.30-30 Ackley and 170-grain bullets

by AaronB, Sunday, December 01, 2024, 18:58 (20 days ago)

The load I was using in the post below was as follows:

32.5 gr. IMR-3031
170 gr. Hornady Interlock FP (seated to the cannelure and collet-crimped)

When I was looking in Ackley's book for reload data for this cartridge, it didn't list any loads for 170-grain bullets. I thought this odd, as 170-grainers were the old standby in .30-30. Because I wanted to shoot 170's (and that's what I had on hand), I looked at the load data for IMR-3031 for 150-grainers, and cut it back to a charge weight which, I reasoned, left me some safety margin.

Looking around the web I see charge weights as high as 35.5 grains of IMR-3031 behind a 170-grain bullet. My starting load was a solid three grains under that, and I can hereby testify that 1) it didn't blow up my rifle, and 2) it dispatched a deer humanely with a standard broadside lung shot.

I understand that reload data that you find on the internet is worth exactly what you paid for it. It is, therefore, my pleasure to throw some more such data on the pile.

-AaronB