Suggestions for .30-30 Winchester mold and load

[MtGun44]

W748 is great in .30-30 for full power J-bullet loads.
Meters like water, too.

Bill

[geargnasher]

W748 is great in .30-30 for full power J-bullet loads.
Meters like water, too.

Bill

Pretty tough to beat for full-power cast, too. 3031 might have an edge because it is more temperature stable (748 is one of the worst for pressure variances at extreme temperature), but it DOES meter like water instead of firewood, and for comfortable shooting weather is extremely consistent. The pressure curve out of a 20" barrel with a medium listed load and 170-grain boolit is perfect.

Gear

[hunter64]

Lyman #311041 with IMR 3031 for hunting or 100 yard practice. Unique for 50 yard practice. Be very careful with the Unique because a double load will not spill over.

Exactly what I use. The Unique is excellent for plinking fun, heck the kids use it for shooting gophers sometimes when we are out and about.

I have the hollow point version of the 311041 and it is by far the most accurate bullet in all my 30-30s. Lots of deer have fallen to the 311041 and IMR 3031 combo.

[pps]

The 311041 is nice. I like reloader 7, but this batch has loadings of varget from 27 grains up to 28.5 grains. They will have to wait till after opening week of deer season (STUPID LEAD BAN) to get run over the chrono.

[helice]

The 30-30 is a fun plinking gun and can be used sort of like a 22. I have a 311316 115 gr gas checked that I use with the loads listed by MT Gianni and Will (above). Also got a 313226 plain base that I use with fast burn pistole' powder. You'd be amazed at the velocity you can get with but 5 grains of 231 Winchester or 700X Hi-Skor or Red Dot. These are fun to shoot, great for kids and tough on squirrels. Helice

[qajaq59]

The 30-30 is pretty good at knocking down deer and hogs too. That hog in my avatar took one 30-30 bullet behind the ear and never took another step. And for fun I like 9 grains of Unique behind a Lyman 311041. You can shoot it all day and have a ball.

[mnzrxer]

To those of you using the 311041 does it fit a tight throat better than some of the other boolits with a more cylindrical nose? I have tried the C-150-F Lee and now have a RCBS 30-150-CM that both are hard to chamber because the nose dropped at about .302 and engages the rifling pretty hard when chambered.

To keep on topic I use 10.0gr Unique behind the 150 gr cast for a nice light and quiet plinker at about 1500fps and 30.5gr. Win 748 under one of those fancy plastic tipped J-word bullets for 2025fps. This is in my 20" M94.

[44 flattop]

I like the 311041 sized .311 and 27grs of 3031.

The same bullet with 8grs of Unique is great for the grandkids and plinking.

44

[geargnasher]

To those of you using the 311041 does it fit a tight throat better than some of the other boolits with a more cylindrical nose? I have tried the C-150-F Lee and now have a RCBS 30-150-CM that both are hard to chamber because the nose dropped at about .302 and engages the rifling pretty hard when chambered.

To keep on topic I use 10.0gr Unique behind the 150 gr cast for a nice light and quiet plinker at about 1500fps and 30.5gr. Win 748 under one of those fancy plastic tipped J-word bullets for 2025fps. This is in my 20" M94.

My 311041 is an ancient group-buy six-banger Lee and has a pretty fat nose so I can't say for sure. My experience is with Marlins which have larger bore diameter and .301" noses just rattle around in there. My Lee 309-150-FN dropped .310" bands with .301" noses with WW+2. You might consider something without a bore-riding section, perhaps the current group buy of the NOE re-run of Ranch Dog's .30-30 boolit.

Gear

[Ed Gallop]

Lots of different suggestions. I've used Unique, IMR4227, and Trail Boss and much prefer Trail Boss with 150gr flat nose from a Lee mold for plinking. I used too soft lead and found a big loss in velocity but wheel weights with some linotype is perfect. My problem is finding the right top punch for seating the gas check and lube sizer. The Lyman top punch deforms the Lee mold.

I love my 94 too.

[qajaq59]

One nice thing about a Win 94 in 30-30 is that it can be anything from a pop gun to a bear killer. It may not be my best rifle, but it sure is my favorite.

[Hurricane]

I use a flat top punch for all my boolits. That way I don't have to worry about an exact fit or deformed boolit noses. A wadcutter top punch or a flat nose top punch like the Lyman 665 (for their cowboy bullet 358665 RNFP) works fine for me. However, a deformed bullet nose will have little or no effect on the accuracy of the bullet.

[bruce drake]

I use an old Ideal 170gr 311291 that I size at .310 for my Ted Williams 30-30. It is pushed by 28gr of IMR 3031 and it works just fine. I haven't tried it out on an animal yet but maybe next year.

Bruce

[qajaq59]

Someone in here makes his own top punches by using a flat top punch and epoxy to form the shape of the bullet. I've never needed to do it, but it sure sounded like it would work well.

[44 flattop]

i use a flat top punch for all my boolits. That way i don't have to worry about an exact fit or deformed boolit noses.

+1

44

[cephas53]

For ground hogs this year I've been using the 115gr Lyman 31008, half ww and half pb, with 2400. Longest shot has been around 60 paces, average less than 30. Mild, accurate and fun. The chrono says an average of 1414 fps out of my carbine with 10.5 grs. Have worked up a load with the Lyman 170 gr 31141, half pb and ww. Came into some 5744 and 22.0 grs is pushing them just over 2,000 fps. Looking forward to using it. With good advice from you'ns my 30-30 has come out of the closet and am literally having a blast with it.

[Ed Gallop]

I've been using a flat punch too but it goes a little quicker when the punch fits. It will line up when slightly off set. Otherwise I take more time to get it lined up right. But... It works okay and I'm in no big hurry.

[fatelvis]

311041 sized to .310", lubed with Speedgreen, over 24 grns. XBR8208. I started at 22.0 grns., and am working up. Still haven't seen pressure problems yet, and accuracy is great from my 14" Contender. Next week I try 24.5, 25, and 25.5 grns. I haven't chrono'd this load yet, but at 200 meters, it still drops alot more than my middle-of-the -road 7BR load, and although I know I won't match the trajectory of the 7BR, it should be closer than it is now.

[358 Win]

I like the Lyman 31141 cast of WW metal + some tin over 16gr 2400, sized .3095, lubed with Javalena Alox, and sparked by a Fed 215 Magnum primer @ 1700fps with my 30-30's.
358 Win

[pipehand]

[QUOTE=mnzrxer;971763]To those of you using the 311041 does it fit a tight throat better than some of the other boolits with a more cylindrical nose? I have tried the C-150-F Lee and now have a RCBS 30-150-CM that both are hard to chamber because the nose dropped at about .302 and engages the rifling pretty hard when chambered.



I have the same mould, and did have difficulty at one time with the fat nose problem. I was sizing them in a Saeco sizer, and I would inconsistantly bump up the noses. Since I started sizing my rifle bullets in a Star (Magma) the noses haven't been too large to chamber in my Marlins. My stepson's Winchester does require that the bullet sized to .3105 be seated deeper than the crimp groove to chamber easily, and that is with the brass trimmed.