Round balls in small capacity .30's

[gnoahhh]

I never messed with roundball plinker loads but am about to with a .310 Cadet (Greener). I found that a .315 roundball will thumb seat in my shortened and fireformed .32-20 cases. Plans are to smear some lube onto the ball after seating. My questions are: would a greased felt wad under the bullet be beneficial/necessary, and would a ballpark 2-3gr. Bullseye or 3-4gr. Unique powder charge be kosher? Thanks.

[wmitty]

The felt wad isn't necessary; don't know about being beneficial. If you have a die, using a slightly larger round ball sized down will give a longer bearing surface, but it isn't required. I've used 2.5 gr BE or 700 X with round balls in the .30-30 and .32 Special and a slightly larger charge in the .375 with no problems. Smeared a little alox on the surface of the ball in the case and seemed to work fine.

[frnkeore]

I've played with RB's in my 8.15 x 46R (.32, 00 Buck), the groove in my rifle is .316.

I just rolled the balls in lube, before loading so, you should have plenty of lube. I don't know what your wanting for velocity but, 2 gr B'Eye will be suppersonic, probably around 1300+. In my much larger case, 1 gr B'Eye was subsonic and 1.5 super. When I did mine, I loaded down until the "crack" went away.

I didn't get the accuracy that I wanted. Mine is a target rifle and I expected 1/2" or a lot less at 25 yards and as you can see, I got a much larger group. The number at the right are group size.

I built a 32/20 HW (.308 groove) for my wife and could try it out in that but, that will have to wait until after May as I'm trying to get ready for a 400 shot match in Spokane.

Please let us know how it goes.

Frank

[gnoahhh]

Thanks, glad I asked. It would appear that my powder guesses were a tad high as I will strive for slightly subsonic velocities. Seeing as how all I'm looking to perforate are empty beer cans across the yard I'll be good to go.

[woody1]

22 LR dipper of Bullseye (about 3.1 grains) is what I use for my RB loads for most everything including 30-30... Velocity is dependent on powder position. For the 30-30 I was mostly using it to shoot sparrows and starlings out of trees in the backyard. RB's have about the BC of a rock so don't travel far enough to hit anything from my backyard. I used .311" RB's which I lubed lightly with alox before loading. Thus loaded I was about 90% accurate using a receiver sighted marlin microgroove 30-30. Shots ranged from prob'ly 10-25 yards. YMMV Regards, Woody

[WRideout]

I don't have a 32-20, but I have used .311 RBs in my Nagant pistol, which may be pretty similar. I just use a 22 case full of Red Dot, and seat an RB over it, no wad. I lube the RB's with Alox. It's actually fairly accurate, and good for beginners; little report, and no recoil to speak of.

Wayne

[texassako]

I think your load looks fine. I use a bit less of either in a #2 rolling block(32 rimfire/32 long) that had a bore just decent enough to launch a roundball accurately at 25 yards. I tumble lube the ball before loading.

[BAGTIC]

In a single shot rifle I have found that round balls work best when seated deep on the powder, a compressed. Gives more consistent ballistics. Also produces equivalent velocities with less powder.


BTW, the Martini groove dimensions should be .323 inch and a round ball should weigh about 50 grains. QL computes that a .323 50 grain ball compressed on 1.4 gr RD would produce about 1155 fps at 12,859 psi, well below pressure specs of 15,954 psi.

[dragonrider]

What I hate is that damnable keyholing is so difficult to find , I mean you know it's there, you really know it. But you just can't see it. They mock me I had some RB's some time back, I would use them in my 30-30, accuracy was so-so, and I ran out of balls as it was not my mold. Gonna hafta break down and buy one I suppose.

[wmitty]

Leaving the sprue shank protruding from the top of the case lets you know if the ball has keyholed on you.

[fiberoptik]

Need to try those newfangled square balls..........

[fiberoptik]

How was it for noise? I'm in a subdivision....

[gnoahhh]

1½gr. Bullseye + .315 roundball equaled tin can accuracy at 25 yards, and about as much noise as a .22 sub-sonic out of a rifle barrel, more or less. Loud enough I wouldn't shoot them in a subdivision at any rate.

[leebuilder]

Experimented with .309 swaged buckshot in 30-30. Was very good. I also played with a duplex load, 2 swaged balls, accuracy was not all that good past 50m but was fun, forget the powder weight.

[mwells72774]

Hm... wonder how this would work in 30 carbine?

[woody1]

Hm... wonder how this would work in 30 carbine?

I think it would work fine single loaded. Regards, Woody