Loading 100 gr plinkers for 30-30

tlo7mm · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 3:30 pm Post subject: Loading 100 gr plinkers for 30-30

anyone have experience loading speer 100gr plinkers for a 30-30?
I am loading some up for my daughter and her friend to get some practice with before deer season comes around. I was curious about anyone elses luck with them and possible recipes.

PaulS

36 - 37 grains of H4895 is as accurate a load as you can load in most 3030 using the Speer half-jacket plinker.
I always load mine single shot style - I don't know if the round nose could set off a primer in the magazine or not but why risk it?

Elvis

you can get nice hollow nosed flat exposed lead 100grn for the 30/30 aswell they look abit like the stirling .22magnum projectiles. my brother in law used them in his 94 with good results.

tlo7mm

Anyone have tips on crimping the 100gr plinkers?

Vince

I load 110gn HP Varminter in my 30.30 and they are great...very accurate, easy on the shoulder and are rather devastating on smaller light skinned game.

I load them over 35 gr of AR2206H (marketed as H4895 in the US). I agree with Paul...H4895 is a nice accurate powder for these light projectiles in the 30.30. Being a SP HP they are safe to use in the magazine of a Winchester Model 94.

Cheers, Vince

tlo7mm

Thanks vince, I am going to give those a try as soon as I can pick some up. I am also considering speer 130gr fn for deer hunting.

Vince

I would use nothing lighter than 150gn for deer mate...and would much prefer a 170gn. I think the lighter bullets would be found lacking for deer.

Cheers, Vince

tlo7mm

I know of many people who kill deer with the sierra 125gr hp consistently and I myself hunt with the 170gr fn but it is a little much for my daughter so I am going to load some lighter loads.

Aloysius

tlo, I've done that too, many years ago, but then that bullet came out of my .300 WM, not the 30/30 Win. It worked OK, but when you hit some bones entering the body, you lose a lot of meat.

tlo7mm

Yep but thats why I shoot them in the vitals. If I cannot place a shot like that than I won't shoot unless of course I am packing my 7 mag, then I risk shots like that.

I have to tell you guys, my first buck was killed with a 50gr hornady out of a .222 and If I had to I would do it again. I shot him in the heart, kills them everytime.

Elvis

speed is the big factor. you load a bullet too fast and it will blow up/ too slow it wont expand at all. those 110grn pills probly do blow up at .308 or 30/06 speeds but maybe not so much loaded mildly in the 30/30. the lads loading .308 susonic are using 170 grn speer .30/30 projectiles that have been drilled out to start the expansion easier. as they wont open at all at subsonic speeds. those 110s look like what brother in law used to use for goats.

tlo7mm

I am interested in loading subsonic loads for those times that I would like to be a little quiter plus its just a tool of the hobby. Myself I load 160gr ftx and 170gr fn, they do the job quite well on the animals I hunt.

Aloysius

tlo, recently I'm trying an RCBS mould which delivers a 180 grs GC-bullet. They seem to do OK with 22,0 grs H335, a selier & Bellot primer, light crimp with the Lee FC at OAL 63,80 mm (= 2,512"). I shoot them in 2 different Winchesters, the one is an AE with 16" barrel, the other an old one with 20" barrel. I know they should have enough punch to shoot a roebuck, but till now I didn't try it.
I think you can find that load in the Lyman Reloading Manual where it gets the indication "most accurate" (an in my opinion that's no exageration for a home cooked bullet at this rather low speed).
I also tried faster powder but accuraty was not that good.

But I can tell you I do like that bullet and when I live long enough, it will also deliver me a subsonic round for my .308 Win, I'll even try it for the .300 WM to get a round that harvests with minimum losses.

tlo7mm

Hey Aloys, keep us posted.

I am not sure exactly how to load for subsonic since I am still fairly new to reloading and the manuels I have do not offer information on subsonic loading.

Aloysius

The advice I got here on the forum was to have a look at Trail Boss. Good advice in my opinion. For my .222 I still didn't get the job right, but for a 308 Win or a 30/30 Win it should be much easier.