Your favorite cast bullet in a 30-30, and `06?

[Fatelvis]

What are your favorite cast bullets for a 30-30, and `06? Please elaborate on your alloy, lube, loading tips, etc., Im going to be shooting them out of a Win 94, and 03A3 w/2 grv rifling. Thanx-

 

[Shooter973]

30-30 cast bullet loads

I've been using the Lee 170gr. cast bullets and lubing them with a lube of 1 stick of moly lube and 1stick of NRA formula lube melted together, and Hornady gas checks, then I load them up to regular "factory" levels and they have been great! I shoot a lot of 30-30 in Win 94's and in 2 Rem 788's and this works well in any of them. No leading at all and they will take down a good sized mule deer with out any trouble. The alloy I use is just wheel weights with just a little tin mixed in to it, they seem to be about the right hardness to expand a bit and not be brittle

 

[Desert Dog]

I don't think they are my favorite, but I really enjoy the 185 gr. FP from MidKansas Cast Bullets in .308. The ones I had, measured .3095, and give excellent accuracy out of my Ishapore.

Mike

 

[Quantrill]

I agree with 973. The Lee 170gr flat nose is a great bullet for 30-06. I have used it with light loads and fast powder and heavier loads with 4895. It seems to be a copy of Lyman 31141, which comes highly recomended along with 311291. I use the NRA formula lubricant. Quantrill

 

[Blackcloud6]

I use surplus pulled M2 Ball for my .30-06. But i reload specificaly for the M1 Garand and M1903.

 

[Fatelvis]

Quantrill / 973, will the 170 grn Lee bullet use the same top punch as the Lyman 31141 for the Lubrisizer? If not, do you/how do you size it? Thanx-

 

[EchoSixMike]

I just loaded 60 30-06 with bullets from RCBS 180SP. This is a spire point gas checked bullet, that dropped at 187.5gn with an alloy that's right about 14 Brinnel, lubed with Alox. The load I'm using is 29.5 of IMR4198 and a 1.5gn wad of dacron in GI cases. I plan to try these this Friday, and I'll let you know how they go. You're fairly close, I could probably send you some projectiles if interested. S/F...Ken M

 

[Quantrill]

F/Elvis,
All I use for a top punch is a ground flat punch. I would think that the top punch for 31141 would fit fine but the flat "thingy" is what I really use. Quantrill

 

[Fatelvis]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input.

 

[Cherokee]

Fatelvis: Usta live in Romeoville back in the 70's. Guess things have changed since then. My fav for the 30/30 and 30/06 is the Lee 309-150 FN bullet cast from wheel weights with a little tin added. Sized .310 with Lyman gas check and lubed with Thompsons Red Angel in a Lyman 450 using a Lyman top punch for a 30 FN bullet. 30/30 goes in a Win 94 26" barrel rifle that I generally win 100 yd matches with and 30/06 is a stock 1917 Enfield, very old and well used. Shoots good but not great. I like the surplus IMR 4895 that is on the mil surp market. Have fun.

 

[Fatelvis]

The Lee moulds all have 309 in front of the design #. I see in Lee`s website that thier moulds have a tolerance of +.003"/-.00". If you size it to .310" is it really "sizing" it? I think thier diameters stamped on the mould are for 1:10 alloy. Just wondering if your alloy filled the mould to .310" or larger.

 

[Quantrill]

F/Elvis,
I use a .311 sizer and it does not seem to size the bullet at all, just put on the lube. Old schutzen shooters never sized their bullets and I have found that, IF POSSIBLE, I use sizers that do not size. Of course, one cannot have grossly over size bullets or heavy loads. Quantrill

 

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

I have been casting the 150 grain Lyman 311466 gas checked Loverin design bullet since the mid 1960s, and it has worked real well in most 30 caliber cartridges I have tried it. I also use the same bullet in my 7.62X39 rifles with very good results. For .308 applications, I use a .309 or .310 sizing die, and, for the 7.62X39 rifles, I use a .312 die to size and lube them.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[mothernatureson]

30-30 cast bullet

lately been playing around with a good plinker load. here it is,
lee 113gr flat nose, sized and checked(.308) lube with lee liquid alox, and loaded with 7.0 gr PB. pressures are low, mv around 1200 fps according to the lyman manual. very nice and accurate, at 50 yds, have not shot them any further. i use straight wheel weights, nothing else. i had to go with the gas checks, got bad leading w/o checks and straight wheel weights no matter how slow the bullet moved. very inexpensive load , it's fun to shoot the little 30! good input on the 170 grain load, I would be looking at that for some big-game loads. peace,
mothernatureson

 

[Cooter Brown]

30-30 and 06

I have used the 311291 for 35 years+. It can't be beat, with or without checks. Lube properly and don't load too hot.

 

[Cherokee]

As to your ? on mould fill out, the alloy I use is wheel weights with a little tin. This gives me an as cast diameter of .310-.311. I tried .311 size and it a little tight im my Win 94 chamber so I use .310. Very little sizing takes place, which is usually the most desirable condition.

Cooter: The first bullit I tried was the 311291 because that is what I had and had used years before in another 30/06. I found the bullet cast out at .315 with my soft alloy and going to 5/5/90 did not improve it much. I had a difficult time sizing the 311291 down to .310 or .311 in my Lyman 450, 45 and Star. Matter of fact, the bullets stuck in the Star. The bullets deformed and were not accurate at all no matter which tool was used.

The Lee bullet casts easy, is consistent and very accurate. YMMV

 

[EchoSixMike]

OK, I just fired the load I listed above over the chrono. WAY too hot. Was clocking 2340fps average when I wanted right about 1900-2000fps. Wouldn't group worth spit either. 4" patterns at 100 yds, with the occasional flyer out in la-la land. I'm going to try 26.0 of IMR 4198 w/1.5gns dacron and see if I can get this load to group at about 1900fps.

Test rifle was 1958 Win M70. 24" barrel. Didn't lead the barrel, but that was the only good thing about this load. S/F...Ken M

 

[Fatelvis]

Ken, how `bout trying the old 16 grns of 2400 load? Try it, I bet you`ll like it! Its mild, (slower than 1900 fps), and shoots like the Dickens in my 303 Brits.

 

[EchoSixMike]

Good call. Do you use a filler with that? I'm thinking I might load up two batches and see if it makes any difference. I have about 5 lbs left on a 20lb keg of 2400, so your suggestion comes at an opportune time. S/F....Ken M

 

[Fatelvis]

No filler needed. I just bang them off as usual, but some people say tilting the muzzle up before every shot, increases accuracy. I do it sometimes, but honestly, I dont see a difference. Good luck!

 

[Cherokee]

EchoSixMike: Before switching to cast bullets in a rifle that has been shooting jacketed bullets, the competative cast bullet shooters say you really need to clean the barrel good and get all the jacket fouling out of it.

I cleaned my Win 94 and Enfield 30/06 until the patchs were clean, then used JB Bore Paste to really scrub the bore, followed by another cleaning. Good accuracy and no leading.

Just passin' along my experience.

 

[DonQatU]

Fatelvis, check out this site! It has loads for both plain and gas check designs!

http://www.trueshotbullets.com/loads.html

Don

 

[Fatelvis]

Thanks Don, great data!