30-30 Hunting Alloy Questions

[hamour]

Hi guys, I have decided to shoot some deer and hogs with cast boolits out of my 30-30 this year.

I have developed a load that shoots very well in my Winchester 1957 era Mod 94. (2 to 2.5 inches at 100 yds)

The bullet is the NOE 311-165 GC and I have it travelling 2150 FPS per my Oehler Chronograph.

The alloy I plan hunt with is Isotope transport lead 95-2.5-2.5 (Lead-tin-antimony).

The question is: What type of performance can I expect out of this alloy and bullet at this speed?

I think this is close to Clip on Wheel Weights + 2 % tin.

I welcome any and all experiences!

Hank

PS: For y'all that are having trouble seeing open sights but do not want a scope: I put a Fast fire mount (from Doug Turnbul) on my rifle. Then a Fast fire III Holo sight with the 3 mil dot. This is one fast sight and has put my lever action back into service for hunting.
Here is a link
http://www.turnbullmfg.com/index.asp?category=24691

[runfiverun]

performance?
i'd expect a hole in one side and another hole in the other side.
and a dead animal somewhere in the vicinity.

[TXGunNut]

Sounds like a recipe for success, just add critters.
I like good fast peep sights or compact scopes on a levergun but my backup sights are on my backup rifle. Life is short and hunting time is even shorter. If anything, sights or otherwise, happens to my primary rifle I'll wipe it down, case it up and uncase the backup. Sometimes hunting situations change and the backup rifle becomes primary. If I'm sitting around hunting camp while others are hunting it's because my cooler is full, not because my equipment failed.

[pmer]

I used air cooled COWW in a 94 Win. 32 Win Spl. At about 2200 fps, it went through a white tail deer broad side double lung shot. It left golf ball sized holes in both lungs and hit a rib going out where it left a similar sized hole. The enterance was between the ribs and had a 1/2 X 1/2 hole. Accurarte Molds 32-170 A, 40 yard shot, he ran about 80 yards and tipped over. I considered it very good performance with plenty of blood on the ground.

This load makes about a 3/8 hole in a 1'' x 8'' rough cut Oak board and almost splits a water filled milk jug into two peices.

I haven't really tried adding pure lead to the COWW yet. I'm not sure I have too, I do add tin if I see poor mold fill out though. I have another boolit for the 94 that is more like a spitzer with a smaller meplat. I'd go 50/50 or 75/25 with that and keep the speed up.

The lungs weren't the pink slurey I'm used to seeing from a 150 grain 30-06 j-word. But I'm still sold on this combo. Last year I also used ACCOWW on a doe with a muzzle loader and she got slapped down with the power Thor. That was a saboted .452" 300 grain WFN with a .330 meplat at a book speed of 2300 FPS. Even with numbers like that I've had more damage from those skirted ML hollow pointed bullets.

[jhalcott]

I use a similar alloy with 165 to 175 grain cast bullets. I've used them in bolt rifles and contenders of various caliber. Results were very similar to PMER's ,a good sized hole thru the deer and a short or no tracking after the shot. The 311291 and 311041 are the most used molds in .30 caliber that I use. I hope that Isotype lead was checked for radiation before you got it! I had about 100 pounds of it some years ago. It worked great for me on the sillywet range! One thing to think about, a CAST bullet does not need as much velocity as a jacketed one to work.

[hamour]

With the radiation the meat is ready for "Long Life " packaging right after the shot! Dont have to waste freezer space!

[Larry Gibson]

performance?
i'd expect a hole in one side and another hole in the other side.
and a dead animal somewhere in the vicinity.

+1 though I prefer adding 50% lead to that alloy for my hunting bullets.

Larry Gibson

[reloader28]

I think I might go a little harder for moose, but I'm with Larry for deer.
50/50 alloy is great. Deer are very easy to go clear thru with no problem, so I use a softer alloy.

[runfiverun]

there is a cool thing about lead and radiation.
lead is a dense metal and doesn't soak up radiation, and gives it off freely.
any radiation the cores did pick-up would be given off in a month.
if lead were able to let stuff "soak into it" or even penetrate its open pores at the surface.[which it don't have]
we would all be using something different for lube, I can assure you of that.
the 2.5/2.5 alloy is a good one, i would probably soften the alloy and water-drop too.[if I had any soft lead]
but air cooled, at that velocity, with that balanced alloy, I wouldn't even think twice about shooting any animal the round is capable of taking.

[hamour]

Thanks guys, besides the rifle, this isotope alloy is working very well in my magnum revolvers, and I mix 50% soft range lead in for my low speed revolver rounds. I will give the softer mix a try and see if the accuracy and no leading stay the same.

[SharpsShooter]

I used a 205 grain bullet (30 caliber 30-40 Krag) traveling 1650 feet a second to kill my last deer. The bullet was a Lyman 311299 cast of straight wheel weights. The shot was quartering away and the bullet went in behind the near side shoulder and broke the offside shoulder on exit.

Your velocity is faster, but my bullet weight is heavier, so it's probably about equal. Anyway, the deer ran about 40 yards and flopped. The entrance wound was little above bullet diameter, but the exit wound was the size of a $.50 piece.

As always, shot placement is important.

SS

[sisterjim]

I have developed a load that shoots very well in my Winchester 1957 era Mod 94. (2 to 2.5 inches at 100 yds)

The bullet is the NOE 311-165 GC and I have it travelling 2150 FPS per my Oehler Chronograph.


How much of what powder are you using hamour. I am trying to get that type of velocity from lighter 311465 loverin. I have a few loaded up with 4198 to test waiting for the rain to stop. By the way I followed the link for the fast fire mount; I see the sight on the rifle doesn't look as big as I had imagined. How long before you have to change battery in that sight? JIM

[hamour]

JIM, my load is as follows:

Fed. Cases
Win 748 powder @ 34 grs
CCI-250 LRM Primer
NOE-311-165 bullet with Carnuba Red lube and Lyman Gas Check
Lee Factory Crimp @ medium to small crimp

I have used two alloy's and both have reached this velocity with no leading
Lyman # 2 (90-5-5)
Isotope lead (95-2.5-2.5)

Using jacketed loads I have gone higher with this powder but felt I was pushing my Winchesters and Marlins to hard for small gain. The lead bullet at 2150 fps beats most of the factory load velocities I have chronographed over the years.

[hamour]

For the Fast Fire III you can change the battery out without affecting zero, not so on the Fast fire II. I have yet to change out the battery and have one on my M1 Garand that is 1.5 years in service. I bought 5 extra batteries from Amozon.com and put them in the but of my Garand. I will have to figure out a spot for the 94 to put an extra battery in for emergencies.

[sisterjim]

Thanks Hamour I will consider a burris when I can't see beyond my sprouts. With regard the load data I will try something a bit slower than 4198. I had a 3 shot group in less than an inch at 50 yards, two were touching with 24 grs. No leading with homemade lube based on Junior's 411. My guess is that it was shade over 2000 f.p.s. The gun is Savage 24V-A break O/U the group was good but the face of the breech had some brass residue indicating movement. I won't give it that much pressure again. I have some H4895 equivalent ADI 2206H I'm going to ease it up from 25-28grs and see how it goes I haven't used this powder before and curious to see if it burns completely at lower pressures. Thank you for your input JIM

[runfiverun]

2206 does very well at lower pressures.
I have taken it down to @50% of case capacity before it become dirty burning.

[JIMinPHX]

I load my .30-30 hunting ammo around 2300fps. With 13bnh boolits, I get good accuracy & probably about 40% expansion on average if I hit thin skinned game at moderate range. With 23bnh boolits, I get slightly better accuracy & almost no deformation unless I hit bone. I think that your alloy is a darn good choice for deer. It might be slightly soft for hogs, but still far from a terrible choice for that purpose.

JMHO
Jim

[sisterjim]

Are you using medium or slow powders JIM

[JIMinPHX]

Reloader 7

[barrabruce]

I haven't been hunting for years but I use 2206H for me 30-30
You can go down to 17.5 gnsfor 1350 fps if you like with 165 grner's { Cowboy load}
My load is at present is 150 fp paper patched 50ww 50 lead/coww with a little bit of printers lead. Bhn ??? 14
28.5 gnrs 2206h with a tuft of dacron works for mine. @ 2150 fps same impact at 100yds as factory.
Put first 3 touching more than once a 100yrds
powder seemed to kick in for me around 27gns but burnt clean below that if I recall rightly.

My rifle just eats the above load and is mild on brass and shooter.

At maz listed + a grain or 2...compressed seated load with 170 PP they flew pretty fast with little pressure signs but brass suffered some what.
Enter at own risk.

Hope it helps some if any..
2208 for me left unburnt granules in my bore. But I get that with some factory anyway
Barra