I wouldnt worry too much about a HiTek from Acme or Missouri Bullet and velocity unless you are planning on exceeding 1500fps. I have routinely pushed Acme HiTek 115s from my AR9 in excess of 1500fps with no leading.
Using .30 Carbine bullets for .327, anyone try this before?
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I wouldnt worry too much about a HiTek from Acme or Missouri Bullet and velocity unless you are planning on exceeding 1500fps. I have routinely pushed Acme HiTek 115s from my AR9 in excess of 1500fps with no leading.
cjwils
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"Have you tried referencing some of the .32H&R NRA Hunter Class and IHMSA Field Pistol data for the T/C Contender? Use of .30 Carbine bullets was pretty common. Sierra and Lyman’s both published T/C .308” tables for that cartridge."
Years ago Thompson/Center, in cooperation with IHMSA, produced a Contender barrel that was nominally a 32-20, but had a .308 bore. One of the reloading companies (don't recall if it was Sierra or Lyman) produced a reloading die set specifically for loading 32-20 cases with .308 bullets. I had one of those Contender barrels back in the 1980s. I don't recall if my barrel was 10" or 14", but it was extremely accurate. I could get close to 1 MOA with that combination, and recoil was light.
Years ago Thompson/Center, in cooperation with IHMSA, produced a Contender barrel that was nominally a 32-20, but had a .308 bore. One of the reloading companies (don't recall if it was Sierra or Lyman) produced a reloading die set specifically for loading 32-20 cases with .308 bullets. I had one of those Contender barrels back in the 1980s. I don't recall if my barrel was 10" or 14", but it was extremely accurate. I could get close to 1 MOA with that combination, and recoil was light.
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TTv2
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UPDATE:
Just now got to doing up a dummy round with the Speer 100gr Plinker bullet using the standard .32 sizer and the .30 Carbine expander and the result is a success, there is enough tension on the bullet that I cannot push it into the case with just my thumb, thus I believe once I put a firm crimp on the bullet it will not be moving either under recoil or be pushed deeper into the case in the lever action.
Given the tension is adequate with the .30 Carbine expander, I don't see any reason to get the undersize .32 sizing die. Now all I need is to get more .30 Carbine bullets and I'm all set. Berry's seems like the only game in town for jacketed/plated .30 Carbine bullets currently, but I don't really care to pay $130 for 1000 of them from Midway when I'm still in the testing phase.
Just now got to doing up a dummy round with the Speer 100gr Plinker bullet using the standard .32 sizer and the .30 Carbine expander and the result is a success, there is enough tension on the bullet that I cannot push it into the case with just my thumb, thus I believe once I put a firm crimp on the bullet it will not be moving either under recoil or be pushed deeper into the case in the lever action.
Given the tension is adequate with the .30 Carbine expander, I don't see any reason to get the undersize .32 sizing die. Now all I need is to get more .30 Carbine bullets and I'm all set. Berry's seems like the only game in town for jacketed/plated .30 Carbine bullets currently, but I don't really care to pay $130 for 1000 of them from Midway when I'm still in the testing phase.
Atavar
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On paper at 25 yards is not what I would call "good accuracy". Just sayin.
Soonerpesek
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https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bul...bine-110-gr-full-metal-jacket-round-nose-new/
Not the ONLY game in town.....
You can purchase lesser quantities from RMR also......since you are in testing stages..........
Wow! Lots of "hints" and "discussion" (I too get frustrated when post have little or nothing to do, and with not reflect anything in the original post! And a higher post count doesn't give one permission to criticize any member, and just reflects a "superior", poor attitude.).
In my limited experience with PCing bullets (15 +/- years with 7 different calibers), I came to treat PCing as a soft jacket. I have no idea why a commercial caster would coat a bullet and call it "for cowboy loads". I solved all my bullet diameter problems by casting and sizing my own. It's really simple to modify a sizing die!
In my limited experience with PCing bullets (15 +/- years with 7 different calibers), I came to treat PCing as a soft jacket. I have no idea why a commercial caster would coat a bullet and call it "for cowboy loads". I solved all my bullet diameter problems by casting and sizing my own. It's really simple to modify a sizing die!
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Frulk
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I didn’t see it mentioned in previous posts so this is just FYI. HSM makes plated .32 cal bullets (3 weights) but no .30 cal. However, Didn’t have any luck chasing down price to compare HSM .32 cal cost to that of Berry’s.30 cal plated.
I know Sportsmans sells HSM boxes of 250 count but have never seen the .32 cal on the shelf. If price was right they may order them for you.
I know Sportsmans sells HSM boxes of 250 count but have never seen the .32 cal on the shelf. If price was right they may order them for you.
AJC1
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I don't understand your assertion. Are you saying cast bullets are inaccurate. They may require more testing and measurements to get dialed in but there are some that shoot amazing with cast.
Barbaroja
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I know this is not what you asked about but it may be a good solution for you instead of the 30cals. was just on the RMR sight to browse and thought of you.
https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/32-acp-3125/32-auto-65-gr-hsgd-jhp-bullets/
https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/32-acp-3125/32-auto-65-gr-hsgd-jhp-bullets/
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TTv2
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2nd Update:
After making the dummy round I decided to load up two dozen and when I went to crimp the bullets after seating them I noticed the bullets were getting pushed further into the case just like before. When I did the dummy round I didn't bother crimping the bullet because I didn't think crimping would remove neck tension, but it seems to.
Also, I did seat the bullets deeper this time than when I did with the dummy round, but again seating a bullet deeper shouldn't cause the neck tension to go from being adequate to almost nothing.
So, I'm going to go ahead and get the undersize sizing die now and hope that does the trick, if not then I'm going to have to conclude that using .308 bullets in .327 is not feasible.
After making the dummy round I decided to load up two dozen and when I went to crimp the bullets after seating them I noticed the bullets were getting pushed further into the case just like before. When I did the dummy round I didn't bother crimping the bullet because I didn't think crimping would remove neck tension, but it seems to.
Also, I did seat the bullets deeper this time than when I did with the dummy round, but again seating a bullet deeper shouldn't cause the neck tension to go from being adequate to almost nothing.
So, I'm going to go ahead and get the undersize sizing die now and hope that does the trick, if not then I'm going to have to conclude that using .308 bullets in .327 is not feasible.
I know this is not what you asked about but it may be a good solution for you instead of the 30cals. was just on the RMR sight to browse and thought of you.
https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/32-acp-3125/32-auto-65-gr-hsgd-jhp-bullets/
Might be a bit light for the .327 Fed, but I bet they would be screamers if they remain stable.
Regarding the Speer 100 gr. Plinker half jacket bullets, can these even be found anywhere? I really like them for my .30 Carbine Blackhawk, but I haven’t seen them for a couple years now.
I mostly shoot XTPs and MBC coated bullets in the .30 Carbine these days.
Sorry, I haven’t tried shooting .308” bullets through the .327 Fed. In that one, I prefer the 85 and 100 gr. XTP, with either grouping at 1.75” at 25 yards. I really like the 90 gr. Sierra JHP, but they’re hard to find, cost more than the XTP, and don’t do anything the XTP won’t.
I’ve tried a couple coated lead bullets in the .327, but wasn’t overly impressed with them. I just use them in the shorter .32 cases these days.
Best of luck on using .30 Carbine bullets in the .327. Sounds like you’re on the right track.
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TTv2
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I've yet to shoot paper with the Speer Plinkers (and yes, they've been out of stock since Covid and Speer is in no hurry to stop making 9mm to crank out some .30 Carbine bullets) but the POI is right there with my POA and I hit the steel targets often if not every time. The results are promising enough that I think it worth doing and feel that once the tension issues are figured out that .30 Carbine bullets in .327 will outshoot the XTP bullets.
And I agree on Sierra, really can't see the justification for the price.
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TTv2
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I called Lee to ask them if the ID of the cases also get smaller from using an undersize sizing die and at first the answer was literally "yes and no", but once I told them that the standard sizer gets me .308 for the ID and if using the undersize die would make that smaller the answer was yes, but it's not a guarantee it will be .003" smaller like the OD will be.
So, it looks like I'm going to make the order and just find out.
So, it looks like I'm going to make the order and just find out.
What you may be seeing is. You have a slight "ridge" under the bullet from the brass being sized. On the second set you were seating deep enough you got below the point where it was sizing enough.
I've done this with 7.62x38. I seated the bullet with good neck tension. Went a little deeper and the bullet fell to the powder charge.
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TTv2
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Whatever the case, I don't want to be relying on a "ridge" to give me tension, so I'm going forward with the undersize sizer. IDK what the true size of future .30 carbine bullets will be, the Speer ones I have are .3075, so future bullets from Berry's or whoever may be .307.
I agree with you. I was just trying to explain the phenomenon you were experiencing.
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TTv2
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UPDATE 2023
I finally got around to ordering the undersize .32 Lee die and it does in fact size the case .003" smaller as Lee says it does, so that's good, but what's better is that the ID of the case does also shrink in diameter by about .002" and after running the .30 Carbine M die neck expander the ID is .306", smaller than what I was getting without the undersize die.
The result is a rock solid .30 Carbine bullet in a .327 case that is not moving after seating or after crimping.
As I said in the first post I have shot .30 Carbine bullets in the .327 before without noticeable accuracy issues, but I never shot enough to get a sense of how they worked. That will be changing soon and I will update everyone with results.
The first step in this project is complete and that was to find the solution to the lack of tension on the bullet. Now all that's left is to see if accuracy is affected by a portion of the case being sized down an extra .003". Probably won't.
I finally got around to ordering the undersize .32 Lee die and it does in fact size the case .003" smaller as Lee says it does, so that's good, but what's better is that the ID of the case does also shrink in diameter by about .002" and after running the .30 Carbine M die neck expander the ID is .306", smaller than what I was getting without the undersize die.
The result is a rock solid .30 Carbine bullet in a .327 case that is not moving after seating or after crimping.
As I said in the first post I have shot .30 Carbine bullets in the .327 before without noticeable accuracy issues, but I never shot enough to get a sense of how they worked. That will be changing soon and I will update everyone with results.
The first step in this project is complete and that was to find the solution to the lack of tension on the bullet. Now all that's left is to see if accuracy is affected by a portion of the case being sized down an extra .003". Probably won't.
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