Win 94 AE 7-30 Waters in-bound

[oscarflytyer]

Always been enamored of the 7-30 Waters (and a huge Ken Waters fan). Not long ago, ran into a 14" Contender in 7-30 Waters. Shoots 1" groups at 100 yds benched. Intend to take a deer with it.

But... My real love and passion is leverguns. And so, a Win 94 AE in 7-30 Waters has been on the radar for a long time. Finally found the one on GB. Beautiful wood (I am a sucker), the 20" Carbine length, has sling swivels and a Leupold Vari-X II 2-7 scope mounted. Big plus - I have 110 factory rds and everything to reload (including 3x RN bullet molds - 130/150/160 grn). Looks like this will be (one of) this season's deer guns!

PS: Pet loads are always welcome!

 

[Ian]

Congratulations, this should be fun! You beat me to it, my 7-30 dream rifle would be built on a Marlin 336. I bought one just for that purpose, but it shoots so well as a .30-30 that I don't have the heart to rebarrel it.

 

[Glaciers]

Well I love a Winchester 94, or for that matter any Winchester lever. But I have never understood the 7-30. I mean it’s a good cartridge, but, why. Just my opinion, not meaning to obstinate, but I’m also not a fan of anything 7mm, except for the 7x57.
But, I’ve just never figured out the justification for the 7-30. Not that justification is needed.
That’s just me.

 

[Rick]

Ken Waters had done some experimenting along the lines of the 7-30. Winchester made it a legit cartridge and presented Waters with the first one. A HandLoader article on it but I don't remember the issue number or date. Thus, the name . . . 7-30 Waters.

 

[Glaciers]

Yeah I remember the presentation to Ken. It was an interesting endeavor for sure. It’s recognition well deserved.

 

[fiver]

go @75% what you use in your 30-30.
ie 18grs of 2400 gets dropped to about 15.
28grs of 4895 goes down to 24 etc.
your 145gr bullet is close to that amount of your 165gr bullet. [same length though]

 

[fiver]

the why was for shooting white tail deer from a tree stand.
your just bow hunting with a rifle.

 

[CZ93X62]

I recall those writings by the late Ken Waters in the 1980s in Handloader. If you have his Pet Loads tome, I believe his rationale and reasoning was described in some detail in his articles. Hornady for a time made a FNSP to service the caliber, and I think it went out of print several years ago. I never seriously pondered the cartridge--I have more than enough calibers of sufficient novelty/rarity that another oddball didn't appeal to me.

 

[todd]

my dad had a 7-30 waters in a 14" 'tender. he loaded 115gr Speer HP and IMR4895. he killed alot of deer with it. he also had some Federal 139gr FN factory rounds. i should take it out and go hunting with it. Dad would appreciated that.

Hornady did do a 139gr FN bullet, i know, i have about 150 bullets left. i loaded 7x57 and three 7-08 with that bullet. it was discontinued years ago. i bought 500-600 bullets and thru the years, my dad, i and my two sons have whittled it down to what i have now.

 

[RBHarter]

The idea behind it was to use the 30-30 platform with a 150 gr bullet and gain the BC for the 30vs 7mm bullet or drop it down to a 140 and still shoot dead even with the 30-30 .
Then he added a little AI to the case and shortened the neck from .5 to .3 and gave it a 40° shoulder vs the 19.? . The max loads are just short of the start loads for the 7-08 . That would make it a huge advantage in a 94 Win .

It became the alternate cartridge for the 7×6.8 SPC Carcano with 30 Rem brass available. Run the 30 Rem in the 7-30 die fire form viola' , 7×51 Carcano.......er 7-30 Waters rimless.

 

[John]

The 130 gr jacketed in a Contender carbine coasts right along at 2675 fps. It's a great whitetail round.

 

[Spindrift]

Congratulations, sounds fun!

 

[Bret4207]

Well I love a Winchester 94, or for that matter any Winchester lever. But I have never understood the 7-30. I mean it’s a good cartridge, but, why. Just my opinion, not meaning to obstinate, but I’m also not a fan of anything 7mm, except for the 7x57.
But, I’ve just never figured out the justification for the 7-30. Not that justification is needed.
That’s just me.

Asking why a person finds a cartridge desirable is like asking why a Chevy and not a Ford. There's no reason for the 30-30 with the 303 Savage and 32 Special out there. No reason for the 243 when the 250 Savage exists. No reason for any of the 30 cals besides the '06, 308 and 300H+H. No reason for the 270 at all. The Waters makes sense if you want a 7mm lever gun. Not many 284 Savage 99's out there!

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have had pistol and carbine barrels in Contender. Never a lever in 7/30 not a super fan of the '94 Winchester.
Was really enamored @ the 7mm Shooting Times EASTERNER as it was on a Marlin and that was my sweetheart!
But never got one of those wither!

I probably have a copy from Kens Writings in my Pet Loads if ya dont have.

Good luck

CW

 

[richhodg66]

I have a kind of interesting target rifle built on a big Martini action chambered in 7-30 Waters. I am something of a fan of the 7mms and shoot a lot of 7mm cast, but that cartridge has always had me wondering, seems an answer looking for a question.

I really think this one I have is going to get sent to JESS for a re-bore to .38-55 at some point.

 

[Glaciers]

Asking why a person finds a cartridge desirable is like asking why a Chevy and not a Ford. There's no reason for the 30-30 with the 303 Savage and 32 Special out there. No reason for the 243 when the 250 Savage exists. No reason for any of the 30 cals besides the '06, 308 and 300H+H. No reason for the 270 at all. The Waters makes sense if you want a 7mm lever gun. Not many 284 Savage 99's out there!

Well good points there. But, in a lever gun like the 94, why? Now the AE Winchester or the Marlin, both of which can be scoped, different story. For me I just admit I’m not a 7mm fan so that’s my story and it won’t change.
If there’s a pair of 94’s on a table, one a 30-30 or 32 SPL and the second a 7-30, both identical except for caliber, I’ll pick the 30-30 because I need just one more.
Besides that I’m a Dodge fan.
And your right, no reason for the 270 at all.

 

[todd]

Asking why a person finds a cartridge desirable is like asking why a Chevy and not a Ford. There's no reason for the 30-30 with the 303 Savage and 32 Special out there. No reason for the 243 when the 250 Savage exists. No reason for any of the 30 cals besides the '06, 308 and 300H+H. No reason for the 270 at all. The Waters makes sense if you want a 7mm lever gun. Not many 284 Savage 99's out there!

its been done way back in 1892 (probably 1888-89), the 7x57 Mauser. THE FINEST CARTRIDGE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can't tell today the difference from a ford, dodge, chevy or anything else. as long as it gets to point a to point b and then back again to point a, i don't care.

 

[oscarflytyer]

Not many 284 Savage 99's out there!

got one of those too!

 

[L Ross]

its been done way back in 1892 (probably 1888-89), the 7x57 Mauser. THE FINEST CARTRIDGE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can't tell today the difference from a ford, dodge, chevy or anything else. as long as it gets to point a to point b and then back again to point a, i don't care.

Sure has done anything I have ever asked a rifle to do, with jacketed bullets and smokeless powder.

 

[fiver]

not a 270 fan either, but after shooting a 25-06 for a number of years i can see the appeal of the 270.
it's just a little bit more, maybe not any better than having the 30 and the 25, but if your gonna shoot an elk, antelope, or a deer on the same day the 270 is a pretty good compromise between recoil, accuracy and enough bullet to do the job.

yeah you got the 30 version which will do them all too, but your looking at that little bit more recoil and a little bit less bullet length.
i see the appeal, i don't have one, but i see the appeal.