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30 BRA for Deer hunting?

wizzum69

Being a rifle hunting guy has made it hard to adapt to hunting Illinois but, it's what I have to do. I've switched to the 350 Legend and with hand loads and better bullets hunting has become better BUT, I would like to use a bottle neck case. If I shorten a 30 BR case to 1.4" and use Barnes TTSX 130's, will the 17 twist stabilize the longer TTSX bullet? I want to do a build and need some advice from the 30 BR/BRA shooters.

Thanks in advance.

Rob
 
wizzum69 said:
Being a rifle hunting guy has made it hard to adapt to hunting Illinois but, it's what I have to do. I've switched to the 350 Legend and with hand loads and better bullets hunting has become better BUT, I would like to use a bottle neck case. If I shorten a 30 BR case to 1.4" and use Barnes TTSX 130's, will the 17 twist stabilize the longer TTSX bullet? I want to do a build and need some advice from the 30 BR/BRA shooters.

Thanks in advance.

Rob
Click to expand...
Based on what I've seen with my Model 7 30BR with 1 - 15 Tw. shooting the 125 gr. Nosler A B I would suggest going to the 1 - 15 Tw. My Rem 700 bench rest 1 - 17 Tw. rifle did shoot the 125 gr. bullets well but it also shot the lighter weight bullets more accurately.
 
wizzum69 said:
Being a rifle hunting guy has made it hard to adapt to hunting Illinois but, it's what I have to do. I've switched to the 350 Legend and with hand loads and better bullets hunting has become better BUT, I would like to use a bottle neck case. If I shorten a 30 BR case to 1.4" and use Barnes TTSX 130's, will the 17 twist stabilize the longer TTSX bullet? I want to do a build and need some advice from the 30 BR/BRA shooters.

Thanks in advance.

Rob
Click to expand...

Now living In Ohio, I can feel your pain. I wish they would give us the option of using a shortened 30BR. Hell, I would be pretty happy just to use my old 30-30.
 
You want a 30 Bellm it's basically a 30 Dasher with the case shortened till the case length is 1.4. there people I know getting 2900 fps with 120 gr bullets. I'm going to try some 130 gr this year. Most the goys I know chamber a 30 dasher and just cut the neck short. I have an actual 30 Bellm chamber. Everyone uses 1-10 twist I'm building a second one with a 1-11.5 twist. BR on left 30 Bellm right.
 

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I believe the faster twist helps bullet expansion that Barnes TTSX is the bullet I'm shooting this year. Used Hornady 120 SST last year it's a little fragile and I worry if I take a short range shot the bullet might not perform.
 
Cavity Back and Maker both sell a monolithic 125gr bullet that's shown to not be as speed sensitive as the harder Barnes bullets. I'm running a 125gr Cavity Back MKZ in my 300 BO this year, but won't have a chance to test on fur until the weekend after next. I've used their 105gr 264 bullet in my grendel with very impressive results on our deer here in Indiana. MUCH better penetration than I thought possible from such a light bullet, and great expansion to boot. In a perfect world, I'll take something with the MKZ this year, and then I'll try to work up a load for Maker's 125gr TREX for next year so that I can compare the two. Either way, both should give great performance on whitetail in a slightly larger case. I'd actually lean more towards the TREX at the speeds you should be getting from a cartridge like that.
 
According to every bullet stability calculator I've used, no a 17 twist will not stabilize the 130gr. But you'd have to test to be sure. From what I found the bullet OAL is 1.173. with a 17 twist id look for something else. Here is a thread posted recently on the subject with alot of good info.

Thread '30br hunting bullet for 17 twist'

Wondering what people who are hunting with a 30BR are using for deer? I've got a lighter contour 30br barrel in 17 twist. I was thinking about the Hornady 125 SST which are about 1.03in long, but every stability calculator I put it into says it will not stabilize? Only one I'm really seeing that will stabilize that would be a good round would be the 125 sierra pro hunter or a 125gr speer TNT which I've been told isn't a proper round for medium game.


Apologies if this has been talked about, but if I'm to use bullet stability calculators, then I'm left with what seems to be maybe 1 good...
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I just tried some Hornady 125 sst in a 30br 17 twist in 40 degree weather and they stabilized, but I ended up going with a 125 Sierra soft point for this year. If you want to shoot some longer 125 and up class bullets I'd go with a 15 twist. Unfortunately jacket length plays a larger role in stability than bullet weight, and with the 17 twist you're fairly limited in what hunting bullets you can use. That said, I'm not shooting much past 300 yards ever, so those higher BC bullets aren't needed. And even with the limited options there are still some excellent projectiles.
 
I just took my second deer with a 30 Bellm I did use the Barnes TTSX the shot was not a long one, 70 yards, but let me say this the shot hit exactly at the point I was aiming at. Shot placement is very easy with my Bellm. The deer dropped right were I shot it at. I'm sold I will be building another Bellm with a short 18 inch barrel to carry when I'm moving around during hunting season looking forward to see if it will shoot with my 25 inch barreled gun.
 
125g Sierra in the 17 Twist MAY stabilize, you would have to try it and see. I Family and have killed a LOT of deer with the 125g Sierra, 3100 MV. I would shoot the Sierra over the TTSX unless you are hunting in open country where you can watch the direction they run.

We have also killed quite few deer with the 125g nosler ballistic tip, but I would bet that it would not stabalize in a 17 twist. I don't see the need in accubonds on the 150 lb deer with the success we have had with the std 125g Sierra.
 
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@GlennK has a 30bra. Cant remember if he has taken a deep with it but I think he has with some accubonds. I was close to doing one myself and went with a 15 twist to shoot the 120-130s. I have the blank here if anyone wants it.
 
My 15 Twist, 23" Hart is shooting the 125 Tipped match kings at 3300 on the accuracy node, Tac is the powder in lapua brass, 308 Winchester.

My reamer has zero freebore plus some throat, and accuracy is amazing.
 
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I hate to throw cold water on the OP, BUT, I dont believe you can use ANY bottle neck cartridge for deer in ILLINOIS! :mad:
 
Alex Wheeler said:
@GlennK has a 30bra. Cant remember if he has taken a deep with it but I think he has with some accubonds. I was close to doing one myself and went with a 15 twist to shoot the 120-130s. I have the blank here if anyone wants it.
Click to expand...
I have shot 125 tnt, 125 accubonds, and 125 ballistic tips in the 30 bra. They all stabilized with a 17 twist and shot small in the 30 bra. I have shot 4 deer with them between 100 and 200 yards. They all died quickly but the bullet is moving so quick it turns the insides to jello. Very accurate cartridge amd shoots under an inch easily even when out of tune. Shoots dots when in tune. Have only tried h4198.
 
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