.30 Carbine Blackhawk

[BruceB]

Thanks for all the insightful comments.

For the present, I'll stay with the load that I'm using in the M1 Carbine, which is 12.0 2400 under the 311359. I hope that it will shoot reasonably well in the revolver, but time will tell. I see little point in having two different loads for a rifle/handgun pair.

NVCurmudgeon is my compadre for shooting excursions (and MANY other activities) and he shoots a .32-20 Marlin. Maybe I'll cadge a few of his loads and try them in the Ruger, too.

The noise level will be interesting to experience, as the only loads I've ever fired in a Ruger .30 were factory-made, and yes, they were obnoxious.

Perfessor, I note your comment on the 6.5" .357. This is one of my "wants" right now for some reason... my favorite dealer has an Old Model (three screw) 6.5" .357 which has had the factory conversion performed on it to make it a transfer-bar action. He does NOT have the original parts. Condition is excellent, price is $400. I'm thinking about it.

With one oddball exception, this is the first time I've owned a rifle/handgun pairing for the same cartridge. The last one was about fifty years ago, and the cartridge was .303 British (I SAID it was an oddball, didn't I???)

[41mag]

For the present, I'll stay with the load that I'm using in the M1 Carbine, which is 12.0 2400 under the 311359. I hope that it will shoot reasonably well in the revolver, but time will tell. I see little point in having two different loads for a rifle/handgun pair.

I completely understand. I rarely shoot the M1's anymore. Maybe once in a while with the grandsons but that is it. I picked up the MP mold mainly to run through my little Ruger Compact .308" and the Tender in 30-30 AI as small critter getters. The Accurate 115H just looked like a miniature version of some of the "Hammer of Thor" bullets that seem so popular in the big bores, so I had to try it, and it actually shoots pretty darned well for a picked powder charge. I can only imagine it will improve with a little tweaking.

But like mentioned after giving it some thought, I just felt like a little more length / weight might give it a bit more versatility with the calibers I already have with more capacity. Besides, I been itchin to try coming up with something that wasn't really available anyway. I also have an eye on the 31-105K and the 31-120K, I mean why have a revolver if your not going to have at least one Keith type to go with it right?

[Cornbread]

Man, I really want one of those. I have no good, valid reason other than I WANT one, but man, do I want one.

Great find! Hope you enjoy it!

I am right there with you. There is literally nothing around here that I could use it for other than if I started hand gunning when I predator call instead of using the .308.......well now that I say that I might have a use for it .......but seriously right now nothing I handgun hunt qualifies for using this but I have wanted one FOREVER!

......I do have a weekend neighbor who put a white trash cabin (tow behind hard side camping trailer) on the south end of his property up against the border with mine. He is a quarter mile away and only comes up and hangs out there drinking and 4-wheeling during the summer and during deer season on some weekends. I like to shoot about 200 rounds of 454 Casull every evening when he is up there having his campfire dinner in reply to his stupid noisy machines all day long. I might just have to get one of these instead of just wanting one and shoot about 1,000 rounds through it every evening he is up here. From how loud you guys are saying this is, it just might be the ticket

[T-Bird]

Mine is a late 60s gun no alterations. Likes the Lee "soupcan" sized 309 over 12gr IMR 4227 CCI small rifle primer. Can hit a beverage can from a rest at 70yds.2x scope Shoot straight T-Bird

[FLHTC]

I am right there with you. There is literally nothing around here that I could use it for other than if I started hand gunning when I predator call instead of using the .308.......well now that I say that I might have a use for it .......but seriously right now nothing I handgun hunt qualifies for using this but I have wanted one FOREVER!

......I do have a weekend neighbor who put a white trash cabin (tow behind hard side camping trailer) on the south end of his property up against the border with mine. He is a quarter mile away and only comes up and hangs out there drinking and 4-wheeling during the summer and during deer season on some weekends. I like to shoot about 200 rounds of 454 Casull every evening when he is up there having his campfire dinner in reply to his stupid noisy machines all day long. I might just have to get one of these instead of just wanting one and shoot about 1,000 rounds through it every evening he is up here. From how loud you guys are saying this is, it just might be the ticket

You must be a helluva guy!

[cbrick]

The throats on mine are uniform to .3083" to .3087", really good for Ruger throats that I've measured.

If you should decide to play with loads mine loves the combination of 10-10.5 gr SR4759, 311410 and California ground squirrels. It liked that bullet so well I got two MP 311410 HP's, one four cav in GC and one PB. The little Ruger liked the PB so much with that load I haven't yet used the GC mold. This load also goes a long way to calm down the accurately reported noise level from this revolver. If you do try this powder groups just started to come in at 9.0 gr, much better at 10.0.

As soon as ya get out and shoot it you'll see what a fun gun this really is. Enjoy.

Rick

[MarkP]

I sure like mine, as everyone has stated they are unusually loud with full loads. They have an M80 like concussion even more than a 44 mag with full loads using light 180 gr bullets. If using indoors plugs and muffs are not a bad idea. I shot several 93 gr Hornady RN's in mine, they were a special run for the Old Western Scrounger in the early 90's, and the classic 110 fmj's with 296, now I have been using the 113 gr LEE FN, LEE 120 gr RN, and 312-93 with small charges of faster powders.
Several years ago on occasion the cylinder would start to bind when using factory ball ammo . Similar to the S&W M 53's in 22 Jet.

Thin rimmed 32-20's will fit in the chamber, some guys like the rim for headspacing. I tried them but never really saw the need to do this.

I am sure you will enjoy it they are fun to shoot, the 7-1/2" bbl feels perfect. I added a Superblack Hawk grip frame to mine when it was only a weeks days old.

I always thought it would neat to have a S&W M 14 in 30 M1.

[Ickisrulz]

I have had good luck following the loads Beagle recommends in his write up using 311008 bullets sized to .311 and 32-20 brass. I bought a die from CH4d that sizes the 32-20 brass to 30 Carbine dimensions, but with a tighter neck to hold the bullets. 32-20 dies work fine too. I have used Unique, 2400 and Lil' Gun with good success and accuracy acceptable to me.

[runfiverun]

32-20 loads work just fine.
3.5 grs of 700-x under a 98gr rcbs rnfp does right well on stuff like rabbits, grouse, rock chucks, etc.
I even shot a deer with it.
there was no drama with the deer either, about 4 steps and a face plant.
I did take a full broadside shot through the lungs just above the heart and was patient.

[cbrick]

Deer huh? I've not done that with it. I never even grouped it on paper, I grouped on minute of ground squirrel. Several of them tried to apologize for digging up the birms at the range but didn't quite have time to get it out. Bang, flap, no more digging, apology accepted.

Deer huh? Hhmmm . . . na, I'm gonna use the Ruger 45 Colt this year, it's still a virgin and I gotta fix that.

Rick

[runfiverun]

it's what I had in the truck at the time [shrug]
I shot a deer with a 200 gr speer bullet on top of 15 grs of unique in my 8 mauser once, for the same reason..

you just don't pass up an opportunity at a deer out here, it ain't like back east where they get to vote and have shelters set up downtown and stuff, deer are few and far between.
I can go 2-3 years and not even see a buck, and I can count the does I have seen this year on my fingers.
I'm out at all hours of the day and night in places where they should be, they just ain't here anymore.

[cbrick]

Hhmmm . . . Do ya have any of them gubment installed wolves in that area?

Rick

[Cornbread]

Hhmmm . . . Do ya have any of them gubment installed wolves in that area?

Rick

We do/did. Last couple years the locals around here have made a concerted effort to have everyone fill their wolf tags and our deer and elk populations are magically rebounding.

When not if I get my .30 Carbine Blackhawk I'll have to give it a go on deer. We can get two per year here(1 buck on an A tag and 1 doe on a B tag) and I haven't had any problems getting mine each year but I know a lot of folks around here have had problems. Mostly because you have to get out of the truck and hump the mountains to get them now.....anyway I'll be using the 454 Casull Caliber for the B tag again this year but the pistol I will be shooting is a new one to me.

When I get my .30 though I'll see if I can give it a go with the deer that year.

[cbrick]

What part of NW Montana are you in? I used to have property on Lake Koocanusa about 10-15 miles from Eureka.

Rick

[Cornbread]

What part of NW Montana are you in? I used to have property on Lake Koocanusa about 10-15 miles from Eureka.

Rick

I've got cousins in Eureka, I know the area well. I am over near the border with Idaho(about 30 miles from it as the crow flies). North of Hwy 200 but south of the Canadian border, kind of the middle of nowhere....and if not the middle exactly I bet you can see it from my house.

[Valley Forge]

My buddy just lucked into this old model BH with a 4 digit serial number so we put together some 2400 loads to test using the MP311410. Cylinder throats are real consistent between .309" and .310", the barrel slugs .3086" and we cast the boolits out of WW +2% tin before sizing to .310". I've only shot three other Blackhawks including my own but this one feels exceptionally well fitted. We hope to get out and test these rounds on paper in the next few weeks.