Is your favorite 30-30 bullet a bore rider or LFN/WFN?

[truckjohn]

Hey all,

I have noticed that 30-30 cast boolits shake out into bore rider noses and LFN/WFN noses that fill the throat - but don't have a bore riding nose. Which nose profile is your favorite?

I am mostly concerned about 30-30 lever actions (especially Marlins) rather than bolt actions and single shots.

Thanks

[popper]

Never tried a bore rider in Marlin.

[Bazoo]

I use the lee 309-150-fn and the Lyman 31141 in my Winchester 94.

[45-70 Chevroner]

My favorite is the RCBS 180 Silhouette bore rider. I shoot this in a 94 Winchester pre 64. It shoots great.

[Hamish]

235539

[Sig556r]

Ranchdog FNs 150g & 170g

[mattw]

The awesome old Lyman 31141

[truckjohn]

It's interesting that the votes so far show a large preference for the LFN nose - yet lots of people like the 311041 - which is a bore rider nose... as are the NOE 312-151-RN, 2nd gen RD with the 0.300" diameter nose and the Lee 309-150-FN... All of these have a bore riding nose around 0.3" diameter to center the bullet into the rifling.

The early RD had the LFN nose that ran full bullet diameter to fill up the throat in early 30-30's..

[truckjohn]

Perhaps this sketch will help.

The key thing is the nose running close to bore diameter which is designed to pilot the bullet centered in the rifling.

235560

[one-eyed fat man]

The awesome old Lyman 31141

Lee's knock off, the C309-170-F also does pretty well.

235563

[Texas by God]

I'm going to try the C309 Lee trio sized to .311" in my Marlin soon I hope. It didn't care for .309" much.

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[popper]

First, the 30/30 doesn't allow much boolit outside the neck. IMHO a 'bore rider' would have at least a cal worth in the bore, not including the taper nose. A long 'cruise missile' type just doesn't fit. Is it best to have small portion of the nose close to bore dia to aid alignment? yes.

[LAH]

I use 2 NOE bullets interchangeably in my 2 30-30 rifles. The 311440 & the clone of RCBS 30-180-FN. I don't feel lacking for anything. They fit the my bores with their nose perfectly.

[Outpost75]

Accurate 31-171D fits the Marlin throat

235567

In a Winchester 94 the front end engraves like Eley Tenex in your Winchester 52

235568

Also available in a 155-grain plain base.

[Bigslug]

First, the 30/30 doesn't allow much boolit outside the neck. IMHO a 'bore rider' would have at least a cal worth in the bore, not including the taper nose. A long 'cruise missile' type just doesn't fit. Is it best to have small portion of the nose close to bore dia to aid alignment? yes.

THIS

John Browning designed the 1894 Winchester's guts to pivot downward out of the receiver to allow feeding of the .30-30's length in what amounted to a re-hash of the handy, pistol-caliber 1892 action. Outside of custom single shots, its common launch pads aren't really geared toward a long nose format - which is OK because there's a lot of neck to put your weight in.

[hockeynick39]

I use this one for all of my .30s, which cycles and works just fine.
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-165R-D.png

[imashooter2]

My favorite is the Lee C309-150-F. I size it .311 for my microgroove Marlin.

[stubshaft]

My favorite 30 cal. hunting boolit is the old NEI 30-178-GC. It works great in all of my 30's, from 30/30 to 300WSM.

https://i.imgur.com/Kh7K91Fl.jpg

[405grain]

99% of the guys that shoot 30-30 Winchester do it using a lever action. I want to hear about what the people that are using a 30-30 bolt action are able to shoot? Because the magazines are different, you aren't limited to just the flat and blunt pointed bullets like in a tubular magazine. Do the throats on bolt guns let you use longer/heavier bullets? Bolt guys; tell us what you shoot.

[Larry Gibson]

The awesome old Lyman 31141

Same here. Have a Lyman double cavity and a Lyman single HP cavity. I've been shooting the 311041 since '68 in my lever actions (mostly M94 Winchesters) and bolt guns. It has always proven to be accurate and deadly on game. A 311316 over Unique for 1500 fps is a favorite for vermin. Also, a Lee 6 cavity 312-041 version for 31 cal bolt action rifles is a favorite for game. In my 21" Contender Carbine I use the 311041 for hunting but use the RCBS 30-150 a lot also. I have used the 311284 and 311299 for LR plinking. The Lee TL314-90-SWC lubed and then sized down to .311 over 2.7 gr Bullseye for plinking and small game is a favorite load.

[georgerkahn]

Same here. Have a Lyman double cavity and a Lyman single HP cavity. I've been shooting the 311041 since '68 in my lever actions (mostly M94 Winchesters) and bolt guns. It has always proven to be accurate and deadly on game. A 311316 over Unique for 1500 fps is a favorite for vermin. Also, a Lee 6 cavity 312-041 version for 31 cal bolt action rifles is a favorite for game. In my 21" Contender Carbine I use the 311041 for hunting but use the RCBS 30-150 a lot also. I have used the 311284 and 311299 for LR plinking. The Lee TL314-90-SWC lubed and then sized down to .311 over 2.7 gr Bullseye for plinking and small game is a favorite load.

I, too, like the Lyman 311-041, and even have it noted as "Best for .30WCF" in my mould listing of Lyman moulds. (See photo)306562. Albeit it's been three or four (?) years since I regularly shot .30-30, I enjoyed the 150gn 311241 with my "one" dislike that it's plain base -- no gas check. However, it performed well in my .30-30 Remington. Interestingly, my notes indicate I cast, loaded, and shot more of the gas-checked 170 grain # 311291 in the 1894 Winchesters -- I have two of this mould to enable my casting them in tandem.
ALL great bullets for the .30WCF.

[Hanzy4200]

I shoot the Lee 309-150-FN in my Win 94 AE. Loves them.

[Texas by God]

99% of the guys that shoot 30-30 Winchester do it using a lever action. I want to hear about what the people that are using a 30-30 bolt action are able to shoot? Because the magazines are different, you aren't limited to just the flat and blunt pointed bullets like in a tubular magazine. Do the throats on bolt guns let you use longer/heavier bullets? Bolt guys; tell us what you shoot.I can't speak for the factory 30-30 bolt action rifles( Win 54, Rem 788, Savage 340), but my 1916 Spanish Mauser 30-30 is currently using 193gr Hunters Supply bullets that member DG sent over. Due to the rim stop needed on the mag follower, my COAL is not 7x57mm length, but just a bit longer than normal 30-30 length.
That limits me to 150gr or less on pointed jacketed bullets, but that's fine with me. The 125gr Nosler BT is neat, and reminds me of why I always wanted a 30-30 bolt action.
The Lee C309170F is my favorite bullet so far. It shoots great whether tumble lubed or pc'd. My rifles chamber was cut with a standard throat.

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[dondiego]

99% of the guys that shoot 30-30 Winchester do it using a lever action. I want to hear about what the people that are using a 30-30 bolt action are able to shoot? Because the magazines are different, you aren't limited to just the flat and blunt pointed bullets like in a tubular magazine. Do the throats on bolt guns let you use longer/heavier bullets? Bolt guys; tell us what you shoot.

I have a Savage 325 and a 340 and the magazine limits the spitzer bullets. I guess that you could single load them or seat the spitzers really deep.

[wmitty]

I have two 788s, a savage 325 and 340, a 94 Win and a 336 (all .30-30 chambering). I prefer the 30-180-FN RCBS or 31141, but the 90 grain Lee that Larry mentioned is for sure the “ most fun” boolit for plinking.

[jimb16]

My .30-30 is a break action single shot and I prefer the 150 Loverin design!

[rintinglen]

I usually load either the 311041 or the RCBS 30-180 fn, if I'm going hunting, but for plinking, the 311-465 Louverin or the 311-245 pb do everything you would want.

[GhostHawk]

I start with the Lee 185 gr gc round nose cast of fairly soft material. Squish a WFN nose on it with a block of plastic with the right size hole drilled in it. And I use the drill that drilled the hole, reversed in an old elcheapo desktop drill press. With an extention of 3/4" pvc on the handle to make it easy to apply pressure.

Plastic block sits over a piece of steel covering the drill press table hole for the first push. Steel gets slid to the side and I push the boolit out. At this point it is large in diameter. Having gone from .312 to .320ish. Boolit get sized back down with gas check crimped on and loaded.

[centershot]

I start with the Lee 185 gr gc round nose cast of fairly soft material. Squish a WFN nose on it with a block of plastic with the right size hole drilled in it. And I use the drill that drilled the hole, reversed in an old elcheapo desktop drill press. With an extention of 3/4" pvc on the handle to make it easy to apply pressure.

Plastic block sits over a piece of steel covering the drill press table hole for the first push. Steel gets slid to the side and I push the boolit out. At this point it is large in diameter. Having gone from .312 to .320ish. Boolit get sized back down with gas check crimped on and loaded.

Is that the Lee 312-185 RN that you are using?

[GhostHawk]

Yep

[Winger Ed.]

I keep coming back to the Lyman 170 RN with a Hornady gas check for my old Winchester.

I'm not sure what all the scientific specifications are on it, but it sure does a good job for me.
My M1A even likes it.

[Rapier]

My answer is yes. I have 30-30 single shots. I use the RCBS 150, 165 and 180s or a Lyman 170 grain. I do not own a lever thuty, thuty.

[b67]

Lyman 31141 cast soft, gas checked and sized .311 in a Marlin....Best 30-30 mold ever....

[barrabruce]

Bore rider ,cos I paper patch them for speed
Thou do like a throat filling plainbase as well for low node shooting.
Single shot.

[beemer]

I have a 1949 336A that would not chamber anything I tried unless really seated deep. Mr. Harris recommended I taper the throat slightly, I did and it worked great. The RCBS 180 FN shoots well but I prefer the Lee 170 or the 311291. When I size the 311291 I use a flat nose punch.

[gwpercle]

I'm not sure what it is ... so I didn't vote . It was all I could get when I was given the Winchester model 94 in 30-30 ... Worked well so I just kept shooting it .
It has a flat nose !

Lee C309 -170 - FN

Gary