30-06 ammo identification needed!

My Grandfather swore by Winchester Silvertips in his .250 Savage, .257 Roberts and .30-30 Winchester rifles.

Lots of hill country whitetails would agree by his reasoning.

Based on the looks, the box that ammo was originally sold in probably looked like one of these. (180 gr .300 H&H).

IMG_3965.jpeg

Stay safe.
 
The stylized W was the trademark of Western Cartridge Company, later known as Olin Corporation, that acquired Winchester in 1931 when it went into receivership. Super-X was a reference to the X-ring on targets, and was developed in the 1920s. I am not sure whether it was Western or Winchester that created the Super-X trademark, but after the Winchester acquisition, the ammo went by Winchester-Western. A collector could probably give you a good idea of the date of the ammunition. It looks to be of relatively recent vintage, but if made before 1950 or so it might be corrosive.
 
I don't recall seeing any round nose silvertips, but I'm pretty sure that is what they are. All of the previous ones I've seen had a pointed tip like the photo in post #6.

They were a precursor to todays plastic tipped bullets. Winchester used aluminum tips over a HP bullet to aid expansion, and in most cases to improve aerodynamics. I suppose "silver" sounded better than aluminum. Remington responded with their Bronze points, which were really bronze.
 
jmr40 said:
I don't recall seeing any round nose silvertips, but I'm pretty sure that is what they are. All of the previous ones I've seen had a pointed tip like the photo in post #6.

They were a precursor to todays plastic tipped bullets. Winchester used aluminum tips over a HP bullet to aid
Click to expand...
jmr40 said:
expansion, and in most cases to improve aerodynamics. I suppose "silver" sounded better than aluminum. Remington responded with their Bronze points, which were really bronze.
Click to expand...
The .30-30 silvertips had a RN with a small flat at the tip, all the non-tubular mag silvertip rounds I have seen were pointed. ! N. I think its an aluminum cap over exposed lead, as the .30-30’s would get little dings from being loaded/cycled through the 1894 for unloading after a hunt. (Thats why my Grandfather liked those so much, the bullet noses didn’t get nicked up like the Remington or Federal bullets did.)

I had a box of .270 Bronze Points, those were hard metal points like the plastic points on Ballistic Tips. :D

Stay safe.
 
I agree with the others. Super-X was Western Cartridge Co, later to become Winchester and the bullets are Silver Tips. I've shot a few Deer with Silver Tips and they worked ok.

Would love to have a couple of those 300 H&H's for my collection!
 
buck460XVR said:
They may be the 220 gr silvertips. They were round nosed. As a matter of fact, I may still have a few around from bear hunting 45 tears ago. I'll have to look.
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I was wondering if bears would make it into the thread. :rofl: +1 for you @buck460XVR :thumbup:.

Funny how the Win Silvertip rifle bullets have two-tone copper/aluminum colors, but the handgun rounds are all silvery. (I think I still have a box or two if .41 Mag Silvertips somewhere.)

Stay safe.
 
I've got a few rounds of old 300 Savage ammo. They are 180 grainers and have a pointed tip. Gotta smile at the price on the box. I have a second, full box identical to this one but with 150 Gr. bullets.
 

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that brass looks a bit beaten up aside from tarnished, how do you know they are factory rounds and not reloads?
 
I don't remember ever seeing silvertip bullets for reloading, although they certainly may have been available at one time. The marking of the cartridges makes me think that they spent some time in a cartridge belt or bandolier, where the proximity to leather tanning agents likely produced a bit of verdigris. The shoulders do not show signs of working or firing, and the primers look original to me.
 
film495 said:
that brass looks a bit beaten up aside from tarnished, how do you know they are factory rounds and not reloads?
Click to expand...
Brass is tarnished as you would expect for ammunition ~40+ old. Since it has a Winchester silvertip bullet, in a Winchester marked case, with a chrome primer (the style used by Winchester in that vintage ammunition) it appears to me to be a factory load.
 
Pull one apart and weigh it. Standard-weight .30 Silvertips had a spitzer-type point. Looks like yours were stored in leather ammo loops.
 
Jerry M said:
Brass is tarnished as you would expect for ammunition ~40+ old. Since it has a Winchester silvertip bullet, in a Winchester marked case, with a chrome primer (the style used by Winchester in that vintage ammunition) it appears to me to be a factory load.
Click to expand...
oh cool. you certainly know far more than me. I just looked at the head and it looked a bit scratched up like my brass looks after a firing or two, so - worth asking. asked and answered, cool.
 
tark said:
I've got a few rounds of old 300 Savage ammo. They are 180 grainers and have a pointed tip. Gotta smile at the price on the box. I have a second, full box identical to this one but with 150 Gr. bullets.
Click to expand...
I have a box of .300 Savage Remington Kleenbore that says $3.95 on it.
 
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