30-30 load development and casual observations

[N555]

When I lived on the east coast temperature stability wasn't a huge deal.
The price, power and density offered by ballpowder was just too appealing.
In new Mexico it can be winter in the morning and summer like in the in the afternoon.

 

[Bearded Phil]

I believe that. In AZ when it gets hot it stays hot. So I run my loads through GRT these days with the temp set to 105F. If I can stay under max pressure at that prediction it feels pretty safe. And I mostly run single base powders.

Soon I'll be getting some 30-30 with the home cast GC Hitek coated going. Going in with I4198 and N120.

 

[AJC1]

I believe that. In AZ when it gets hot it stays hot. So I run my loads through GRT these days with the temp set to 105F. If I can stay under max pressure at that prediction it feels pretty safe. And I mostly run single base powders.

Soon I'll be getting some 30-30 with the home cast GC Hitek coated going. Going in with I4198 and N120.

The only vv powder I have on hand is n135. It will be getting a turn with jacketed.

 

[Chief TC]

Thanks for sharing this data. Accurate 4064 has performed the best for me with jacketed load using 160FTX bullets. 748 is just ok and acceptable. I just loaded up 170gr moly coated cast bullets in .310 to try with Accurate 5744 and should be about 1700fps. I'll let you know how it worked.

 

[Akula69]

Here in Louisiana we have two seasons - Hot/Humid and Wet/Humid. I use H335 for my 150 and 170 grain soft points.

 

[mkl]

Not much to contribute to this thread other than mention a great varmint load with the 30-30. I use a single shot H&R rifle in the truck window shooting a 110 grain hollow point Sierra bullet behind a fairly hot load of IMR3031. Coyotes and pigs do not recover from this load and it is fairly fast shooting from the window of your truck as the length of the H&R single shot makes it really quick get out of the window.

 

[AJC1]

Not much to contribute to this thread other than mention a great varmint load with the 30-30. I use a single shot H&R rifle in the truck window shooting a 110 grain hollow point Sierra bullet behind a fairly hot load of IMR3031. Coyotes and pigs do not recover from this load and it is fairly fast shooting from the window of your truck as the length of the H&R single shot makes it really quick get out of the window.

Sierra has a 125 jhp that looks like a pistol bullet. I'd work them up for varmits but I can find any. Basically a 9mm at 2500 fps not going to roll casually away from that.

 

[CEK]

If your keeping your eye out for bolt 30-30s watch for a Savage 340 I have one with a Willams peep sight on it. It's surprisingly accurate with 160 gr ftx handloads.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

If your keeping your eye out for bolt 30-30s watch for a Savage 340 I have one with a Willams peep sight on it. It's surprisingly accurate with 160 gr ftx handloads.

That’s one I have. Never tried the 160FTX. If I get low on Speer 150gr PSP’s I’ll try them.

 

[Austin Albright]

Well, folks. I do like jole and black eyes. And I’ll take some greens and cornbread too.

For 30-30, I’ve had good luck with the 31141 with both 748 and 3031. Not experimented further yet.

Lyman mold 31141,2 parts ww and 1 part lino, gas checked with 3031 was a real winner when I was about 30 years younger.

 

[AJC1]

That’s one I have. Never tried the 160FTX. If I get low on Speer 150gr PSP’s I’ll try them.

Aren't you shooting them in a Contender. I be using flat based spitzers... I got to boxes of the seconds from midway and I went crazy weight sorting them... you need one more care box before I move....

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Aren't you shooting them in a Contender. I be using flat based spitzers... I got to boxes of the seconds from midway and I went crazy weight sorting them... you need one more care box before I move....

The Contender is a 10” barrel. It gets everything each rifle gets first. It’s kinda my test bed.

 

[AJC1]

The Contender is a 10” barrel. It gets everything each rifle gets first. It’s kinda my test bed.

It frees one from tube.mag problems. My problem would be never taking the 357 max barrel off. Again pointy bullets being an option... my 180 sil is pointed enough a lot of guys probably not load them

 

[Charlie98]

Here's some results from my last shooting session.

Rifle is a Marlin 336 in .30-30, with MicroGroove rifling. The barrel was foul (...as opposed to fowl... ) with both lead and copper, so this isn't benchrest stuff. A little history... this rifle performed poorly with generic .309" sized 170grn LaserCast bullets; they would hit the target, but I wouldn't even consider them 'hunting accurate.' This time, I used some lovely Montana Bullet Works .310" sized, gas checked bullets... the same bullet mold (Lyman 311041, I think) for both bullets, but sized differently, and the MBW's had the gas check installed. The jacketed bullets are the Nosler 170grn JSP Partition. Both bullets are over 28.8grn IMR3031, in prepped brass, with a roll crimp. Previous range sessions clocked the cast MBW bullet at 2000fps, I would expect the Nosler a little less. This is the same basic bullet and load I shot at Christmas in Nevada, which I posted about back on page 2 (I think.)

Red circle is the MBW cast bullet, the green circle is the Nosler, fired at 50yds of an informal rest (ammo can.) I just fitted this rifle with a SIG Romeo5 red dot sight, by request from the owner, who wants it to shoot piggies... my load development was to that end. I do NOT shoot red dot sights well, and even with this new R5 sight, the red dot obscured the target aiming point at 50yds; I know I could do better with a scope, and the rifle would likely do better with a clean bore.

The basic result is... the properly sized cast bullets shot just as well as the Nosler jacketed bullets, give or take.

 

[AJC1]

Here's some results from my last shooting session.

Rifle is a Marlin 336 in .30-30, with MicroGroove rifling. The barrel was foul (...as opposed to fowl... ) with both lead and copper, so this isn't benchrest stuff. A little history... this rifle performed poorly with generic .309" sized 170grn LaserCast bullets; they would hit the target, but I wouldn't even consider them 'hunting accurate.' This time, I used some lovely Montana Bullet Works .310" sized, gas checked bullets... the same bullet mold (Lyman 311041, I think) for both bullets, but sized differently, and the MBW's had the gas check installed. The jacketed bullets are the Nosler 170grn JSP Partition. Both bullets are over 28.8grn IMR3031, in prepped brass, with a roll crimp. Previous range sessions clocked the cast MBW bullet at 2000fps, I would expect the Nosler a little less. This is the same basic bullet and load I shot at Christmas in Nevada, which I posted about back on page 2 (I think.)

Red circle is the MBW cast bullet, the green circle is the Nosler, fired at 50yds of an informal rest (ammo can.) I just fitted this rifle with a SIG Romeo5 red dot sight, by request from the owner, who wants it to shoot piggies... my load development was to that end. I do NOT shoot red dot sights well, and even with this new R5 sight, the red dot obscured the target aiming point at 50yds; I know I could do better with a scope, and the rifle would likely do better with a clean bore.

The basic result is... the properly sized cast bullets shot just as well as the Nosler jacketed bullets, give or take.

View attachment 1147473

.310 seems to be the ticket for 30-30 in my brief experience with cast.

 

[Charlie98]

.310 seems to be the ticket for 30-30 in my brief experience with cast.

...and that's out of two very different rifles... those are, the MG Marlin, and a pre-war Savage 99. It must be an anomaly with the .30-30's... my .308 Savage 99 doesn't seem to care what diameter the bullets are.

 

[AJC1]

...and that's out of two very different rifles... those are, the MG Marlin, and a pre-war Savage 99. It must be an anomaly with the .30-30's... my .308 Savage 99 doesn't seem to care what diameter the bullets are.

Well mine is a 94 win so that just about rounds out the lever options.

 

[DMW1116]

Oh good. This thread is still active. I'm going to try some new cast bullets and H335. I'll report back after tomorrow's testing.

H335 powder
15-15.5 grain charges
WLR Primers
Mixed range brass nearly all fired twice from my rifle (factory + reloaded once).
Missouri Bullet Company 165 grain cast and coated (c&c) White Tail #4 - Sized for Marlin Rifles (Microgroove)
Estimated velocity of 1400 fps
Testing with Williams Peep Sights at 50 yards from bench

 

[AJC1]

Oh good. This thread is still active. I'm going to try some new cast bullets and H335. I'll report back after tomorrow's testing.

H335 powder
15-15.5 grain charges
WLR Primers
Mixed range brass nearly all fired twice from my rifle (factory + reloaded once).
Missouri Bullet Company 165 grain cast and coated (c&c) White Tail #4 - Sized for Marlin Rifles (Microgroove)
Estimated velocity of 1400 fps
Testing with Williams Peep Sights at 50 yards from bench

I wonder if that generates enough pressure to opterate the base and get good accuracy. I haven speed checked my loads to get a good feel for where to expect accuracy with plain base or gas checked. Your results will be interesting

 

[DMW1116]

Depends on your definition of "good" accuracy. The loads using the 135 grain Acme bullets shot pretty well, a shade over an inch at 50 yards with the Williams sights. Those measured 0.3095" diameter. These should be 0.311" or so.

 

[AJC1]

Depends on your definition of "good" accuracy. The loads using the 135 grain Acme bullets shot pretty well, a shade over an inch at 50 yards with the Williams sights. Those measured 0.3095" diameter. These should be 0.311" or so.

If you hold 2" or less at 100 with irons I thing your better than most no matter the load.

 

[DMW1116]

Easy there. I haven't tried any of these cast loads past 50 yards yet. However, they seem to match my Henry H001 in 22LR in terms of accuracy. The urge to shoot them possibly out to 200 yards is what led to trying the heavier 165 grain bullets. I can often hold about 2" at 100 yards with my A4 clone, but that's only a few rounds and 223 vs 30-30 trajectory. I certainly can't do it every time though.

 

[DMW1116]

That seems to have worked pretty well. I think the minimum load shot best but I sort of lost focus and changed between center hold and 6 o’clock hold on a 3” circle at 50 yards. I have 2 different 2-shot groups that are about an inch in diameter. The second group was bigger but I may have pulled one shot a bit high. Both are very pleasant to shoot and make low noise. I might try a little more but I’d be ok with just sticking with the minimum if the accuracy checks out. I have about 75 cleaned cases to try it out.

FWIW I tried some full power FMJ loads and they shoot quite high. I may have to replace the front sight if I want to switch back to jacketed bullets. I don’t know if I can lower the rear sight enough to zero the jacketed loads.

 

[AJC1]

That seems to have worked pretty well. I think the minimum load shot best but I sort of lost focus and changed between center hold and 6 o’clock hold on a 3” circle at 50 yards. I have 2 different 2-shot groups that are about an inch in diameter. The second group was bigger but I may have pulled one shot a bit high. Both are very pleasant to shoot and make low noise. I might try a little more but I’d be ok with just sticking with the minimum if the accuracy checks out. I have about 75 cleaned cases to try it out.

FWIW I tried some full power FMJ loads and they shoot quite high. I may have to replace the front sight if I want to switch back to jacketed bullets. I don’t know if I can lower the rear sight enough to zero the jacketed loads.

I had to do the same on the boys 357. It was 12 inches high at 50.... I could dial heavy 180 grain 38-44 loads but that's not what he shoots in Silhouette. I currently running the lowest Lyman globe.... I have a medium laying around

 

[DMW1116]

I was using the Ranger Point sights when I switched to cast and tried to file the front down before I realized I’d be down to the barrel before I got it zeroed.