Savage 340 30-30

[seabreeze133]

Well I got to the range today w/the 340 30-30and a sporterized 1903A3.

The 340 did reasonably w/the Lee 200 cast boolit and 13 gr H4227. 311041 (old) and 311284 were less than i expected. Need to up the 340 loads w/the Lee boolit and see what happens.

The springfield did pretty good w/the Lee 200. RL7, 0.311, wlr primers, teflon tape lube and LC Match brass. Started at 24 gr and went to 25.5 in 1/2 gr increments. Groups tightened up as the load increased w/the best at 5 in 0.95. all at 50 yds. Redfield rear sight and a sourdough front w/brass insert. Stock A3 bbl cut behind the front sight and a good crown. I will try up to 26 gr RL7 and then take the best load and play w/seating depth and match prep the brass.

No leading. No chronograph so no idea of velocity.

Am looking for a base that will fit the existing hole spacing to mount a Lyman globe front on the Springfield. Champions choice may have what I need. I could be REALLY happy w/ 1.5 to 2" 5 shot groups at 100.

Next step for the 340, in addition to slightly hotter loads, will be a FP340TK rear as the std rear sight is a little rough on the old eyes.

Any idea of a velocity range that i am in would be appreciated. This should be a good Bambi load.

Cheers

Don

[Newtire]

Seabreeze,

Keep us posted on the 30-06 loads with that 200 gr. Lee. I used 25.5 gr. RX-7 to shoot the nmost accurate load I have ever shot in a cast boolit load with a Springfield and the Lyman 311290. I think that 25.5 gr. was what the Lee dipper threw that I was using at that time.

I use that powder up to 30.0 gr. with the RCBS 165 sil. also and get outstanding accuracy in my FN Mauser.

[Hang Fire]

I ordered the Williams FP340 aperture sight for the Stevens 325 from Kittery Trading Post for 63 bucks and free shipping, best price I could find.

[KCSO]

Check out Shooting Times this month they had an excellent spread on the 840/340.

[krag35]

I have a savage 340 in 30-30, dad gave it to me for Christmas 1976. I shot Antelope, Mule Deer, coyotes, grouse and Elk with it until I grew up and realized that that lowly 30-30 just COULD NOT possibly kill an Elk. Anyway that was with factory Remington 150 gr. Now days it shoots Lyman's 31141 over 25 gr of IMR4895 with CCI 300 Primers. With an ancient Weaver 2.5X post scope it'll shoot less than 1" groups at 50 yds.

I wouldn't trade it for the latest anything.

[seabreeze133]

Oh there is bad news tonight. I have discovered 3 matches and am willing to part w/a Savage 340 and related stuff. PM me for details.

Don

[Bull Shoals]

I believe he means the 3-gun matches

[Hang Fire]

Got the Williams FP340 sight in and mounted. First thing I noted was the gas shield struck the sight in low position when bolt was inserted, had to elevate the sight past the midway point for gas shield clearance. Had fears which were confirmed when I went to bore sight the rifle, with the current OEM front sight, looks like the rifle is going to be hitting high, as in quite high.

I have question for others whom have installed the Williams FP340 on their Savage 340 or Stevens 325. Did you encounter this problem, did you install a new front sight, if so, how high? The current front ramp and blade on my 325-C is the one piece type (no dovetail) and attached to barrel with two screws. As I understad it, later models utilized a dovetailed ramp.

[seabreeze133]

Hmmmm stoopid computer, leavin out the "gun".

I believe he means the 3-gun matches

[Molly]

Dunno if you guys would all be interested, but on the chance that one or two of you might be, I thought I'd mention that there was an article entitled "Turpentining the 30-30" that was written around the Sav. 340 rifle in 30-30. Sometime after 1985 or so, as I recall. A quick dig through my back issues hasn't turned it up, but it's there! Anyone got an Index?
Molly

[MT Gianni]

I'd be interested Molly. What magazine do you need the index to? Gianni

[Molly]

I'd be interested Molly. What magazine do you need the index to? Gianni

OK Gianni,

Since someone wants to know, I dug into my old Handloader Magazines a little deeper. Here's some citations that you'll like to read:

1. Issue 19, (May-June 1969), page 40: "30-30 Bolt Action Handloads"
(This for the 30-30 in the Remington M. 788)
2. Issue 63 (Sept - Oct, 1976), page 38: "Cast Bullet Accuracy with a Bolt Action 30-30" (Also for the Rem M. 788)

I found a whole bunch of 30-30 articles in the Handloader Indexes, but no trace of the 'Turpentining the 30-30' article that was written around the Sav 340.

A-HAH! Found it! Take a look here:

Handloaders Digest 4th Edition
"Turpentining the .30-30 "
by H.V. Stent

Molly

[gnoahhh]

Here's how to date a Savage (and I don't mean dinner and a movie!): Starting in 1949 Savage started putting a date code on all of their guns. It consists of a letter and one or two digits stamped inside an oval. On Savage 99's it's found on the front of the lever boss (hence the term "lever boss code" used among 99 collectors). On the 340 it's typically located on the barrel just forward of the reciever. On other Savage models you must look for it, but it's there. They did this from '49 through the 60's- don't know for sure when , if ever, they stopped. Even on Savages with serial numbers the "code" stamp is the only way to tell for sure a gun's year of manufacture. (NOTE: don't mistake the "SP" in an oval for the code stamp. It is the Savage proof mark. They're about the same size: about 1/8" diameter.)

1949= A(followed by a number)
1950= B "
1951= C "
1952= D "
1953= E "
Etc. - you get the idea

My 340 came to me from my late father. In 1956, at a fire sale in a local gunshop, he had a choice between this 340, in .30/30, new, for $40 or a Model 70 .30/06, new, for $60. Both had a little water damage on the butts from the fire that you couldn't hardly see. I was 3 at the time, and got the story from him years later. Anyway, he bought the Savage because $60 was exactly all he could afford- and if he spent it on the Winchester, he wouldn't have any money left over for ammo! ( I still have the original 3 boxes of shells he bought with the gun- empty and dogeared, but priceless to me.) It remained his primary deer rifle long after he acquired more "stylish" guns.

Lots of rifles passed through both of our hands in the last 50+ years, but that little 340 will always have a home with me. Even though it is scary accurate I don't shoot it much anymore-usually only when I need a nostalgia fix when thinking about my Pop.

[Molly]

I need to buy a set of 1" Weaver sidemount detachable rings (high style) for a Savage 340.

I'd also like to see if I could use Weaver 1" Long (and/or maybe short) sidemounted rings too. These are not the same thing as above. They have a set of rings integral to a side mount plate. These would be for possible use on a 310 Cadet Martini rifle. Any comments or advice would be appreciated here.

Here are links that illustrate what I'm looking for:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=119028

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=272671

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=340963

Before I order anything on-line, I figured I would check and see if anybody has a set I could use that was laying around unneeded.

Molly

[seabreeze133]

Gentlemen

After reviewing thr shipping rules of UPS and USPS, I am not willing to sell firearms to out of state addresses. So my original intent to sell only to be picked up in Henderson stands.

Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

Don

[Trav]

Thanks for your post with the diagram Ranch Dog (Couldn't have done it without it). Just a note though for anyone else using the diagram to re-assemble there "trigger assembly". When installing part (31) into part (33) it has to go into the bottom hole on the diagram not the top (picture is kind of makes it look like it goes into the top hole)

[Trav]

How do I remove the rear sight on a Stevens 30-30 model 325c? I don't want to ruin it (Need to put it back on) Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[bruce drake]

1. Apply duct tape to the sides of the barrel. Ensure you don't wrap the tape over the sights dovetail. That defeat the purpose of the rest of the text. This to prevent scratching the barrel.
2. take a small piece of metal bar stock or wood shim and lay it on the side of the barrel.
3. Pick up a small C-Clamp and put the top of the clamp against the shim and the rotating screw head against the rear sight.
4. Rotate the clamp's screw head to where it slowly pushes the rear sight out of the dovetail notch.
5. This should work to ease the sight out without creating any issues like peened sights or mashed dovetail slots.
6. Once the sight is out, you can remove the duct tape if you wish, although, some portions of the country consider it a easy form of camouflage. )

Bruce

[Molly]

How do I remove the rear sight on a Stevens 30-30 model 325c? I don't want to ruin it (Need to put it back on) Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Brownells sells a small, inexpensisve and very specialized sight pusher that makes pushing them off and pushing them on a breeze. If I recall correctly, it's called a sight pusher for some odd reason. (BG)

Molly

[Hang Fire]

How do I remove the rear sight on a Stevens 30-30 model 325c? I don't want to ruin it (Need to put it back on) Any help would be greatly appreciated!

When I installed the Williams aperture, I just used a brass punch and drifted out the dovetailed rear sight and installed a 3/8" dovetail blank.