A 600yd 30-30

[butchlambert]

Michael is a superb machinist and he has proven that he can make the 30/30 work as a competition cartridge. BUT, is it to be recommended for a competition cartridge? Probably not since there are several better choices. Just because a flat head V-8 engine can be made into powerful power plant does not mean that today's racers should use it in NASCAR races. Or should the open wheel racers return to the 4 cylinder Offenhausers that won so many races yesteryear.

You know what James? The Model A might outrun the Ferrari.

 

[Tommie]

God bless everyone who thinks outside the box. The “follow the leader” mentality that pervades the shooting sports has gotten sooo old. There was a time when precision shooters were the ground breakers. Experimentation was king. Now we rush to buy the same equipment that the most recent winner used.

 

[normmatzen]

too many folks down-play the 30-30 due to the bullet the old lever action was stuck with. Round nose flat base.
Once loaded with boat tailed sharp point bullets in a premium barrel it indeed takes on a new personality!

 

[ebb]

James I hear what you are saying but how does the bullet know what case it was shot from? After the bullet leaves the neck does it really matter? I shoot a 6PPC cause all the work has been done, and I can just shoot. Nez clearly doesn't want to do that. I think it is great!

 

[jamesdmock]

James I hear what you are saying but how does the bullet know what case it was shot from? After the bullet leaves the neck does it really matter? I shoot a 6PPC cause all the work has been done, and I can just shoot. Nez clearly doesn't want to do that. I think it is great!

Well, if the case has no effect on accuracy, barrel life, etc., then perhaps we could return to shooting the Donaldson Wasp or perhaps a .22 Hornet for our accuracy requirements. The .222 was a scaled down version of the .30-06 and with its shape it lasted as king of accuracy for a long time, but.... it too has been surpassed by the short fat cartridges. Good shooting.../ James

 

[Bamban]

Well, if the case has no effect on accuracy, barrel life, etc., then perhaps we could return to shooting the Donaldson Wasp or perhaps a .22 Hornet for our accuracy requirements. The .222 was a scaled down version of the .30-06 and with its shape it lasted as king of accuracy for a long time, but.... it too has been surpassed by the short fat cartridges. Good shooting.../ James

"Sometimes you just have to do it" Status quo is boring.

In 97 I took a gas gun 223 to the TX Long Range Championship, knowing all too well that the little cartridge will be shooting against magnums and palma guns. Match director gave me a conditional green light to shoot as long as the bullets still have the supersonic crack in the pit to be monitored by the pit boss. Back then nobody was crazy enough in our neck of the woods to compete at 1000 yards with a 223, much less an auto shifter.

That was fun...

 

[mic2377]

I agree that the 168 Hybrid is the perfect bullet for this setup. It is underrated. A friend of mine uses them in his AR-10 over a stiff load of Varget and Lapua brass, with surprising success at 1k yards. They are fairly tolerant of jump, and the BC is best in class for their weight. He can get them up to 2650.

While the typical thinking is 168's out of a 20 inch barrel gas gun is futile, no one told him and the results speak for themselves.

Keep up the good work, very cool.

 

[Lannister]

Its always irritated me how the Armchair gun experts in the gun magazines try to establish rediculas distance standards for older calibers. The Dirty Thirty can easilly be counted on to harvest deer as far as 700 or 800 yards with the right bullet. Velocities below 2600 FPS aren't a handicap for myself, thats where my domain remains.

 

[Laurie]

I agree that the 168 Hybrid is the perfect bullet for this setup. It is underrated. A friend of mine uses them in his AR-10 over a stiff load of Varget and Lapua brass, with surprising success at 1k yards. They are fairly tolerant of jump, and the BC is best in class for their weight. He can get them up to 2650.

I agree - a superb bullet. I shoot it at just under 3,000 fps in 308 in F/TR and have won a fair number of matches / match stages with it out to 1,000 yards. I can make it shoot much better than the now more fashionable 200s probably because it generates less recoil and torque allied to its very good behaviours at all distances.

 

[Bamban]

I agree that the 168 Hybrid is the perfect bullet for this setup. It is underrated. A friend of mine uses them in his AR-10 over a stiff load of Varget and Lapua brass, with surprising success at 1k yards. They are fairly tolerant of jump, and the BC is best in class for their weight. He can get them up to 2650.

While the typical thinking is 168's out of a 20 inch barrel gas gun is futile, no one told him and the results speak for themselves.

Keep up the good work, very cool.

Check out the link. My buddy and former teammate as civilians is now a Reserve shooter. He shot his service rifle AR10 and 168 Hybrids at 1000, 200 with 15 through a 20 inch tube, 4 1/2 power, and placed up there.

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:311d24a0-5c03-46ca-8dfe-195e87ed04e0

 

[Lannister]

theres nothing inherently inaccurate about the 30-30. I used a couple of contender barrels in 30-30 one a 10 inch and the other a 14 inch with iron sights for IHMSA sihlouettes for several years. iron sight pistols at 200 meters. unless theres a mechanical problem with your gun or load, the rest is on you, good shooting.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

back when a Hunter Class Benchrest rifle had to have the case capacity of a 30-30, that being prior to the emasculation of HBR' there were a few shot from time to time. IIRC, they were 788 Remingtons; and very competitive on a local/regional level.

 

[284winner]

too many folks down-play the 30-30 due to the bullet the old lever action was stuck with. Round nose flat base.
Once loaded with boat tailed sharp point bullets in a premium barrel it indeed takes on a new personality!

Well let's face it, the .284 wasn't designed for long range use either. Where is it now ??? And, how many offspring has it fathered ???

 

[284winner]

too many folks down-play the 30-30 due to the bullet the old lever action was stuck with. Round nose flat base.
Once loaded with boat tailed sharp point bullets in a premium barrel it indeed takes on a new personality!

Hornady's flex tip woke up the lever guns a bit and Marlin increased barrel length on there lever guns due to hornady's bullet offering. Turned the 30/30 then into a very effective 200+ yard deer rifle.

 

[billlarson]

Butch,
What. Kind of brass are you using.what is brass life like at those speeds...
Bill

 

[butchlambert]

Butch,
What. Kind of brass are you using.what is brass life like at those speeds...
Bill

Bill, this is Bamban's project. I think they have worked with a few brands.
Nez, I think you may have adressed this in another post.

 

[mturner]

Guys,

I'm sorry I didn't see this thread when it was fresh. I can answer any of your questions if you are still interested in some answers. I do not have any pictures of Nez's rifle. I just fit a 28" Lederer barrel to one of his existing long-range rifles. I do have pictures of my short-range LV 30-30. I recently shot my LV 30-30 at the score nationals in Raton. The rifle performed well.

Michael

 

[JoeDuke]

Michael did indeed shoot his 30-30 very well at the NBRSA score nationals. You can go to the competition forum and see his results in the nbrsa score nationals string.
His 30-30 is a fairly conventional benchrest rifle except for a couple of things.
1. It is chambered for 30-30.
2. Michael built the entire action and bolt.
3. He shoots his own bullets.

He is competitive in both group and score matches with his setup.

Michael, post them some pics and specs if you dont mind.

 

[Emmett Dibble]

Not reading the entire thread... but FWIW, we shoot the white buffalo at the Whittington Center with a 30-30 lever gun every year. 1100 yards, full size buffalo, lever gun with iron sights. You have to max the elevation out and have your spotter walk you on. You end up aiming at a tree in the background.

30-30 is a fun/cheap/inherently accurate (from my experiance) cartridge.

 

[jimmymac]

Michael, post them some pics and specs if you dont mind.

@mturner