30-30 Ideal 311291 GC loads

[Pioneer2]

I'm looking for a hunting load for the above mold for a 94 Win and an H+R 158 SS.any proven load/combos.Is this style of bullet suitable for tubular magazines? Thanx Harold

[Larry Gibson]

311291 is eminently suitable for tube mags and has been a staple cast bullet for the 30-30 for over 100 years. Suggest you cast them soft with a 50/50 WW/lead alloy, make sure the GC is seated fully and square on the bullet base, size .311 and use a good softer lube like Javelina or Lar's 2500+. I load 311291 or 311041 over 30 gr 4895 (any flavor) for my hunting load. velocity is 2000 - 2100 fps depending on flavor of 4895 out of most 20" barrels, 2100+ out of 24" barrels. I also HP the 311291 bullets to 1/3 the nose depth with a Forster 1/8" HP tool. The 311041 is already a HP mould. The HP isn't necessary but it does improve the expansion/terminal effects in deer out to 200 yards with this load. I also clean the barrel every 5 - 7 shots with that load to maintain best accuracy. That isn't a problem when hunting because one shouldn't need that many rounds to kill a deer anyways.

I use WWs + 2% tin to cast practice bullets and use them over 28 gr 4895 sizing and lubing the same. Velocity is 1900+ fps with this load and I can shoot it without cleaning the barrel and accuracy is always excellent. I loaded 300 rounds of it yesterday as a matter of fact for my M94AE. A bit higher velocity can be had with H335 or 748 but I've found 4895 with either of those bullets to be a very reliable and dependable load combination in the over 40 years I've been using it.

Larry Gibson

[Char-Gar]

311291 is a good bullet as Larry said. I have a number of molds for that bullet and have extensive experience with it. I have molds in both solid nose and hollow point.

Between 16 and 17 grains of either 2400, 4227, or 4759 will give you a moderate load that delivers good accuracy and is entirely adequate for Whitetail deer.

[curiousgeorge]

A friend and I each have the same rifle you are using, an H & R 158 Be sure to thouroughly test all your loads before hunting and take a steel rod to the range with you. Many safe loads for the .30-30 that run in the 2000 - 2100 fps range will not eject due to the lack of mechanical advantage of the ejector. The loads are safe, the accuracy is not a problem, but you will truly have a single shot if the fired case will not eject. Better to find this out at the bench and change loads or drop back a grain or so than to be in the deer stand. We absolutely love our rifles and take them with us everywhere. We shoot the 311041 and 22 grs 4198, but this is not really a deer load. Larry Gibson's load of 28 grs 4895 ( I use 28.5 ) has worked well for hunting.

Steve

[PAT303]

My 94 loves that boolit but mine won't chamber them if sized over .310. Pat

[gnoahhh]

I use 28gr. 3031 (which is what I stick behind the 180's and 190's too). Makes a great hunting load with the bullet alloy of 11-12bhn. For practice and pure fun I drop back to 13gr. SR-4759.

[Larry Gibson]

My 94 loves that boolit but mine won't chamber them if sized over .310. Pat

Surprisingly I never had a problem like that until yesterday. I was sizing some PMC cases (once fired) with an RCBS X-Die. Five of the 50 scrunched with the neck being too thick to go beteen the neck sining portion and the mandrill. On withdrawing 3 of the cases the neck/shoulders seperated at the shoulder on the expander with the neck/shoulder being then stuck on the mandrel above the expander. I was perplexed on the 1st one but carefull examination showed there were 2 flats ground on the front sides of the expander. With needle nose pliers the expander was easily unscrewed and the neck/shoulder piece of the case removed. The expander and decapping pin were easily screwed back on and the adjustment of the mandrel was not changed. Measuring the thickness of those necks shows a .311 sized bullet would either not chamber or would be difficult to chamber. I inspected all the other X-dies and the 30-30 was the only one with such flats. Perhaps it is the oly one with that potential problem?

I do really like the X-die with the 30-30 as i have quit segregating cases to a specific rifle and NSing the cases. With the X-Die all my loads work equally well in all 3 of my 30-30s. Case life is excellent and I don't have to trim any of the cases.

Larry Gibson