30 carbine in 30-30

[gregs45auto]

Can you use 30 cal. carbine lead bullets in the 30-30?? They are 120 grain. Need input before I buy these and am stuck with a pile of lead! thanks, greg

 

[Snake45]

.30 USC bullets are .308, same as .30-06 or .308 or .300 Mag. If .30-30 is the same, they should be good for some light plinking loads and such.

 

[jimbo1096]

yes. can be used for plinking and varmint loads, as long as the bullet shape will cycle in your rifle.

 

[gregs45auto]

I picked up a Savage 340 30-30 bolt action. I was thinking about using the 120 gr bullets as plinkers. The rifle cleaned up nicely. The walnut stock was stripped and redone. Can't wait to try it. Thanks for the info. greg

 

[redsouthpaw]

Check the diameter. The Remington .30 carbine bullets are .307. At any rate they should work but might lead the barrel. Also you will need to bell the case mouth slightly for lead bullets.

 

[sailorb]

I use 110 gr RN .308 MI Carbine bullets in my 30-30 all the time, mostly soft points. 34.0 gr of H4895 0r 35.0 gr Win 748 with a Mag primer work quite well. They shoot to the sme point of aim as my 170 gr hunting load and make for good practice. I don't see why a 120 gr lead with a grain or two reduction in powder shouldn't work just fine. There was a great article in Handloading Digest about 8-9 years ago about light bullet loads for the 30-30. You might try to find it.

 

[BowenBuilt]

No problem.

 

[edlmann]

I picked up a Savage 340 30-30 bolt action. I was thinking about using the 120 gr bullets as plinkers.

If you are planing on loading them in a tubular magazine better make sure they are flat points. You wouldn't want a magazine full of pointy bullets sitting end to end. At the first shot that would smart!

Savage 340 magazine:

 

[sailorb]

I forgot to add, I use the Remington 110 gr carbine bullet. My packaging lists them as .308 dia. If they are .307, it doesn't matter, they shoot quite well. I bought 100 100gr cast lead rn bullets at a shop up in Michigan. I tried them out in my M1 with some 2400 and they didn't wprk worth a squat, while the Remingtons shoot quite well. Mybe I'll try them in my 30-30. (A Marlin 30A). I have tried both 125 and 150 gr Nosler Ballistic tips loaded singlely, and they work pretty well. My uncle has a Savage bolt action and both work quite well out of it.