[IDShooter]

Hi guys,
    I posted in another thread about only carrying the 30-30 after elk season is over, but one of the units where we hunt has a concurrent elk and deer season. This got me to thinking: would a hard cast bullet make the 30-30 more elk capable? I ran some figures in the ballistics corner and found that a bullet with a .220 metplat should make a .85" permanent wound channel at my 200 yd impact velocity (based on chronographed muzzle velocities). Actual impact range will likely be MUCH closer, thus wound channel should be quite a bit larger. According to the tech manual's recommendations on wound channel size this should be sufficient.
     What are your thoughts? I think the hard-cast bullet will offer plenty of penetration, I'm just concerned about the wound channel size. In any case, I sure like the idea of carrying my little lever action next fall. Mmmmmm....           IDShooter

 

[MikeG]

I don't see why it wouldn't work.  Have read some of the old-time books and the .30-30 was considered quite the elk/moose round at one time.

Just don't go tossing bullets into the next county trying to get one!

 

[Bill Lester]

Let me preface this by saying I personally think the .30 WCF is a fine cartridge, better now than ever before. That said I don't think it would be a very good choice for elk except under perfect shooting conditions at close range, especially so with a nonexpanding cast bullet. The round has taken many elk over the last century but I'd wager it has wounded even more. If you must use the .30-30 for both deer and elk during concurrent seasons I'd load the Nosler 170-grain Partition.

 

[caster]

I D Shooter
   I just got out of the hospital todayand I'm trying to catch up. Trippedand fell on my left hip a week ago. Thought it was broken, it isn't but i'll be sidelined for about 4-6 weeks
  If you will log on to TECH NOTES  and scroll down to the archives you will see about the 5th one down an article entitled "Qunch Annealing...." which will give you a method of getting a bullet that has a BHN of 22-24 on the back end and a BHN of 8.89 on the front end that you may shoot in your 30-30  full up and can kill an elk up to 150 yards deader than any copper jacketed 30-30 bullet on the market'.             as stated in the article, you dont have to use any fancy alloy mixes or use any voodoo treatment . Itis just plan casting and oven heat treating. I have used this method for the past 16-17 years and I'll guarentee it will work.TBC

 

[FA18CUB]

Or you can just buy a box of Nosler Partition 170grs and go hunting.

 

[caster]

fai8cub
  GO buy some 170gr nozlers!!??  Tch,tch. Have you no romance in your soul? ha ha!
  tbc

 

[IDShooter]

Thanks for the replies guys. Caster, I read your tech note, sounds like quite a process! Very interesting info about the wound channel size, too.
      I guess when I posed the original question, my though was to make the hard cast rifle bullet work like a hard cast handgun bullet; i.e. use the metplat to make the wound channel. I ran both penetration and permanent wound channel numbers using the ballistician's corner tools, and on paper it looks like it would work. My goal would be to assure more penetration than an expanding bullet while still doing sufficient damage.
        Before I take this combination afield I will have to do some tests on wet newspapers and milk jugs to see how things pan out. I know numbers can be deceiving in the hunting world, and I want to be totally confident this will work. Otherwise I'll just rely on the '06.       ID

 

[FA18CUB]

Isn't a non expanding bullet in a caliber under -say .375 a little small for a big game hunting? Seen deer downed with a .22LR just fine. Therefor a  Non expanding .308 cal. bullet on an Elk ought to be about the same but...I like my .30 cal bullets to expand. Thats why I go with the Nosler Partions in a .30-30 for Elk. I just bought a bunch of cast bullets for my .375Win and .444 and .45-70 but those guys are already "expanded" thats why they work.

 

[FA18CUB]

I've got lots of Romance Caster!!  Just ask Tonya and Julie and Erica and Samantha and....J/K !!!  <!--emo&--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->   The .30-30 is prety romantic itself. Just a little handicapped in the "diameter" section of live.

 

[Kragman71]

If you fellas get serious with the idea of shooting big game with a cast bullet in a 30/30,try paper patching the bullet.
The top velocity,in the 30/30,with a 170 grain bullet is about 2200 FPS. A paper patched 170 grain bullet,with a hardness of 6(almost pure led),can be fired in the 30/30 at about 2200 FPS also.
I'm certain that ,with the "proper" lube,a pure lead bullet can do it also.
A 170 grain bullet is somewhat heavy,and,because it is soft,will stay together and penetrate better then some jacketed bullets.
Check it out,
Frank

 

[Bill Lester]

I think a paper patched .30-30/170 would work very well on antelope, whitetail deer and such but I'm not sure there would be enough weight to shove a greatly expanded, almost pure lead slug through the boiler room of a bull elk. I really believe that the best bullet for this job is the Nosler Partition. Or possibly a conventional 180-grain RN intended for the '06.