Will it feed from a tube magazine?

[PBSmith]

Might purchase a Harris/Lee CTL 312-160-2R for use in overbored .30 cal rifles, including a couple of tube-mag lever actions.

This is a pointed bullet, and I understand it will not feed from tube magazines, at least not in some rifles. For softcast, I can easily put a 1/10 - 1/8" meplat on the bullet nose by running it through my Lyman 45 size/lube machine, set up with a flat-top punch. Been doing this with other bullets and and it works nicely.

Question: will the Lee bullet thus modified feed and chamber out of tubular magazines, specifically the Marlin 336 and Win 94? Or would I be better off looking for an oversize version of the more traditional flat-nose design such as Lyman 311041?

Thanks.

[Echo]

I would go with the -041 - folks have had good luck with it forever, and not just in lever-actions. See if you can find one on eBay - I am very leery of buying a new Lyman mold, as I believe their QC sucks - others disagree, but I stand by my stand. And YOU might have some QC problems making the meplat exactly the same on that Lee boolit...

[Hick]

A pointy bullet will feed from a lever IF the cartridge overall length is not too long. For example, I use Hornady 150 grain spire points in my Win 94 30-30, but they are so long they will not feed from the magazine because they are longer than the cartridge lifter (and so pointy I would never want to anyway). So the issue would be how pointy, since you also have to think about what might happen in the magazine (one point hitting the primer ahead). I'm not familiar with that bullet so I cannot say for sure-- but those two things are a couple you need to consider.

[Dusty Bannister]

Just keep in mind that most times the flat meplat on the cartridge is preferred to be as large as the face of the primer to prevent the nose of the bullet crushing the priming compound against the anvil. I would think a larger meplat would be desired. When the bullet is compressed shorter, the nose will expand. You now might have a bullet with an expanded nose that will not chamber.

If you are caught in a budget crunch, just go with the Lee C309-150-F and powder coat for the added diameter, or lap as needed, or just Beagle the mold if necessary. It will be a lot more consistent that way. Dusty

[FredBuddy]

I load that boolit so the gas check is at the bottom of the 30-30
case neck -- OAL is 2.560.

It cycles fine thru both my 336A and 94.

Just makes 'em 2 shooters. One in the chamber,
one in the mag.

Don't know about accuracy yet,
just tried one load.

[Outpost75]

Also remember that the typical .30-30 chamber has no throat or cylindrical ball seat, but the rifling just starts abruptly ahead of the case mouth. The enlarged forepart of the Lee bullet will not enter a .30-30 chamber at a length which will feed from the magazine, particularly if you bump the nose to make a flat point, which will enlarge the bore-riding nose even further.

Two Accurate designs I use in the .30-30 and in most other .30 cal. rifles with fine results are the 31-155D plainbased and the 31-171D gaschecked version of the same bullet. On these the noses are tapered and are lightly pressed into the rifling upon chambering, but the interference in the throat doesn't preclude extracting loaded rounds, if bullets are securely crimped.

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