New member with some questions.

[bioman63]

Hello
I am a new member to this forum and relatively new casting bullets. I most say that this forum is a fountain of knowledge. I have been casting bullets for my (2 )45/70 guns for about a year with great success. A Browning BPCR and a marlin 1894 cowboy. I am now about to start casting for a marlin lever gun in 30 30.
I need a couple favors.

1. What are the differences that I need to address when loading a cast bullet into a bottleneck case?
2. Would anyone be interested in selling me a variety of cast bullets for this gun (marlin 30 30). I would like to shoot various designs before I invest in a new mold.

The gun will be used for hunting eastern whitetail deer and shooting at a local running deer compition. Thanks for any and all help.

P.S. I live in Harpers Ferry wv and do most of my hunting in Hardy Co Wv.

[454PB]

For loading cast in bottleneck cases, at the very least you need a Lee universal expander die. This device allows you to flair the case mouth so that you don't damage the relatively soft boolit as it is seated.

Most of us are using .309" to .311" cast boolits in the 30/30. Years ago I made my own neck expander/flaring dies to open the resized neck on .30 caliber rifle cases. Since most resizing dies are designed for .308" bullets, the neck ends up too small to accept a .311" cast boolit without damage. However, the Lyman "M" die or Lee universal expander will get you started.

I cast about 6 different .30 caliber boolits, but only 2 of these are designed for use in a tubular magazine. If you would like a sample of these, send me a PM and I'll send some your way. It would be helpful if you slugged your bore so the boolits can be sized correctly.

[jonk]

The only mold I have that would work in a lever action is a Lee 150 gr GCFN. It is a .309 diameter mold. I also have a few round nose molds that would work well as single shots but I wouldn't want to load them in the mag. Ditt on on the offer above; I'd be happy to send you about 20 or so of the flat nosed bullet, lubed and ready to go as my 'welcome'; perhaps we should each list what we can send, so we don't send any duplicates?

[Sundogg1911]

For my Winchester 94 30-30 I use a Lyman 173 gr FP with a gas check.
I've used the 150 gr. but prefer the heavier one
I can send you some to try out. they're sized at .308
I Pointed it at deer twice, and they both were mighty tasty! :-)

[44man]

Hello
I am a new member to this forum and relatively new casting bullets. I most say that this forum is a fountain of knowledge. I have been casting bullets for my (2 )45/70 guns for about a year with great success. A Browning BPCR and a marlin 1894 cowboy. I am now about to start casting for a marlin lever gun in 30 30.
I need a couple favors.

1. What are the differences that I need to address when loading a cast bullet into a bottleneck case?
2. Would anyone be interested in selling me a variety of cast bullets for this gun (marlin 30 30). I would like to shoot various designs before I invest in a new mold.

The gun will be used for hunting eastern whitetail deer and shooting at a local running deer compition. Thanks for any and all help.

P.S. I live in Harpers Ferry wv and do most of my hunting in Hardy Co Wv.

I am posting a pm to you.

[MT Chambers]

Buy the Lyman 311041 and you'll never have to look back.

[Buckshot]

.............bioman63, welcome to the board. A 30-30 is a good BN case to start with. The Lyman 311041 was designed FOR the 30-30. However the 311291 is a good one too and you can easily put a FN on it. Just use a FN punch in the lube-sizer and if simply pushing the boolit into the die doesn't give you the desired FP, just bear down on the handle a bit when it hits bottom.

................Buckshot

[44man]

Bioman, did you get my private message? I live almost next door and have a nice mold.

[SharpsShooter]

Welcome to the board. Like 44man, I am nearly next door. I load the RCBS 30-180-FN for the 30-30 or the 311407. Both are good choices and are 190gr and 175gr respectively.

Be sure to inside chamfer the case necks and use as little neck expansion as you can get away with to maintain neck tension. Using a gas checked boolit in both the 30-30 and 30-40, I can usually seat the boolit without expanding the neck, just chamfered, but you have to be cautious of your allignment and be gentle.


SS

[bioman63]

You guys are great! Thanks so much Scott

[bioman63]

Here is a quick update on my 30 30 project. I have shoot three diffeent bullets so far with several different powders. The best group so far have been with with a bullet from 44man (308-165-SIL) with 3031. In a close second was the Lyman 173 gr FP from sundog1911. Both bullets produced 5 shot groups under 2 inches at 100 yards. Thanks to everone who haved help. Cheers Scott

[Buckshot]

............Don't stay away so long next time :-)

.................Buckshot