I am going to start reloading the 30-30. I have a good amount of experience with handguns. This is my first venture into rifle reloading.

I want one powder that will do a decent job. My main criteria is that it needs to meter consistently through an RCBS UniFlow. I plan to use Winchester 150 gr jacketed bullets.

Thanks!!!

Happy Hunter
My personal favorite powder for the 30/30 is IMR 3031,but it is long grain,and not powder measure friendly.I can use it because I have a Belding&Mull measure.
My advise to you is try Reloader 7.It's burn rate is close to that of 3031,and it meters very well.
Frank

WW-748 has worked well here. RCBS uni-flow is a good measure. You should have no trouble if you pick a good powder/bullet combo for your needs?

Much depends on "what" your firearm likes?

Cheezywan

. . . My advise to you is try Reloader 7.It's burn rate is close to that of 3031,and it meters very well.
Frank

I use Reloader 7 for .30-30 Winchester and you're right, it meters very well through the Uniflow.

BL-C2 Meters great very accurate

Some good ball powders are 748, H 335, and BL(C)-2. Those are the ones I've tried. Good stick powders would be Varget, H 4895, and RL-15. Don't know if RL 15 is too course for the uni-flow or not, But Varget is supposed to work well and H 4895 is cut to about the same length as Varget. You can still use course powder. Just set the measure to 1/2 grain under, and trickle the rest in.

Good advice re: ball powders here. I started reloading exactly 25 years ago (1983), and IMR-3031 was the GO-TO powder for 30-30. I still have the same Uniflow that I used back then. I've always said running IMR powders through it sounds like "chopping vegetables."

I have a Lee powder flow contraption, just fiddling around with the metering knob just does not come close to my ole faithful Lee dippers and my 505 scale. RL15 is now my go to powder for my .30-30ai and still have 3031 and Varget stashed for backup.

Been focusing on cutting back powder inventory, RL is fine for the .30-30ai and my .338-06 and 9.3x62-have plenty on hand.

enjoy reloading that .30-30 and shoot often! One fine caliber!

I've got two of the Lee Perfect measures. On one of them their special wiper works perfectly and keeps stick powders within about 0.2 grains. The other catches intermittently. These measures need an extra stiff base and you need to run some pure graphite powder through them when they are new to establish drum lubrication.

The Uniflow likes ball powder best. Mine hates Unique flakes (but what measure doesn't) and crunches stick, like the others say.

Which ball powder you want depends on the bullet weight and performance you expect to achieve? The previous suggestions are all valid. I find that from 130 grain FP bullets up to the heavy 170 grain FP bullets, that Accurate 2520, a target shooters ball powder fro .308, edges out the others for velocity. It fills the case nearly 100% and runs 30% or better ballistic efficiency in full loads. It is followed very closely by Win 748 and BL-C(2). (This is in an Encore, BTW). I strongly recommend you deburr your case flashholes for use with any of rifle ball powders. It substantially improved accuracy in my .308 with that powder, though the .308 case could not be filled as completely with it, which is likely part of the reason.

Thanks for the replies!!! It sounds like it can be narrowed down to:
Reloader 7
BL-C2
Win 748

I remembered one other feature I would want from this powder. My son wants me to make some reduced loads for him to shoot. Are any of the above powders better with reduced loads??

Thanks!!!

None are good for reduced loads. Use Rocky Raab's recipe. Get some of the Hornady or Speer 100 grain plinking bullets and put 9 grains of Unique under them. These are round nosed bullets, so it would be best practice to load them one-at-a-time and not fill a lever gun's tubular magazine. You can use the same charge with flat-nosed cast bullets of about any weight in that cartridge if your son wants to load a magazine.

The half-jacketed round nose bullets can also be flattened at the tip with a file if you drill a hole for them in a board the right thickness to limit and uniform the file cut depth. Collect the filings for future bullet casting. Just make sure lead filings don't get in a carpet or on a floor where kids can pick them up on their hands and ingest them accidentally.

Another choice would be the Lyman 3118 bullet.It usually weighs in at 115 grains,and is flat nosed.
I generally use it with IMR 4198 powder.
Frank

Sounds like another good application for Unique! One of my favorite pistol powders:)

I load a lot of 30-30 and use H335 and BLC-2. Meters very well. H-335 works well in a lot of calibers and I find it clean.