Head to head

.30-30 Win vs .35 Whelen: Maker-Page Loads and SAAMI Specs Side by Side

By Cole Harlan, EditorUpdated Nov 5, 2026How we verifyEditorial standards

This page puts .30-30 Win and .35 Whelen side by side using only our own ammo guides, .30-30 Win ammo (19 loads) and .35 Whelen ammo (4 loads), plus the cartridge specs SAAMI publishes in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, its centerfire rifle standard. The guides copy bullet weights, velocities, energies and test barrels from maker product pages (checked Nov. 5, 2026). We don’t rate or rank cartridges, and we don’t subtract one maker’s velocity from another’s, because their test barrels differ.

How to read this page: every number is copied from a maker page or from SAAMI, and a test barrel length sits next to every velocity (or says the maker lists none). A dash (—) means the maker has no load in our tables for that cartridge. Fire only the cartridge your rifle’s maker says it is chambered for.

SAAMI specs side by side

These are the figures in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 (approved Feb. 10, 2025), as already recorded in the SAAMI sections of our .30-30 Win and .35 Whelen guides. Pressures are as SAAMI lists them.

Measure	.30-30 Win	.35 Whelen
SAAMI name	30-30 WINCHESTER [30-30 WIN]	35 WHELEN [35 WHELEN]
Drawing issued / revised	05/29/1979 / 02/10/2023	01/08/1988 / 07/28/2022
Maximum average pressure (transducer)	42,000 psi	62,000 psi
Crusher pressure	38,000 CUP	52,000 CUP
Cartridge overall length	2.450 in min to 2.550 in max	2.970 in min to 3.340 in max
Case length	2.0395 in (−.020)	2.494 in (−.020)
Bullet diameter (as SAAMI prints it)	.309 in (−.003)	.359 in (−.003)
Bore / groove diameter	.300 in / .308 in	.349 in / .357 in
Twist and grooves	1 in 12.00, 6 grooves (marked optional)	1 in 16.00, 6 grooves (marked optional)
SAAMI reference velocity	Not yet verified (the PDF text does not clearly pair each weight with its velocity)	Not yet verified (the PDF text does not clearly pair each weight with its velocity)
SAAMI velocity test barrel	24 in standard rifle test barrel (SAAMI’s general statement; not among its listed exceptions)	24 in standard rifle test barrel (SAAMI’s general statement; not among its listed exceptions)

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Each line groups one maker’s loads that share a test barrel, so a velocity is only ever shown with the barrel it was measured in. Ranges are bullet weight (where the guide table prints it) and muzzle velocity as the maker page prints them. Do not read across makers: their barrels and bullets differ. For how barrel length moves velocity, see our barrel length vs velocity data.

Maker	.30-30 Win loads in our table	.35 Whelen loads in our table
Federal	test barrel not listed: 10 loads, 1,000 to 2,390 fps	test barrel not listed: 1 load, 2,800 fps
Remington	test barrel not listed: 5 loads, 2,175 to 2,390 fps	test barrel not listed: 2 loads, 2,400 to 2,675 fps
Hornady	24 in test barrel: 4 loads, 140 to 175 gr, 1,050 to 2,465 fps	24 in test barrel: 1 load, 200 gr, 2,910 fps

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

Where one maker sells the same product line in both cartridges, the loads are listed side by side exactly as the maker pages print them. We match lines by the maker’s own product-line name in our guide tables. Compare only within a row, and check the test barrel in each cell.

Maker line	.30-30 Win	.35 Whelen
Federal Fusion Rifle	Fusion Soft Point, 2,390 fps, 1,902 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item F3030FS1 Fusion Soft Point, 2,200 fps, 1,827 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item F3030FS2	Fusion Soft Point, 2,800 fps, 3,481 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item F35FS1
Remington Core-Lokt	Core-Lokt Soft Point, 2,390 fps, 1,902 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 27818 Core-Lokt Hollow Point, 2,200 fps, 1,827 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 21395 Core-Lokt Soft Point, 2,200 fps, 1,827 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 27820	Pointed Soft Point Core Lokt, 2,675 fps, 3,177 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 21495

What the sources say when you choose

These are points taken from the figures above, each with the page it rests on. They are not recommendations or scores.

If pressure rating is your question: SAAMI lists a maximum average pressure of 42,000 psi (transducer) (crusher 38,000 CUP) for .30-30 Win and 62,000 psi (transducer) (crusher 52,000 CUP) for .35 Whelen. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.
If bullet weight is your question: The .30-30 Win loads in the table run from 125 gr to 175 gr; the .35 Whelen loads in the table run from 200 gr to 250 gr. The ranges come from each guide’s own bullet-weight section. Source: .30-30 Win guide and .35 Whelen guide.
If you want to see the printed velocities: the slowest and fastest muzzle velocities in our table: for .30-30 Win: 1,000 fps, test barrel not listed (Federal Subsonic F3030FS2SUB) and 2,465 fps, 24 in test barrel (Hornady LEVERevolution 82731). For .35 Whelen they are 2,400 fps, test barrel not listed (Remington High Performance Rifle 21499) and 2,910 fps, 24 in test barrel (Hornady Superformance 81193). These come from different barrels and bullets, so we show them side by side without subtracting.
If you are comparing against a box or a chronograph: SAAMI says all standard rifle test barrels are 24 in long. Many maker pages list a different barrel or none, as the tables above show. A shorter barrel than the one a maker lists will likely give lower velocities than the box; see our barrel length vs velocity data. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 and the maker pages linked above.
If chamber fit is your question: SAAMI publishes a separate cartridge drawing for each: case length 2.0395 in (−.020), cartridge overall length 2.450 in min to 2.550 in max for .30-30 Win; and case length 2.494 in (−.020), cartridge overall length 2.970 in min to 3.340 in max for .35 Whelen. Check the cartridge named in your rifle’s manual or marked on its barrel. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.

Not yet verified

The .30-30 Win guide has 19 loads and the .35 Whelen guide has 4, so load counts and ranges are not a measure of how many loads exist; they only reflect what is in our tables. .35 Whelen has the thinner table (4 loads); we state that plainly and draw no conclusion from it.
The .35 Whelen guide has 4 loads. We state the count and draw no conclusion from it; the guide notes Winchester shows no ballistics data and other makers were not checked.
Makers not shown in a column are not in that guide’s table (see the “Not yet verified” section of each guide), so a dash means no load in our table, not that the maker sells none.
Prices, recoil, accuracy and hands-on results are not in our data, so this page says nothing about them.

See the full tables in our .30-30 Win ammo and .35 Whelen ammo, plus .30-06 ammo, .308 Win ammo, .45-70 ammo, .375 H&H ammo, .350 Legend ammo, .308 Win vs .30-06, 45-70 vs .450 Bushmaster, the SAAMI maximum average pressure table, the barrel length vs velocity data, the new ammo of 2026, all ammo releases, all comparisons.

Frequently asked questions

What is the SAAMI maximum pressure for .30-30 Win and .35 Whelen?

SAAMI lists 42,000 psi (transducer) (crusher 38,000 CUP) for .30-30 Win and 62,000 psi (transducer) (crusher 52,000 CUP) for .35 Whelen, in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.

Which test barrel do the makers list?

It varies by maker and load. SAAMI says standard rifle test barrels are 24 in. Our tables show the barrel each maker page lists next to every velocity, and many pages list none.

Which is better, .30-30 Win or .35 Whelen?

We don't rate or rank cartridges. This page copies maker-page figures and SAAMI specs side by side, and it does not cover price, recoil or hands-on results.

Where do these numbers come from?

From our own ammo guides (.30-30 Win ammo and .35 Whelen ammo), which copy maker product pages, and from ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.

.30-30 Win vs .35 Whelen: Maker-Page Loads and SAAMI Specs Side by Side

SAAMI specs side by side

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

What the sources say when you choose

Not yet verified

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Keep exploring

SAAMI specs side by side

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

What the sources say when you choose

Not yet verified

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Keep exploring

The Gun Release Report