Anyone loading for a Blackhawk .30 Carbine?

[RJM52]

Just wondering is anyone has any loads for the BH in .30 Carbine.

I have an Old Model that has been very accurate with standard ball ammo but would be interested in both jacketed and cast loads.

For those who cast...what size boolit do you start with and what do you size them to?

Thanks...Bob

[Outpost75]

I don't currently own a .30 Carbine RBH, but when I did, I treated it like a rimless .32-20 and used similar bullets and load data.

Critical thing if you want to shoot cast is to carefully measure the cylinder throat diameters. Many of the .30 carbine revolvers run very tight in the throats to give a snug fit with jacketed ammunition, whereas a few run larger.

I run a 5/16 chucking reamer through my cylinder to bring the throats up to .3125" and then ran the same bullets I used in the .32 H&R Magnum and .32-20, as I had no interest in using factory jacketed ammo. If you wanted to be able to use factory ammo without loss of accuracy, but also shoot lead, you can carefully use a .30 cal. rifle throating reamer and just "kiss" the ball seat entrances of the six chambers to break the sharp inside corner, leaving enough of a step for the case mouths to headspace, but enlarging the forcing ball seat entrances only to .311, having a short tapered section to enable seating lead bullets out to rest against the angle, leaving the remainder of the ball seats their original diameter.

Some cylinders have adequate head clearance to accept .32-20 brass, and this rethroating then makes an elegant solution to use Winchester 92 style rifle loads in a strong revolver.

The Accurate 31-125D bullet is designed for the .30 Carbine revolver.

Attachment 131595

[RJM52]

Thanks so much... I have had the gun for probably 15 years but have not shot it very much. I just bought a .327 Federal FA97 and figured I would start developing some loads for this .32 also...

Just took delivery of the Accurate 31-120S and will be casting Monday...just was wondering if this will work in both guns. I have not measured the throats in my 97 yet but my friend has one that runs .310...so some work is ahead..

Also what do you use for an expander die for cast boolits..

Thanks again...Bob

[MarkP]

I have been using the Lee C309-113 , C309-120 with gas checks and H110 / WW-296, and the 311-93 / 311-100 for lighter loads with Red Dot. Most 32-20 brass will interfere with the recoil shield on my revolver.

[osteodoc08]

I've used 296 in the past. Double up on plugs AND muffs. Those boomers are LOUD!

[Outpost75]

I use a .32-20 expander die.

[leftiye]

Why would you do that? The ctg. and the Blackhawk are both .30s, and the ctg. relies on grip alone , no crimping.

FWIW, the Blackhawk is probly much stronger than the carbine. Since late in WW2 the carbine has been rated at 44,000 psi.

Ditto on H110/296 as best HV powder in .30 carbine. Ditto on .30/.32 muzzle blast being deadly.

[Larry Gibson]

I loaded quite a bit many years ago. Standard 30 Carbine loads always shot well but the muzzle blast was atrocious! I found the GC'd 32-20 bullet (311316) to be the best bullet, especially when loaded with Unique. Accuracy was excellent and the velocity was just under 1200 fps with 5.5 gr Unique.

Larry Gibson

[RJM52]

The .30 Carbine muzzleblast doesn't really bother me...it isn't as bad as the 6" S&W Model 53 .22 Jet that I've had since 1974...

[9.3X62AL]

I have a fairly recent (late 2012) Ruger Blackhawk in 30 U.S. Carbine. Its barrel is .300" x .308", throats run .3085". I size to .309"/confirmed, and use a .307" expander spud. Lee Soup Cans and #311316 both shoot very well sized to this dimension, and don't creep out under recoil--even when run to the 1500 FPS envelope with H-108 milsurp. This kind of performance has ruled out the need for a 327 Federal revolver and brass acquisition.

[mac60]

I'm loading the Lee C309-120-R sized, lubed and checked (aluminum checks) in a Lyman 450 to .310 then pushed through a .309 Lee push through die. Like Larry I'm loading them over 5.5 gr. unique lit with a wsr primer.

[Larry Gibson]

The .30 Carbine muzzleblast doesn't really bother me...it isn't as bad as the 6" S&W Model 53 .22 Jet that I've had since 1974...

Then the 311316 over 13.5 gr of H110 or 296 will do ery well. The 313631 made for the 32 H&R (105 gr GC'd SWC) also does quite well over 15 gr H110. The Lee C309-113-F should do as well over 13.5 - 14 gr H110 depending on as cast weight. I sized .309 also.

Larry Gibson

[dg31872]

I have one, but shoot mild loads in it. Shoot 311008 sized .310 in 32-20 brass.
Beagle has write ups about it in the CastPics section. He was my inspiration to get the Starline brass and try it.
It is my truck gun instead of the 22 that I can't get ammo (at a decent price) for.
It's fun and with mild loads, just plugs or in a pinch, no plugs.

[cbrick]

There are many bullets that work well in the Ruger. I use 311410 @ 130 gr HP'd in mine with 10.0 or 10.5 gr SR 4759, mild shooting and accurate enough for CA ground Squirrels to 100 yards. I also use 32-20 brass and eliminate the head spacing on the case mouth headache. My Ruger liked that bullet so much that I got it in two 4 cavity molds from MP, one plain base and one GC. The above load uses the PB and worked so well that I haven't yet tried the GC bullet or any loads to step it up any.

The above load is much quieter than what this revolver/cartridge is accurately well known for.

Rick

EDIT to add: My throats run just a tick under .309" and I use a .309" Star die which leaves my alloy right at .3091".

[leftiye]

AA #9 should be a primo powder in .30 carbine. It outshines all else in .32 mag and .327. .327 maxes out at 13 grs (don't even think of using that as a starting load - 10.0 grs in my .327 seems to be a magnum load - not ever chronoed), and 1400 fps with 115 grain 311316.

[RJM52]

Thanks for all the replies...now to find my .30 Carbine dies!!!

[RJM52]

Found the dies...even the Lee Taper Crimp Die...

Made up the following test rounds with 16.0 grains of H110:

100 grain Speer Plinker

90 grain Hornady XTP

14.0 grains of H110:

120 grain Accurate 31-120S sized to .3095

All have CCI SR primers...hope to do some testing next week...

Bob

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Have successfully shot 30 carbine cases for many years. Used around 13.0 grains of 4227 ( 14 is a tight fit). Accurate but pretty noisy. Also tried using 32-20 cases sightly shortened and they worked fine. Bullet used has been RCBS 115 grain round nose with gas check. Eventually started working with 5.0 grains of Unique which has been accurate with a lot less muzzle blast and light recoil. LLS

[RJM52]

Had time last week to chrono the above loads:

Speer Plinker
16.0 H110
6 shot average - 1502 fps

Hornady 90 grain XTP
16.0 H110
6 shot average - 1415 fps

Accurate 31-120S
14.0 H110
6 shot average - 1485 fps

No pressure sighs at all and easy ejection.

Bob

[NorthMoccasin]

Bob, I used to have a Ruger 30 Carbine BH and it was the most accurate revo I ever had. Unfortunately, some scumbag broke the window out of my truck in St Joseph MO and stole it. The Lyman 311316gc and 13.3 4227 or 5.5 Unique were the main loads used. The 311419 85gc and 6g unique was also excellent. I had a 4x scope on it in a weaver mount, and 2-3" groups at 100yds were common. I sized to .309 ( a push fit in the cyl throats). NO crimp was used. Some folks insist on crimping the round, and wonder why they are not accurate. It messes up the headspace. Don't crimp and you will have a really accurate revolver. Are you listening Mike?