30-30 ?

wisconsinteacher

wisconsinteacher

Handloader
Dec 2, 2010
1,980
293
There are 2 Win 94 30-30s at home that have not been shot in a long time. One is my dad's and the other is my great-grandpas that he won in a drawing. I am guessing that each one has a box or two through them. I would like to get one of them up and running next summer. What can I expect to get out a 30-30 at 100 yards with open sights? What bullets and powder would you look at?
 
I can shoot 2.5" groups with my 94 and open sights ....shooting from bags. I can't keep them on paper standing with no rest. I really like the hornady FTX 160gr. the last 3 shot group I have in my notes for velocity is 2446, 2428, 2455 with the max of leverevolution.
 
Open sights limit you, depending on how good your eyes are. Two inches at 100 yards is pretty good for me, though I have on a few occasions with Model 94s shot solid 1.25 inch groups. Since it is a close-in option, a 170 grain bullet would be my choice. I'd likely opt for either the 170 grain Partition or the 170 grain Speer Deep Curl. Powders are almost too numerous to list. A2520, Benchmark, IMR3031 would all make my short list.
 
I always set my Winchesters lever actions to shoot at 100 yards and sight in at that range. The midrange trajectory is 1.5 inches and you have easy minute of a deer to 150 yards with no compensation. If you want to practice at 50 yards and that works better for your eyes with iron sights, have at it.
 
OK- there was a couple of posts here not long ago one that did some penetration tests and anonter that showed a cloverleaf group at 100 yds. Who was it?
You can expect everything you need from the "lowly 30-30" I dont have one but within reasonable limits they will do all you need. The trouble with a 30-30 is that they kill stuff with boring regularity. :) Roosevelt alledgedly prized his 30 30 as an antelope rifle for its flat trajectory and veolcity.... :eek: CL

heres the othe posts

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19388

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19427

OOPs you said open sights....me I just cant hit the broad side of a barn with 'em but the accuracy is in most 30-30's. The rest is up to you. CL
 
.30-30 factory ammo comparison: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=16570

.30-30 Speer Deep Curl: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=17009

Chrome's .30-30 bullet test: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=16955

There's really quite a bit of good .30-30 info here. The rifles themselves tend to be light, handy, and reasonably accurate. The cartridge produces little recoil, and really is quite good at taking mid-size game at reasonable distances. One of the great things about the .30-30, is that with the modest velocity, the standard jacketed bullets perform very well. You may notice that in the penetration tests above, some very impressive performance was recorded from the standard 170 grain soft point ammo.

Accuracy? Depends on the rifle. I don't do so well with the standard factory sights on a typical .30-30 lever action. Give me a receiver mounted "peep" sight and I do a lot better. Tend to use a low powered fixed scope most of the time though, it just works real well. My choice is the 2.5x Leupold, which only weighs about 8 ounces. It's perfect for a lever action rifle.

Shooting a .30-30 lever gun is pretty much a sure fire way to put a grin on my face. Enjoy!

Guy
 
LVR is the powder to use I would stick with the 170gr and the Corelokt RN will work flawless and its cheap. After that the PT and DC as meantioned would be nice to try as well.


Hot core is another great 30-30 bullet and in 150gr it can be pushed pretty fast.

XO sights, and Skinner make some nice peep sights that sit on the bolt of the 94 compact and greatly improve the accuracy potential of the 94. If your grandpas 94 is an old model do not mess with it its classic while I would not hessate to put a peep on a newer 94.
 
wisconsinteacher":pg8q2xy8 said:
There are 2 Win 94 30-30s at home that have not been shot in a long time. One is my dad's and the other is my great-grandpas that he won in a drawing. I am guessing that each one has a box or two through them. I would like to get one of them up and running next summer. What can I expect to get out a 30-30 at 100 yards with open sights? What bullets and powder would you look at?
Click to expand...

I also have my Great-grandfather's M94 30-30 made in 1911. One thing to look at is the butt stocks. The 1911 rifle has a lot more drop than the one I bought in 1981. Recoil is more noticable in the older rifle. Not bad but noticable. :wink: My favorite powders for the 30-30 are IMR3031 and W748. I no longer shoot jacketed bullets in my 30-30s as cast bullets work just fine and kill deer just as well. I'm 74 years old so the Winchesters are in semi-retirement. When I shoot a 30-30 these days, I use a marlin because I can put a scope on the gun and see the target. With irons, I can either see the rear sight, front sight or the target but not all three at once. The front sight seems to have a cloaking device when I try. :( :roll:
Paul B.
 
Paul. that's 'cause you are old, like me. I can't see the sights either on my Model 94, .32 Special. That is why I gave it to my oldest son. I figure that he has about 20 years before he can't see the front sight either and by that time, his son will be 28 years old and old enough for the Model 94 to be passed on without immediately selling it.
 
DrMike":26f2nbrg said:
The front sight seems to have a cloaking device when I try.
Click to expand...

That's why I've taken up hunting by Braille.
Click to expand...

Mike,
Does that mean you pull the trigger when you feel fur? Kinda close for bear hunting???!!!! :shock:

Scott
 
DrMike wrote:

The front sight seems to have a cloaking device when I try.



That's why I've taken up hunting by Braille.



Mike,
Does that mean you pull the trigger when you feel fur? Kinda close for bear hunting???!!!! :shock:
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's pretty much what it means, Scott. If I feel teeth, I go to the other end. I make certain I carry enough power to ensure success for the Texas Heart Shot. :twisted:
 
You may want to carry a stun gun as well, DrMike. This way, if you can get your hand out of its mouth, so you won't get shocked as well, you can distract the bear long enough to shoot him while he is writhing from the jolt!
 
You may want to carry a stun gun as well, DrMike. This way, if you can get your hand out of its mouth, so you won't get shocked as well, you can distract the bear long enough to shoot him while he is writhing from the jolt!
Click to expand...

Nah, I gave up on that. I tried it, and I'm so clumsy in my dotage that I shocked myself! :shock: Shocking myself did startle the bear, however. After a few perfunctory sniffs and a cursory glance in my general direction, he ambled off to wherever it is that befuddled bears go. I would tell you that the bear ate me before ambling off, but then you'd want details, such as why I'm still able to write and other such unrelated details. :mrgreen:
 
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