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It all began in 1895 when a 0.30-caliber cartridge was introduced in Winchester’s now iconic 1894 lever-action rifle. It was America’s first sporting rifle cartridge designed for use with smokeless powder. Originally marketed as the 30 Winchester Smokeless, it was also known as the 30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire) but is now simply known as the “Thirty-Thirty.” The cartridge was originally loaded with a 160-grain bullet, but it wasn’t long until 150- and 170-grain loadings became more popular. Today, bullet weights ranging from 125- to 190-grains are available.
Though the 30-30′s 150-grain bullet at around 2300 fps is big-game capable at modest ranges, the desire for more reach has pushed most hunters to more modern cartridges and bolt-action rifles. Still, the 30/30 Winchester has remained popular because it works, and because of the svelte lever-guns it’s available in. Toward the end of the 20th Century, ballisticians began to apply modern bullet technology to this 100-year-old cartridge, and the loads available today offer greater versatility and enhanced external and terminal ballistics. More than 125 years after its introduction, the 30-30 is still with us and is a better hunting cartridge than ever. Here are some of the best 30-30 loads you can buy for tagging almost any critter in North America.
Best for Beginners: Remington Managed Recoil 125-grain Core-Lokt
Best for Extended Range: Hornady 140-grain LEVERevolution
Best for Penetration: Barnes VOR-TX 150-grain TSX FN
Most Field-Proven Load: Remington 150-grain Core-Lokt
Best Cycling Load in Lever Guns: Federal HammerDown 150-grain
Best for Beginners: Remington Managed Recoil 125-grain Core-Lokt
Remington Managed Recoil 30-30 Winchester Ammo
A standard lever-action rifle chambered for the 30-30 Winchester will weigh about seven pounds without a rifle scope. When fired with common 150- or 170-grain bullets, that rifle will recoil with about 14 foot-pounds of free recoil energy. For experienced adult shooters, that’s not much recoil—it’s about 25% less than the recoil of a 308 Winchester. But one of the best ways to help a young or inexperienced shooter is to reduce recoil, and this 125-grain Core-Lokt load from Remington only produces about 9 foot-pounds of recoil energy. The lighter-weight Core-Lokt bullet has also been optimized for great terminal performance at a slower muzzle velocity of around 2175 fps.
Related: The Best 223 Loads for Deer Hunting
Best for Extended Range: Hornady 140-grain LEVERevolution
Hornady 140-grain LEVERevolution 30-30 Winchester Ammo
Offering the ability to use pointed, soft-tipped bullets in lever-action rifles, Hornady’s LEVERevolution line of ammunition substantially changed the performance of the 30/30 Winchester. Hornady offers two LEVERevolution loads for the 30-30. One is a 160-grain FTX that uses a traditional cup-and-core bullet, but the 140-grain offering utilizes an all-copper (lead-free) MonoFlex bullet with the same pointy, soft tip. It has a ballistic coefficient (BC) of 0.295 as compared to conventional 150-grain round nose bullets that have a BC of about 0.186. This translates to 2 inches less drop at 200 yards and 300 foot-pounds more energy on target. With this load you can expect double-diameter expansion and nearly two feet of penetration.
Best for Penetration: Barnes VOR-TX 150-grain TSX FN
Barnes VOR-TX 30-30 Winchester 150gr TSX FN Rifle Ammo
Barnes TSX bullets are well known for their ability to penetrate. They penetrate so well because they almost always retain all their weight. They also expand to about twice the diameter of the unfired bullet. With an advertised muzzle velocity of more than 2300 fps, this load should carry 1000 foot-pounds of energy to 150 yards or so. This is a lead-free bullet suitable for locations that require non-lead projectiles or for hunters who prefer them. If penetration is what you’re looking for from your 30-30 lever gun, this load delivers some of the deepest, generally exceeding 2 feet. Buffalo Bore loads the same 150-grain TSX bullet at about the same velocity in their Buffalo Barnes line of ammo.
Related: The Best 308 Loads for Big-Game Hunting
Most Field-Proven Load: Remington 150-grain Core-Lokt
Remington Core-Lokt 30-30 Winchester 150-grain Ammo
Possibly the most iconic of all the 30/30 Winchester loads, the Remington Core-Lokt is a simple but exceptionally well-designed cup-and-core bullet. Though there is nothing special about this bullet’s construction, it has been honed and tempered for three-quarters of a century, and its field performance has been proven on meat poles all over this country. In 10% ordnance gelatin, this 150-grain Core Lokt will expand to about a 1/2-inch and penetrate to an amazing 23 inches. Surprisingly, due to more controlled expansion, it will penetrate deeper than a 150-grain Core Lokt fired from a .308 Winchester.
Best Cycling Load in Lever Guns: Federal HammerDown 150-grain
Federal HammerDown 150-grain 30-30 Winchester Ammo
Introduced in 2020, Federal’s HammerDown line of ammunition has been tweaked for optimization with lever-action rifles. The forward edge of the cartridge rim is chamfered to ease with loading, and the cartridge cases are nickel plated to prevent corrosion and enhance smooth feeding. The most critical element of any hunting cartridge, however, is the bullet, and for all practical purposes the 150-grain bullet used in the 30/30 HammerDown load is identical to Federal’s 150-grain Fusion load, which has proven itself repeatedly. The bullet will upset to about 6/10ths of an inch and penetrate to around two feet deep in 10% ordnance gelatin.
Best for Elk, Moose, and Bears: Buffalo Bore Heavy 190-grain
A 190-grain 0.30-caliber bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2100 fps is serious business, and its exactly what you would expect from Buffalo Bore ammunition. This load utilizes a custom Hawk bullet with a jacket that has been annealed to insure bore seal for excellent accuracy and to deliver optimum terminal performance. While this bullet will not upset to an extremely wide profile at 30-30 Winchester impact velocities, it will drive very, very deep. And get this, amazingly, it’s still delivering 1000 foot-pounds of energy at 250 yards. If you’re looking to use your 30-30 to tag out on big critters like elk and moose, or if you’re looking for a bear defense load for your 30-30 lever gun, this is the one.
Best for Range Training: Winchester American Lever Range 150-grain
Regardless of the rifle or cartridge you choose, success in the field is found when hunters make good shots, and good shots are a product of practice. Of course, you should practice with the ammo you intend to hunt with right before season, but a lot of practice with hunting ammo can get expensive. For 2026 Winchester has introduced a new load for the 30-30 Winchester called Winchester Lever Range. Loaded with clean-burning powders and a 150-grain bullet optimized for flawless cycling, this load retails for about 30% less than most 30-30 hunting loads.
Related: The Best 30-06 Loads for Hunting
How to Pick the Best 30-30 Load for Your Hunting
For hunting whitetail deer, which is the most common game animal hunted with the 30-30 Winchester, any of the six hunting loads listed here will work just fine. Inside 100 yards, the low-recoil load is more than suitable even for those who don’t mind recoil. For deer hunting, select the load that delivers the best precision in your rifle. All these hunting loads would be equally effective for black bear hunting as well. For larger critters, the deep-penetrating Barnes or Buffalo Bore 150-grain TSX bullet, or the Buffalo Bore 190-grain Hawk load are top choices. However, if you’re looking for a single load for everything you can hunt with a 30-30 Winchester—if it will shoot well in your rifle—Federal’s 150-grain HammerDown bonded bullet load is a stellar performer.
Editor's Note: Richard Mann’s new book, Rifle Cartridges for the Hunter: A Hunting Journal Spanning a Half-Century details 50 rifle cartridges through real hunts, practical insight, and hard-earned lessons. It is essential reading for serious hunters and riflemen who appreciate ballistic science and authentic outdoor adventure.
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