powder for cast in 30/30 win

[wire nut]

I want to work up a load running 1800 to 2000 fps tops. 170 gr flat point with gas check, would like to use acww if at all possible. Also looking for a good pan lube recipe to use for this. I have been loading RE 15 with hornady condoms and I have exceptional accy with this load. This is my first endever with a cast in a rifle. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, I use 25-30 grains IMR 3031 with Lyman #311291 which is a 170 grain round nose. The exact load depends upon which Winny 94 I am using. (I have two plus a Hi-Wall) The 30 grain load does approach factory velocity which is in the 2000-2200 fps zone. Yes I know that round nose bullets are not considered the best in tubular mags, but more often than not I am feeding them one at a time anyway. For tube mags you would want Lyman #311041 which is a 170 grain FN and for all general purposes the same as the 291. Of course there are molds by other manufacturers that are equally as good and several other choices among various powders that will work well and meet your needs. I'm sure that many other forum members will help you with additional recommendations. Good shooting. LLS

[TexRebel]

Wire Nut for a good pan lube, it is hard to beat bees wax with about 10% paraffin added

[HORNET]

If you look in the Stickies & Classics section, there's a whole thread on various lube recipes, from the simple to ones that take serious work. Even Lee Liquid Alox (LLA) has its fans.
Almost every moldmaker has a .30 al flatnose inthe 170-180 grain range and most all of them work in the .30-30. It's usually one of the better cartridges for using with cast.

[AZ-Stew]

4227 (17gr) and 2400 (15gr) work well for the .30-30 at about 1700 fps. I've had 3-shot groups well under an inch at 50 yards, with the other two rounds from the 5-shot group opening up the total group to just over an inch. These were ACWW boolits that were randomly selected from the pile of castings. No effort was made to sort them by weight or any other factor. Lube was 50/50. Boolits were sized .309. More work to be done on this end, comparing AC and heat treated, as well as different sized diameters.

If you're only paper-punching, the target won't know the difference between 1,700 and 2,000 fps. With a round-nosed boolit, a deer within a hundred yards won't, either, unless you're going to hollow point it.

Regards,

Stew

[Boerrancher]

I shoot a Lee C309-180-R that drops at 174 gr once sized, lubed, and gas checked with 30 gr of IMR4064. I also shoot the Lee C309-150-RF with the same load of 30 gr of IMR4064. Both these loads shoot MOA or better. Here is a 3 shot group at 75 yds with the iron sights out of my 94 winnie.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/75yrd3030.jpg
If I would have let the rifle cool for 10 min I could have put another 3 there. For some reason after 3 shots my 94 starts walking bad, until it is allowed to cool down.

My alloy is a 50/50 mix of WW and Pure, air cooled. I have around 500 rounds through that rifle and have yet to run a patch or a brush through it. There is no leading. Either of those two boolits are wonderful with IMR4064 out of my rifle, and I am shooting at or above factory velocities of Jacketed loads.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[wire nut]

thanks, I have been using LLa in a 357 carbine but I am getting serious leading in the last 3 inches near the muzzle. The same load works great in a Ruger BH. I am guessing that I am running out of lube in the carbine. I would like to try pan lubing for the 30/30. I have looked at all the lube recipes in the sticky but was hoping someone could help steer me to a good recipe. I know everyone has their favorites but keep the suggestions coming. Wire nut

[Phil]

Bullshop's Speed Green and White Label Carnauba Red are my two favorites, along with the ever popular Alox/beeswax.

Cheers,

Phil

[bobk]

Stew,
I tried to hollowpoint a deer one time, and the beast kicked me! Sorry, couldn't resist. :kidding:

Boerrancher,
The three shot problem sounds like a barrel band problem. I have read how to cure this, but do not recall where. Hopefully someone whose memory is better than mine will point out where this info can be found.

Bob K

[Boerrancher]

Bob,

I am pretty sure it is a barrel band problem, fore end problem or both, but since I don't really use it to punch paper with other than to try out new loads, I don't worry about it. Deer and 'yotes only give me one shot anyway out here in the brush. Very seldom do I get lucky enough for a second shot and never a third. If someone does know how to solve it I will be all ears.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Junior1942]

Joe, you don't have a problem. You're trying to make a target rifle out of a hunting rifle, a hunting rifle which, by the way, shoots great.

[Jon K]

wire nut,

sounds like you're using the Lyman 311041, you should be able to get good accuracy and close to 2000 with 30 gr 4064, Varget is also accurate but just a little slower with 28 grains.

Lube, yes that would be opening a can of worms.

Jon

[tall grass]

wire nut

I have had promising results with the R-15 using cast boolits, in my 30-30, upwards to and maybe 2000 fps (didn't take the chrony with me that day at the range), no leading. It did better than the IMR3031 loads that I been working on. Don't have my notes close right now so can't give you a specific load. You probably know the drill, start low and work up. I think you will be pleased.

Jim

PS I use felix lube as a pan lube with drinks' method. Set boolit in the pan of melted lube until the lube goes up the side of the boolit, set aside then run through a Lee sizer if you want.

[Boerrancher]

Joe, you don't have a problem. You're trying to make a target rifle out of a hunting rifle, a hunting rifle which, by the way, shoots great.

Junior, I was impressed with the way it shot cast. I picked it up for practically nothing because I was told it wouldn't shoot. I started casting for it and it found out it does shoot, just took the right boolit size and powder combo to make it shoot well.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[35remington]

It's rare to find a barrelband levergun that doesn't start walking its shots after the third.

It's endemic to barrelband leverguns and disparate barrel/magazine/band temperatures. Nature of the beast.

[wire nut]

Been in the shop today, I lubed the bullets with 2 heavy coats of LLa and sized them to .310 I was looking thru lee's book and he showed using blc 2 in a 30/30 for cast boolits.I have some blc 2 and thought i would give it a try. Tall grass did you start with published starting loads for condoms to use with the cast boolits. Thanks for the suggestions and any others would be appreciated. Wire nut

[Larry Gibson]

Joe, you don't have a problem. You're trying to make a target rifle out of a hunting rifle, a hunting rifle which, by the way, shoots great.

Got to agree with Junior (bet that surprises him!). Besides if you haven't got the deer in those first 3 shots another three won't matter. The real "walking" to contemplate then is the long "walk" home.

Larry Gibson

[Larry Gibson]

I want to work up a load running 1800 to 2000 fps tops. 170 gr flat point with gas check, would like to use acww if at all possible. Also looking for a good pan lube recipe to use for this. I have been loading RE 15 with hornady condoms and I have exceptional accy with this load. This is my first endever with a cast in a rifle. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Try the RL15, it might be fine. However, I've have best accuracy for over 40 years in M94s with 4895 under a 311041 or 311291 cast bullet. I liketo add a 1/2 gr dacron filler over 30 gr of H4895 powder for right at 2000 fps out of my M94 Carbine. With really soft cast (currently use 50/50 WW/lead alloy) 411041s over 32 gr H4895 with the 1/2 gr dacron filler velocity is almost 2200 fps and is a real deer killer. Caveat is; cleaning the barrel ever 5 shot to maintain accuracy. But like I to Boer Rancher, if it ain't done on deer in the first 3 might as well walk home anyway.

Larry Gibson

[tall grass]

wire nut

I usually start, when using jacketed data, at 10% below max, starting loads or maybe a little lower if it is a powder that I can trust to light off well. I watch how the primer looks for each load, does it look dented (low pressure indication) or how much flatter it is as the the load is worked up? On the 30-30 my opinion is that when the primer is flat and starting to crater I have a load that is hotter than I want to use.

As far as my advice on the R15 load I have only tried one loading for it and it was and initial work up and haven't had time to fine tune it yet. I have some hope for it though. I just don't have the luxury of time sometimes to wring out loads as I would like to. Listen to what these other fellows are telling you as I believe that they have sage advice. I haven't even gotten around to trying 4895 yet, though I have a can of IMR. Distractions!

Jim

[JIMinPHX]

RL 15 gives me good accuracy in several bottleneck rifle applications. In some gun/cartridge combinations, I've gotten down to 3/8" groups at 100-yards with it. Unfortunately, it tends to be a bit dirty if you load it on the modest side. RL-7 is my pick in the 30-30 with cast. It works great around the speeds you are looking for in that cartridge.

[Recluse]

For some reason after 3 shots my 94 starts walking bad, until it is allowed to cool down.

Mine does too.

[FWAddit]

I like H335 in .30-30 (and .35 Rem). I can go up to the max 31 gr. (Hodgdon recommendation) with Lyman 311041 ACWW, with good accuracy. I haven't shot a deer with that bullet, but based on results with .35 cast at similar velocity, I would expect good performance.

[softpoint]

I tried several powders in my Marlin xlr 30/30 with 180 gr RCBS mold, finally decided of those I tried ww748, at about 30 grains worked good .:brokenima

[Kraschenbirn]

I've had excellent results using AA5744 with either the 311041 or the 311466 in my Savage 340 bolt gun. A bit on the dirty side but very, very consistent performance. Chrono'd 5-shot strings commonly show ES under 40 fps with SDs in the 8 to 12 fps range.

Bill

[wire nut]

Thanks I would like to take a deer with one of my cast boolits. I have loaded some with 27 grs of blc-2. Hope to be able to shoot this weekend. Will take all of your advice into consideration. Wire nut

[GSPKurt]

I have had good results with BL(C)2 and a 173 gr. GC bullet.

[hpdrifter]

Bob,

I am pretty sure it is a barrel band problem, fore end problem or both, but since I don't really use it to punch paper with other than to try out new loads, I don't worry about it. Deer and 'yotes only give me one shot anyway out here in the brush. Very seldom do I get lucky enough for a second shot and never a third. If someone does know how to solve it I will be all ears.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

Try this:

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/chapter23.htm

[runfiverun]

i have used 3031,2230,414 and others they all seem to do well.
instead of pan lubing i mix jpw to b-wax 4-1,and just swirl the warm lube and boolits in a plastic cup and add more boolits till the mix is in the grooves.
kinda got this from boerrancher and it works...