30-30 reloads question

[Dark Horse Charlie]

So a friend gave me a bunch of 30-30 components he found in his shop. Lots of brass and 3 different grained coated bullets, 135 gr, 155gr, 165 gr. Which would be best for a lighter target load?

 

Thank ya kindly 

[High Spade Mikey Wilson]

For just a light plinker load use the 135 gr with 10-11 grains of Unique.

 

You didn't say what powder you had, or what rifle you were planning to use. If the rifle has a tubular magazine like a lever action or pump make sure your bullets are either a flat point or have a flex tip. If your rifle has a built in box magazine like a Savage 99, or a removable magazine like a Savage 340, then it doesn't matter if it's a flat point, flex tip, or spire point.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Each rifle has a preference for some cast /coated bullets over all the rest.  Some folks find a heavier bullet gives them great accuracy, some find the light ones work well.  What works in any one of my 30 caliber rifles may or may not work in the others.   And, keep muzzle velocities below about 1600 FPS with those slugs from a 30-30.

 

But most important - clean the barrel to remove any jacketed bullet copper fouling before starting to shoot cast bullets.  Wire brush and bore solvent until cleaning patches no longer have a greenish tint and barrel looks spotless in the grooves.  After that, fire a couple of fouling shots and your barrel should be able to give you it's best.

 

good luck, GJ

[Dark Horse Charlie]

31 minutes ago, High Spade Mikey Wilson said:

For just a light plinker load use the 135 gr with 10-11 grains of Unique.

 

You didn't say what powder you had, or what rifle you were planning to use. If the rifle has a tubular magazine like a lever action or pump make sure your bullets are either a flat point or have a flex tip. If your rifle has a built in box magazine like a Savage 99, or a removable magazine like a Savage 340, then it doesn't matter if it's a flat point, flex tip, or spire point.

Thanks! The rifle is a winchester 94, born around 1906. Solid old girl but i am never going to use it for hunting, so just the occasional fun shoot. As for powder I need to get some, but have a bit of bullseye right now.

[Dark Horse Charlie]

3 minutes ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

Each rifle has a preference for some cast /coated bullets over all the rest.  Some folks find a heavier bullet gives them great accuracy, some find the light ones work well.  What works in any one of my 30 caliber rifles may or may not work in the others.   And, keep muzzle velocities below about 1600 FPS with those slugs from a 30-30.

 

But most important - clean the barrel to remove any jacketed bullet copper fouling before starting to shoot cast bullets.  Wire brush and bore solvent until cleaning patches no longer have a greenish tint and barrel looks spotless in the grooves.  After that, fire a couple of fouling shots and your barrel should be able to give you it's best.

 

good luck, GJ

Thanks for the tips. Recently did a full strip and clean.

[Griff]

5 hours ago, Dark Horse Charlie said:

Thanks for the tips. Recently did a full strip and clean.

Clean and removing all residue of copper fouling are two very different things.  Like Garrison Joe said, if you don't get the copper fouling out, your cast bullet loads will likely never give their very best.  I avoid jacketed rounds out of my 2 .30-30s I use for target work in SASS.  It's a long process to get the copper fouling out.  Any of those three bullet weights can give excellent accuracy.  Another good powder I like in reduced loads is Accurate XMP5744.  Otherwise, Unique is your friend.  Depending on how hard those cast bullets are, you may need to keep your velocity below 1400fps to be on the safe side.  

[Hoss]

If I could only have one powder I think it wound be Unique. Very versatile powder. 
I use 11.5 in 30-40 Krag, 7.5x55, 10 grn 38-55, 12 grn in 45-60 & 14.2 in 45-70. Can also is in pistol caliber and shotgun. 

[Hashknife Cowboy]

I load for two entirely different  30-30's, a Marlin 336 Texan built in 1969 and a Thompson Center G2 with a 14 in custom barrel.  For both I have found that Winchester 748 powder works best, Federal #200 large rifle primers and the following bullets.

Marlin is loaded with  150 or 170 grain Soft Nose Flat Points,  150 grain can be any jacketed brand but for hunting I strongly recommend Nosler Partitions 170 Gr FP.

For the TC, same powder but I use Spitzer Boat Tails in 150 gr.  I can get good accuracy out to 150 yards.  Again for hunting I have great success with the Accubonds or Hornady Interlocks.

[Flint N. Steele]

11 hours ago, Hoss said:

If I could only have one powder I think it wound be Unique. Very versatile powder. 
I use 11.5 in 30-40 Krag, 7.5x55, 10 grn 38-55, 12 grn in 45-60 & 14.2 in 45-70. Can also is in pistol caliber and shotgun. 

I also use it in .22 Hornet.  3.5 grains and a 52 grain cast GC.

 

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

None will work.  They're terrible.  Send them to me and I'll dispose of them for you

[Dark Horse Charlie]

5 hours ago, Cyrus Cassidy #45437 said:

None will work.  They're terrible.  Send them to me and I'll dispose of them for you

Thanks Cyrus, that is very generous of you!

[Tom Bullweed]

If you have the Lee Loading book that comes with the anniversary kit, there is a long chapter with loads for plinking with the .30-30 and .30-06.

[Tulsey, SASS#11236]

Interesting topic that caused me to look back at what I used 20 years go. I had very bad groups using a 170 grain all lead bullet. Finally tried a 170 grain gas check bullet made by Laser Cast and it shot very well using 3031 powder. Then quit shooting any long range stuff and moved on to other things. The gas check made the difference  in accuracy

 

[High Spade Mikey Wilson]

4 hours ago, Tulsey, SASS#11236 said:

Interesting topic that caused me to look back at what I used 20 years go. I had very bad groups using a 170 grain all lead bullet. Finally tried a 170 grain gas check bullet made by Laser Cast and it shot very well using 3031 powder. Then quit shooting any long range stuff and moved on to other things. The gas check made the difference  in accuracy

 

I agree. Gas check bullets shoot a lot better for me in 30-30, 32 Spcl, and 38-55 than just plain cast bullets.

[Michigan Slim]

7 hours ago, Tulsey, SASS#11236 said:

Interesting topic that caused me to look back at what I used 20 years go. I had very bad groups using a 170 grain all lead bullet. Finally tried a 170 grain gas check bullet made by Laser Cast and it shot very well using 3031 powder. Then quit shooting any long range stuff and moved on to other things. The gas check made the difference  in accuracy

 

I cast, size, and gas check at 0.309. 170 grain Lee mold. Shoots well out of my Winchester 1894. Marlin 336, not so much.

[Dark Horse Charlie]

18 hours ago, Tom Bullweed said:

If you have the Lee Loading book that comes with the anniversary kit, there is a long chapter with loads for plinking with the .30-30 and .30-06.

I don't, but will have to check around

[Hoss]

6 hours ago, Michigan Slim said:

I cast, size, and gas check at 0.309. 170 grain Lee mold. Shoots well out of my Winchester 1894. Marlin 336, not so much.

I bet the Marlin 336 has a microgroove barrel. No bueno for cast bullets. 

[Sam Sackett]

16 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I bet the Marlin 336 has a microgroove barrel. No bueno for cast bullets. 

Not sure about the belief Marlins with micro groove won’t shoot cast bullets accurately. I have a 336 30/30 with micro groove and it shoots cast bullets as tight if not better than condominiums bullets. It will shoot them better than I can hold with iron sights and old eyes. 
 

Here is a target with cast bullets at 50 yards. The first three were me setting the sights………

 

 

Sam Sackett. 

[Hoss]

2 minutes ago, Sam Sackett said:

Not sure about the belief Marlins with micro groove won’t shoot cast bullets accurately. I have a 336 30/30 with micro groove and it shoots cast bullets as tight if not better than condominiums bullets. It will shoot them better than I can hold with iron sights and old eyes. 
 

Here is a target with cast bullets at 50 yards. The first three were me setting the sights………

 

 

Sam Sackett. 

Most have trouble out past 100. You may be one of the lucky ones! Just out of curiosity, what bullet/powder? 

[Rip Snorter]

My first real rifle, still in the rack, is a Marlin Model 100 Microgroove .22 Single shot.  New, a princely $10.99.  On GunsAmerica recently, $199.95!  Accurate when I was a boy, and still a lot of decades (and 2 other boys' usage) later!

[Hoss]

Interesting article

http://www.lasc.us/fryxellmarlin-microgroove.htm
 

[Michigan Slim]

1 hour ago, Hoss said:

I bet the Marlin 336 has a microgroove barrel. No bueno for cast bullets. 

I think if I went to .310 I'd be in business.

[Sam Sackett]

4 hours ago, Hoss said:

Most have trouble out past 100. You may be one of the lucky ones! Just out of curiosity, what bullet/powder? 

Nothing special. Lyman 31141, lubed with Ben’s Red over 27 grains of IMR 4895. Mixed cases crimped with Lee collet crimp die. 
 

Sam Sackett 

[The Shoer 27979]

I never could get my old 30-30 to hit anything, didn't  matter  If it was factory ammo, reloads, standing, sitting, prone, so I got ride of it and got another one that shot a lot better

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

On 12/25/2022 at 11:49 AM, Hashknife Cowboy said:

I load for two entirely different  30-30's, a Marlin 336 Texan built in 1969 and a Thompson Center G2 with a 14 in custom barrel.  For both I have found that Winchester 748 powder works best, Federal #200 large rifle primers and the following bullets.

Marlin is loaded with  150 or 170 grain Soft Nose Flat Points,  150 grain can be any jacketed brand but for hunting I strongly recommend Nosler Partitions 170 Gr FP.

For the TC, same powder but I use Spitzer Boat Tails in 150 gr.  I can get good accuracy out to 150 yards.  Again for hunting I have great success with the Accubonds or Hornady Interlocks.

I loaded 30-30 for an old angle eject Winchester about 30 years ago and had the best results with Winchester 748 also. If you want to scare everyone away use BLC-2 powder, it burns to slow for a short barrel and you get a ball of fire about the size of a washtub with every shot. Even at that it shoots pretty accurately but not as good as 748.

 

Randy