COL needed for Lee C309-150-F

[steve in kc]

Alrighty...

Got the new christmas mold cleaned and broke in...dropping nice shiny projectiles.

Loaded a dummy round right up to the crimp groove, but it's short.

I didn't have a chance to mike it, but all the load data I've seen calls for COL of 2.550"??

Can't be.

Even if I seated the bullet to that length the gas check would just be slightly below the neck.

Anyone got pics or COL's or Load data for this bullet?

I've got Red Dot H4895 on hand.

[Ben]

You want to give us a couple of hints as to which cartridge we're talking about here with a proposed " COL of 2.550"??"

[steve in kc]

bah! sorry!

30-30

I'm shooting a Westernfield (Marlin 336) with a micro groove barrel.

[Ben]

the gas check would just be slightly below the neck.

This is an " old wives tale " that a g/c should not protrude below the case neck. Some of my best shooting loads with .30 cal. cast bullets in the 308 Win. will protrude slightly into the case below the case neck.

Got any other powders other than IMR 4895 or Red Dot ? You don't state if you're wanting to load gallery loads, target loads, hunting loads, etc. Are you adding a g/c to the bullet ?

Give us more information, we'll give you more information.

[steve in kc]

those are the only powders I have

I goofed regarding 'below the neck' I meant that at a COL of 2.550", the gascheck would (by my estimate) be below the case MOUTH.

Looking for a anything...plinker, target and/or hunting.

[Rocky Raab]

That bullet is designed expressly for the 30-30. Trim the brass to the correct length, seat to the crimp groove and forget about COL.

(Not to be sarcastic, but ammo doesn't work as well when the gas check is ABOVE the case mouth.)

[imashooter2]

I load the Lee C309-150-F to 2.40 inches in .30/30. At this length, the check is still in the neck.

Hodgdon lists an H4895 load for a 170 grain LFN on their web site. You should be fine using that data with the lighter Lee bullet. Hodgdon also states in their "Youth loads" pamphlet that H4895 can be loaded down to 60% of maximum charge weight for any listed loading.

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Youth%20Loads.pdf

Using that basis, you can pretty much start way low on the 150 grain jacketed data and work up to best accuracy with your Lee.

Can't help you with Red Dot. I don't load anything faster than 2400 in the .30/30.

[steve in kc]

(Not to be sarcastic, but ammo doesn't work as well when the gas check is ABOVE the case mouth.)

Gave me a good laugh!

Well, it dawned on me that the COL I was looking at was for a pointy J-bullet.

Thanks everyone for the help!

[Rocky Raab]

Hey, a good laugh is sometimes half the solution.

I've used 7.0 RedDot for about 1200 fps in the 30-30, but that's with plain-base 150-gr bullets. No reason it won't work fine with a copper diaper for a general fun load.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

Copper Diaper, never heard that one before

[CJR]

When I started paper-patching my 308W, I assumed my chamber was a standard cut and used load manual data for C.O.L. My accuracy on paper told me I had a serious COL problem. I discover my rifle had been free-bored at the factory and the throat was 3 to 4 times what it should have been. What I did for all my rifles was to take a jacketed flat base bullet, file the base to get a sharp corner (use either an electric drill or lathe), insert the bullet nose first into an empty unloaded case so it has a long COL, keep adjusting the COL until it chambers into the rifle. This gives a length measurement where this bullet's flat base is at the entry of the forcing cone. Then I take a specific CB (bore-rider or ogive fitting) and visually compare it to my sample reversed bullet to guesstimate what COL that specific CB should be. A bore-rider's CB shoulder should be where the flat base of my reversed bullet sample is. For an ogive type CB bullet, the start of the ogive should be where the flat base of my reversed bullet sample is. I then do trial COL fit-ups with the CB to make sure the CB is against the chamber's forcing cone. I can then adjust the COL to get the CB off the forcing cone for max accuracy. This visual checking is very fast to do and I don't need any fancy COL measuring gauges.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

CJR

[Rocky Raab]

Thanks, Carolina. Coming up with new descriptions is darn hard, and to a writer succeeding at it is like a one-hole group.

[Ben]

steve in kc :

it dawned on me that the COL I was looking at was for a pointy J-bullet.

You are aware that putting those " Pointy J-bullets " into a tubular mag. 30/30
is a BIG " NO - NO ".

[steve in kc]

steve in kc :

it dawned on me that the COL I was looking at was for a pointy J-bullet.

You are aware that putting those " Pointy J-bullets " into a tubular mag. 30/30
is a BIG " NO - NO ".

Not if you're using Hornady's LeveRevolution bullets! :)

[Ben]

Yes that would work just fine....just don't want to see someone get hurt.