.30 RAR (.30 Remington AR)

Handloads for my Remington R-15 VTR.

Current Load Development: I want to try the Hornady 150 gr. InterLock SST #30303 in this caliber. If it doesn't do any better, then I will shelve the gun and wait for Tim to take it off my hands.

I guess this cartridge has only one purpose for me: hunting deer. I am leaning toward the 130 grain Barnes TSX or T-TSX, but I could decide to go up to a 150 grain bullet.

According to my Hornady manual, LEVERevolution does very well in this cartridge and produces the best velocities for both 130 and 160 grain bullets.

Deer Hunting

This cartridge is designed for deer hunting, and that is the purpose for which I intend to use it. Bullet Barnes 130 gr. T-TSX Powder LEVERevolution Primer CCI 400 Small Rifle Case Remington Crimp Heavy (Cannelure) Barnes 130 gr. T-TSX Using four different powders, groups were between 2" and 3" at 100 yards. Not acceptable. Nosler 150 gr. AccuBond Using three different powders, groups were between 2½" and 3½" at 100 yards. Not acceptable. Hornady 150 gr. InterLock SST #30303 Users of .30 RAR are saying good things about the Hornady 150 gr. InterLock SST #30303, a special version of the SST specifically designed for the .300 Savage (pictured to the right). It has a shorter profile with a stubbier tip, a low cannelure, and expands at lower velocities (2200-3000 fps). I have a box of these, and I should try them next. I am really liking this bullet in theory, and I want it to work well. Sierra 150 gr. GameKing The Sierra GameKing always has a special place in my heart, and it is available in 150 grain. I have a box of these. Nosler 125 gr. Ballistic Tip Using four different powders, groups ranged from below 2" to over 3". This is probably the most accurate bullet I have tested so far, but I'm hoping for something better. Nosler 150 gr. Partition If all else fails, there is the Nosler 150 gr. Partition. It's a decent bullet, if over-priced and old-fashioned.

Hornady 130 gr. SP: I bought some of these for breaking in the barrel, and I will probably use the rest for sighting in the scope. They work fine and seem to group reasonably. They aren't a premium hunting bullet, but they would work if I had nothing else.

Barnes 130 gr. T-TSX: I don't think my gun likes this bullet. I just tried it with four different powders, and all but one group were between 2" and 3" at 100 yards. I need to think about other bullets.

Nosler 150 gr. AccuBond: I tried this bullet with three different powders (IMR 8208 XBR, H4895, and AA2230), and the results were not encouraging. One group was 1.846" and the rest were basically between 2½" and 3½" at 100 yards.

Nosler 125 gr. Ballstic Tip: I tried this bullet with four different powders (Benchmark, IMR 8208 XBR, H322, and AA2230). The accuracy wasn't stellar, but there were a couple of groups that were under 2 MOA. If I can't find anything better, then I can probably work up a satisfactory group.

H322: I have used this powder with two different types of 130 grain bullets, and for whatever reason, this powder causes a fair amount of case head swipe, whereas the other powders did not. That being said, a lot of people are using it, especially with the 125 gr. NBT.

LEVERevolution: This powder appears to be more sooty than the others powders I've tried in this caliber. Furthermore, at max pressure, I have had feed failures that consisted of the case shoulder being crushed onto the lugs of the barrel extension.