Hey guys,
A few years ago I bought a 30 Alaskan Bower 14" Contender barrel. It came w/ a number of fireforming loads using the Hornady 110 gr SP bullet at 2525-2625 fps. The load is sub-MOA. I intend to develop a deer load for this year using a 150 gr bullet. Neverthless, I've considered hunting w/ the fireforming loads. How do you think the Hornady 110 gr SP bullet would perform on small whitetail deer inside 200 yards? Do you have any personal experience w/ this bullet? I've previously asked the same question of Hornady, but they didn't respond. Gary T.

The first 30-30 I had was a Savage 340 carbine. It had an 18 1/2 inch barrel. I felt I needed a pointed bullet and loaded the 110 grain Hornady Spire point on top of 33.0 grains of 3031 to get somewhere around 2400 fps. I had to trim the cases .1 so the case mouth wouldn't overhang the ogive when seated to fit in the magazine. Bullet worked great on east Texas whitetails. Way better than I would have expected them to. Later on I tried the same style 130 grain Hornady in a 14 inch contender barrel that was twisted 1 in 14 inches. This bullet would tumble everytime it hit a deer but killed ok also.

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This bullet would tumble everytime it hit a deer but killed ok also.

Are you saying this bullet tumbled on game but not on paper? roger

I killed an antelope with a friends Contender in 30 Herrett using either a 100 or a 110gr bullet [can't remember which one sorry] and saw him kill 2 others, worked great.

My shot was at 90 yards.

I wouldn't try it. Bullets with less than 180 grains of weight and less than 3000 fps of muzzle velocity will just bounce off deer.

Sure it will work just fine. Deer aren't that hard to kill regardless of all the internet storms raging over best cartridge, bullet, etc...etc...ad nauseum.

Gidday Gary,

If the Hornandys are anything like the Norma 110gr they will do just nicely but you still have to remember to place your shot.

I use the Norma bullets out of the 30-06 on wallabies. They are the round nose ones for the M1 carbine and they are great for them. We frequently come across deer (fallow and red) or pigs and you don't have time to piss about changing rounds in the magazine.

They have not failed to do the job and they are being driven pretty smartly at around 3200fps. Just make sure you avoid major bones and go for the pump and bellows.

I have even managed to recover the classic mushroomed bullets a couple of times. They work.

Happy Hunting

Hamish