since inheriting dad's Model 94 30-30, I've been reading up on the different factory loads. Do you guys have any advice? I've been reading up on those Hornady 160gr. LEVERevolution loads with the flex tip (which I had not heard of since I haven't looked at 30-30 loads in my life) as well as the traditional 150 and 170gr. corelok loads by Remington and Winchester, and Hornady. Have y'all noticed any difference in performance with those flex tips vs. the traditional rounded nose bullets?

Also, any advice on sighting in an open sight rifle would be appreciated.

Dr. B

Sometimes those rubber tipped ones bounce off the deer so be careful.

I’ve extensively tested EVERY 30-30 load there is and 150gr Powermax is the best.

I feel the Hornady Leverevolution 160gr and 140 gr is better suited for longer range and larger animals. The Federal 125gr “varmint” round actually works real good on deer.

The Powermax holds together, EXPANDS, makes a great exit wound, and shocks the piss out of the animal. Probably won’t be a better performing game bullet in my remaining lifetime than this bullet, its all I use now. I will test anything new for kicks, its what I do.

The performance betwixed Pmax and standard round nose bullets is like night and day. I’ve never recovered a Pmax bullet and the exit hole is almost always the same fifty cent piece size.

If your rifle likes the 150gr Powermax, don’t try anything else. I went to powermax after being a faithful follower of the 160gr LeverE. I started having bad lots and projectile problems with the Hornady so I tried the powermax. The first and most every animal I’ve hit with Pmax, I got comments after jerking their pants off like “what the hell did you hit that with?” You will never wonder if the deer was hit using Powermax.

The 30-30 using Powermax 150gr will kill with ease anything in North America.

Knock that rear sight out and put in a Skinner Dovetail peep.

http://www.skinnersights.com/barrel_mount_6.html

Every caliber has a particular bullet weight that just outperforms the rest.
For a 308 the 165 grain is far better than any others.
The 150 grain seems to be the most accurate in a 30-30.
I prefer a lead round nose bullet, but the lever revolution also is a great choice.

You might find a bullet that outperforms ballistically but you won’t outperform the terminal performance of powermax.

For the 308 Winchester, NO 165gr bullet outperforms 150gr powermax on terminal performance. I’ve put it to the test on several calibers. The only reason I use the 180gr Powermax in my 30-06 is because its always on the shelf.

The 150gr 30-30 Powermax is the best terminal performing bullet for the caliber bar-none.

Your rifle has to be accurate with a bullet first so you have to find what it likes.

I don't have any advice for 30 30 ammo but I have a suggestion for using open sights...

Put a scope in it.

Ha Ha! I took the side-mounted scope off that dad put on it. Trying to go traditional with look and hunting. Plus, based on the comments in another forum on here, I'd risk get the permanent ban hammer if I posted a deer kill with a lever action rifle with a scope on it.

Dr. B

I've probably killed around 100 deer with my old Marlin 30-30 and the vast majority of them were killed with your plain old 170 gr flat nose...Remington or Winchester. That being said though, I'm gonna try some of the 150 gr powermax that Johnhyloco is recommending next year. Right now I'm using my 30-30 as my blood tracking gun.

Harold, you shooting open sights, I assume?

Dr. B

Yep....back when I hunted with my 30-30 I always had a scope on it......Now that I'm tracking with it I just use iron sights. A scope is definitely more accurate but iron sight will get the job done at short distances.

There are better bullets out today but early in my career I had some unsatisfactory performance with 150's as compared to 170's. Therefore I've always shot 170 grain Silvertip, PowerPoint or CoreLokt and never had a problem killing anything with it. They all provide complete pass through and while I have been unable to recover most of the bullets I have recovered a few including one Power Point within the last couple years... and it was 91% weight retention with about a 50 yard shot.

If you can't kill a deer with that you got problems. Like you might want to look into Tennis lessons kinda problems.

I have also shot the flex tips. They work fine but not really needed where I hunt my shots are usually no further than 100 yds in the woods. I shoot the flex tips in other calibers as well and they do fine.

If this is an older rifle it may not feed the leverRevolutions. My old 444 wont feed them at all. FWIW

Just replace the follower and it will feed LeverE, even your 444. If you must use your flat follower, push the last round into the loading gate and into the tube a bit with something then let it ride back, it won’t jam after that.

All 30-30 bullets kill deer, its a fact.

LeverE fouls Marlin microgroove faster, a Winchester seems to like it. This doesn’t matter, why?
Your eyes are getting heavy, you are getting sleepy, you are gonna use 150gr Powermax.

You can get some decent things here and folks will debate on the followers but the factory plastic type are number one. You want the best loading gate, see the link.
http://www.rangerpointstore.com/marlin-flyweight-easy-loading-gate/

In Alabama, this is as good as it gets http://www.apwcogan.com

The velocity of the 150gr coupled with the expansion and composition of that powermax...Works!

Scope is no more accurate than irons. Its the mitigating factors that make a difference...the shooter!
Scopes do make us lazy but do have their perks. Many times, at dusk or dawn while the color green is still faded, I can see an animal on low power that I cannot see with my naked eyes. If you've never toted a Winnie 94 with ghost sights through the deer woods, in the mountains, or the plains...Its quite the feeling!



On the 7-08 subject in the other thread, the powermax supply dried up for 7-08, I think it got discontinued, so I sold my 7-08 and went back to 30-06.

This and the 120gr Barnes are the best 7-08 ammo for deer sized critters there ever was/will be

My brother killed a tractor trailer full of deer with 170 gr silver tips. Never lost one that he hit correctly. Don't remember many tracking jobs either. It was accurate and deadly.

I use lever revolution and like it. Never lost a deer and extended range is great.

Don't over-think it. Just get 170gr Core-Lokt. I use some more complicated stuff in other guns, but for a 30-30.... just keep it simple.

Powermax 150gr

I’m beginning to think this guy gets paid for how many times he mentions the above. Or he sponsored by them somehow. I’m not gonna say it. He’s said it enough. Lol

Or maybe just an idiot.

The core lokt has been a killing machine for decades.
Regardless of weight or caliber choice, you won't go wrong with a simple core lokt.