30-30 load development and casual observations

AJC1 said:
I'm not at all a fan of the 94 front sight compared to the Lyman globes on my Marlins. I'm trying to determine if a front sight vs a different target is the better choice. I have some red paper plates ready for the next trip.
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If you can still find them - and the adapter kits - it's hard to beat a Parker-Hale Twin-Zero sight set.
 
AJC1 said:
We're these universal or 94 specific.
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Specific to the Lee-Enfield, Mauser and Krag-Jorgensen actions. There were adapter plates sold for other platforms, including the Win 94AE. Made in the UK for variable range target competitions. My wife has an older TZ on her Krag and loves it.
 
AJC1 said:
I'm not at all a fan of the 94 front sight compared to the Lyman globes on my Marlins. I'm trying to determine if a front sight vs a different target is the better choice. I have some red paper plates ready for the next trip.
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For me red and orange blur. I never thought about size till I saw a 1000 yard target. No shame in using big if it gets the job done. Then I use the size of a deer kill zone with no bullseye and only a sawhorse for a rest. Good subject you picked
 
Depending on what you’re doing, I sometimes use a custom target. I fold a 12x18 silhouette target in half so it’s 12x9. Then I use a highlighter to color half orange and make a black stripe up the middle. When unfolded I use the orange to white transition for elevation and the vertical black stripe for windage.

That’s how I finally was able to zero my 336 factory sights at 100 yards and used that target to test loads to the same distance until I put peep sights on that rifle.
 
DMW1116 said:
Depending on what you’re doing, I sometimes use a custom target. I fold a 12x18 silhouette target in half so it’s 12x9. Then I use a highlighter to color half orange and make a black stripe up the middle. When unfolded I use the orange to white transition for elevation and the vertical black stripe for windage.

That’s how I finally was able to zero my 336 factory sights at 100 yards and used that target to test loads to the same distance until I put peep sights on that rifle.
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The rear is a Lyman peep. I normally have Williams on the rest, but that is how I got this rifle. It still has the Buckhorn in the middle just lowered fully. I figure I should at least put a hundred rounds through it to give it a fair chance and good evaluation prior to any additional changes.
 
Target makes big difference. It's a fair bit of trouble but that custom target would probably work with peep sights too. Just coloring the highlighted part is time consuming.
 
Soonerpesek said:
I did end up ordering another Redding seating die to use a separate roll crimp die.
I also ordered a Redding taper crimp die.
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I have a taper crimp die for almost every cartridge I load for... including the .30's. It seems like it works well enough, the bullets don't move, and works the brass less... but attention to what you are shooting it in is a consideration as well. I still use the roller for some instances... like with jacketed bullets, or heavy cast, something like that.
 
I've continued taking some initial measurements of my dad's loaded 30-30 vs the same rounds fired and deprimed. I'm seeing an average growth of .013" at the .375 datum. I'm still suck in this initial phase and I think I should take the 20 piece set of ppu and just fire them every single time I go to the range. If I smoke the brass it's no big deal and it may speed up my r and d phase significantly. The longest set in this batch was 1.507 and the shortest in the loaded batch was 1.488. That amount of movement has to be terrible for brass life and probably not doing wonders for accuracy either.
 
So I'm running low on the 170 that I got from my dad's place and dispite really liking how well it shoots its time to put in some serious work finding its replacement. I had kinda hoped that they would be close and I could abbreviate the effort using my previous success and stumble in short order to a very close load. My cast boolit is waaay different and I'll have to start from scratch. The old 170 was .969" and traditionally lubed. My cast boolit is .928 175 grains and powder coated. 16751950035388770783450823520838.jpg
 
I need to work into this thread. I’ve been fooling with 357 and as soon as that’s done I’m moving to the MBC Marlin sized Deer Slayer #4, likely over a lower charge of H335. H335 has been slightly more accurate than Winchester 231 for the Acme 135 grain bullets. The difference is very small, perhaps small enough to ignore based on tripling the amount and cost of powder.
 
AJC1 said:
My cast boolit is waaay different and I'll have to start from scratch. The old 170 was .969" and traditionally lubed. My cast boolit is .928 175 grains and powder coated.
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Kinda looks like the metplat and ojive is a bit wider, like you could load 'em .041" shorter to start and have a go............

You need some fresh Starline brass to try.....let me know...
 
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DMW1116 said:
I need to work into this thread. I’ve been fooling with 357 and as soon as that’s done I’m moving to the MBC Marlin sized Deer Slayer #4, likely over a lower charge of H335. H335 has been slightly more accurate than Winchester 231 for the Acme 135 grain bullets. The difference is very small, perhaps small enough to ignore based on tripling the amount and cost of powder.
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I very much welcome you to get deep in the weeds here as well. You know I do... ;)
 
I don’t think you are going to have to get too busy reworking the load, it’s close enough. Eyeballing your bullet, it almost looks like a truncated cone, with very little ogive curve…. I’d probably seat it to the same COL and maybe drop 1grn and work back up, with the idea you will probably wind up with a higher charge to get the same velocity.
 
Soonerpesek said:
Kinda looks like the metplat and ojive is a bit wider, like you could load 'em .041" shorter to start and have a go............

You need some fresh Starline brass to try.....let me know...
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That thought has definitely crossed my mind. That results in an oal of 2.480 witch is kinda short.
 
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