? on Lead balls in .30-30

[AZMark]

I hope you don't think this is too off-topic, but you guys are the lead bullet gurus, so here goes.

I've been reading about using .320 lead balls for light .30 caliber loads. Articles I read didn't mention sizing. Some of the references are from many years back, if that matters. Would using slightly oversized, pure lead balls be dangerous at all for the shooter or the gun?

[Junior1942]

Nope, see http://www.castbullet.com/shooting/rb30.htm

[felix]

The only time something like this can be dangerous is when you leave zero clearance in the case neck. For practical purposes, use a magic marker around the loaded round at the seating depth and place the cartridge in the chamber being very careful about inserting the round and closing the action. There should be no marks on the cartridge neck after withdrawing, very carefully, the round. Ideally, you want 0.001 total clearance. ... felix

[AZMark]

So, a "0" buckshot lead pellet would work OK without sizing? That would make for a really cheap plinking bullet, I think. Midway sells 5lbs of "0" buck for about $16. I don't know how many pellets that is, but I'm sure it's probably a lot.

[whisler]

Junior's nominal .32 caliber balls were actually .311 diameter, whereas 0 shot is actually .32 diameter IIRC. Unless you shave some lead on insertion, I think you will have a very tight chamber fit. Seems like you better use Felix's suggestion for safety sake. Good luck and be safe.

[joeb33050]

I've tried round balls and shot in rifles from 22 to 45. Sometimes a fit was found where the shot or ball could be sized, making a ball with flat sides, that seemed to make more sense. Also lubed and not lubed, made little difference.
I've read accounts of this practice with "acceptable" accuracy for 47 years, and am thus the only living person who has never been able to reliably hit a half gallon milk carton at 50 yards or a soda can end at 25 yards with round balls in a CF rifle.
Several people told me that the twist was wrong, I don't know why, but it never worked for me. I did load 32 S&W Long with 2 ?0" buckshot, and they came out and went through ?3/8"? plywood at ~7 yards. Now that I think of it, I also shot that pistol with 311299 at 100 yards, with fairly decent shooting-at-a-rock accuracy, for 6 shots. The brass didn't want to eject since the ?hand? cut out hole things had all blown out and extruded the brass into the holes.
Sorry to dither, another trip down memory lane to when I was (I hope) stupider than I am now.
joe brennan

[Junior1942]

So, a "0" buckshot lead pellet would work OK without sizing? That would make for a really cheap plinking bullet, I think. Midway sells 5lbs of "0" buck for about $16. I don't know how many pellets that is, but I'm sure it's probably a lot.Buy a Lee push-through sizer when you order, and you can be sure the "O" buckshot will work.

[Urny]

Mark, I have fired many hundreds of rounds of 00 Buckshot through an 8x57 Steyr M95M with 4.0 grains of Red Dot, the cases unsized. Usually the shot were coated with LLA and shot unsized, though that was tried too, with less favorable results. Minute of cottontail was reliable out to about 25 yards or a little more; in fact it was my cottontail rifle of choice until I sold it last year. With due caution to the neck clearance issue, I would sure try it.

[TAWILDCATT]

seems every one is scared to blow up their rifles. when I first got in to loading I had an 8 mm mauser 1913 I believe simpson& co. I hamered 30/06 cases in chamber and cut neck down.molded 30/40 krag 220 gr bullet in plaster of paris mold filled case with bulk shootgun powder and fired it had to hammer bolt open.never could hit any thing.shoot some more and then put up an old sheet i found.fired and the sheet looked like a shotgun patten?.figured the bullet melted.gun was fine.lead will squeze down fine.
get an auxiliary cart for $ 20 in 32acp.and shoot the auto cart its quite and accurate.I have them in 303-30/06-8mm-30/40krag. :coffee: :Fire:

[felix]

Lead will not squeeze down out of the cartridge neck, but instead will expand. ... felix

[Junior1942]

TA, do you still have both eyes and all ten fingers?

[randyrat]

The only time something like this can be dangerous is when you leave zero clearance in the case neck. For practical purposes, use a magic marker around the loaded round at the seating depth and place the cartridge in the chamber being very careful about inserting the round and closing the action. There should be no marks on the cartridge neck after withdrawing, very carefully, the round. Ideally, you want 0.001 total clearance. ... felix I'm wondering why is this dangerous?- I think i know why but am not sure.(Obstruction with the case neck and ball-BOOM)?

[DLCTEX]

Unless the case neck has room to expand enough to release the boolit, dangerous pressure spikes can occur. Dale

[Leftoverdj]

We're talking RBs here, people, not bullets. There is minimal bearing surface, minimal pressures, and plenty of unsupported surface for any expansion to occur in. If you can thumb seat the ball in a fired case, it's safe. Case does not have to expand to release the ball because it has a tenuous grip on the the ball in the first place.

Accuracy problems are probably due to too small a ball, too heavy a powder charge, or unrealistic expectations. I've never had any trouble getting squirrel head accuracy at 25 yards, but I've never gotten even halfway accuracy at 50 yards.

Most of my RB shooting has been in .308s, and the charges have been under 3 grains of whichever fast pistol powder is handy. Three grains of Unique is OK and anything faster should be less.

Buckshot varies a lot. Running slightly oversized shot through a sizer gives a little more bearing surface and a little better accuracy. My batch of 0 buck through a .314 sizer works in fired cases from my rifles. I flush seat or as close to as my thumb will get and smear lube in the radius.

Mark and segregate your cases though. The shoulder gets pushed back, and you'll get case head separations if you use those cases for full power loads.