Just won a Winchester 94 in a raffle -- not my usual taste in guns but who knows maybe it will be "lucky."
What bullets and powders do y'all like? I will use this for its classic intended purpose -- short-range deer hunting, with an aperture sight.
In other calibers I favor heavy bullets so I am particularly interested in the different brands of 170s.
As for powders -- Ken Waters and the various manuals seem to like W-748. John Barsness likes RL-15 but he seems to be unique in that since Alliant is the only manual that even gives data for it. Any other top choices?
Posts: 1246 | Location: Northern Virginia, USA | Registered: 02 June 2001
John, If you like to hunt,you will surely like that little 30/30.It's light,and handy,and all that you will ever need for a Whitetail,up to 150 yards. I "converted"to the 30/30 last year,and it gave me an instant kill at 100 yards,the first time that I used it.My load: 170grain Hornady with 31.0 grains of IMR#3031.I'm uusing Rem brass and Fed primers. God luck Frank
------------------ Frank
Posts: 202 | Location: Newburgh,New York Orange | Registered: 21 March 2001
I reload for a friends Winchester using 130 grain Speer pushed by 29 gr of IMR 4891. Another load he uses is 150 gr Hornady RN backed by 34.5 gr H335. I Have had good luck with a case full of IMR 4064 and a 150 gr bullet in my Savage bolt action and my single shot. I have shot deer out past 200 yards with the 30-30, but it shines inside the 150 yards where 98% of the deer are shot.
RE 15 will probably give higher velocity. W 748 could be more uniform. These are probably the two best. You will just have to try them in your rifle. If you have any H 414, you might try it with the 170 as well.
I am shooting 33.8 gr. RE 15, 170 gr. Speer, CCI BR2. Next year I am going to try the Hornady 170 gr.
If you have any cowboy in you, there is nothing like the feel of lever action.
speer 130 grain behind a max charge of H322. Go to sixgunner.com and then look for Paco's archive then look for 30-30 lever guns, he has a buch of great loads etc. Watch out for his 40 grain H335 behind the 125 HP, it's MAX, but will kill any (okay most)medium game dead in its tracks.--MOA
I like using the 170gr. Speer with 32.0 gr. of W748, and WLR or CCI250 primers. The load is accurate in my rifle. I have had some success, but not as consistently with the same bullet and 30.5 gr of H335 and CCI250 primers. The H335 load has about a 4 inch higher point of impact at 100 yards than the W748 load in my rifle.
170 gr. Sierra's and W748. My 2 M94's like this combo above all else. I installed peep sights on both rifles and they will shoot better at 100y than some of my high $ scoped rifles! C.G.B.
Posts: 238 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 05 June 2001
Barsness' RL-15 load is the next one I will try in my M94. Don't give it short shrift just because it's not commonly listed. RL15 is a pretty flexible powder.
What ever you do remember your shooting a lever action rifle not a bolt action. You must choose a mild to medium load or you could damage the rifle. Lever action rifles can't take heavy loads. My files show IMR4064, WW-748 as the best powders to try first with the 150, 170 gr. bullets.
