30-30 Ackley Improved

Historical Notes:

The 30-30 Winchester is one of the most popular sporting cartridges ever produced. It is the standard American deer cartridge, but its popularity is due more to the light, handy carbines that chamber it than to its ballistics. Many hunters have wished that the 30-30 had a little more oomph. The 30-30 Improved does just that by providing an additional 200 to 300 fps within the working pressure limits of the standard Model 94 Winchester action, which is 38,000 CUP maximum. There are various versions of the 30-30 Improved, but the Ackley version is the most popular. The exact date of introduction is not know, but was probably sometime in the early 1950's or perhaps even earlier.

General Comments:

The 30-30 Improved basically requires only a simple rechambering job. Cases are made by firing standard 30-30 Winchester ammunition in the Improved chamber, then reloading them. However, anyone who favors the Model 94 Winchester or Marlin 336 and wants more power than the standard 30-30 offers can simply buy one in 307 Winchester caliber. This makes the Improved 30-30 pretty much obsolete for new rifles, but it is still a good modification for older Model 94's or 336's.

Source: Cartridges of the World

30-30 Ackley Improved Reloading Data
Bullet (grs.)	Powder / (grs.)	MV	ME	Source
100 SP	RL-7 / 36.0	2750	1680	Ackley
110 HP	RL-7 / 35.0	2610	1660	Ackley
130 SP	W748 / 36.0	2385	1645	Ackley
150 SP	RL-7 / 30.0	2270	1720	Ackley
150 SP	IMR3031 / 37.0	2617	2280	Ackley
170 SP	IMR3031 / 35.0	2310	2020	Ackley

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