Looking for low pressure .30-30 loads

[Cowboy_Dan]

I think I am ready to start loading for my 1897 vintage Winchester 1894. I figure, since she she is (ahem) advanced in years, that low presure is the way to go. Sure, she can probably take hot loads, but why tempt fate?

For the first loads, I was thinking of using some Horniday 90-ish grain SWC's sized 309 or 310 and relubed with BLL. For low pressure loads, would I be best off using pistol powders? I have Unique, Red Dot, AA#7, IMR PB, and Longshot (Also 296, but probably no good here). I also have a few rifle powders in the 4895 level and 3031.

After I go pich up a round tuit, I plan on casting some 311041s for her. Lyman manual shows 3031 at the lowest pressure for this one.

So, what is my best bet for these two boolits and low pressure? Also, I could look for other powders if something else would be more suitable.

[runfiverun]

4831 would be low pressure.
no seriously 34 grains under that 311041 will give you about 1800 fps and keep pressures in the under 30-k area.
it's easy to shoot, and fairly quiet too.

the faster powders give you a small gas volume quickly and that is what keeps the velocity's low.
they will however generate straight up pressure peaks in the 30-K and up pressure area to do so. ['the load' of red-dot is over 40-k]
this is why I am not a fan of trail boss either, it still produces pressures high for it's low velocity's.

[wmitty]

The Hornady swc's are great fun and low velocity loads with Unique will result in low chamber pressures. I've shot these with 5 grain charges and they work great. A quick glance at the 311441 (115 gr) boolit from Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook (3rd Edt.) shows 21600 cup with 7.5 gr Unique and 1480 fps. Their starting load for the 31141 and 3031 shows 21.6 gr results in 1555 fps and 20100 cup.

[tomf52]

Be aware that the Hornaady 90gr SWC is no longer being produced by them.

[44man]

Lighter boolits do not translate into lower pressures, heavy boolits that the gun likes can be shot with very low pressure with the proper powders. Give the boolit an extended, slower push rather then reaching full velocity in an inch.

[tsubaki]

Also look at Trail Boss.
One of their 30-30 loads with a 160gr boolit is running 997fps to 1195fps with pressures of 20,500CUP to 29,100CUP respectively.

[gwpercle]

If you pick up a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook you can see the load data, velocities and pressure listed for all the different powders and boolits. Then pick one with a low pressure.
This information is one reason the Lyman Editions #3 and #4 are my first go to books for cast loads.
What's also interesting about the pressure data is some loads you would think to be "low pressure", really aren't! But if you have the numbers to look at you can find the truly low pressure loads.
Gary

[Cowboy_Dan]

Thanks for the replies so far. I am mostly asking about loads for the Horniday SWC, of which I have a supply, because the only load I can find for bullets near that weight is in my coply of Ackley, "Handbook ...", Volume II. It calls for 36 gr. of 3031 and a 93 gr. j-word. Sounds pretty stout to me.

I do have data for the 311041 in my Lyman manuals (#49 and Cast #4), which shows 3031 to be fairly low pressure. That trail Boss load looks promising, but the 311041 will probably be closer to 180 gr. than 160 gr.

Which brings up an interesting question. I have the feeling that my coww-based alloy will tend to drop heavier than the Lyman manuals call for. Depending on the weight my mold drops, should I reduce charges below start loads slightly because of the heavier boolits? And if so, how much?

Keep the replies coming, please. I think I am going to load up a few with the Horniday SWC and 7.5 of Unique to try out tomorrow.

[Idaho Mule]

Cowboy Dan, I have used 10 gr. of Unique with RCBS 98 SWC before with great results. Don't know about the Hornady swaged bullet you are working with. Your idea sounds good to me though, I think it will work ok. As far as the 311041, I have had good luck with the 3031. JW

[woody1]

Around 7.5 grains of Unique under most any reasonable boolit for the 30-30 will be fairly low pressure as in under about 25K c.u.p. With lighter boolits mostly under 22K. My 9mm dipper holds right at 7.5 gr. of Unique. I use it a lot. It may be a little much for your Hornady SWC's. Aren't they swaged and quite soft? If it was me, I'd start them off with 3-4 grains of Red Dot, IMR 700x, or Pb. Really I'd prob'ly use 3.1 grains of B'eye, but just listed what you said you have. Oops you didn't list 700x. Regards, Woody

[DrCaveman]

Ive been getting excellent results with the lee 150 fn sans gas check in front of 6 grains of fast pistol powder, at least within 40 yd range. Velocity is probably around 1000 i dunno, but the pressure is low enough to have very rounded primers and very easy extraction, good case life to boot. Necks are not sooty after full-length resizing, so i guess there must be a bit of pressure there

This is in a marlin 336 microgroove, and ill tell ya, this is one mellow load. Quiet, accurate, has the kick of a 22. If i were trying to do what you are with the tiny SWC, id look at 4-5 grains fast pistol powder. The ballistics will be about on par with a 380 auto, but much better accuracy :)

For the bigger boolits, i used h414 behind an rcbs 180-fn for some impressive velocities at (supposedly) low pressures, but there was as much blast and kick as a factory core-lokt, so im skeptical about the pressures Lee predicted. The load busted my foregrip screw, but didnt realize it til scaling a rock wall with rifle shoulder-slung during deer season. Id recommend avoiding that situation

[Cowboy_Dan]

Went to the range today with 20 rounds of .30 WCF loaded with 7.5 gr. Unique under 90 gr. Hornaday SWC. Boolits had been sized to .310 and tumbled in BLL. 10 had the boolit crimped in, 10 did not. This load will not feed through the magazine, but any more of them I will crimp anyway due to sootier necks on uncrimped brass.

Accuracy was nothing to write home about, but it is satisfying to get the old girl making noise again. More noise, in fact, than I had expected. About as loud as a .357 revolver running light loads, rather than the oversized .22 I expected. Can't wait to try out the .311041, whenever I get a chance to cast some.

[DrCaveman]

4831 would be low pressure.
no seriously 34 grains under that 311041 will give you about 1800 fps and keep pressures in the under 30-k area.
it's easy to shoot, and fairly quiet too.

the faster powders give you a small gas volume quickly and that is what keeps the velocity's low.
they will however generate straight up pressure peaks in the 30-K and up pressure area to do so. ['the load' of red-dot is over 40-k]
this is why I am not a fan of trail boss either, it still produces pressures high for it's low velocity's.

You arent by chance using the imr7383 that bartlett is selling are you? Thats a pretty screamin deal if so. Wondering about that powder for the 30-30 and '06

[tomme boy]

Black Powder. 1F filled to the top and seat a bullet

[dondiego]

tomme - any idea on the velocity of that load?

[jmort]

I would use cast 170 grain bullet. As noted, low bullet weight per se does not equal low pressure. Example 170 grain cast bullet with 7 grains of Unique is around 19k psi. 10.6 grains is 36k. Here is data I use. Stay at the lower end of these fast powders and enjoy.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

[hiram]

I got great groups with 7 gr of unique and the RD 165 gr bullet.

[jmort]

^^^ +1 that is a great combo at around 1200 fps and only 19k psi.

[Maximumbob54]

I tried that starting load of 6.5gr of Trail Boss with the RD 165 and they shot so well I never tried adding anymore powder. Hodgdon lists that load at 20,500 CUP which is low enough I swear a .22LR recoils more. If you are sticking with those swaged bullets then you might tumble lube them if all they have is that dry powder lube. I would seat them after using a Lyman M-die and then crimp them with a Lee FCD.