Lead Bullet Rifle Cartridge?

[Shootingmaters]

I am looking for a medium caliber rifle cartridge that performs well with cast lead bullets to put on a Ruger #1. The cartridge would preferably be on a rimmed case, and can either be a factory round, or a wildcat. I was thinking something in between the .32-20 and 30-30. I have considered the .32 Winchester Special, and a few others. My top candidate right now is a wildcat called the .30 Johnson Special which is a trimmed down 30-30 case. I ran across this one in an old Rifle Magazine article.

Anyone have any info on the .30 Johnson Special, or some other cartridge that would be suitable? Don't ask why.

 

[SASS#23149]

Skip the baby steps,

and go straight to the 45-70.
It can be up loaded,downloaded,plinker to stomper.
And it LOVES cast bullets in the right barrel...which is most any barrel.

ps. WLCOME TO THR.!

 

[Jim Watson]

I looked hard at having a No 1 barrelled in .30-30 but the shop I was talking to recommended the .30 Benchrest. Not rimmed, but not a problem in a Ruger. There is a thing called the .30 Miller that is a .357 Maximum necked down. I think it is mostly used for schuetzen and breechseating.

Me? I shoot a .38-55 but I changed tracks and it is full of black.

Check in with the Cast Bullet Association and the American Single Shot Rifle Association and see what is popular.

 

[m14rick]

I want a Ruger #1 in 45/70, to go with my #1 in .280 Remington!

 

[ribbonstone]

Can get custom molds made in any size you'd care for, but a quick look at any mold listing will show more 30cal. molds being offered than any other caliber...doubt you'd ever got to finish exploring 1/2 of the possibilites.

Smaller volume case makes sense...as does a longer neck...and I can see the appeal of a rimmed case. Besides they are just "right" for a single shot action (and the rim system of controling headspace can have some advantages).

Not a thing wrong with the 30-30, but it's so common, most poeple will either decide on sme other case or wildcat the 30-30 case...just seems some people are alergic to chambering a custom barrel in a common round. For the use you intend to put it, the standard 30-30 case would serve well.

Give some serious consideration to the throating of the chamber, wht often is "best' for jacketed bulleets doesn't always work out as "best" for softer lead.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

.30-30 should work well for cast bullets. If you want something more traditionally associated with cast bullets, check out .32-40 WCF.

 

[Shootingmaters]

I will check into the .30 miller and .30 Benchrest. I am partial to wildcats, or odd ball calibers. I like having things that other people have never heard of. I will probably end up going with something made from the 30-30 case, but I don't want just a plain old 30-30. Nothing wrong with it, just not different enough for me. I like the idea of a .30 cal because of the selection of bullets.

I have recently started doing my own gun work. I bought a lathe and mill, and have started doing my barrels. I have been doing stock work for several years now. I am thinking of an octagonal barrel for my #1.

Thanks for the info so far. Keep sending me suggestions!

 

[mustanger98]

Well, I know you said you're not into .30-30 because of how common it is, but I was fixing to say before reading that last post, that I'm a big fan of .30-30 because it's a great old cartridge. That's just me. What I've done with my old tang-sighted '94 is to play with Ultramax's 165gr LFP "cowboy load" which is running about 1500fps and I got decent accuracy. I'm thinking a .30-30 barrel on a Ruger #1 frame probably could do a mite better though in some situations. (But then, I took 3rd place offhand in a field dominated by buffalo rifles and then took their money in the Quigley bucket match.) I'm fixing to try out some of Oregon Trail's Lazercast 170grainers over 7grs +/- of Unique. Alliant has published data for this. My local club's president said his pet load for his .45-70 is 12grs of Unique under a 405gr Lazercast and that's along the same vein as Alliant's published data for .45-70 cast lead loadings. Now, as soon as I get done with H&R's barrel accessory program, I'll be working with both of those loadings in single-shot format too.

 

[RON in PA]

The 30-30s is known as a very accurate cartridge when shot from a rifle not a lever action such as a bolt or single shot.

 

[Shootingmaters]

I just can't get excited about the 30-30. I have one in a 94, but I am looking for something with some cool factor too. I may do something with a 32 special, or something like that, but the 30-30 is just too plain for the rifle I want to build.

Keep the suggestions coming.

 

[Gewehr98]

I love dem cast boolits in my .30-30.

And that was either in a Winchester Model 94 or Savage 340 bolt gun.

Here's my Model 94, digesting some 175gr hard cast gas checked bullets on top of Alliant 2400 powder:



One cast bullet number that I'd consider for a single-shot Ruger #1 would be the somewhat rare, but easy to load, .375 Winchester, a modern concession to the older .38-55. Or go the wildcat routine, and neck up the .375 Winchester to .40 caliber, thereby rekindling Olin's stillborn experiment with a .400 Winchester.

 

[Fumbler]

go straight to the 45-70.
It can be up loaded,downloaded,plinker to stomper.
And it LOVES cast bullets in the right barrel...which is most any barrel.

45-70?
Why stop there?

My boss at work has a Ruger #1 Tropical in 458 WinMag.
That sucker will rattle your teeth.
He shoots lead bullets exclusively in his.
He casts a bunch of different ones from 325-525 gr and loads them through a wide velocity range.
Casting seems like a bunch of fun.

 

[mustanger98]

Gewehr98:

...digesting some 175gr hard cast gas checked bullets on top of Alliant 2400 powder...

What charge weight are you using of 2400? Reason I ask...

.30-30:
Unique- 7grs under a 165gr or 170gr LFP
2400- haven't seen data

.45-70:
Unique- 10-12grs under a 405gr Lazercast
2400- 20grs under a tissue paper filler under same bullet

 

[Gewehr98]

I've listed the wrong powder for the rounds in the pictures.

I developed the Alliant 2400 load myself, from a similar cartridge. For the .30-30, with a 165 grain cast RNFP bullet, I use 17.0gr of Alliant 2400. You won't find that load in a book, I developed it after running a similar 154gr cast bullet load in my 10" 7mm Rimmed International pistol, which is a predecessor to the popular 7-30 Waters round. (Both are necked down from .30-30 Winchester brass)

I also dabbled with the Alliant 2400 load in the .30-30 because I made a similar load with the same powder for a cast bullet load in my .32 Remington autoloader, and needed enough snap to cycle the Model 8's action reliably.

Looking at the picture, the bullet noses are truncated, which means they're from a batch of 175gr gas checked bullets I have, and they were loaded with 21.0gr of Accurate XMP-5744. I documented the groups as being rather tight, but printing way low for the Winchester, forcing me to set the rear sight elevator to it's highest setting and still holding close to 12 o'clock on the target at 50 yards. More work on that load, maybe another grain or two, or I may change to something like IMR-3031.

 

[mustanger98]

Okay, so for the time being at least, I better stick with the 7gr Unique under the 165 or 170grainers since I have an idea what I'm doing there.

 

[AH-1]

375 win will do it.lots of power & one of my fav.
pete
these run 277 grs w/lube and gc.

 

[Shootingmaters]

Ya'll are thinking bigger than I want to go. I am not looking for a long range rifle, just something that is accurate, and that might put a hurt on a coyote out to say 200 yards. I would like to stay in the .30 cal bullet, and a rimmed case. I plan on putting it on a Ruger #1, but I would prefer to put it on a high wall. I am just not sure that I can stand the price. Anyone have a high wall that needs some TLC that they want to sell? Anyway....think smaller. Still keep the suggestions coming.

 

[mustanger98]

Well, there's .303 British. How many people have a single-shot chambered for it? 215gr cast lead bullet of .311-.313" diameter. May have to mold it yourself if you used an Enfield barrel, but if you're doing a totally custom deal on that Ruger #1 and Highwall action, it might be good. I know .303 is capable of much much longer ranges than you intend, but it's got real good accuracy inside 200yds, seems like to me.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

Try a Win .307 or .356, you will be suprised at the potential!

 

[Gewehr98]

Rimmed .30 caliber for lead bullets?

Heck, I'd say you want a .30-40 Krag, then. With a nice 200gr bullet or so, should be a lot of fun in a Ruger #1.

 

[mustanger98]

I bet there's a lot less folks shooting .30-40 Krag nowdays than there are shooting .303 British. Put that in that single-shot and it'll be even more unique of a set-up.

Now, I'd have to look up the trajectory of a 200gr cast lead bullet flying 1600fps +/- out to 200yds, but in my case, I'd want to run it to 500yds just to see what it'll do.

 

[Gewehr98]

The Krag is seeing a small return to popularity...

Shiloh Sharps sells quite a few of their 1874 Sharps rifles chambered in .30-40 Krag, believe it or not! (Not so much recoil, flatter trajectory, off-the-shelf ammo supply, etc.)

Depending on the twist you go with in your Ruger #1, you may not be forced to work with 200gr bullets in the .30-40 Krag chambering. Maybe a nice 165gr or 185gr with a slower twist? I guess it depends on what you're looking to do with that cast bullet/rifle combination.

 

[loadedround]

lead bullet fifle cartridge

Not exactly a medium bore cartrige, but I shoot a Ruger #1 in 375 H&H. I use hard cast GC bullets designed for the 38-55 and its a real pusscat with loads usuing IMR3031. Think about it.