.30-30 Lead

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badkarmamib

badkarmamib

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I am thinking about loading plinking rounds for my .30-30. I have had good results loading lead in pistol calibers. If I use gas-checked lead bullets in .30-30, and stay within published data, is there anything else I need to be aware of? Thanks.
 
If you have a micro grove marlin it may not like lead. Other than that, i think your experience with pistol roumds should transfer fine.
I load 245mbc in my .300aac bolty, they are a blast to shoot.
 
I shoot a 150gr FP Lee in my Marlins w/Micro Groove and Winchester 94s. I use heat treated wheel weights cast .309. I load them to about 1800 fps with a gas check. No leading and accuracy on par with jacketed ones. I've loaded them slower around 1500 fps without the GC with similar resuts. Good luck.
 
There may be some cast bullet loads that don't require gas checks, but using cast bullets means you'll never wear out the barrel. The no pointy bullets in tube mags rule still applies too.
 
MO. bullet co. sizes their bullets to .309 for winchester rifles, and to .311 for marlins.
 
I load five lead bullets in 30-30, from the Lyman 311316, 311291, Lee 309-170F, and two plain base flat points of 130 and 165 grains. Best powder for medium loads is IMR4198, and I use Unique and Trail Boss for small game and plinkers.
I have recently acquired a 125 grain gas check, pointed mould and will play with that.
Shoot a 336, a Contender carbine and a 10" Contender pistol.
Had a Win 94 and looking for another.
All listed shoot well when you find the charge your gun likes. Duh.
 
I have a 30-30 levergun with Ballard rifling so I use lead bullets all the time and without gas checks.

If you do have a Marlin with micro-groove rifling you can load coated bullets and they will work very well at a low price.
 
Yes, I have a Marlin 336. Do Berry's Plated Bullets give good results? Their site shows their .30-30 bullets good for 1700 FPS. Do plated velocities stay close to lead? IMR4198 is at the slower end. Which powders have you seen perform the best?
 
badkarmamib said:
Yes, I have a Marlin 336. Do Berry's Plated Bullets give good results? Their site shows their .30-30 bullets good for 1700 FPS. Do plated velocities stay close to lead? IMR4198 is at the slower end. Which powders have you seen perform the best?
Click to expand...
Coated bullets will do as well as plated bullets at a lesser cost. IMR4198 is a fast rifle powder, not slow. I like IMR3031 or Hodgdon LVR for loading the 30-30.
 
If you want a plinking load for the 30-30 try the Lee 311-93-1R cast bullet with 8 grains of Unique. My Win 94 is sighted in at 50 yards with 170 grain jacketed and the 93 grain bullets hit dead on at 25 yards with the same sight settings. With a little hold over I can smack the 100 yard steel plate easy. There a cheap, light and fun load to shoot out of the old lever.
 
I like these, I get them from Drifter1956 and quite a few other caliber coated bullets. Not promoting at all but I have liked all I ever got. You have to watch cause he runs about 8 or 10 lots at a time and doesn't always have everything.
Perhaps sending him a message will help. Obviously the prices are good.
Here's a batch of 30-30's that shoot great for me in an old flat band model 94 Win.

View attachment 225192
 
ArchAngelCD said:
Coated bullets will do as well as plated bullets at a lesser cost. IMR4198 is a fast rifle powder, not slow. I like IMR3031 or Hodgdon LVR for loading the 30-30.
Click to expand...

I was refering to Lyman's 49th, .30-30 lead 170 grain lead data, where IMR4198 is at the bottom half of the powders listed, with some of the higher velocities (out of their test barrel, which is quite a bit longer than a Marlin's). I had never really considered plated bullets. Should these work well?

http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=354&category=6&secondary=36&keywords=

What velocities are you able to see with coated? Again, referencing Berry's website, their bullets are rated for 1700 FPS, which is well below, again, test barrel velocities.
 
Those Missouri bullets you link to look powder coated to me without gas checks.
If I had them I would use them. Plated more resemble a full metal jacketed bullet.
I only used IMR 4198 because it was all I had on hand at the time. Personally, I stayed away from LVR with the coated bullets but used it since with jacketed flat points in 30-30.
You can use the data below, using those Missouri bullets would be fine which are only 5 gr lighter.
Start out on the lower end.
You'll be fine.

View attachment 225193

View attachment 225194
 
badkarmamib said:
I was refering to Lyman's 49th, .30-30 lead 170 grain lead data, where IMR4198 is at the bottom half of the powders listed, with some of the higher velocities (out of their test barrel, which is quite a bit longer than a Marlin's). I had never really considered plated bullets. Should these work well?

http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=354&category=6&secondary=36&keywords=

What velocities are you able to see with coated? Again, referencing Berry's website, their bullets are rated for 1700 FPS, which is well below, again, test barrel velocities.
Click to expand...
This e bullets will work well for you. I don't use coated bullets in my 30-30, I don't need to. I used the same bullet from MBC but not coated. I'm shooting them at just over 1,400 fps and they are very accurate. I'm guessing you could push the coated bullets up close to 2,000 fps but accuracy might fall off.
 
I'm using acc 2520 with 170grn gas checks for good effect. not so good with 150grn plain base.

The Lee 2nd edition book has a section on reduced loads with 30/30 lead. The old 2nd edition, not the new one.
 
MicroGroove barrels do fine with cast but require a .311" bullet.
Coated or not, without a gas check, you're limited to about 1,500 fps for good accuracy. Gas checked, you can run with jacketed bullets in the .30/30 (2,250fps).
My favorite loads with a cast gas-checked bullet are 38.5 gr H4895 or IMR3031, 30.0gr RL15, 32.0gr BLC2 under a Lee 150gr FNGC (158gr).

I haven't bought jacketed bullets for my .30/30's in 15yrs. Cast work SO WELL!
 
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I load the MBC 165g coated bullets for my 1981 model 94. It shoots good but I'm still developing the load. I use the Lyman Cast Bullet manual and I use IMR 4227 powder and magnum large rifle primers.

EDIT: I use 17.7g of IMR 4227 and get a velocity of 1600 fps with that load. Accuracy is "okay". And I think that is due to my crimp. Still sorting it out
 
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Wow, everyone! Lots of good info here. I ordered dies today, along with some jacketed bullets (to set a baseline, but also because MidwayUSA has 15% off Sierra ;)). Apparently, my next order will be lead bullets, since I have confidence that I can make it work. Thanks to you all, I am constantly amazed at the helpfulness of everyone here! :notworthy:
 
A cheap and easy way to 'bell' the mouth of a case, is to run the mouth up on a set of needle-nose pliers...

A couple of twists, and see if your bullet will seat without shaving...Repeat as necessary...
 
sigsmoker said:
I like these, I get them from Drifter1956 and quite a few other caliber coated bullets. Not promoting at all but I have liked all I ever got. You have to watch cause he runs about 8 or 10 lots at a time and doesn't always have everything.
Perhaps sending him a message will help. Obviously the prices are good.
Here's a batch of 30-30's that shoot great for me in an old flat band model 94 Win.

View attachment 225192
Click to expand...
^^^GREAT Stuff, Smoke..
This I also cast, and Powder Coat. Mine from a 150gr. Lee gas checked mold, with a Hornady gas check, and sized to .310".
These shoot well out of my Savage Model 340 bolt gun and a friends Marlin 336.
Ball powder flows through my Uniflow better..HA HA...Bill.
 
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