Description
Buffalo Bore 30-30 Win 190gr JFN is Buffalo Bore item 28A, a heavy load that pushes the classic 30-30 well beyond its usual deer-rifle role. It uses a 190 grain jacketed flat nose bullet at about 2,100 fps, and it comes in a 20 round box.
Who Makes Buffalo Bore 30-30 Win 190gr JFN
Buffalo Bore Ammunition is a Montana company known for heavy, hard-hitting loads for hunters in big game and bear country. Its founder tests loads in ordinary production firearms rather than laboratory test barrels, and publishes those real-world numbers.
Most factory 30-30 ammunition uses a 150 or 170 grain bullet. Buffalo Bore 30-30 Win 190gr JFN steps up to 190 grains. Buffalo Bore says the load is designed so that a 30-30 owner can reliably take elk or moose sized game, and carry the rifle as a more effective defensive tool in grizzly country than standard 30-30 loads.
Buffalo Bore is also candid that this is not a deer load. It will kill deer, but the heavy bullet is built for penetration on large animals rather than rapid expansion on thin-skinned game.
The 30-30 Winchester has been one of the most popular deer cartridges in North America since the 1890s, and millions of lever action rifles chambered for it are still in use. Many of those rifles end up in the hands of hunters who later move to elk or moose country, and a heavier load lets them keep using a rifle they know well.
Specifications and Performance
Buffalo Bore lists Buffalo Bore 30-30 Win 190gr JFN at 2,100 fps and 1,860 ft-lbs. Its own chronograph results from stock rifles include 2,071 fps from a 1950s Marlin 336 with a 20 inch barrel, 2,116 fps from a 1963 Winchester Model 94 with a 20 inch barrel, and 2,020 fps from a 16 inch Model 94 Trapper.
Interestingly, a 26 inch Savage 99 produced the slowest result at 1,983 fps, which Buffalo Bore uses to show that barrel length is not the only factor in velocity. Expect your own rifle to fall somewhere in this range.
Recoil is noticeably stiffer than with standard 30-30 loads, but still very manageable compared with most magnum rifle cartridges. The light, handy lever gun remains easy to carry and quick to point, which is part of its appeal in thick timber.
- Product: Buffalo Bore 30-30 Win 190gr JFN
- Manufacturer item number: 28A/20
- Cartridge: 30-30 Winchester
- Bullet: 190 grain jacketed flat nose
- Velocity: about 2,100 fps (Buffalo Bore published)
- Energy: about 1,860 ft-lbs
- Quantity: 20 rounds per box
- UPC: 651815028019
Field Notes
The flat nose bullet is important in a lever gun with a tube magazine. Cartridges sit nose to primer in the tube, and a pointed bullet could set off the round in front of it under recoil. This load is designed with that in mind.
A 190 grain bullet will shoot to a different point of impact than the 150 or 170 grain ammunition most 30-30 rifles are sighted for. Re-zero with Buffalo Bore 30-30 Win 190gr JFN before you hunt, and expect more drop at distance. Most hunters keep 30-30 shots within about 150 to 200 yards.
For elk and moose, shot placement matters more than ever with a cartridge of this size. Keep shots close and broadside, and practise from field positions. Check your state regulations for any minimum energy or caliber rules for large game.
If you also hunt deer with your 30-30, consider keeping a standard 150 or 170 grain load for that purpose and saving the heavy load for big animals. Mark your ammunition clearly so you know which load is in the magazine.
Store ammunition cool and dry. Rifle ammunition requires buyers to be at least 18, and some states add background checks or other rules.
Browse our full ammunition selection for other 30-30 Winchester ammo, and see Buffalo Bore item 28A for its full velocity table.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.