmonics(usually better).

 

[lb-ft]

Like many others have mentioned, my best results have been with powder faster than 4064 and bullets lighter than 180 grain.

In marlin micro groove, I’ll add that the very best combination I’ve found by far is H322 under the Sierra 125 HP, #2020.

Those barrels foul very quickly. Faster burn powders will drastically reduce fouling.

 

[Todd Earhart]

Like many others have mentioned, my best results have been with powder faster than 4064 and bullets lighter than 180 grain.

In marlin micro groove, I’ll add that the very best combination I’ve found by far is H322 under the Sierra 125 HP, #2020.

Those barrels foul very quickly. Faster burn powders will drastically reduce fouling.

That's a combination I had been looking at. I think I would like the 125 Sierra. I looked at mid south yesterday to see if they had any but out of stock. I have plenty of 322.
I've loaded several different combinations to try of the components I have.
Thanks all for the help.
Todd

 

[lb-ft]

You’ll love the Sierra. Pricey but a real performer in the 336, and lots of reports out there of suitability on deer size game.

Lower recoil too

 

[hoz53]

Ha! I felt older when I saw the target. I picked up a scoped JM Marlin last spring. I’ll be shooting some test loads tomorrow. I want to see if it’s an eye thing or an old guy standing thing.

well the eye thing happens cause we are old men

 

[SeabeeKen]

The rifle I'm working with is a 336 marlin. What would be acceptable 100 yard groups? Factory ammo and reloaded. 2.5 inch is best I've seen. This was with 180's over 4064 and factory leverevolution rounds. Anyone have some info that might help. Maybe my expectations of 1 inch groups was to high. Thanks for any information.
Todd

The 30-30 is quite accurate. I loaded spitzers for a friends old savage 340 bolt gun in 30-30 and it shot 1 hole groups. I was shocked at its accuracy.

 

[Kurz]

I stumbled onto a Savage 340 a long time ago. I didn't take time to shoot it, just put it away for several years. Curiosity got the best of me one day when I had a little free time for just such a project. I cleaned it up, examining the bolt, safety and magazine set up.

Interesting that this model had but one single bolt lug although the cartridges available were mild to moderate on the pressure scale. There was also a barrel band which usually didn't bode well for the accuracy department.



This is NOT a bedding job I did but found when I disassembled the rifle.

Here is the single bolt lug:



Now, I was suspicious of any accuracy potential given these two features but I was mildly surprised with very reasonable groups at 100 yards. Most of the woods hunting I did was in the fairly thick UP National forests where shots rarely exceeded 100 yards or so. Two inches at that distance was just about perfect.

The rifle was light and handy for woods type hunting.

Pictures were lifted from this article in the link I supplied:

http://ataleoftwothirties.com/?p=978

Enjoy!

 

[lawman29]

150 grain jacketed bullet
35 gr Win 748
Large rifle magnum primer

 

[C_Ackley]

I have 2# of LeverEvolution, does it actually give the 100fps extra in 30-30 it advertises?
Does it have trouble burning at all in cold and did you find it accurate and consistent?

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Last fall my neighbor(after shoulder surgery) told me he couldn't find any 30-30 rounds for his 336. I told him I reload 30-30 and he could help with processing his brass. We worked with a 150 flat nose and BLC2, that combination, just over 2100 fps, shot nice quarter sized groups at 75 yards. He didn't recall any shots over 60 yards where he hunts. He thought the recoil was lower, didn't hurt his shoulder. One doe last year after we loaded 86 of his brass(86 bullets left after testing) 85 left. I told him he can shoot 5, clean the rifle, shot 5, go hunt shoot 1(deer) clean the rifle. Enough left until he needs another joint replacement.

 

[jcm800]

150gr 300blk gold dots are designed for lower velocity 30s, expand down to 1500 fps. Quarter size exit holes and accurate. Their pointed, so load 1+1 in a tube mag.