.30-30 multi rifle load

[richhodg66]

A couple of months ago, I impulse bought another Savage 219 and like it a lot, turned out to be quite a good shooter with various cast. The barrel was drilled and tapped for a scope so that helps. Anyway, looking around, between the son and I we have several .30-30s of various types, a few break open singles, Winchester and Marlin lever guns, a Savage 340. None real high end, but good working rifles.

I've kind of embarked on developing a cast load that is deer hunting capable, but accuracy and terminal performance wise that works in all of them. The base for this project is the Ranchdog 165 grain .30-30 bullet as it has been a good one for me and I have a bunch cast up. I tried a load of 30 grains of IMR4320 with a tuft of Dacron on top in the 219 and it shot quite well. Been messing with other things lately, but had some time this weekend and loaded up some more of it with a slight crimp from a Lee FCD and gave them a whirl in a beat up '94 Winchester (the thing looks like 40 miles of bad road, but has always been a decent shooter) and though I need to do some tweaking to ensure positive feeding, it shot very well in the '94 too. When I get the exact seating depth and crimp figured out in the '94, next in line will be the 340, a break open H&R and the boy's micro groove Marlin.

I need to get a chronograph and check speed on this. Anybody else here had luck with a .30-30 deer load that worked well in everything?

[FredBuddy]

richdog66:

The short answer to your final question is - - - NO !

I've been on the same quest for a couple of
years. Like you, 6 different 30-30's.

Here are some things I've learned.
You will need a very tight (almost small base)
sizing die to account for the variety of
chamber sizes. (That is, if you are not
segregating brass)
A Redding taper crimp die solved many
tight chamber problems for me.
So far, IMR 3031 seems a good partner
for the RanchDog boolit.
Marlin rifles are the most finicky !!!
Depending on the nose size of your boolit,
the Microgroove might not like it,
and powdercoating may not be an option.
Size to .310 and use .309 expander plugs.

Read Outpost75's comments related to
all this.

Have at it, yer gonna have fun !

[gnoahhh]

I have a "universal" .30-30 load that has worked nicely in every .30-30 I've owned in the last 35 years, to include 94's, Savage 1899's, Winchester 54 bolt guns, etc. (no Marlin micro grooves though). 28 grains 3031, 190 grain flat nosed bullet, no crimp (except in the 94's but I'm still not convinced it was necessary). The bullet is from an ancient Saeco mould that was a custom design cooked up by a charter member of the CBA, Sid Musselman. Drops from the mould at .310 (wheelweights+tin), nose diameter of .301.

[Hardcast416taylor]

In my 219 I`ve found that it likes the #311041 and IMR 3031 powder, 50/50 + tin alloy sized .310" C Red lube.Robert

[richhodg66]

These Ranchdogs were cast from that same 50/50 + 2% tine, but I water dropped them, so harder than I should hunt with.

That same bullet and alloy, but air cooled worked quite well on a good buck a few years ago in a .308.

The 219 I shot this load in is more accurate than it has a right to be. I didn't crimp them for it, did jus a little for the '94, but I need to get it tweaked a little. That '94 shoots about as well as I can shoot a short, iron sighted rifle, probably 2 1/4" at 100. Plenty good enough for deer.

Once I get the lever gun figured out, the 340 is next and then a little H&R. The Microgroove will be last. Kinda wish I had kept that Savage 170 pump rifle now.

I like the 31141 and it worked well on deer, but that ranchdog casts so many so fast and so well, plus the bigger meplat.

I didn't know small base .30-30 dies existed. I have one H&R that won't chamber even a full length resized case if it was ever shot in another rifle. Maybe I need a set of those.

Gary, is that the bullet you were talking about duplicating original ballistics in the .303 Savage with? Looks like a winner.

[Drm50]

I had a 219/k4 scope, it out shot Win 94- several of them, assorted Marlin 336 and 340s. Not cast, the Speer 130gr Hp/ win powder. It would average 1.25" at 100yds. Nothing special except it had been D&T for scope. A buddy of mine has it now and it caused him to start buying up 219s & 220 shotguns. He thinks they are the best rifle ever built. He has them all except the 219-219zipper. He is sending a 30/30 to rebore to 38/55 for Ohio deer.

[Texas by God]

I guess you have to figure out which 30-30 has the tightest chamber and get it lined out. Then try those loads in the other rifles. I only have two 30-30s and I keep their loads separate. My bolt gun loves .309" boolits but I have a .311" sizer to try for the Marlin because it is inconsistent with the .309". I'm in the 3031 camp but I've used 4895 and 4320 too. Today I tried 4198 and it looks promising in the bolt action. Good luck with your simplification quest!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[richhodg66]

The Savage 219 would make a good squirrel rifle, in fact, my go to fox squirrel gun is a 219 in .22 Hornet. Been thinking a load like this Ranchdog load and then a load with the Lee 113 grain Soup Can and about 8 grains of 700X or thereabouts and I'm done with developing .30-30 loads forever.

[Outpost75]

I use the Ed Harris design 31-171D bullet with 27.5 grs. of IMR4064. Heavier loads are in Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition (2010) on pg. 144 listed for the #31141 173-grain.

23.5 IMR4198 1999 fps, 31,400 cup
27.0 IMR3031 2016 fps, 31,300 cup
28.6 RL7, 2165 fps, 34,500 cup

Attachment 240291 Attachment 240292Attachment 240293

For small game, gallery and close range woods use I use the 31-155D plain-based bullet of the same profile, having the GC heel cut off, with 15 grs, of IMR4064, approximating .32-40 ballistics.

Attachment 240296

[ole_270]

Years ago I used the 31141 in a M94 to take several deer with great success. Only one I recovered went lengthwise through a decent buck and was found under the skin of the back leg. The nose had sloughed off and left a wadcutter shaped shank about half an inch long. Alloy was slightly softer than #2 and water dropped, in those days there were lots of articles out there claiming the harder the better. I mostly used 3031 but sometimes 4895. Tried it in my son-in-laws Marlin Micro-groove and it shot better than the Winchester.

[gnoahhh]

Gary, is that the bullet you were talking about duplicating original ballistics in the .303 Savage with? Looks like a winner.

Yes it is, Rich. It chrono's at 2060fps out of my Winchester M54 bolt gun.

[sghart3578]

My universal 30-30 load is the Lee C309-150-F loaded over 25 gr of 3031.

It works good in everything I have tried it in.

In my Marlin I have to beagle the mold and size the bullets to .311".

[PBSmith]

Good thread.

I have not done extensive testing with it but my first trials with an old 150-grain Lyman 311466 Loverin bullet show promise in two different .30-30's. Depending on your quarry, their heavier brothers, the 311407 and 311467, might work better for hunting. Two of these three bullets are pointed but can be flat-nosed with minor time and effort.

Apparently the 311466 was also successful for another .30-30 owner, though I don't know his (or her?) rifle. When I got the mold (used) I noticed a previous owner had stamped ".30-30" into the side of one block. Period literature promoted this bullet for the .30-30, among other cartridges.

I've shot a number of "classic" .30-30 flat-nose numbers in one cantankerous rifle and can't get consistent results. The 311466 has performed well in that rifle as well in a Savage 340 and Marlin waffle-top. I don't have the charge info at my finger tips. Memory says numerous recipes gave decent groups.

The NOE version of a soup can, 311-118-RF, looks promising in both the Savage and a .30-30 lever rifle. 8.5 gr Herco is what I've been loading with this bullet.

edit: I've loaded and shot both the Loverin and the NOE soup primarily at plinking levels. Regardless of velocity, I expect tweaking of the charge, seating depth, etc will be necessary according to the rifle.

[FredBuddy]

This is to clarify my previous remark "almost small based"
related to sizing dies.

I have 2 sets, RCBS and Redding. My 1949 Marlin has
a tight chamber and doesn't like brass from the RCBS die.
The Redding die sizes brass down about .003 more and
works fine in that Marlin. However, the Redding die is more
prone to leaving lube dimples on the shoulder; not a problem,
just bugs me.

[richhodg66]

Good thread.

I have not done extensive testing with it but my first trials with an old 150-grain Lyman 311466 Loverin bullet show promise in two different .30-30's. Depending on your quarry, their heavier brothers, the 311407 and 311467, might work better for hunting. Two of these three bullets are pointed but can be flat-nosed with minor time and effort.

Apparently the 311466 was also successful for another .30-30 owner, though I don't know his (or her?) rifle. When I got the mold (used) I noticed a previous owner had stamped ".30-30" into the side of one block. Period literature promoted this bullet for the .30-30, among other cartridges.

I've shot a number of "classic" .30-30 flat-nose numbers in one cantankerous rifle and can't get consistent results. The 311466 has performed well in that rifle as well in a Savage 340 and Marlin waffle-top. I don't have the charge info at my finger tips. Memory says numerous recipes gave decent groups.

The NOE version of a soup can, 311-118-RF, looks promising in both the Savage and a .30-30 lever rifle. 8.5 gr Herco is what I've been loading with this bullet.

edit: I've loaded and shot both the Loverin and the NOE soup primarily at plinking levels. Regardless of velocity, I expect tweaking of the charge, seating depth, etc will be necessary according to the rifle.

I've been shooting a lot of 311466 bullets in a few things, including a Savage 340 which shot it well, but looking for a hunting load, so I want something with a flat nose.

If the Ranchdog doesn't do it, though I think it will, I'll go back to the 311041 or go with the RCBS 180 grain FP.

[barrabruce]

I think the 308403 tapered pope bullet breachseated behind @4.6 grns of bullseye or 8-9 unique etc etc. would work for all the above.
Just have to get the brass in the chamber.

Personally I think you be pushing the proverbial up hill otherwise.

I’d buy a chamber reamer and standardise all the chambers first.
Then try to do it.
Well I wouldn’t ‘cos I’m too stingy; but there you go.

[three50seven]

At one point my Dad and I had 4 30-30's between us. He had 2 Winchesters (a pre-64 model 64 and a post-64 model 94), and I had 2 Marlins (1 micro and 1 ballard rifled). None of them liked any of the same loads...

We have since downsized to 1 each, the model 64 and the micro-groove 336, and have developed good cast and jacketed loads for each rifle. I love it when I can have a "do-all" load for multiple rifles, but I've found that much more often than not, it's an unrealistic expectation.

[rintinglen]

Try a load of 34 grains of WW-748 under your RD 165 for hunting. It will likely group better at 30-31 grains, but it will loft along at an honest 2200 fps with the 34 grain load.

[Bazoo]

I've been using 32.5 grains w748 with my 31141s that weigh 180 grains lubed and checked. I worked up to 34 but really liked the 32 better. My lee 2.2 dipper gives me 32.5 so it's an honest compromise. I got the best accuracy at 30 grains, but I get the same trajectory as my favorite factory loads with only a small increase in group size out of the 32.5.

[richhodg66]

I don't have any 748, but have quite a bit of suitable powders for .30-30. Trying to avoid buying others. I might try some 748 eventually, though. Been hearing a lot of good stuff about that Lever Evolution stuff too, might have to try that as well.