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

 

[Bill Norris]

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

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.

 

[Mark W]

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

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.

 

[pupsdad]

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.

 

[pupsdad]

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.

 

[Lefty2506]

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.

 

[howl]

The 110gr Barnes is more appropriate for that cartridge.

 

[Leadfarmer]

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'

Sep 28, 2025

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...

• Leadfarmer
• Replies: 24
• Forum: 6BR, 6BR Improved & Wildcats

• 

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.