30 30 case length question

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Captain Capsize

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Howdy gents, I know someone here can answer my question. My load data books call for an overall case length of 2.039". Well that may be fine but none of my cases even once fired reach that length. The average length runs 2.030" and some as short as 2.025". I would like to standardize all my brass to the same length but none even reach the book spec.! What can I do or does it even matter?

A buddy and I have been working on developing a load using Berger 110 g. copper plated lead bullets that will have the same POI of store bought 150 g, copper jacketed flat point ammo.

We succeeded the other day using 13 g of Unique. It shoots 1 inch low at 50 yds. and 1 " high at 100 yds. I think this will make a fine plinking and coyote round. I am a little concerned that this may be not be a completely safe load even though we don't see any evidence of high pressure. So next weekend we may try to duplicate our success using rifle powders. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
 
Short as much as .020" is ok. All different trim lengths are ok if you dont crimp. The neck is so long, with a lot of bearing surface that no crimp is needed.
 
I have a bunch of reloads i got at an estate sale. My Winny 94 doesnt like them at all so i took a few apart, here the cases were never trimmed. So took rest apart and trimmed them and reloaded them and were good.

Just watch your manual i have mine at 2.035 for a 150gr RN
 
I recently started with this caliber and went to 2.025 for a 50 box worth and then 2.015 to standardize the rest at the shortest, fairly common, length.
 
Captain Capsize,
Welcome to the forum...

Ar those slightly short cases by any chance Hornady Brass? Were they from Leverevolution ammo? If so they are cut short by the factory so that the COAL isn't too long when the pointed bullet is seated to the correct length.

Like said above, it's too long that causes problems and that's proven by Hornady actually cutting factory fresh brass to .050" shorter than usual...
 
Thank-you for all the responses I feel better about trimming them now. I am trying to develop an accurate 110 g. lead bullet load and having the brass all the same is comforting. As far as some being revolution brass I have no idea, a buddy of mine picks up fresh brass all the time and gives it to me. I have brass probably from all manufacturers.
 
Are you measuring fired brass or resized brass?

You have to resize it before you can measure it.

As noted SAAMI MAX case length is 2.039".

Trim Too length is 2.028".

rc
 
I am measuring resized and unresized brass, most of it won't even make 2.028. I just trimmed a bunch of brass to 2.010" to get the majority equal.
 
I size/deprime and then trim to 2.035 on the forster trimmer. Next, they go to the expander. Get that done, then I anneal with a propane torch and metal rod.

I set them in a wooden caseholder to cool down. Then take a q-tip with caselube and go around the inside of the neck with caselube and put them upside down in the holder to let the lube dry.
 
I haven't reloaded rifle ammo in years, I forgot how laborious it is. I used to anneal but forgot all about it. I am getting turned off by the whole process, I must have handled each brass 6-10 times already (I also scrub out primer pockets). I remembered last night why I bought a .357 rifle. I reload tons of pistol ammo for .45 and .357. I just shake the brass cleaner out, dump them in the brass feeder and go to town. No fussing with individual brass.

You let the brass cool down? I thought the object was to soften the neck by tipping them over into a pan of water to cool quickly!?
 
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I trim all .30-30 brass to 2.030. The most important thing is that all brass is the same length +/- .002 so that the crimp is the same on all completed rounds. If you are shooting them in a rifle with a tubular magazine they MUST be crimped.

ByTheWay...In my [not so] humble opinion a Lee Factory Crimp die (FCD) is a must when crimping .30-30 cases.
 
You let the brass cool down? I thought the object was to soften the neck by tipping them over into a pan of water to cool quickly!?
Click to expand...

I'll be honest, I just like the dull color it turns the neck :)


Really though, I've dropped them in water for most of my reloading life, and about a year ago just started letting them cool.

I haven't noticed a difference, really. I still get at least 10 loads from each, I've got a couple of pieces that the h.s. is gone from and still being reloaded.

It may make a difference dropping them in water, I just haven't noticed it. My thinking on trying the 'air cool method' is that dropping lead, steel, or iron into water when it's hot is that it makes it harder and more brittle. I figure brass may react the same way, so I tried it a different way.
 
Either method ends up with the same result.
Brass is non-ferous, and cannot be hardened by quenching like steel can

But brass is a most excellent conductor of heat.
The purpose of setting them in water and tipping them over is to prevent excess heat from traveling down the case and annealing it to close to the case head.

That makes for unsafe brass.

rc
 
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