Ranch Dog 30-30 Powder Range With H4895?

[UtopiaTexasG19]

The powder chart corresponding with the Ranch Dog 30-30 mold and H4895 powder shows a maximum charge of 32.3 grains. Has anyone used this combination that knows a minimum powder charge? I need a range to test out and do not know where to begin to find the most accurate charge for my 336. Thanks...

I am dealing with multiple complications at the same time. I cast two batches of the Ranch Dog 30-30 with two sources of lead. Both batches cast great and the bullets from both batches weigh in around 165 grains. I loaded them (with gas checks) with the Ranch Dog chart with the H4895 at 32 grains. The chart on the Ranch Dog site lists 32.2 grains of H4895 as the max. but there is no minimum listed. I shot 12 rounds from each batch and found no leading in the barrel of my 336 with just a hint of powder residue in the barrel upon cleaning. After doing all this my hardness tester arrived and I found that batch 1 of my lead tested with a BHN of 8.6 and batch #2 tested at a BHN of 5! All the holes in the paper targets at 50 yards are perfect circles and I am amazed that the really soft lead stayed round at the target. At this point I'm trying to find someone who has used the Ranch Dog mold with the H4895 and has found a minimum charge. I have cast and loaded pistol rounds for years and have loaded manufactured cast bullets for the 30-30 but this is my first attempt to cast, use gas checks and load my own in the 30-30.
PS- My 336 is a 1974 vintage so I think that makes it a 1:12 twist micro groove set up.

[jtaylor1960]

H-4895 according to the manufacturer can be reduced to 60% of maximum and still give reliable ignition.I have used it in many cartridges and found that to be true.It is my favorite in ths 32 spl.,38/55 and the 45/70.

[popper]

I've gone down to 23 grn in 30-30. Hodgdon shows 17-23 for 150 LFN, I assume for non-GC. More importantly, what is the accuracy and group size. I think I've seen a lot of people using 27 grn. H4895 wit no filler for 15-170 CB. I don't know where the 32.2 max comes from, that is above my jacketed load for 30-30.

[UtopiaTexasG19]

My 50 yard and 100 yard benches were moved to do some mowing so I tried the shots at 50 yards free standing/iron sights and got 4" patterns on the targets so this does not tell the story yet. I also have a slight tremor so I am not a great shot under most circumstances. This weekend when I have my benches back in place, leveled and stabilized I'll try again and should be able to start looking for a load that works the best for my 336. Thanks for the information. :)

[onondaga]

You got a load that is .3 grains less than maximum with boolits soft enough to be devastating on game and you got 4 inch offhand groups at 50 yards!!!!! What in the world are you even questioning or worrying about?

H4895 is a very flexible powder. it is so flexible that Hogdon's manual specifically recommends it for reduced loads. Other powders generally recommend a 10% reduction from the maximum charge as a starting point, but Hogdon 4895 can be reduced much farther successfully without fillers. 29-30 grains in the 30-30 with that weight boolit is widely recognized as terrific and that combination is just not difficult to get shooting well at all unless your darn boolits just don't fit.

That boolit fit problem is not likely to be the case with the RD boolit drop size at .310 unless you goof things up by sizing them smaller than .002 over groove diameter of your barrel or you are sizing your cases small enough to cause the brass to swage your boolits down in diameter. A Lyman "M" die or a Lee collet neck sizing die adjusted for boolit size and a case mouth expander is a sure cure for that problem if you have it.

If you have no leading at 32 grains and 4 inch offhand groups, see how that load shoots at a real bench with good rests and compare it to 30 grain load accuracy. if it isn't a big enough difference to matter to you, stick with the hotter load for kill power if you are a hunter. The rifle already told you it likes your alloy and boolit size by not leading up with a 32 grain charge--so there is no question on that anymore.

Deer and hogs in Texas aren't real small. Now if you are hunting squirrels with that lever-gun, I get all my squirrel rifles to group 1 inch or less at 50 yards or they aren't squirrel rifles.


Gary

[UtopiaTexasG19]

My target back stop is a used freezer that was carefully filled with scrap 4x4 and
2x4 boards lined up as tight as possible so that no bullet has a clear path between boards from one side to another so in effect I have a 3 foot by 3 foot by 6 foot tall solid block of wood to shoot into. I will be curious this Winter when I open the unit up to see all the lead inside and if I can identify any particular caliber. I am partial to shooting the one ounce Federal TruBall slugs from my 12 gauge shotgun at 50 yards and I should get almost 100% of my lead back to re-melt and use over again. I have a 4' x 4' sheet of 1/2" steel behind the freezer but nothing has ever gone all the way through the freezer, even 30-06 at 50 yards. :)