A different Plinker for 30-30

[Hick]

I just tried an experiment based on a comment I saw here. Someone commented on another thread that they had used 32 pistol wadcutters in a 30-30. I got to thinking and decided to try something similar.

90 grain 32 caliber Lead SWC (from Hornady, 0.314 diameter) with 4-5 grains of 700X. Tried a ladder of loads and found my 30-30 seemed to like ~4.7 grains.

With 4.7 grains of 700X, boolit seated to the the flat edge of the SWC (just the pointed part outside the case) I got 1277 fps with a SD of only 8.6 fps. Once I zeroed it, It was accurate enough to hit small gongs at 100 yards (small as in 3-4"). This is with open sights on my Win 94-- and for me and my old eyes hitting those small gongs is my standard of excellence.

here's the neat part: (1) low price, $32 for 500, (2) The .314 boolit chambers very nicely, but is so big in diameter that it can be loaded in as-fired cases without resizing! I literally took the fired cases, deprimed, and reloaded without any sizing whatsoever, and got the above results. Apparently, the expansion of my cases when they spring back a little from firing puts the neck at about 0.311, which lets me seat another boolit without resizing. And-- for those wondering, I was loading these in the magazine and had no trouble with the recoil (small anyway) pushing the boolits into the cases.

So, this appears to be a pretty good idea for plinking loads with minimal hard-working of the brass.

[dverna]

Good post. Interesting.

[izzyjoe]

Back when 22's were impossible to find, I did the very same thing, but I used bullseye powder, and lubed them with juniors 411 lube. Accuracy was not great, but it was good for pop cans!

[dg31872]

Gotta try this. Bought one of Mihec's double ended wad cutter for use in 32-20. Never thought about use in the 30-30. I have a couple of single shots that this would be great in.
Thank you for the info.

[Motor]

Guys have been using those in Mosin Nagant for years.

Motor

[mrrch]

I've been using the Lee 311-93 with 5 grains of 700x in all my 30 caliber rifles.
super cheap,super fun,easy to reload

[res45]

I use Bullseye with the Lee 32 cal. .314" 90 gr. TL SWC cast from 50/50 and two light coats of Alox JPW lube once before and once after sizing. I use 3.0 grs.in the 7.62 x 39 and 3.5 grs. in my 30-30 pump gun,Sav. 99 in 300 Sav. and two Mosin rifle. The SKS an Mosin bullets get sized to .314" an .311" for all the 30 cal. US rifles.

50 yds. with the irons

[tigweldit]

Nice write up Hick. Looks like a lot of fun to shoot. I think I will try it out this summer!

[Texas by God]

Brilliant. I have the Lee 90 TLSWC mould and two Win 94 30-30s. Looks like a squirrel load to me! I'll try it out. Best, Thomas.

[Bookworm]

I've got to try this. Just picked up a used Lee mold, and a Mossberg 464 lever gun.
Thanks for the tip.

[GhostHawk]

Yep it works!

I have had those to the range twice this month with my new Win 94ae loaded with 4.5 grains of Red Dot and that Lee .314 90 grain bullet.

Rifling starts right at the end of the brass in mine so I have to set them fairly deep, but thanks to that long .30-30 neck I am still not down past the neck.

1 to 2" group at 25 and 50 yards, certainly good enough for critters.
And I am thinking more and more about some kind of a sight on that girl.

I will fire 3 and will all be in a nice tight cluster, then I'll fire 3 and they are more coffee cup sized.
I know it is operator error.

Red Dot perhaps, small short one just over the bolt. Possibly a peep sight.
Me and iron sights are just not that good.

But, no matter how you cut it those are fun, easy on the shoulder, easy on the wallet, and easy on the ears. Hardly hear em go off compared to the other guys.

[Scharfschuetze]

I made similar 30/30 loads for my kids when they were leaning to shoot. Bullseye powder or Red Dot were useful powders.

Other candidate cases for such projects are almost any of the 30 calibre military or civilian cases.

By the way, a SWC or WC is a great small game load too if your game and fish regs allow the use of a center fire rifle.

[w30wcf]

I just tried an experiment based on a comment I saw here. Someone commented on another thread that they had used 32 pistol wadcutters in a 30-30. I got to thinking and decided to try something similar.

90 grain 32 caliber Lead SWC (from Hornady, 0.314 diameter) with 4-5 grains of 700X. Tried a ladder of loads and found my 30-30 seemed to like ~4.7 grains.

With 4.7 grains of 700X, boolit seated to the the flat edge of the SWC (just the pointed part outside the case) I got 1277 fps with a SD of only 8.6 fps. Once I zeroed it, It was accurate enough to hit small gongs at 100 yards (small as in 3-4"). This is with open sights on my Win 94-- and for me and my old eyes hitting those small gongs is my standard of excellence.

here's the neat part: (1) low price, $32 for 500, (2) The .314 boolit chambers very nicely, but is so big in diameter that it can be loaded in as-fired cases without resizing! I literally took the fired cases, deprimed, and reloaded without any sizing whatsoever, and got the above results. Apparently, the expansion of my cases when they spring back a little from firing puts the neck at about 0.311, which lets me seat another boolit without resizing. And-- for those wondering, I was loading these in the magazine and had no trouble with the recoil (small anyway) pushing the boolits into the cases.

So, this appears to be a pretty good idea for plinking loads with minimal hard-working of the brass.

Hick,
Nice! Thank you for the post.
I have to run the 90 gr. Hornady's through a Lee .311" push through sizing die to get them to chamber in my rifles. I had thought about neck turning some brass so that I could shoot them at .314" dia. Your post has inspired me to give that a try.



w30wcf

[wiljen]

another fun load is 2 .311 roundballs. One loaded all the way in the neck the other loaded 1/2 way out to give it a round nose profile so it feeds in Levers. Surprisingly accurate for a multiball load at 25 and 50 yards.

[castalott]

Yep... I use them too... That lee crimp die will crimp the case into the boolet wherever you want. I have lots of options (boolets) but little time.....

[Kestrel4k]

[...] 90 grain 32 caliber Lead SWC (from Hornady, 0.314 diameter) with 4-5 grains of 700X. Tried a ladder of loads and found my 30-30 seemed to like ~4.7 grains/ [...]

Interesting. I checked the Hornady website but they (no longer?) list that pistol bullet?
Midway has it "Unavailable - limited production". Any suggestions for sourcing?

----------

Edit: I emailed Hornady and just heard back; unfortunately that item is discontinued.

[Hamish]

Interesting. I checked the Hornady website but they (no longer?) list that pistol bullet?
Midway has it "Unavailable - limited production". Any suggestions for sourcing?

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.p...n1prhnbv8ck3u6

[leebuilder]

Thought of it but never bought them. I have used the round balls to great success in 3030 and played with double round balls, good round up to 50m can't remember the powder weight, used trail boss and unique, both worked first ball on the pin next ball 3 to 4 inches low.

[besk]

Resizing to .311 is a good idea. I used shoot a lot of resized 32 cal wadcutters in my Contender. Great plinking round.
I seated them flush with the case mouth.

[Hick]

I don't resize them, per se. I just load them as they are. But-- I have pulled one after loading and found that putting them in the case actually sizes them down a little-- more like .312. They chamber good and shoot good like that, so I'm happy.