New guy just getting started

[Kyrifleman]

I've been reloading a few different calibers for about 3 years now and I want to get into casting for 30-30. I have all the stuff together I'll need to cast ingots but I haven't gotten any of the tools I'll need to actually cast bullets. Trying to cast rifle bullets of the right size and hardness sounds intimidating but there seems to be some really helpful and knowledgeable people here to give advice.

So anyhow, there's my introduction. Glad to be here. :cbpour:

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Welcome!

Tell us a little more ...

What type of shooting do you plan on doing with your 30-30? (plinking, target, hunting)

What gun(s) do you have in 30-30?

Just this evening I was walking back to my truck in the truckstop and I saw the truck with a silhouette of a '94 and it said Winchester above it, below it was the truck number 30-30 I just smiled, and glanced up to see if the driver was there ... I did not see anybody, so I kept walking, I should have taken a picture!

[Kyrifleman]

Mostly plinking. If it's accurate enough to smack a bowling pin at 100-150 yards, it's good enough. Maybe knock off a yote or a pig occasionally, but 99% plinking. I have a post-64 top eject 94 Winchester 30-30 with a Lyman 66. I also have a 94AE Legacy in 44 Mag that I love to shoot. I don't directly plan to cast for that one as bullets are so easy to find.

One of the main things I wonder about is how much trouble will it be to use wheel weights for 30-30. I work in a shop that does wheel balancing among other things so I have a steady supply of WWs.

Oh yeah, thanks for the welcome too :)

[Stick_man]

welcome! You are a lucky man if you have the steady supply of WWs. Get 'em while you can, cuz the lead weights are on their way out, making way to inferior ones made of Zinc or Steel.

Boolits cast from the clip-on WWs should work great in the .30-30, especially if you slap a gas check on the back end. Keep the velocities down below 2200 or 2300 fps and you should get great accuracy. If you need harder alloy than the wheelweights, you can water quench them to boost the hardness by about 50% or so.

Remember, the lead stick-on type WWs are generally considered near pure lead. The clip-on type have about .5% tin and a little antimony as well and work well as is for casting pistol boolits. Add a little extra tin if needed for good mold fillout. They should work great for your rifles as well.

Be safe and have fun. Remember to always have good ventilation and protective gear.

[onondaga]

You came to the right place. Collect a lot more information before you start . Don't just buy any boolit mold. Cast boolit shooting even with mediocre accuracy depends on boolit fit. To select the mold that will fit your rifle well means starting by slugging your bore. Here is a general video about how to do that:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Iraqveteran8888#play/uploads/13/ErFaJlUVs1Y

Best accuracy usually comes with a boolit .002" larger than your barrel groove to groove diameter measured on the slug with a good micrometer, not a dial gauge caliper.

Gas checks are also important and few 30 cal molds are plain base that aren't designed for gas checks.Flat point 150-175 grain boolits work great in 30-30s and so does H4895 powder. but the size boolit to fit your rifle is very important.
I use a Lee mold but had to modify it to cast larger for my rifle and size/check with the easy Lee lube-n-size kit and tumble lube with the lube in the kit.

Gary

[quilbilly]

Welcome to the group. I expect soon you will become as hooked as we all are on this often consuming pastime. The 30-30 is a fine place to start because it is so forgiving and gives such great results.
My own recommendation to keep things simple and relatively inexpensive is one of the Lee molds plus a Lee lube/size kit that will get you started with that lube until something else better comes along (I stuck with it since my 30-30 likes the setup).
Wheels weights are getting harder to come by every day so I mix pure lead (often roofing lead) with about 40% hunting type shotgun pellets (gets you the antimony and arsenic for hardness) then add a little tin from Walmart fishing sinkers. This formula has produced for me great results at velocities from 900-2100 fps. Don't bother using just shotgun pellets as they are far to hard and brittle.
Have fun and keep us posted

[smoked turkey]

Kyrifleman:
Welcome to the best site on the internet! That is a bold statement, but I am sure you will find as most of us have that you will run into some of the most knowledgeable people in the shooting arena. I am continually learning from those on this forum. There are a lot of 30-30 shooters here and I am sure you will get good advice like I see from several already. I recommend you purchase Lyman's Cast Bullet handbook as well as several other references as you see the need. Read the past threads such as the one dealing with the Lever Action. They are all good and will add to your knowledge base. See you on the forum.

[Lizard333]

I just started casting for my 53 Winchester 30-30. I am currently casting the 311041 sized to 309 with a gas check with straight WW's. I am using lyman orange and 29 gns of 335 behind it. No leading, and able to knock down bowling pins/prairie dogs pretty easy at 100+ yards. This is my first rifle cast boolit and it has been a blast to shoot!! You will find a lot of people use the the 311041 mold and you can't go wrong with it. Enjoy yourself!!

[Kyrifleman]

Thanks for the replies yall, this does seem to be a really good forum. I've been using 3031 with 170 gn jacketed bullets. Can I expect decent results with 3031 behind a cast bullet? I also have Unique, Bullseye and 2400 I can try.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I've been loading and shooting 3 94's with Lyman # 311291 for several decades. I used IMR 3031 and it works very well for me. I started at 25 grains, but found that 27 grains shot the best for each of my rifles. One can go as high as 30 0r 31 grains, which is around factory velocity for the cartridge, but it isn't necessary. Burns clean and no leading. I use a gas check. Recoil is low and the loading is a pleasure to shoot. Some folks prefer #311041 which is essentially the same as 311291, but with a cut off nose/meplat. Either one weighs around 170 grains. Good shooting. LLS