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Thread: Bolt action 30/30

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Bolt action 30/30

    I just picked up a remington 788 in 30/30 to go along with my 788 in44 mag the gun is 98%never been shot gave the guy 200.00 bills and a nikon prostaff scope I cant stop grinning. took it to the range with some rounds I loaded 170 gr rcbs cast wwlr primers behind 24.5 grs of 2200 data it shot a five shot one inch group I could not believe it took it again to day and repeated it it showed1965 fps over my crono was wondering am I lucky or good. I was wondering if anybody in castboolit land had any dealings with one in this caliber I just thought the 44 shot good!!!

  2. #2
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    I had one for a little while. I like 788s and this one shot well, but I liked my Savage 340 better and sold the 788 eventually. I doubt you'll find a more accurate .30-30.

  3. #3
    Boolit Bub
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    been looking for a while most savage I found were in rough condition even tried toconvert a 700 gave up never could get it to feed out of the magazine properly

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I am just about crying I had a nice 788 in 44 it was a tach driver. Of course I let it get away

    30-30 in 788 has to be a real dandy rifle.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Another learning day, I did not know Remington made a bolt in 30/30, I always wondered why there were not more bolt guns as it is such a good caliber.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
    CASTER OF LEAD's Avatar
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    I lucked into a 788 30-30 about 6 months ago. I have shot 170 jwords , 174gr. Lachmiller FN, and the Lee 170 gr. RF with great success. That bolt gun will just plain shoot. All the above are capable of sub 1" groups at 100 yards, if I do my part. Gave 5 bills for mine. Worth every penny. Plan on taking it to the whitetail woods this coming season.
    Buying a rifle that shoots like it does can spoil a fella pretty easily. Nice score on yours . You will for sure enjoy shooting it. - CASTER
    Last edited by CASTER OF LEAD; 02-16-2018 at 06:16 AM.
    In regards to shooting safety.Until you are ready to fire, keep your booger hook off the bang switch.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Glad for you. I have always wanted one but they are scarce and normally fetch a premium price. I have never heard of an inaccurate 788.

    With a new .308 Savage with Accutrigger going for well under $600 I will not pay the going prices for the 788. To me, the 788 is a $350 gun. My last purchase was a Howa mini Mauser for $350 when Cabelas had them on sale. Sweet little rifle but in .223. If they had had them in 7.62x39, I would have purchased both. Maybe not as cast friendly as the .30/30 but a light accurate gun.
    Don Verna


  8. #8
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    "I have never heard of an inaccurate 788."

    Yep. Have had several over the years, all shot well. Only have a 6mm now, but it is a very accurate rifle. Not about to let that one go.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    At one time in the early days of the CBA matches the 788's owned the production class.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
    white eagle's Avatar
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    I bet that 30-30 will be able to take advantage of some of the things that bolt actions
    have in their favor,like o/a and higher pressures pointed bullets to name a few
    I have a 788 in 6mm and that one will stay in the harem forever
    had one as a kid and let it go not this one
    accurate as all get out like most have already said
    good score
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    FredBuddy's Avatar
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    Just finished loading some Lee 160-2R
    to try in my 788 30/30.

    This rifle is next
    on the list for serious boolit testing.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


    frkelly74's Avatar
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    If you'll pardon a slight drift..... 30/30 was the first rifle I ever loaded cast into and after seeing how easy it was to get good results I wondered what all the fuss was about. My 30/30 is an older handy rifle and when you don't have to worry about feeding and can use pointy bullets it is just great fun to play with. The 788 should be just about perfect.
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    I LIKE IKE

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I had a 788 in 30-30 AI. It shot well but I sold it because I did not like the way the magazine protruded. I would have been happier with lower magazine capacity just to get a magazine that fit flush and did not protrude where I naturally grasp a gun while carrying.

  14. #14
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    in my safe, i have an older stevens m325 in 30-30. i haven't used it for years. i think it was a lee 170gr gc fn with a load of h4198. the alloy was coww and 2% tin. i have shot 2 or 3 deer with it and they were 1 shot kills. they were 40 yards and less.

    it amazes me that i did open sights. the win m94, stevens, krag and the rem m760 all had them. and i used them!!!! the krag is now a peep sights(102k redfield sight) because i could not find the front sight on the original back sight. the back sight, all the sudden(couldn't be age? ) became very, very, very small.

    the 788 in the 30-30 has to be the best gun and the best caliber for deer!!!

  15. #15
    Boolit Bub
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    You might consider the Lyman 311290, ..as I recall, from years past, it was about a 170 grain round nose bullet, and famous for it's accuracy.

    When I was shooting 30 caliber, if other bullets failed, that bullet never did.
    .
    The load was around 18 grains of 2400.

    The bullet; cast from WW, air cooled, and hand lubed.
    Ideal gas slip on check, not sized, seated into the case to just touch the rifling...

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub
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    I am using lyman#2 alloy does anyone know if thats harder or softer than acww. Ive killed deer with lead in 44/32/35 and 45 but i cant remember what alloy I was using thinking it was lyman #2

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    There's no doubt 30-30 in a bolt action is very nice besides being inherently more accurate then your typical lever action the fact that most do not use tubular magazines mean you can safely shoot pointed bullets or boolits which opens up your choices dramatically.

    Motor

  18. #18
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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    I'm dumb enough to have let all mine go. They're heavy was my only complaint. I'd love a 788 30-30 but I never could afford one when I saw one. I love the Mauser 30-30 that I do have!

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Just this very day bought a Savage 340 in 30-30 to match my 222. For $230, I couldn't pass.

    I recall there being a concern that a short magazine and a looooong throat was a concern, offseting potential velocity gains from a bolt gun and diminishing accuracy. Am I imagining that?

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    I forget which Speer loading book has advice against loading 30-30 to higher pressure in bolt actions, but the comment was that even though the bolt action is capable of higher pressure, the cartridge is not.
    So go easy with the older cartridge.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check