Thread: Anyone played with .30-30 subs?

Hi all,
Just starting to think about loading subsonic rounds in my 30-30 (Winchester M94, 16 inch barrel, 1:12 twist). My last 3 shots at deer have been fallow at about 20 metres, and likely to be within 50m most of the time.
Anyone got any info on where to start?
Cheers!

Hi @Cigar

Start buying some Trail Boss powder and get some heavy cast lead bullets. The seller @shooternz might give you some further advice.

-- Basically, since you limit velocity, you have to make up for that with bullet mass, so get the heaviest bullet you can, and cast lead is the key since you can make lead-only bullets BOTH heavy and short -- thus not requiring super fast twist barrels.

- Trail boss is a fast powder useful for reduced loads. DON'T try and make a subsonic load with standard rifle powders unless you know what you're doing... and know about how to avoid chamber detonations, etc.

@Clubbie on the forum recently played with subsonic .308 and did a triple youtube video. He does not comment on the logistics of getting the boolit into the case, flaring the case mouth etc. But just google "boolits" for more info on the practicalities. The loads for .308 Win subsonics will be same for 30/30 Win as they take the same bullet.

Keep us posted.

Arnt they pretty much sub from factory?
Trailboss.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Arnt they pretty much sub from factory?
Trailboss.

The 30/30 is way above subsonic. Not a magnum cartridge, but not a slouch. Just a bit short of a .303 in power.

But I think you mean any TB load. You have to limit TB loads for subsonic performance. Expect a full case to push even a heavy bullet supersonic.

Originally Posted by Cordite

The 30/30 is way above subsonic. Not a magnum cartridge, but not a slouch. Just a bit short of a .303 in power.

But I think you mean any TB load. You have to limit TB loads for subsonic performance. Expect a full case to push even a heavy bullet supersonic.

Na I was trying to be funny/smartarse at the cartridges performance....lets face it they are not exactly hotrods these days.

Sent from my SM-A320Y using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Na I was trying to be funny/smartarse at the cartridges performance....lets face it they are not exactly hotrods these days.

Sent from my SM-A320Y using Tapatalk

How many of today's hotrods could do this to a tree and still drop the deer on the other side?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Na I was trying to be funny/smartarse at the cartridges performance....lets face it they are not exactly hotrods these days.

Sent from my SM-A320Y using Tapatalk

He heh, yes, 30/30 is definitely medium, sorry @Cigar. As for LOWER power... loads of hapless hunters out there using .223s which are only 2/3 power of the 30/30, also .30 BLK, or 7.62x39.. [cordite diving for cover].

The 30/30 is one of the perfect cast bullet cartridges 170 grain cast bullets can be shot at the same velocity as jacketed.

Originally Posted by shooternz

The 30/30 is one of the perfect cast bullet cartridges 170 grain cast bullets can be shot at the same velocity as jacketed.

@shooternz Robert, would your 200 grainers be likely to be stable subsonic with a 1:12 twist, or would I be better to start with the 151's? They will probably be used in 30-30 and 308, big difference in barrel length (16 and 24 inch) but both have same twist.
Cheers!

Go with the 151HP they work in both the 200 grain could be too long to feed in the 30/30
the only real difference you will recover more 151 than 200 both exit goats most of the time
check Flyblowns test https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....55/index3.html

Thanks

If you have unique, blue dot or sr 4759 powders try 10 grains no filler needed does the business with a 170 gr flat nose at 1150 ish in my 94 rifle. Do get the odd one going supersonic but as I use a powder dipper thats probably the cause.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

If you have unique, blue dot or sr 4759 powders try 10 grains no filler needed does the business with a 170 gr flat nose at 1150 ish in my 94 rifle. Do get the odd one going supersonic but as I use a powder dipper thats probably the cause.

Don't know if you can use any of my method, but you are welcome to patent it and get rich. I have some of my TB in a ketchup squeeze flip top bottle. I pour it into/over my dipper which in turn is held over a shallow bowl to catch spills. That way the dipper gets filled in a reproducible way. The dippers are made from different bottleneck rifle cases, and for my light round lead ball .303 loads a .22mag case. I level the "dipper" by just tilting it 45degrees, to leave a reproducible amount in the case (some level it with the edge of a credit card).

The taller the dipper and the narrower the dipper mouth, the more reproducible results I think, due to less influence of how you level the final bit. But dippers that you actually DIP have to be made wide-mouthed.

So when you see me at the range picking up odd shells and pocketing them, it's not because I'm a collector but for my powder measures. I do have a cheap electronic scale for a rough idea, but accuracy is more dependent on consistent method of filling the dipper.

I will eventually go and get myself a wee powder dispenser. Some dispensers are a bit flaky handling Trail Boss I've heard, TB certainly sticks to anything static or the least oily/moist.

I take this is a suppressed .30/30?

You can play with AP70, which is Universal, and about the same loads as Unique.

9 grains will get you 1400 fps or so with a 150 grain bullet. 8 grains would probably go subsonic.

at a guess having used them (151s) in both 7.62x39mm and .308 I would say using a std primer you will need somewhere between 6-8grns of trailboss in the 30/30.