30-30 pointed bullet

[GuitarmanNick]

Pointed bullets in a lever action rifle are not as good idea!

I harvested lots of bucks using 170 grain soft-tipped, factory loads and never had to take a second shot. Every bullet expanded as it should without requiring a hit on bone to do so.

Most dropped right where they were standing and all were within 125 yards which is the effective range of the cartridge when used in most lever action barrels on white tailed deer.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Was a friend of mine who shot the deer. Didn't hit heart or lungs or spine. No vital areas.

Your friend should not be hunting until he learns to shoot accurately!

If a "friend" of mine shot a deer 5 times without killing it, I may just shoot the fool!

 

[Bill K]

After going over the OG's post and he saying he recovered the bullets not expanded. I guess he/friend did find the deer, to do so. Still, it was not the bullets, but the shot placement. Someone needs to practice more and learn to take ethical shots, not just point and pull the trigger.

 

[wright brothers]

When I was where you are now, I adjusted loads, shot and retrieved into water soaked phone books.
That got me going much faster than the readings of salesmen.

 

[Dimner]

Sounds like a whole bunch of dissembling. The friend blaming the bullet. I wouldn't buy that for a sec. Or hunt with that friend.

 

[Dimner]

When I was where you are now, I adjusted loads, shot and retrieved into water soaked phone books.
That got me going much faster than the readings of salesmen.

If only I could find notebooks or a large quantity of newspapers this day and age

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Sierra 150gr RN

IF, using the # 2135 Sierra RN ? ( This Bullet, Probably Has, a Thicker Jacket and was probably Designed for HIGHER Velocity in the .308 / .30-06's, etc. ! )
Your Friend also Needs, MUCH more Field, "Practice shooting" , too !
Switch to, the PROVEN, @ .30-30 Velocities, "Mushrooming" and good Killer Bullet, the Sierra #2000, Flat Nose,..
And Drive it, as Fast as, you Safely can, in the Marlin.

 

[Bill K]

More importantly, where did the five shots hit. One in the heart/lung area will do the job, but body hits are not good and will, of course, take longer if you track the animal down.

about 40 yds.

 

[Mark W]

More importantly, where did the five shots hit. One in the heart/lung area will do the job, but body hits are not good and will, of course, take longer if you track the animal down.

That’s a good point as well. When I killed my first deer at 12 years old with a 30-30 I fired 5 shots, hitting the deer 4 times before he dropped. When I got to the deer, it had been hit in both back legs below the knee, had one antler shot off, and finally one through the heart. To this day, it the only deer that I have fired at more than once. I am now very careful about the placement of that first shot, and I don’t fire at running deer.

 

[MClark]

That’s a good point as well. When I killed my first deer at 12 years old with a 30-30 I fired 5 shots, hitting the deer 4 times before he dropped. When I got to the deer, it had been hit in both back legs below the knee, had one antler shot off, and finally one through the heart. To this day, it the only deer that I have fired at more than once. I am now very careful about the placement of that first shot, and I don’t fire at running deer.

I did similar to a hog.
My land owner friend said, "Did you run out of ammunition or places to shoot it?"

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

If you want/need better ballistics, wouldn't a different cartridge or rifle platform make more sense than testing every single resource as being WRONG regarding using pointed bullets in a tube fed rifle? I mean...every single one says, don't do what you are wanting to try...for WHAT?