Wanted: A 30-30 plinking load

[klcarroll]

I’ve been casting a Lee #90364 (.308 120grn GC) boolit for my .30 Carbine application, and it has been an entirely satisfactory little pill. (….And I have a BUNCH of them in stock.)

Recently, one of my shooting crowd asked if I could come up with a 1500 – 1800 FPS “woodchuck load” for his 30-30 using this boolit. The problem I am having is that none of my loading manuals cover anything this light in a 30-30.

I don’t want to go through all the effort of “re-inventing the wheel”: ……Has anybody come up with a good 30-30 plinking load using this boolit??

Kent

[357maximum]

I shot a bunch of the RCBS 115grain GC boolits over 30.5 grains of IMR 3031 in my 94 Winny. Very accurate but never chronied it......That load should be close to what you seek.


I am pretty sure I got the start data for that load out of the little yellow contender book. IMNSHO it is something everyone that melts lead should own.

[Junior1942]

My Model 94 30-30 likes the Lee C309-113-F "soup can" with ~10 grs of WC820 for ~1500 fps. You might try maybe 8 grs of AA#9 to start. WC 820 is the only powder which gave me good accuracy with the Lee C309-113-F in 30-30 lever action. See http://www.castbullet.com/reload/wc820.htm

[Larry Gibson]

Try 8 - 10 gr of Unique, that works for me with 115 - 120 gr GC'd cast bullets in my M94s.

Larry Gibson

[Rocky Raab]

Hard to beat that 10.0 Unique, but it will probably be a bit faster than the numbers you specified. Nothing wrong with that, of course.

My .30-30 is happy with 7.0 of darn near any fast powder and a 120 RN. Try RedDot, American Select, 700X, Titegroup, or any of nearly a dozen others in that speed range.

[jmsj]

Try 8 - 10 gr of Unique, that works for me with 115 - 120 gr GC'd cast bullets in my M94s.

Larry Gibson

I have been playing around a lot lately w/ the Lyman 311008 that I put PB gas checks on them. I started w/ 7.5 grains of Unique and moved up to 10.0 grains.
Using this PB gas checked bullet and Unique, I got velocities from 1500 fps to 1750fps. out of a 30/30 Trapper length barrel. Best accuracy for me came at 9.5 grains of Unique.
Before I started putting PB gas checks on the bullets I started getting leading @ 8.5 grains of Unique and best accuracy was at 7.5 grains. After putting the PB gas checks on leading went away and accuracy and velocity got considerably better.
Good luck jmsj

[1Shirt]

I would go with the 8-10 grains that Larry recommended. Just be really, really careful of double charges. Recommend brass of the same weight, and weighing loaded ctgs for consistanciy to avoid mistakes.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[klcarroll]

To All:

Thanks for the almost immediate replies! ......You've given me plenty to play with.

Thanks!

Kent

[45-70 Chevroner]

How long has this term (94 winnie) been around. I'm sure I know what it means and it is unfortunate that some of us feel that way. The 30-30 has probably killed more deer in the US than any other caliber rifle. The 30-30 has also taken every big game animaly on the North American continent. I would not choose it for anything larger than deer, but it is still a very viable hunting cartridge. I'm sorry I came across a little strong on this but that's just the way I feel. Also I'm sorry for hijacking this thread to vent my feelings.

[bruce drake]

Both my 30-30 and my 7.62x39 bolt rifle uses 8gr of Red Dot with Lyman's 311410 130gr RN Plain Base boolit. Minute of Woodchuck with minimal recoil and a good splat out to 50 yards.

[runfiverun]

How long has this term (94 winnie) been around. I'm sure I know what it means and it is unfortunate that some of us feel that way. The 30-30 has probably killed more deer in the US than any other caliber rifle. The 30-30 has also taken every big game animaly on the North American continent. I would not choose it for anything larger than deer, but it is still a very viable hunting cartridge. I'm sorry I came across a little strong on this but that's just the way I feel. Also I'm sorry for hijacking this thread to vent my feelings.

winnie,remmy,weapon,automatic.....
i just translate in my head and move on.

[klcarroll]

How long has this term (94 winnie) been around. I'm sure I know what it means and it is unfortunate that some of us feel that way. The 30-30 has probably killed more deer in the US than any other caliber rifle. The 30-30 has also taken every big game animaly on the North American continent. I would not choose it for anything larger than deer, but it is still a very viable hunting cartridge. I'm sorry I came across a little strong on this but that's just the way I feel. Also I'm sorry for hijacking this thread to vent my feelings.


Uhhh....................

Maybe I'm just having a "Senior Moment"; ........But I have NO idea what 45-70's comments have to do with a small game load for the 30-30!


Kent

[DLCTEX]

Is it just me or does anyone else just think 94 Winnie is another way of saying 94 Winchester. I never have taken it to mean anything derogatory toward the gun or caliber 30-30.:veryconfu

[Rockydog]

The appropriate load of Trail Boss, as determined in the Hodgdon website, has been a great cast load with light bullets in my 94 30-30. No recoil, low noise, no leading, very accurate. What's not to like? RD

[Alan in Vermont]

It has been too cold and windy for me to see how they group yet but I put together some Lee 311-93s over 5 grs of Unique. Now if they shoot decent, on the order of minute-of-soda- can at 25 yds it should be a good load to introduce my granddaughter to a full size rifle without noise/recoil issues. That's my idea of a plinking load, YMMV.

[prs]

I can back Rockydog on this, but I have been using 170gr boolits. My son wanted a plinker for shooting steel offhand and fun targets with his 30WCF (is that better than Winnie?). The Lee flat nose 170 is the only mould I have for it other than the old Lyman 30/40 Krag 200gr. Any way, I started at 70% of max uncompressed capacity of TrailBoss and it was sooooo puny. But when I hit 100% of capacity it was ringing steel with authority and splattering old hen's eggs at 50 yards offhand was child's play. Low noise, low recoil, a little dirty shooting, no leading. Its a very fast powder and that little boolit the OP has might romp along even at the starting charge. I also worked up the same load with a 170gr boolit for my 32Win Spcl with same result in same charge scheme. Sweet shooting plinker with some authority and good off-hand accuracy.

prs

[EDK]

Run a search here for gmdr. Reduced loads in many calibers. I used PROMO with a plain base version of 311041...gas checks cost money...use a hard alloy, water drop, and use LLA. (I'm using H335 with a 311299 gas check in my M1A...and it functions as a semi auto.)

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley:

[357maximum]

45-70 I am not even close to understanding how you got anything negative from my post. Color me confused:?:

I love my Winchester Model 1894 in 30-30 Winchester Centerfire. Feel better now?:killingpc

[MikeS]

Is it just me or does anyone else just think 94 Winnie is another way of saying 94 Winchester. I never have taken it to mean anything derogatory toward the gun or caliber 30-30.:veryconfu

When I read '94 Winnie' I assumed it was just a reference to a Winchester 94, without any negative connotation to it at all. It's all in the context of where and how it's used. If the same expression was used on a non gun related website, I might have assumed the person was talking about a 18 year old motorhome, but seeing it here I understood that it referred to a Winchester rifle.