30/30 loads for Lee 160 RN GC

[paul edward]

I am looking for load suggestions for 30/30 using boolits cast in a Lee 160 RNGC mold.

These will be used in a Savage 340 on targets and tin cans.

Powders I'd like to try are Unique, 2400, IMR 4198 and BL-C(2).

Appreciate suggestions.

Paul

[geargnasher]

4198 is very accurate and clean for medium to fast loads and is good for longer-range shooting, refer to any of the Lyman reloading manuals for data with equivalent weight boolits for good starting loads from which you can work up in small increments. That being said, any of those powders will work, and Unique/2400 are tough to beat for light loads even out to 100 yards.

The nice thing about the .30-30 is so many combinations work well. In fact, it's more difficult to find something that doesn't work well.

Gear

[grouch]

For target loads I'd try 14 or 15gr of H110. It certainly works for me!
Grouch

[x101airborne]

I use the 160 in my waffle-top with a blunted point over 15.0 gr 2400 with a pistol primer. Works really well out to 100 yards. It is not useless past that, I just have not shot it past that. It is an open sight rifle.

[redneckdan]

I obtained a 100 piece sample of that bullet and loaded it over 5.0gr of red dot for a low velocity small game smacker while out hunting big stuff.

[Kraschenbirn]

I've never tried the 160 gr. Lee but my most accurate load for my S340 uses a 162 gr Loverin (Ideal 311466) over 20.0 gr. AA5744. 17.5 gr 2400 under the same boolit groups almost as well but, according to my old notebook, I didn't have much luck with either IMR4198 or H4895 in the .30-30.

Bill

[timkelley]

Krasch has got it right with 17.5gr of 2400 under that Lee boolit. They feed and shoot very well thru my Win 94. Not much recoil either.

[randyrat]

-----------------------------------------
158-160 grain lead RNFP or RN (COWBOY LOAD)
H4895 17.5 gr. 1,351 fps Start
H4895 21.0 gr. 1,562 MAX
H4198 15.0 gr. 1,420 start
H4198 17.0 gr. 1,616 Max
-----------------------------
Here is a couple loads for your 4198

[res45]

I use the Lee 170 gr, GC RNFP in my Sav. 170 pump gun. For plinking and small game load I just leave the GC off and give the bullet two coats of my Alox/JPW lube and push it with 8.0 grs. of Alliant Red Dot MV @1200 fps+over the chrono accuracy is as good as you can hold it at 50 yds. bullet is shot as cast from straight WW alloy.

For hunting loads I use the same bullet cast from a softer alloy 30:1 with GC applied and ranch dipped in Alox/JPW once dry there run back through the sizer to clean them up I push that bullet with 30.0 grs. not a Max. load of H-335 MV @2K fps. over the chrono and there just as accurate as my plinking load.

The Lyman cast bullet manuals list loads for with 170 gr. GCRN bullets

Unique Start: 7.0 grs. 1240 fps. Max:10.6 grs. 1555 fps.

2400 Start: 15.0 grs. 1624 fps. Max: 18.5 grs. 1853 fps.

[randyrat]

check the free Hodgdon loading web site, they have some SIE FN loads you could use in the160-170 gr range using BL-C(2)
Drop it down a ways and work up- stay under the manual loads and you'll be fine. I don't have any idea how far to drop down, but if it was me i would stay at about 75- 80%...If that doesn't work forget it.
Unless someone else with more knowledge of this powder could chime in.

[dale2242]

My 2 favorite loads for the 14" Contender 30-30 with Lyman 311291 170gr:
8 gr Unique
32 gr BL-C2
dale

[redbeard55]

If you just want to plink and not hunt, check out the following website. I'm using 6.5 grains of Green Dot http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

[redbeard55]

If you just want to plink and not hunt, check out the following website. I'm using 6.5 grains of Green Dot http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

[Will]

16gr 2400

[quilbilly]

That is the boolit I use in my 30-30 with great success. I load with about 15 gr of 5744 which gives me an MV of 1550 fps. It is a joy to shoot and is deadly accurate offhand at 100 yds. The recoil is so minimal that my wife likes it. It also give 17" of penetration at 50 yards in soaked phone books with a vicious wound channel after 6" when the boolit tumbles.

[paul edward]

Thanks to all who responded with suggested medium loads for my 30/30 Savage 340.

Today I tried six examples each of two medium loads, 12 grains of Unique and 20 grains of IMR4198. Boollet is cast 160 Lee RNCG sized .311. Both loads worked well with very light recoil. Do not have chronograph, so can't report velocities.

Next step is to load a batch of 50 and shoot some groups from the bench.

Paul