I love handloading the old 30/30 cartridge a lot.

Althought accuracy is usually minute of white tail or so, it is not really reliable for taking game smaller than a coyote at distance of 100 yds or so.

As a varmint shooter tho, it is fun to play with a 30/30 while the 223 and 22/250 are cooling their barrels. Playing around with a few new loads on the bench last night, I took them to the range today.

Did I get a real pleasant surprise with a handload of 16 grains of IMR, SR 4759, and a Speer 110 grain FN/HP bullet.
At 50 yds, I got several groups the size of a half dollar ( 4 shot groups).

At 100 yds, the rifle did just a little less better. But hey, this is a lever action! The load is economical, and just plain fun with results like that. Group at 100 yds, might have been 50% larger at most.

This was using a 6x Weaver Scope on a Model 94 SE, with a 24 inch barrel. Primers were CCI/LR.

As the song goes, " she'll have fun fun fun, until her daddy takes the 30/30 away" or something to that effect by the Beach Boys.

Another 30 days or so, and the ground squirrels will be out, and then on the prairie dogs of Montana in May or so.

Ever tried the 30/30 with Rem accellerator cartridges?

Wally,

first let me say I loved you in those Crocodile Dundee movies!

You did great, playing Mick's Chum.

I have tried the accelerators, but they shoot a 55 grain bullet at 3400 fps.

Actually a lot better load for velocity and has more accuracy is a 110 grain RN and a load of RL 7 that I have chronographed at right at 3,000 fps.

If I need a rock and roll 22 caliber load, it is 34.5 grains of RL 7 in a 22/250 case and a 40 grain Ballistic tip or Blitz King.
Velocity is 4450 fps, and at 500 yds, zero it 5.5 inches high at a hundred and you're dead on at 500.

You Aussie boys ought to like that one! G'day Mate!