Loading 30-30 in general & Lehigh controlled chaos?

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I got a marlin 336 when my uncle passed away, he was a MI white tail hunter, I'm a western hunter so I haven't messed with it much yet but have the desire to take some game with it sometime as a tribute.

Anyone load for 30-30 win and if so anything unique or quirks you've found (obviously no pointy bullets )? Favorite loads?

Has anyone tried the Lehigh 140gr controlled chaos either in ammo form or as a reload? OR Controlled chaos from other slow calibers like 300BLK? Looks like MV for that one in 20" would be ~2400fps, best I can tell the petals rip off pretty violently in the first inches and the shank carries through with decent penetration even at lower velocity. Seems like it'd get the job done fairly well.

 

[A382DWDZQ]

Just missed a mix of 3030 projectiles on American reloading that had the Nosler 30/30 BTs in them.

 

[sndmn11]

I load them, the $10 lee crimp die is a good thing to purchase. Its the only cartridge I go exactly by the book and am using lever evolution.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I load them, the $10 lee crimp die is a good thing to purchase. Its the only cartridge I go exactly by the book and am using lever evolution.

Yeah leverevolution seemed to be the ticket. What bullets have you ran?

 

[sndmn11]

Yeah leverevolution seemed to be the ticket. What bullets have you ran?

The Hornady mono and lead ones they use in the factory ammo. Ftx and mfx I think is that they are called.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

The Hornady mono and lead ones they use in the factory ammo. Ftx and mfx I think is that they are called.

Yeah the 140MFTX and 190FTX irrc. What you shooting them outta and velocity? Mine is a 20" barrel.

 

[sndmn11]

Yeah the 140MFTX and 190FTX irrc. What you shooting them outta and velocity? Mine is a 20" barrel.

160gr ftx.

I think it's a 20" barrel.

I'll check my book when I get back to town.

 

[DakotaBPNW]

I don’t mess with loads in my crimped lever cartridges. I load both 140 and 170gr flat nose in my 30-30. They’re essentially just middle of book on powder charge. I’m using leverevolution and imr4895

 

[BPAZ223]

Be a cowboy. 9-10 grains of herco and a lead bullet.

 

[sndmn11]

Yeah the 140MFTX and 190FTX irrc. What you shooting them outta and velocity? Mine is a 20" barrel.

34grs lever evolution with the 140 monoflex was 2390ish across Hornady, Remington, and federal brass.

 

[FLS]

Lever guns dont have the leverage for chambering or extraction that a bolt gun does, make sure you fully size the case.
150 Hornady RN over Varget in Winchester brass.
170 grain Sierra flat nose over Varget or H4895 in Winchester brass.

 

[cs1]

I’ve been loading 150 gr Speer’s with 31 grains of IMR 3031 for my 336 for years, with good results on Texas whitetails. The most exotic I’ve tried is 170 grain Sierra’s with LVR, my rifle didn’t care for it (either that or I’m getting old).

It’s a 30-30. Don’t overthink it or try to make a barn burner out of it. The cheapest 30-30 designed bullet with any reasonable listed powder charge will work great for what it does.

 

[Karlburns]

I use my 30-30 for moose up in AK during the winter. Just dropped one back on March 9th if I recall the date correctly.

Leverevolution with a ftx bullet. It’ll drop almost anything if your shot placement is right. Wouldn’t want to chance it on a Bear myself but anything else I wouldn’t worry about.

 

[jhm2023]

I can't speak to the 30-30 or 140gr Controlled Chaos but, I load the 115gr Controlled Chaos in 300 blackout mv of 2,130ish from a 10" barrel. They have been excellent on black bears, grizzly bear, and wolf. The petals shear off a few inches in with the base tracking straight through, almost always passing through. The petals travel at roughly 20-30 degree angle off the main wound track, sometimes exiting, sometimes they stop somewhere on the opposite side.

 

[jhm2023]

Notice below, the petal exit holes around the main exit of the base.

A recovered base.

 

[KenLee]

Lever guns dont have the leverage for chambering or extraction that a bolt gun does, make sure you fully size the case.
150 Hornady RN over Varget in Winchester brass.
170 grain Sierra flat nose over Varget or H4895 in Winchester brass.

That and other reasons is why I hate a 30-30 and love my BLRs

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I ordered some 140 monoflex and 140 controlled chaos to try.

 

[Rich M]

Nothing wrong with a 30-30.

You can use pointy bullet for first round and it'll be good 250-300 yards. Flex tip is good for 2+ shots.

If you hunt where a lot of us do and have 150 yard or less shots, just run 150/170 round nose and kill stuff. Don't over-think it unless you want to.

I'm using 350 Legend a lot lately and it is nothing more or less than a 30-30 imitation. Same weight bullet, same speed, just more aerodynamic.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Nothing wrong with a 30-30.

You can use pointy bullet for first round and it'll be good 250-300 yards. Flex tip is good for 2+ shots.

If you hunt where a lot of us do and have 150 yard or less shots, just run 150/170 round nose and kill stuff. Don't over-think it unless you want to.

I'm using 350 Legend a lot lately and it is nothing more or less than a 30-30 imitation. Same weight bullet, same speed, just more aerodynamic.

I don't hunt in dense <150yd turf, hence I haven't put much effort into this gun previously. But I want to get it set up and make time on a hunt where it might work into the mix. Frankly it could be fun to creep on a pronghorn with one in the right circumstances, sorta the opposite of what someone is thinking when they hear 30-30!

 

[FLS]

I don't hunt in dense <150yd turf, hence I haven't put much effort into this gun previously. But I want to get it set up and make time on a hunt where it might work into the mix. Frankly it could be fun to creep on a pronghorn with one in the right circumstances, sorta the opposite of what someone is thinking when they hear 30-30!

I thought about that myself. I’ve slipped up and counted coup on several well within 30-30 range. Just have to find one in the right spot and not be too picky.