Reloading 30 cal 115 gr hard cast

[Handshaker]

Hi all, i got a new toy an amt automag iii in 30 carbine. I have an m1 and marlin 30-30 as well. I was wondering is i can use one bullet for all three? I have loaded 110gr for my marlin for plinking and she does fine.
These are the specs on the bullets i want to buy, please let me know if i can use for all 3 firearms.
Thank you!
.30 Carbine 115 Gr. RN - Sized to .309 (Typical). Hytech super coated premium bullets.

 

[Charlie98]

Yes, and there should be data available for you to start with, too. All three of those cartridges use a nominal .308" bullet, or .309" cast. The 110-115grn bullet is often listed in published load data as a plinking or practice load.

 

[edwardware]

The best answer that can be given from here is maybe. Cast bullets are sensitive to bore dimension, throat dimension, and velocity to a greater degree than jacketed.

I think it's likely you could make a common load for both .30 Carbine arms. .30-30 would likely need to be downloaded to avoid overdriving such a light bullet. Coated (vs grease lubed) will certainly increase the velocity envelope you can reach, so start there.

 

[Handshaker]

thanks for all the info. If i could find in stock berry jacketed 308 110gr bullets, i would go with them since the are close to the same price as the HC. Maybe i will wait until i find some, we will see. I have done several lloads with the 30-30 110gr with really good results. I even loaded some 100gr speer but it was too hard to get the bullet profile to seat correctly. I then stuck to the 110gr with no issues. I am using 31gr of reloader 7.

 

[brewer12345]

Fwiw, I load cast 118 grain bullets in my 3006 with 12 grains of unique. Make a real nice 50 yard plinking load.

 

[Random 8]

I'm running a 110 gr jacketed "carbine" bullet over 14 gr Unique for cabin pests, youth shooters and informal practice in a 30-06. I have also fired this load and the 100gr Speer "plinker" in my M1Garand. It is remarkably accurate to 100 yards (the farthest I have fired it), rivaling jacketed 150 gr loads in the rifle. Either load is single load only in the M1, although they will cycle reliably from the en-blocs bolt action style. I have also substituted power pistol for the unique in this load with a lower report, POI, and presumeably velocity. You should be OK with a hard cast bullet at this range also, or may need to slow it down a fuzz. Unique is tolerant of downloads, or you could go to a faster alliant powder such as Red Dot or Bullseye with a significant charge reduction. Lyman 48th has data for Unique and Red dot with the 30-06 and a cast bullet in your weight range.

I had to use a spacer in the seating die for the 100 gr speer plinker. I used a cutoff half .22 case adhered with a dab of hot glue as a simple field expedient, shaping it with a tightly crimped 180 RN dummy load. I had a spare seating spindle, so I haven't tried to remove it yet. It may be semi-permenant.

 

[Handshaker]

I plan on using H110 or 2400 for all loads. I have the 2400 will have to find the H110

 

[AJC1]

I plan on using H110 or 2400 for all loads. I have the 2400 will have to find the H110

I would recommend powders on the fast side of the loading tables for the gun your planning to load lead. You may get less total velosity but better faster bullet opteration will generally give better accuracy and less leading.

 

[Random 8]

That will absolutely work for the carbine. 2400 might work for reduced, but probably unlikely. H110 will absolutely not work for reduced loads in either of the rifle rounds. A faster powder such as Unique, Red Dot or Trail boss are what you will need for the 30-30 and 30-06. A little will go a long ways, even if you can only find a pound of it.

 

[WestKentucky]

Hi all, i got a new toy an amt automag iii in 30 carbine. I have an m1 and marlin 30-30 as well. I was wondering is i can use one bullet for all three? I have loaded 110gr for my marlin for plinking and she does fine.
These are the specs on the bullets i want to buy, please let me know if i can use for all 3 firearms.
Thank you!
.30 Carbine 115 Gr. RN - Sized to .309 (Typical). Hytech super coated premium bullets.

I have the same basic setup. Marlin 30-30 and Marlin 30carbine. I ordered a thousand hi-tek coated 115gr bullets for exactly what your describing

 

[Handshaker]

Good info and since a have a fair bit of Trail boss and love to use it for my BFR 45-70 and Wichita arms 7mm-int-r guns, I will try it for this as well. But, as with using 31gr of reloader 7 for my 30-30, i am not doing reduced loads. What powder for the Amt Automag iii? THey need to be full power to get it to cycle correctly.

 

[Handshaker]

Good info and since a have a fair bit of Trail boss and love to use it for my BFR 45-70 and Wichita arms 7mm-int-r guns, I will try it for this as well. But, as with using 31gr of reloader 7 for my 30-30, i am not doing reduces loads. What powder for the Amt Automag iii? THey need to be full power to get it to cycle correctly.

 

[Random 8]

Good info and since a have a fair bit of Trail boss and love to use it for my BFR 45-70 and Wichita arms 7mm-int-r guns, I will try it for this as well. But, as with using 31gr of reloader 7 for my 30-30, i am not doing reduced loads. What powder for the Amt Automag iii? THey need to be full power to get it to cycle correctly.

You should be able to get full power with H110 in the .30 Carbine. I highly doubt you will be able to push those 115 cast/coated anywhere near full potential velocity in the .30-30 or 30-06 without severe leading. I believe they max out at 1900fps or so, therefore you are by nature looking at reduced loads in the 2 bottleneck cartridges. Lyman 48th or a newer edition will have the data you need, or possibly Hodgdon trail boss data.

 

[Handshaker]

Thanks everyone. Another question. While at a gun show today i picked up a herters 3 die set for 30 carbine for 20 bucks, hard to pass up, All in good shape. I use a lee turret press. Does anyone have instructions for the herters dies? I think i can figure it out but i usually get the extra factory crimp die. Now if i buy the factory crimp die along with the powder thru die, i will have 5 dies for a 4 die turret. I am new to Reloading so i am unsure what to do next. i assume i will need a lee shell plate holder as well. one die says 30 38 401 EXP, 2nd says 30 carbine seater and the third say 30 carbine sizer. And then again, maybe i screwed up trying to save money, which will cost me more, lol.
thanks again

 

[AJC1]

1 size prime 2.powder flair 3 seat 4.crimp. that's 4 dies in 4 stations.

 

[forrest r]

You should be able to get full power with H110 in the .30 Carbine. I highly doubt you will be able to push those 115 cast/coated anywhere near full potential velocity in the .30-30 or 30-06 without severe leading. I believe they max out at 1900fps or so, therefore you are by nature looking at reduced loads in the 2 bottleneck cartridges. Lyman 48th or a newer edition will have the data you need, or possibly Hodgdon trail boss data.

I have no idea why people keep says coated bullets have a XYZ speed limit & severe leading at higher velocities. Nothing could be further from the truth.

What will affect cast/coated bullets is RPM's!!!

Typically you want to stay in the 140,000rpm range or less. Yes special alloys, bullet designs & custom bbl's can and will push the RPM envelope. Buying generic bullets off the shelf is a lot harder to push that envelope. It pays to do a little math and see where a load maxes out @140,000rpm's and use that as a max load.

The fun part is testing different powders/loads finding hv loads that are accurate. As others have stated fast burning powders are good for plinking. Not hard to find loads like these 10-shot 50yd groups.



It would be a HUGE MISTAKE to overlook/not use 2400 in all your calibers. 2400 is a fantastic powder for cast/coated bullets in revolvers & rifles and is known for it's outstanding accuracy. 2400 produces 10-shot MOA groups for me @ 100yds in my 308w using lee 160tl bullets cast from a 6-cavity mold and pc'd.


The faster powders do better at short ranges and accuracy tends to fall apart as the distance increases. 2400 & H335 are your friend, same lee pc'd bullet doing 10-shot 1 1/2" group @ 100yds/2679fps.

 

[Handshaker]

Can someone please help me with the orientation of these dies on my 4 hole press. I am somewhat confused. I will have a powder thru die in addition. My guess is i cant use a lee factory crimp die? Or do i substitute one of these dies for lee factory crimp?
In the pic left to right is 30 carbine seater die, then 30 38 401 EXP die, then 30 carbine sizer. Or am i better off dumping these on ebay and getting the lee?
thanks for any help, i am quite unsure of myself in the setup to being new to reloading.

 

[forrest r]

The sizing die 1st
see thru expander 2nd
seating/crimp die 3rd
fcd die 4th

 

[Handshaker]

The sizing die 1st
see thru expander 2nd
seating/crimp die 3rd
fcd die 4th

Thank you but i am unsure which is which with these dies. Please explain.

 

[forrest r]

The sizing die has the skinny primer knockout in that looks like a nail hanging out the bottom.
The see thru expander die had a hollow tube that has an expander ball on the bottom & is hollow to drop gunpowder from a throw at that stage if setup for it.
The seat/crimp die (far left in your picture) does just that, seats the bullet (adjustable by turning knurled bolt head on top) and adjusting the die's body up/down to crimp.
A fcd (factory crimp die) has the same look as the standard seat/crimp die but typically has an extra sizing ring in it reduce the loaded round back to minimum (+/-) factory spec.

Don't know if you have a steel or carbide die set.

Instructions for a carbide set
https://leeprecision.com/files/instruct/Pistol3.pdf
Instructions for a steel set
https://leeprecision.com/files/instruct/SteelPistolDieSet.pdf

 

[Handshaker]

The sizing die has the skinny primer knockout in that looks like a nail hanging out the bottom.
The see thru expander die had a hollow tube that has an expander ball on the bottom & is hollow to drop gunpowder from a throw at that stage if setup for it.
The seat/crimp die (far left in your picture) does just that, seats the bullet (adjustable by turning knurled bolt head on top) and adjusting the die's body up/down to crimp.
A fcd (factory crimp die) has the same look as the standard seat/crimp die but typically has an extra sizing ring in it reduce the loaded round back to minimum (+/-) factory spec.

Don't know if you have a steel or carbide die set.

Instructions for a carbide set
https://leeprecision.com/files/instruct/Pistol3.pdf
Instructions for a steel set
https://leeprecision.com/files/instruct/SteelPistolDieSet.pdf

Thank you!!! Now i got it but the last or left over die says SIZER on it. What is this? Should i use this for the 4th die or buy a FCD from lee? I will be using it for semi auto pistol and an m1 carbine.
thanks again!

 

[forrest r]

Typically any die that say's "sizer" on it is a sizing die.

Perhaps you have both a carbide sizer and a steel sizer??? Try screwing the primer decapping pin holder out of the die it's in and see if it screws into the die that say's "sizer".

It's not uncommon get a set of steel dies and pick up an aftermarket carbide sizer die. I have 2 old sets of rcbs steel die sets (38spl/357 & 44spl/mag) that I bought lee carbide sizing dies for back in the 80's and still use them to this day.

 

[Handshaker]

Typically any die that say's "sizer" on it is a sizing die.

Perhaps you have both a carbide sizer and a steel sizer??? Try screwing the primer decapping pin holder out of the die it's in and see if it screws into the die that say's "sizer".

It's not uncommon get a set of steel dies and pick up an aftermarket carbide sizer die. I have 2 old sets of rcbs steel die sets (38spl/357 & 44spl/mag) that I bought lee carbide sizing dies for back in the 80's and still use them to this day.

No it wont screw in.

 

[forrest r]

Don't know, I'm sure others will be along to help out. You might put a picture up of the die in question (close-up). I don't use lee dies that much to be able to know their history or what I'm looking at with older die sets.

Good luck

 

[Handshaker]

Don't know, I'm sure others will be along to help out. You might put a picture up of the die in question (close-up). I don't use lee dies that much to be able to know their history or what I'm looking at with older die sets.

Good luck