.30-30 with spitzer tips

[Steelerfan55]

I have a Savage Model 340A. The beauty of it is that I can load it with pointed bullets. The Speer manual, however, does not list any loads with spitzer type bullets, due to the overwhelming number of Mod 94's and 336's.
Would the flat point data work, or do you guys have any suggestions?

[22WRF]

As long as the data is for the same weight bullet no problem.

[Icon-oclast]

I would respectfully disagree with 22WRF to an extent. Yes, *if* you start low and work up because you are making a major change to components. Different bearing surfaces, etc., will affect the pressure curves. You *should* be fine, but it always pays to be quite cautious when diverging from published loading data.

[mtnboomer]

Check to see if any of your manuals have a section for single-shot handguns (T/C Contender, etc.). There should be a load for the .30-30 with pointed bullets in that section and in most cases the velocities will work out about the same.

[inplanotx]

Well, let me interject the following. Most spitzer type bullets in .308 caliber are built to mushroom at a certain velocity. Mainly 308 Winchester and 30-06 velocities. When fired at a lower velocity, namely 30-30, they will not mushroom properly and may become a detriment to what you want to accomplish. So, in choosing a proper spitzer bullet, make sure that its terminal ballistics are such that they will properly open up on impact. Otherwise, they could just pass right through your game or just stop within and act as a full metal jacket. I'd stick with the bullets specifically designed for 30-30 terminal ballistics. Choose wisely!

[Steelerfan55]

You bring up a good point, Plano. I'll check with Hornady and find out what they recommend. What you're saying in that the .30-30 bullets are designed similar to handgun hunting bullets, for low velocity?

[inplanotx]

They are designed to expand at lower rifle velocities! At the ranges you will shoot these, having a spitzer vs. flat nose will never make a difference except for expansion. Hope this helps.

[stash247]

If you do not have J.J. Donnelly's "Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions", buy it; it's a wealth of research, cheap, at any price.
The 30-30 holds 44.5 gr of water, the .300 Savage, 46.6 gr.
The .30-30 is loaded to "safe " pressures in a '94 winchester, it's most common launch site, in most manuals; the .300 Savage, to pressures accptable to the model 99 Savage, it's platform.
Let's consider; the Sav 99 was also chambered in .308 Win, a 53,000 psi cartridge, so that must be safe(???) The 340 Savage was chambered, in late rifles, in .223 Win, also a (???) safe loading, as I have heard of no lawsuits, so now we have a pressure parameter for the rifle.
I'm not gonna lay my a** on the line, and tell you what is safe, but I will say, that in equivalent volume cases, with equivalent bores, pressure curves will be VERY similar.
Were it my rifle, anything I found under .300 Savage, would be fair game for ME to load, -10%, and work up from there, to an accurate load. If the load is accurate, bullet expansion is a non issue, since shot placement, not bullet dynamics, is what makes meat!
I've killed several tons of feral pork with a .22 rf rifle, maybe a couple of deer, the same way, with accurate rifles, and loads.
Never seen a .22 expand to .30 cal, so the advantage in caliber, and velocity, is already yours, but I feel that a 2600 fps load could be had, with a 125 gr bullet, in a bolt gun, with no strain at all. I'm shooting a Martini Cadet, in .308-20 ( .32-20, in a .308 barrel) that does over 2400 fps, and it has less than 22 gr capacity, in water. No loose primers, no smoke rings, and accurate. Play with the loads, do some looking at available powders, and shoot it; that's what it was made for!