30 cal 1-14 twist barrel

[GBertolet]

I want to rebarrel my 788 Rem 30-30. I was given two douglas premium XX barrel blanks. One 30 cal 1-14 twist and a 35 cal 1-12 twist. Too bad the twist is not the other way around. I first considered the 35/30-30 for the 35 cal barrel, but I think due to the additional headaches and expense, I think I will just go with the 30-30 again. I have access to the proper machinery, and will be doing the rebarreling myself. Accuracy with cast bullets is decent with the pencil thin factory barrel, but it's too muzzle light, so I want to add more weight, for better offhand shooting.

Does anyone have any personal experience on how the 1-14 twist barrels perform with cast bullets, such as 311291? I know it's a little slower than the norm, but the 788's magazine restricts bullet length, so it's unlikely any heavy bullets will be used anyway. According to Greenhill's formula and other ballistic programs, a bullet of 170 to 175 gr of weight and 1.023 length shold be stable in the 1-14 twist. I just need to hear from someone who actually has one, on how well it performs.

[Nobade]

I have a 30-06 with a 1:14 barrel on it. Best shooting, easiest to work up loads for boolit shooting rifle I have ever owned. Stabilizes 180gr. boolits just fine, haven't tried it with anything heavier yet. Use that barrel and get one of Dave Manson's 30-30 CBM (cast boolit match) reamers and you'll be a very happy shooter.

-Nobade

[MBTcustom]

Seriously, as it happens member Larry Gibson has that exact twist and caliber and boolit and knows very well about using it. I think you are going to love it.
The truth is that 30 caliber barrels have had way more twist than they need ever since the 30-03 that was designed for shooting 220gr cast lead boolits at relatively slow speeds. That's way waaaaaayyyy too fast for jacketed, and waaaaaaayyyyy too fast for anything we are shooting.
I think you are going to love that barrel and it's going to surprise you. You might find best results pushing a little faster than normal, but it's going to be awesome.

[GBertolet]

Nobade, I contacted Dave Manson, and he stated that he only ever made one of these reamers for a single customer. He sent me the dimensional print. 5 to 6 month delivery time. Would that customer be you? I am considering it, unless one of the other manufactures has something better. Looks the same as a regular 30-30 reamer, except for the 1.5 degree throat.

[Larry Gibson]

Yes I have considerable experience with a 14" twist .30 cal including the use of the 311291. If you've doubt consider the 32 SPL with its 16" twist which stabilizes similar bullets just fine. The 14" twist will be excellent. Keep the barrel as long length wise as you can.

Larry Gibson

[GBertolet]

Thank you Larry, I think I will take the plunge using that barrel. Now to aquire the cast bullet friendly reamer.

[Larry Gibson]

Thank you Larry, I think I will take the plunge using that barrel. Now to aquire the cast bullet friendly reamer.

Can't help you with the reamer but I'd suggest with that M788 action you might consider the 311466, the 311467 or the LBT 311-160 bullets. They will fit that 30-30 long neck very well and should prove very accurate in that 14" twist. For a lighter weight bullet you might consider the 311465. I have both an older Lyman and a NOE mould for that bullet. At 122 gr and being a Loverin design it holds up quite well at HV. The old 30-30 might surprise you with it.

Larry Gibson

[Nobade]

Nobade, I contacted Dave Manson, and he stated that he only ever made one of these reamers for a single customer. He sent me the dimensional print. 5 to 6 month delivery time. Would that customer be you? I am considering it, unless one of the other manufactures has something better. Looks the same as a regular 30-30 reamer, except for the 1.5 degree throat.

Wow, I didn't know I was the only one who had one. It is the same as a regular 30-30, except the neck length is the same as the case not .100" longer, it has a normal .310" cylindrical throat, and a 1.5 deg/side leade. The main problem with a normal 30-30 chamber is that huge jump from the case to the rifling, and no real throat. This one fixes that and shoots like a champ.

-Nobade

[GBertolet]

My reamer came from Manson last week, with a .3005 live pilot, after only a two month wait. Barrel was chambered, and now I am working up a load with the 311291 bullet. No tipping at 100 yds with the 1-14 twist rifling. Preliminary test groups show promise. The original stock was beat up pretty bad, but I relieved it to fit the fatter profile barrel for testing, before I aquire a replacement stock.

I did notice an oddity though. I cut the chamber to tight dimensions pertaining to headspace, being sure headspace is indexed off the shoulder. After adjusting the sizer die down as far as I could, the bolt closes with some feel to it. It seems like the cases shorten after firing, rather than lengthen, as the fired unsized cases rechamber easily, and occasionally primers have backed out a few thousandths. Resizing is effortless, as the only thing apparently being resized is the neck. None of the loads I have tested were very heavy, 21 gr 4198 and 16 gr 4759. Can anyone explain this phenomenon in rifles? I have heard of this happening in revolvers with very light loads.

[Drphilwv]

Funny you mention that. I have a 788 in 7mm08 and I have the same phenomenon. It's almost a crush fit with factory or new brass. Once fired the neck sized cases fit without the same tight fit. Maybe the rear locking lugs? No idea.