Thread: 30-30 Subs

While we are away at Christmas I have the opportunity to hunt a private forestry block, but it backs onto a wee village, all in the same big gully so very echo(y). I figured something subsonic might be a good idea so today dragged out my TC Contender . . . It has a 17" 1:8 twist barrel in 30-30 - it was rechambered from a 300blk. I'd already shot this with 150 supers and some cast projectiles that Akaroa1 made for me, but with big pigs and fallow a possibility I decided a step up on the quiet front was a good idea so got some 190 gn SubX to try.

I started launching these with trailboss at 9.0 grains and they shot very nicely, but a bit slow at 900 ish fps. I went up to 12 gns of trailboss but the velocity hardly increased at all and I took this as a warning sign, sometimes when the velocity doesnt increase in a roughly lineal manner you'll suddenly get "everything at once" with a nasty pressure spike.

Next try was with Reloader7 and at 13.2 gns I was at 1040 fps and very satisfactory 50M groups. I'd always wondered how the factory 30-30 175 gn SubX load was put together, curiosity got the better of me so I shot into town (pun intended) and grabbed a box as I was a bit short on brass anyway.

The 175s factory's shot at 1067 fps from my barrel. I pulled one and found it had 10 gns of what looked like a shotgun type powder. No filler of any sort either. That makes me feel a lot better about my reduced load without filler, there's been lots written about using fillers over the years (maybe from black powder days of yore) but the fact that Hornady isn't using anything is "interesting".

Here are the results 50M groups shot at 6x as my scope reticle gives me a calibrated aiming point at that power allowing for an instant switch from my super zero:



The two smaller groups are 190s, the 175s shoot slightly more right but are usable on the same zero. Look out goats/pigs/deer, you won't hear these coming!

Nice! I've had good success (only at the range so far) with AS50n powder with no filler, with various projectiles from 90gr xtp to 230gr cast spire point in my 1:8 twist Bergara. Just about to try some 190gr sub-x too, hoping for some action near Reefton over Xmas break. The subs are so nice to shoot...

@bing here you go bud. Someone else with 30/30 already doing it. Great it's worked so easily for you.

Instead of Reloader 7, you can also use AR2207, (both of which you should use with a good hard crimp) or you can use AP70N and it will work well without fillers.

I have a 336 that shoots the 151hp cast (gas checked) from Robert loaded with 7.2gr Trail Boss @ about 3/4 MOA (50yrds, so 1 1/2 inch group) reliably. I have never chronographed it so can not talk to speeds C.O.A.L of 2.500 inch. White River LRP and Starline brass.

I worked up a pretty good load fo a mates 30/30 using the lee mould 173gn semi flat nose pc. 24.3gn of varget. White river primers. Got about a 3" group at 150m in pretty strong crosswind using a fixed parralax scope. I was really happy with that as I'd screwed up the seating and munted the noses with the inertia hammer. I set them with a good crimp and all was forgiven

In .308 20" barrel with the 175 Sub-X I'm running 9.5gr TB with crimp for 1040-1060fps, about 6" down from the super impact point at 50m and a little left. I think from memory (I've got a little diagram in the box with the subs) it's the 2nd drop line in the scope at 6x for the sub 50m zero. .308 case is bigger than the .30-30 but the powder volume doesn't go close to filling it and projectile weight is the same?

Interesting point with the "everything at once" when you get a zone of increasing powder but no increase in velocity. Must be a cause for that, but not sure what would do it. I've heard other people say that but never experienced it myself. Wondering about a faster powder like Red Dot etc as well, might be an option and it's usually around.

My next idea is trying Robert's 151gr pills - note to self, must order some...

Originally Posted by No.3

In .308 20" barrel with the 175 Sub-X I'm running 9.5gr TB with crimp for 1040-1060fps, about 6" down from the super impact point at 50m and a little left. I think from memory (I've got a little diagram in the box with the subs) it's the 2nd drop line in the scope at 6x for the sub 50m zero. .308 case is bigger than the .30-30 but the powder volume doesn't go close to filling it and projectile weight is the same?

Interesting point with the "everything at once" when you get a zone of increasing powder but no increase in velocity. Must be a cause for that, but not sure what would do it. I've heard other people say that but never experienced it myself. Wondering about a faster powder like Red Dot etc as well, might be an option and it's usually around.

My next idea is trying Robert's 151gr pills - note to self, must order some...

Please do I have plenty in stock, I have done a little loading with Red Dot and 700X, they are nearly as bulky as Trail Boss and easier to find, any of the flake shot gun powder should be usable
someone said that Titegroup was ok, I don't have any to try.

Originally Posted by Tokoroa Cast Projectiles

Please do I have plenty in stock, I have done a little loading with Red Dot and 700X, they are nearly as bulky as Trail Boss and easier to find, any of the flake shot gun powder should be usable
someone said that Titegroup was ok, I don't have any to try.

Add Nobel Shotgun Powder No 78 to the list. Slightly faster than AS30N and Red Dot. Use the Red Dot load data for 30cal reduced loads. In 303B and 30cal cases, pressure rises sharply above 13gn which in 3038 is delivering around 1800fps with a 220gn cast bullet. 6 gn gives around 1000fps in 308 with a 180gn cast bullet sized to .312 (i.e. 303B bullets - my 308 bore is worn to about 65% rifling, 2in group of 5 at 50m). No fillers used, too dangerous

Unique, 8grn behind Robts 151 in 30-06 ai 1230 fps 1in14ish, zero at 50,7" low at 100,good crimp.and 8.5 grn ap70 same same

Originally Posted by Tokoroa Cast Projectiles

Please do I have plenty in stock, I have done a little loading with Red Dot and 700X, they are nearly as bulky as Trail Boss and easier to find, any of the flake shot gun powder should be usable
someone said that Titegroup was ok, I don't have any to try.

I've had great results with Titegroup in subsonic .223 with 40gr projectiles and no fillers, it's a pretty affordable powder, very small charges and isn't position sensitive.
Deals to Amy pesky possums hanging around camp and is bloody silent through a .223 suppressor