Glenfield 30 range report

[robroy]

After a complete cleaning of barrel and action I tried 2 loads in my Glenfield:
2.2 cc of IMR4895
85756
2.2cc of IMR3031
85757

Both groups were fired at 50 yds. It was calm and in the middle 30s. The group with 4895 included foulers so I'll probably try it again as well as a stiffer load. The group with 3031 shows great promise, especialy since the 7 o'clock and 2 o'clock fliers I called. Why 10 shots? There's no such thing as a lucky 10 shot group.

[Lonegun1894]

I like that 3031 group. My Revelationm200 (marlin 336) likes 30.0grs of 3031 and a Lee 170gr also.

[TXGunNut]

Coming soon to a used gun rack near you.......NOT! Looks good, pretty awesome for this early in the game, that 3031 load looks good indeed.

[robroy]

The Lee dippers are pretty good for finding a starting charge of a powder a particular gun likes. I have an old red set from 1966 as well as the newer yellow set. By the chart the 141 dipper in the red set brings me within a grain and a half of RD's max loads. I debated trying that but think I'll go with a grain more than the 2.2 cc dipper load and work up by half or maybe 1 grain increments for 2 reasons: 1) I don't want to find I'm past a max load for my rifle, and 2) I don't want to pass up a sweet spot.

[Treetop]

What boolit are you using robroy? Good potential right there! Tt.

[OnHoPr]

Those Lee dippers are used just about every time I reload for one purpose or another. They can be fine for making accurate rounds if the load (powder & boolit) combo correlates to your desired circumstances.

[robroy]

Those are RanchDog TLC 311-165 RF. I bought em froom Carolina Cast Bullets so I could test drive them. If I keep getting results like this I'm going to get the NOE version.

[blikseme300]

Those are RanchDog TLC 311-165 RF. I bought em froom Carolina Cast Bullets so I could test drive them. If I keep getting results like this I'm going to get the NOE version.

You won't be sorry getting a mold for this boolit. I use this boolit in 3 different Marlin's and a Glenfield and it is my favorite for plinking and hunting. My 1965 Glenfield is my favorite rifle and has served me well in a number of hog and white tail hunts. I am torn which to chose for hunting this weekend between the Glenfield and my 444s.

[FergusonTO35]

Lookin' good. My own Glenfield 30 is the most accurate gun I own. It consistently shoots 1-1.5" at 100 yards with its pet load of 31 grains Varget under a 150 grain Sierra Pro Hunter. When I sighted it in a few weeks ago the last group of the day was 3/4". I love the half mag with no barrel band design, looks cool and I think it helps accuracy. Mine wears a Swift 1.5-4.5X20 scope in Burris mounts. I'll eventually make the switch to boolits in this rifle but with this kind of performance I'm really not in a hurry. Bought it in a pawn shop for $240.00.

[robroy]

No pictures today and I went to 5 shot goups. It seems the 3031 wants to shoot real well around 30 grains. Go figure 30 gn in a 30-30. 29.6 grouped at 2 1/4" and 30.1 at 2" at 50 yd. I've got 10 each of 29.8 and 30 grains loaded for tomorrow. After that I may be ready to load up my hunting load for this year and get her zeroed at 100 and then do some shooting from field positions.

[robroy]

Got after it again and should have stayed home. The winds was gusty and variable and I'm sure it contributed to the abysmal results.
8611686117
30 gr of 3031 gave 5" 9 shot group @ 100 with 2 fliers high left and one low right. the six that were in the main group went into 1 7/8" The 10 shot 29.8 gr load of 3031 spread out to 10". 1 flier right by 5" another left by 5" and a third low and right by 4". The remaining shots grouped at 1 7/8".

I'm going to try those same loads on Monday again at 100 yds but only if the wind is a lot more calm and predictable.

[Lonegun1894]

I know this isn't "MOA" performance, but I think you're doing great. Yeah, those fliers drive us all nuts, but you know you have a rifle that is capable of at least 1 7/8" groups at 100yds, and I bet that gets cut down on a calm day. May I make a request? And you don't need to post this, but more as a food for thought issue. I would suggest measuring your vertical spread for an idea of what you can expect from your rifle. I'm just throwing that out as your groups appear to be larger in width than in height, and that is expected in windy conditions. So assuming those are 1" squares, I am thinking your groups are closer to 1-1.25" if measured vertically and throwing out the fliers? I can live with that performance. Mine usually shoots 1.5-2.5" with irons @100, and I can't say the rifle has ever been to blame for me not getting meat. I try to get in close anyway, and most of my shots are under 100yds, but I trust this rifle out to just over 200yds, and pass all shots that I don't feel comfortable taking, even if it is just due to a gut feeling.

[FergusonTO35]

Are you shooting from a bench rest? Are you using scope or sights?

[TXGunNut]

Groups look good to me as well, just need a calm day and maybe a bit of tweaking on the crimp, primer selection or even the trigger. Groups like these are frustrating, it's obvious the potential is there. Good luck!

[robroy]

The rifle came with a Tasco Pronghorn scope. Power is not marked but it seems to me to be a 4 power. In looking at the verticle spread I'm happy with these groups. I am shooting from a bench and since I can't find old cotton shot bags I'm using a couple of bags of Pinto beans wrapped in a towel for sand bags which seem to be good and steady. I'm holding the toe of the stock into my right shoulder with my left hand from underneath and gripping the wrist as lightly as possible with the right. The trigger is maybe a bit stiff but breaks cleanly. I don't want the trigger any lighter on this gun since it's a hunter not a bench gun.

As far as loads go, I'm going try the 30 grain load again and probably 29.5 as well. Wish me fair winds on Monday.

[osteodoc08]

Minute of deer. Looks good and keep up the R&D

[FergusonTO35]

You may want to try weighing some charges to see if it makes a difference. I find the dippers can vary as much as half a grain from round to round. Also, vertical stringing can indicate a bad scope. If the scope is mounted in those tall see through rings your rifle will never live up to its true accuracy potential.

[blixen]

What diameter are your boolits sized to? .311? (I may have missed it in the info) I love my '60s 336--which seems to do well with the 175 gr. Lee "303 Enfield" boolit at .311 in the microgrooves. But I have to seat the gas check way below the shoulder.

Second that comment on fliers--in an otherwise great group I had a round miss the target by a foot at 100. I saw the dust fly on the bearm. Maybe the gas check fell off in the case?

[robroy]

With the exception of the first reloads these have been weighted charges, boolits sized to .311. The scope mounts are not see through. As far as a check comming off... I doubt it. The check is in the neck.

Today I fired 4 5shot loads the best of which are shown here. No moster flyers.
29gr 3031
86436
29.5gr 3031
86437

If I were looking for bugholes I'd try .1gr increments between these loads. Since firearm season for deer in PA starts Dec 1, I'm going to call the 29.5 gr load good enough. Time to load up a box and get some trigger time from off hand and braced against a post. I've only got 98 of these left. I want to get as comfortable as I can with the rifle and load before chasing Bambi.

I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the NOE version after Christmas. I just hope my 336A and Handi Rifle like as well or better than the Glenfield.

[pls1911]

The NOE version of the RD works well... I size/lube mine through a .312 sizer and they shoot well in any Marlin in the safe, microgroove or not.

[robroy]

Breezy again and more flyers @ 100yds. I moved over to 50 yds and leaned against the post to shoot the pictured 19 shots. There was one FTF and a couple that had to get struck twice to fire. I may have primer issues but maybe other issues.
86884

Wish I had more boolits and time. These were, again 29.5 gr 3031.

[TXGunNut]

May be time to try a different primer, Federal is pretty hard to beat in my rifles. Beginning to wonder about the hammer spring. Light hits have been known to cause accuracy issues, usually vertical stringing.

[robroy]

I've got CCI and Win primers. I'll try a few of the Win since these were all CCI. A weak spring I hadn't concidered but now that you mention it I'll have to check it out. To troubleshoot the spring and get me through the season I'm going to try shimming the spring with a washer over the rod at the back end. I'm getting a list of small parts together for an order to Brownells. I hate to pay a fee for not making an order that's big enough. Another thought is to use one of the springs from one of the two other 336es I have.

[robroy]

New mainspring is on the way from Brownells

[FergusonTO35]

Sounds good. After you replace the mainspring I would advise trying different charges to see which one your rifle likes.

[robroy]

Do you think the new spring will change the rifles "preferance" much? It seems to like 29.5 gr right now.

[fouronesix]

Won't have anything to do with the FTFs, but I see (or think I see) some perturbed bullet strikes in the paper. Check the target carefully to see if it's camera lens distortion or yawing bullet hits. If it is yawing bullets, then no amount of fixing weak spring, pin strike or primer related reloading problems will correct it. There may also be something also going on with the basic accuracy.

[Lonegun1894]

I wouldn't say that it will change the barrels preference for anything, but it may show slight differences depending on your form and follow-through due to the more consistent lock-time when you change the spring. Not being critical as I haven't seen you shoot, but just something I have seen with several shooters when they experienced slight hang-fires. So if anything, I would expect it to improve all your groups regardless of the load used. A decent load now should be a better load with a new spring, and a good load now should be an excellent load soon. If that makes sense.

[robroy]

Yes I've seen that hint of yaw. If it doesn't get any worse I can live with it for now.
That "A decent load now should be a better load with a new spring, and a good load now should be an excellent load soon." does make sense to me.
Package tracking says my spring is going to show up in the next couple of hours:wink:

[robroy]

The new spring is installed. The free length of the old spring is 1.272". The free length of the new spring is 1.295". I'm not sure if that .023" difference is enough to matter but the spring has been changed none the less.

[robroy]

Found dthe reason for the FTF. NO POWDER. Between the tight neck tension and being loaded into the lands the boolit didn't move.[smilie=b: But that still doesn't explain the couple that fired on the second hammer strike. With luck the new main spring will cover that.

[TXGunNut]

Sounds like you're on the right track. Were you using a powder measure or doing the scoop & trickle method on the later loads? 3031 can bridge in a measure and cause light charges or possibly an empty case if you're not vigilant. I've seen inconsistent charges caused by bridging, an empty case has always been operator error in my experience.

[robroy]

Oh it was definately opperator error. I was dropping and trickling and missed it.

[TXGunNut]

Nothing blew up so it's all good. I used to miss a whole row of five now and then when I was loading batch method on match ammo. Made for a long day when I found the first one and figured I had four more somewhere in the loading tray. Nowadays I dispense the powder, seat the boolit and shake the cartridge just to be sure before dispensing the next charge.

[robroy]

Well I had no FTFs at the range today. The trigger felt a bit heavier with the new spring but still crisp. The groups were not as good with the Win primers as with the CCI but still minute of deer. With all my boolits loaded and only 10 rounds left I'm done till Dec 1 and the begining of PA's firearms deer season.

[FergusonTO35]

When deer season's over I would also advise trying other powders, if you can. My Glenfield 30 really likes Varget, my 336 Texan really likes IMR 4895.

[robroy]

I will try some more powders. I've got h335, Varget, IMR4895, and H4198 on hand. I'm going to pick up a ranchdog clone mould as well or maybe a grease groove version (NOE). I've got a 50s vintage 336A that likes the same boolit pretty well but it shoots 10" high @ 50 yds. I put on a full buckhorn at the rear and just got the new front sight in the same box as the new main spring for the Glenfield30. The nominal 3/8" dove tail is a smidge too big for the slot in the sight ramp but that is what safe sided 3 square files are for.

[YunGun]

Lookin' good so far, keep at it. I've got some 3031 but haven't even bothered to try it yet. I've been very happy with 16.5gr IMR SR4759 or 18gr (IMR)4198 & the NOE version of the RD 311-165. I imagine the H4198 will perform similarly well. Good luck!

[Magnum6]

Bingo FergusonTO35 , I also have one of those Glenfield 30/30's and also found mine in a pawn shop for $250 about 6 years ago , and tore it all apart and replaced a cupla miner part's and some screw's on the thing , refinished the wood stock and fore arm on it , and it also shoot's about the same as yours does using those Hornaday FLX tipped 160 Gr. bullet's , in front of 28.9 GR's of H~ 4895 ..@.. 2100 ft. per sec. Mine has the full length mag. on it and no barrel band . I agree with you , I Do think the no barrel band help's with the accuracy out , a lot on this rifle . Mine ware's an ole cheap 3x9x40 scope on it I had laying around not in use , so I put it on there to sight it in , and it shot so good , I just left it on there . Got a total of about $275 buck's in the whole gun . It was one of my ole , see what I can do with this thing , pet project's I did :mrgreen:

Magnum6