FACTORY LOAD FOR 14 INCH CONTENDER 30 30

For Christmas I am getting a 14 inch contender in 30 30. I plan to do some hand loading for this gun later after getting the dies, powder and bullets I will need.

My question is if you were going to use this gun to deer hunt out to about 150 yards and wanted to try some factory loads what factory load would you try?

I have been picking up various factory loads for this gun the last few months and have several loads to pick from. I have Winchester 150 gr power points, Winchester 150 gr Extreme Points, Winchester 150 gr hollow points, Federal 125 gr hollow points and Remington 150 gr core locks. Would one of these loads work for a 150 yard deer gun?

I am also getting a Weaver 2 x 8 pistol scope to go with it. Santa has been good to me again this year.

You might want to try the Hornady 140 grain Monoflex. I got 2085 fps out of my 14" TC. According to Seth at Hornady the min rec velocity for that round is 1600 fps which according to my ballistics calcs would put the max range at about 175 yards.
YMMV

Point left out, this was factory load.

I have never shot factories from my 14" tender but, I have used 150 gr Hornadys spire point loaded with 33.5 gr H4895 [I am not recommending this load] and shot a doe passing me at approx. 35-40 yds. It actually turned out to be a perfect heart shot. The deer continued forward about fifty yards with its nose just above ground and collapsed. Doing a quick autopsy showed very little or no expansion. I now use 125 Nosler ballistic tips with terrific results on whitetail. I have not shot them through a chrono but I am estimating my load at 2200+.

Shoot em where it counts and any of those will work.

I have never looked for any data on the traditional flat nose bullet expansion at low velocities (I would think you would be fine), but with the traditional copper bullets in handloads, the max recommended ranges were ~150 yards or so. Abner's Hornady Monoflex testing at 1700 fps looked very nice so I would be quite comfortable with those given Charlie's chrono data if he is reporting on factory loads.

For the last couple seasons I've shot an average (130#?) doe and recently a 6 pt. (180#?) buck, using my 14" comped Contender and Hornady's Leverevolution 30/30. The doe was hit at 65 yds. low double lung. Ran 40 yds and died. The buck took one at 132 yds. and went 50 yds. with no discernable heart tissue left.

Both left lousy entry and exit holes that left a very spotty blood trail. Dead is dead, but I'm not expecting any moderate velocity rifle round out of a handgun to do any better.

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The Hornady 160 grain Leverevolution has a real advantage over traditional factory loads. If your barrel likes it, the extra velocity and sleeker bullet outperforms the classic blunt bullets downrange. My factory Super 14 has taken three big game animals beyond 200 yards with the Hornady factory loads. It works great at lesser ranges also. I do not think there is a bullet with better terminal performance at the velocities the 30/30 generates. Mine does 2070 fps . Sub MOA accuracy is possible. I know of an informal steel shoot this fall,where one day a factory barrel 30/30 TC with the Hornady factory load bested $10k worth of custom XP-100s.