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?

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

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Frank

Same load I use in an old savage 340 except for a 150 gr. Sierra bullet.

mc

29.5 gr of IMR 3031 under a Hornady 150 gr round nose...
shoots very well out of my 340C and does well on deer.

later
ledz

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.

Hornady 150gr Interlocked with a book max charge of H-335.

Mike

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Victory through superior firepower!

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.

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Davis Chase

31 gr. IMR 4064 behind 170 gr. hornady w/CCI primer. It's not that fast, but very accurate in the several 94's that I've tried it through.

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.

I use 35gr of H335 with a speer 150gr, shoot under an 1" at 100yds in my M94 win

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.

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.