is 30BR as efficient as 308 winchester

[londonhunter]

Hi I am a bit of beginer and due to receive my first 30BR rifle in a few weeks after a long wait.

In the 30BR guide on this site it suggests that it will throw a 125 grain projectiles at 3000 fps or thereabout.

My heart of my new rifle is a BAT MV action with 1 in 15 twist Lilja barrel. We plan to cut the barrel to 20 inches and use it for hunting and paper punching at 100 - 200 yards

From these figures it must be very similar to the performance of a 308 winchester rilfe with similar specification.

Does it mean that a 308 rifle is less efficient buring a lot more powder generating more heat however it cannot convert it into funtional advantages ?

 

[2506]

I have never had a 30BR but do have a 30X47 HBR as well as a 308 Win which are bigger cases than a 30BR case. There is no way that I have been able to get 3000 fps from my 30X47 HBR and it has a 24' tube with 125 gr bullets. I get 2850 fps with 42 grs. IMR 4895 and that is all that you can get into a 30X47 case and cram a bullet on top. It is a shooter and with 125 Nosler Ballistic Tips it is a deer killer. Bang Flop. Well over 3000 fps is easy with my 308 Win that has a 21 1/2' tube. For hunting with the 308 and the 125 Noselr BT it seems to kill best and will as give the best accuracy at 3000 fps. 46 grs IMR 4895 gives me this. Both rifles have 1 N 12 twist.

 

[londonhunter]

Thanks for sharing your experience I am only reading from the 30BR guide:

Velocities and Efficiency by Al Nyhus
Using either N130 or H4198, with 112-125gr bullets, peak velocities will be in the 2950-3020 range. 30BRs seem to have multiple accuracy nodes, but 2980-3020 fps seems to favored by most tuners at this time. The 30BR's outstanding efficiency is what allows those impressive velocities. If you compare the capacity/bore ratios of the shortened .308 Win wildcats used in Hunter Benchrest shooting,45.0 grains and above) you'll find they have almost the same ratio as does the 6PPC. It's no surprise then that the 30BR is even more efficient, both because of its capacity/bore ratio and because of the case design and flash hole/primer configuration

It seems so obvious less powder, less heat less report less recoil more accuracy as compared.
Why not more shooters use it rather than 308 other than availability

 

[P1ZombieKiller]

I'm not an expert by any means. I just had my first 30br built by Ronnie Long. I think he told me the 30br fades out after about 300 yards,shooting the 112-118 bullets). That may be the reason no one uses it to hunt with. I would never go to the field with such a rifle. I have never shot at one past 275, but one day you might need that extra range.

Plus, I would never take my Bat action in the field either. It's designed to do 1 thing, and it does that thing very well from the comfort and safty of a bench. I do not need a gun that shoots a .125 to hunt deer. My trusty 30-06 with the beat up stock and the $350 nikon on top of it takes care of business just fine for these Texas deer. I want to shoot once, and see the harvest stop in it's tracks.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Londonhunter, the 30BR will definitely propel the 125BT to over 3000 fps. The exact load I used was Rem 7 1/2 primer, 34.5 gr H4198 & BIB 125 10 ogive bullet. I used that load in a 200 yd NBRSA group match at Rachel's Glenn several years ago & came in 2nd in HV or Unltd, can't remember which. That is a balls to the wall load, which requires full length sizing & bump back each time it's reloaded, so approach it with caution.
To answer your original question, yes the 30BR is condiderably more efficient than the 308 Winchester, but 125 is about the practical limit on bullet weight. I don't know about hunting use, but I do know a couple of guys who tried their 30BR's at 500 yds a few years ago in club matches and either won or placed pretty high. The trajectory at that range starts resembling artillery, I think, but it is still a super accurate round. I do have some friends who hunt deer here in GA & SC with 30BR and 125 gr hunting bullets, usually the 125BT, and they say it is a real hammer. So, it probably works well out to 300 yds, which would be a fairly long shot in this area unless you are hunting over a soybean field. Hope this helps.
Joe

 

[tiny68]

I backup SmokinJoe's claim to that speed in the 30BR. I have 3 30BR barrels for my Savages. All can push the 125s beyond 3000 fps. I have a 1:16 twist 30BR that I shoot some 150 SMK at 300 yds for testing. I could drive them to almost 2700 fps but I didn't play around with other powders. The Sierra 30BR load tables go all the way up to the 180s. Luck, tiny

 

[londonhunter]

Thanks for all the input. I am really looking forward to this rifle.

If it is that good I think I will build my first bench gun in 30BR as well since I have to invest in the dies and do the forming work on so many cases.

Hunting distances in UK for all practical purposes 250 yards max. So 30BR should be very effective and also we are allowed moderator hence I am cutting the barrel to 20 inches.

I will now save the BAT for my bench gun to come and put a trued Remington action on this hunting rig.

Will update once I receive the rifle.

 

[Ogre6br]

My 1:13 twist will shoot 155's nicely like .441 group

Will shoot 185 Lapua Scenars tip on to the target with no hint of keyholing
No idea the velocity, as I dont have a chrony and I was just seeing if they would shoot at all in that twist

First try at 100 with the 30BR- fireforming brass using the 185 Lapua at 100 is the BR target

The rabbit target is the last remaining rounds of the 185 fireforming load at 200y after lunch when the condition had turned really bad- 4 rounds on that target
I had given up group shooting the conditions were that bad and was just firing them off to get the brass

P

 

[AlNyhus]

I have never had a 30BR but do have a 30X47 HBR as well as a 308 Win which are bigger cases than a 30BR case. There is no way that I have been able to get 3000 fps from my 30X47 HBR and it has a 24' tube with 125 gr bullets. I get 2850 fps with 42 grs. IMR 4895 and that is all that you can get into a 30X47 case and cram a bullet on top.

The case volume in relation to the powder burn rate makes comparing these two cases almost impossible when you're talking about velocity with the same bullet weight.

The 30BR's smaller case volume allows using much faster powders than a larger case like the 30X47HBR. Using the faster H4198-type powders in the 30X47 HBR case you'll get into pressure problems long before you'll reach the velocity attainable by the same powder in the smaller case 30BR.

It's all about the relationship of: case volume/bullet weight/powder burn rate.

Good shootin'. -Al

 

[h]

Hi I live in the u.k. and been shooting a 30br for two years now, I can only get 2830 fps with my 125bt in 20' barrel, now I use Barns x 130g with 33.5g h4198 2800fps very good on roe deer love it over my .308