[Big Dog]

Onetime: This is true of TUBE magazine rifles. NOT a problem with detachable box magazines at all. Besides the Savage bolt action we are discussing, Browning's box-magazine lever rifle can use pointed bullets perfectly well.
This gives us the option of bullets with better ballistic coe-efficient, allowing a flatter trajectory, a wider choice of bullet weights, and we can tailor the rifle to the need at hand.
My experiments with the 110 grain and 125 grain Spitzers has gone very well indeed! The 110's fit the box magazine, while the 125's do not - I may try seating them deeper - but the ogive of the bullet may prevent this.
Accuracy is good. I did have to make sure to Full Length Size the used brass, as the M340 has a very tight chamber. The brass I load for it will be reserved strictly for the M340. Now, to find some Yotes to pop!

[YoungGun520]

I just inherited a savage 30-30 for my grandpa. Now it says on the side of the rifel that its a savage 3400. I looked it up and all that comes up is 340. Now this rifle is like 40 years old so i thought it might just be an earlyier modle of the same gun. But it doesn't have a magazine. Will it take the 340 models magazine?

[samuel]

Yes,it is a M340.Probably a M340C and you think the C is a 0. sam.

[Morgan]

Sounds like a deal to me. since its a bolt action you could load somthing in it besides those old round nose loads! That's be one big advantage!

[KC IN TC]

Since we're talking about hand loading for the .30-30 how high can you take this cartridge? It seems to me that you could get it around .308 velocities with out too much trouble. Being a .30 cal. centerfire it should be as versital as a .308 as far as bulletweight and velocities right?

[pajaro]

be careful loading hot rounds..... the 340 action isn't particularly strong..... maybe someone knows what pressures they are rated for?

[Big Dog]

The Savage M340/Stevens M325 was introduced as an inexpensive 'economy' grade rifle - it isn't as strong as the M110 series. I wouldn't 'hot load' it.
The 110 grain bullets give me some 'zip' and a flatter trajectory without having to over-stress it.

[big shrek]

And all the 340S parts will go on a 340C as well

The 340S was the deluxe version with checkered stock, screw-eyes for sling, PEEP REAR SIGHT (my favorite), & hooded front sight.

[12yroldhunter]

well its a nice gun i use one for deer and im 12 i got a 5 point last year

[12yroldhunter]

yea that 5 was my first

[ke4sky]

Quote:       Originally Posted by pajaro

be careful loading hot rounds..... the 340 action isn't particularly strong..... maybe someone knows what pressures they are rated for?

Savage 340 has only one locking lug and the bolt handle is the safety lug,. simiular to a Krag. Iwould not exceed factory .30-30 pressures.

Even with a strong action like a Remington 788, the .30-30 brass is thinner in the body wall and head and the brass won't last long if over-loaded.

[Ballbearing]

Quote:       Originally Posted by utahvarminter

Don't see any point in a 30-30 bolt. Ballistics aren't as good as say... a .308

Hot 3000 fps ballistics and pinpoint MOA accuracy may be important in military sniping at a thousand yards, but in deer hunting at a hundred yards in brush, not so much. A .30-30 or especially a .35 Remington with 2000 fps velocity and minute of frisbee accuracy work just dandy. And with the new Hornady Leverrevolution ammo, both of those rounds have been improved somewhat. Plus, in a bolt-action rifle, you can use bullets with hard points. In a lever-gun, those points would contact the primer in the cartridge ahead of them in that tubular magazine with..uh...unfortunate results.

[Palladin8]

Well I will have a range report this weekend on my little 340C with factory loaded ammo. I am stopping by Bass Pro to pick up a few boxes of ammo for it. I'll try the 150s and 170s for the fun of it. Maybe even grab some of the new hornady ammo and test it out. I wanted to load some cast bullets up for it but I have to wait for a mold and sizer to arrive.
The peep sight went on without a problem and have the magazine as well. I wish it held more than 3 rounds but oh well such is life.

[moosemike]

They are cool rifles. I'd like to get one and stoke it full of those Hornady Leverevolutions. It's cool to have a 30-30 in a bolt I think.

[moosemike]

Quote:       Originally Posted by utahvarminter

Don't see any point in a 30-30 bolt. Ballistics aren't as good as say... a .308

Well I'll tell you why I choose a 30-30 or other similar brush cartridges. I cut my teeth hunting with a 30-06 and took alot of animals. I used the .270 Winchester and did well with that. Then I bought a couple 243's and a 308 and they worked well too. Problem was I was bored with all those standard rounds and I don't need or want magnums. I got a 30-30 somewhere alon the way and it was "fun". I enjoyed the cartridge and it killed as well as the other "boring" stuff did for me. It was too much fun and then I proceeded to get into the 32 Special and .35 Remington. And now I find myself hunting with a traditional brush round alot of the time, maybe most of the time because they put the fun back into rifles for me.

[ArkansasHunter]

Quote:       Originally Posted by Big Dog

I'm another lover of the Savage 340. Great little deer rifle for my area. It outshoots my Marlin 336 by a small margin, and seems to have a bit less felt recoil - something in the stock shape I think. Two limitations though: 1) The sidemount is low, and you can't put on a scope with a big bell. Weaver may make an extended upper mount, I think. 2) Be careful with handloads - the chamber on mine is fairly tight and some of my loads wouldn't chamber. I was using range-found brass, instead of the brass fired thru this rifle. Also, the heavier 150 grain Spitzer bullets were a tad too long for the magazine. I need to try some hotter 110 grain loads for 'varminting'. Sportsman's Guide has spare magazines for these rifles.

What you need to try is some Hornady 110 gr. V-Max bullets. Call Seabee Scotty and ask him about them.
My hunting buddy is loading up some in 308 for me right now.
They would be awesome in a 30-30 I think...A.H

[samuel]

Light bullets in .30cal for deer is just asking for bullet failure and badly wounded deer getting away to die later.I know of nothing 130gr and under that can be considered worthy for deer or hogs.They may well work and you will say I don't know what I'm talking about.But they can fail(and will at one time or other)and when they do that animal is going to die a horrible death.The .30-30 would be better than some because it doesn't have the HV/HE to frag the bullet like,say,a .308win.But if it hits a bone with enough resistance,fragment it will,and fail it will.Also the twist isn't fast enough to handle like 150gr,sp/hpbt,s.Possibly the LR,s by Hornady will do fine,I have no experience with them on game,only shooting targets and wet paper.They lack accuracy in the old 1in16" twist of older .30-30,s but seem to expand great.But my opinion is the best bullets made for the older twist .30-30 was made years ago and they still make them.Also,my opinion,unless you are varmint hunting or target practicing and considering using 110gr (or anything under 130gr)in a .308win, "dont",just dont.They aren't designed for deer and larger. ,,,sam.

[moosemike]

Quote:       Originally Posted by samuel

Light bullets in .30cal for deer is just asking for bullet failure and badly wounded deer getting away to die later.I know of nothing 130gr and under that can be considered worthy for deer or hogs.They may well work and you will say I don't know what I'm talking about.But they can fail(and will at one time or other)and when they do that animal is going to die a horrible death.The .30-30 would be better than some because it doesn't have the HV/HE to frag the bullet like,say,a .308win.But if it hits a bone with enough resistance,fragment it will,and fail it will.Also the twist isn't fast enough to handle like 150gr,sp/hpbt,s.Possibly the LR,s by Hornady will do fine,I have no experience with them on game,only shooting targets and wet paper.They lack accuracy in the old 1in16" twist of older .30-30,s but seem to expand great.But my opinion is the best bullets made for the older twist .30-30 was made years ago and they still make them.Also,my opinion,unless you are varmint hunting or target practicing and considering using 110gr (or anything under 130gr)in a .308win, "dont",just dont.They aren't designed for deer and larger. ,,,sam.

Very well said.

[Tack Driver]

Swampfox brings up a good point that you can reload it with spitzer shaped bullets. But, if I was buying a bolt action, I would get a 30-06, 270 Win, or a 7mm Rem Mag. Marlin XL-7 30-06, $299 at Dick's Sporting Goods.

[quietman]

Or you can shoot the Lever Evolution 30-30 for a factory load with pointed bullets.

LE makes all the old stories about pointed bullets in a tube magazine not applicable as long as you are using the Hornady FTX bullet.

So you don't have to reload anymore to be able to get a spitzer bullet in a 30-30 (but you can get the FTX bullet if you do wnat to reload)