Should I Load for 30-30?

If you do start loading for it, I recommend the Lee factory crimp die. For lever action cartridges that use a tubular magazine, I find a strong crimp is imperative.
Do you like to crimp separately, or use a seating/crimp combo?
 
I would shoot factory loads. I loaded 30-30 for decades, mostly a 150 grain Speer or Sierra flat nose to around 2200 fps. Never a problem on anything I shot with it. Hogs and deer, a few coyotes and raccoons. However I got a great deal on 10 boxes of 150 grain Federal Powershok ammo. Shot great and has been killing well just like the reloads. You could add 300 fps using modern powders but it you are shoot animals at less than 150 yards I just see no reason for it. 2200 fps and a bullet designed to start at that speed is just flat going to work.
 
I would shoot factory loads. I loaded 30-30 for decades, mostly a 150 grain Speer or Sierra flat nose to around 2200 fps. Never a problem on anything I shot with it. Hogs and deer, a few coyotes and raccoons. However I got a great deal on 10 boxes of 150 grain Federal Powershok ammo. Shot great and has been killing well just like the reloads. You could add 300 fps using modern powders but it you are shoot animals at less than 150 yards I just see no reason for it. 2200 fps and a bullet designed to start at that speed is just flat going to work.
This is the way I’m going for now. Bought ~200 rounds of a few different bullet options to see what it likes. Will save the brass in case I get the itch down the road
 
Here's what I did. I saw 30-30 dies and bought some since I already reload, I have never even opened the box I just assume they are in there. If an ammo crunch hits again I've got all the components I just use them for other things. I bought a bunch of federal blue box on sale years ago and they work just fine. At the ranges and velocity you get from a 30-30 I don't believe you are going to see any big difference in bullet performance.
 
The other benefit of handloading is keeping a bunch of components on hand for when ammo shortages happen. So, if you're going to buy factory, which seems like a good choice for you, just buy a bunch of boxes of whatever load you like. .
 
I've got legitimate 3/4" 100 yd groups out of my 2000 mfg 336W using Speer 150 gr and IMR 3031 and have taken several Texas whitetails with that load. However, I can get a consistent 1.25" out of factory WW 150 gr power points and FC blue box 150's. I reload it mainly for the hobby itself; since I already reloaded and had the setup, buying dies and bullets wasn't that big a deal. This was also when you could still buy brass off eBay and I went a little crazy (I've accumulated a .50 cal ammo can full of once fired eBay 30-30 brass). I bought the Lee three die set, back when they came in the round reddish-clear case. The Lee factory crimp die is definitely the way to go when crimping!

All that being said I have around 200 rounds of factory 30-30 and don't see a problem with buying more when the price is right. Within 100 yards any factory 150 or 170 will do the job nicely on whitetails. I've never even seen a black bear in the wild but I assume that holds true with them as well.

It comes down to if you like to reload just for the sake of taking an animal with something you've made vs a cartridge that got spit out of a machine. I happen to like that part but I have killed many a beast with factory ammo as well.
 
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