Loading for my 1958 win 94 in 30/30

[braddock]

I've been running some tests on my win 30/30 following on from reading Harris's article about reloading cast boolits for military surplus rifles and got real interested in his comments about the 7.62x39 russian, a case with a similar capacity to the 30/30.

Let me state right here and now I'm OCD about pressure levels and, as such have formulated my own method of checking pressure development which basically entailed measuring and recording the amount of expansion exhibited by factory loads that remains after the cartridge is fired.

I have federal, speer, winchester and hornady cases and, fwiw, measured and recorded the amount of expansion of federal 170 grn, speer 150 grn, winchester 150 grn and hornady lever revolution 160 grn ftx factory loads.

As the figures are only relevant on my gun I'm a bit reluctant to publish them in case some darn nuthead decides my measurements are good for his guns. If I say that the figures all fell within the range of 0.0036" and 0.0041". These figures relate to an average of 2 shots per brand so are not exhaustive.

However the guidance they give me is only relevant for fully resized cases and anyone who shoots 30/30 regularly will be aware of the amount of stretch that a 30/30 case undergoes when firing, so FL resizing perhaps not the best way to ensure longevity in case life.

To give me the figures I needed I started full length resizing the cases I used 3 of each and I have to say the federals started getting split necks first after about 6 or so reloads.

So when I started mass producing my reloads my case sizing was limited to running the case into the FL die until the swage mark on the case was as close as I could get to the base of the shoulder and still not sizing the body.

You will, if still awake, appreciate that the amount a case necked case expands is much less than either a factory load or a full length resized load so I backed off the loads I'd settled on by 1/2 a grain to call it good.

Subsequent firings didn't display any of the popularly accepted indications of over pressure.

As a matter of interest the full power loads I settled on that were accurate enough for me stretched the FL resized cases by at least 0.0005" less than the factory loads of that brass.

I'm sorry to have droned on at such length but I hope my explanation of what I did and why will stop any rhetorical queries.

Back to the job in hand, I had 4 sizes of cast bullets I wanted to use, a 120 grn, 165 grn , 173 grn and 185grn samples.

The first two were plain based and the second two had alloy and copper gas checks respectively.

Given how awkward it is to fasten the magneto speed to the barrel of the gun I went ahead using 2400 for the first three bullets and lovex D073.5 for the 4th as I wanted to ensure that the boolits without the gaschecks didn't exceed the accepted velocity above which leading may occur.

Eventually I got 920 fps with the 120 grn boolit that, with iron sights from prone and no rests got me 50 yard 2" groups of 5 shots. load was 7.5 grains of 2400 with S&B LR primers, used in all my reloads.

Subsequent shooting done in the same way ie prone no rests. Second bullet I got 1550 fps with 2.5" groups of 5 with 15.5 grns 2400, Third I got 1750 fps in front of 18 grns of 2400 with similar groups and finally got 1930 fps and 1.5" groups with the 4th bullet in front of 24.5 grns D073.5. This really was an eyeopener as it was the first bunch of 3 that I loaded for that weight bullet in FL resized cases. Recoil, in my 6 pound carbine, was heavy. When tested with FL resized cases only the final load came close to factory case expansion and that was nearly .5 of a thou less.

With regard to the impact points, 120 grn loads were about 1.5" low, the next two bullets centred on the target and the third maybe a bit higher.

All the bullets were hard cast, all were lubed with Lee's liquid alox and sized to 0.309"

I couldn't see any leading.

So I've got my wee plinking and gallery load with the 120 grn bullet, the second good for 100 yards, the third maybe 150 yards and, if ever I go hog hunting the last one will be the one.

Please remember we are talking here about my 1958 win mod 94 and not your gun so any usage of the information I've set out is at your own risk. Cases were reloaded with Lee dies and the powder was measured by slightly modified lee dippers, weight checked every so often.

Aiming point same in all cases, front bead just about blotted out the fluorescent pink target.

[Hick]

Very interesting and I did not doze off once. Your experience is very consistent with my Win 94 30-30. Velocities are very reasonable. For what it's worth, I neck size only my 30-30 cases using the same method you describe. I have 12 sets of headstamp sorted 30-30 brass that all have over 20 reloads each without any indication of impending failure--so getting your brass customized to the chamber is worth the work.

Good work!

[725]

Braddock ~ I, too, remained wide awake and appreciate the methodology you employ. Thanks for furthering my understanding in this. I'll start attempting to size in the manner you describe. After re-reading Sam Fadala's (sp?), book on the 94, I'm interested in heavy for caliber .30-30's, and your 185 is headed in that direction.

[braddock]

725 It may help you to set your FL die to use some of the wife's nail polish to paint the neck of the case, the die scrapes it off as it travels down the neck. I found that I only needed to paint it on the last bit before the shoulder (about an eighth of an inch) don't be tempted to lay it on thick and let it dry thoroughly. I did 10 but found I had it set up after 2. You can check it 8 times thereafter if you want.
Also get her nail polish remover to get it off after you've finished as if you leave it on it makes the round hard to get in chamber on the last knockings of lever travel and didn't allow the lever to depress the trigger cut off. Don't ask me how I know.
Also don't let your buddies see you with all that stuff, word gets around ya know.

[725]

Ha, ha. I know what you mean. Thanks.

[charlie b]

When I am setting FL size dies I use a Sharpie marker on the neck and shoulder to judge where I am at. Same thing as fingernail polish, but, it is really easy to remove with a bit of alcohol. You can also just leave it on there as it doesn't bother anything.