My current hunting load for the 99 Savage .30-30 is a 175 gn HP cast bullet loaded at 2150 fps. Bullet is #321297HP, about 16 BHN, sized .312". A recent post covered my return to 748 after a few years using LeveRevolution. I rezeroed recently, and have the 748 load shooting a little under an inch high at 100 meters.
I also have the need for a lighter load for smaller and closer animals, and perhaps for situations requiring a softer report. For that I have used #311576HP, 110 gns, same alloy as for the big stuff. My loading objective for this bullet has been to have it shooting as close as possible to dead on at 50 meters with the rifle zeroed for the regular hunting load. This involved some ladder-like trial and error. My preferred load was 12 gns Unique (1900 fps) until I ran out of Unique.
This is #311576HP, seated to engage the throat.
A friend gave me some old Norma R-23, intended originally for .357 and .44 Magnum. The load I have come up with is 15 gns. Velocity is 1998 fps, SD 21.
Herewith the result at 50 meters, group 1.35", warmer usefully close to the group, vertical POI good, but lateral POI problematic. I have found with this bullet that powder selection feeds into lateral POI, partly why Unique was the original choice. Wind has been an issue as well, casting doubt on both the 175 gn and the 110 gn lateral zeros.
Until I get a better handle on the lateral zeros I'll just have to be careful about what sort of profile I shoot at.
Target image was obtained by scanning. I hadn't thought of doing targets like that before.
The Lee 110 gn soup can is another bullet I have used in this application.
You are only as good as your library.
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