Light 30-30 boolit

[Kirk Miller]

I posted this question on the group buy thread for the 311116. Should have known better (duh). I'm looking for a light weight boolit for use in a 1949 Marlin 336a. The bore has not been slugged, however, through experimentation, boolits sized .311 shoot best.

So, what I need is some advice on whether the 311008, or the 311116 would be the better choice. GC or no GC is not really a determining factor as right now my intention is for a plinking boolit. Blammer was kind enough to give me his opinion on the 311116 but was kind of hoping that someone on the forum would have some experience with said rifle and boolits.

Thank you in advance for any help.
Kirk

[Ben]

The Lee Soup Can might be just what you are looking for.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=480790

[Artful]

I used the 311316 lyman 32-20 bullet (about 120 grains) over 5744 powder at medium velocity.

[Kirk Miller]

Edit: Should have read 311316 not 311116. I should forget typing when I'm in a hurry.
Kirk

[TCFAN]

I have used the Lee soup can 113gr and the Lyman 311316 as well as the lyman 311008 in my 30-30 Marlins and a T/C Encore 30-30 rifle. They all shoot good with 8 grs. of unique and any lg. pistol primer. A very nice 32-20 type load that shoot very accurate at 50 yards...............Terry

[Bret4207]

The 311316 was my first mould. I've shot it in every 30/31 cal gun I have I think and it always works if it comes close to fitting. If the GC cost doesn't bother you I can't see how you can go wrong. Even if the GC isn't needed from the pressure/velocity aspect, it certainly won't hurt anything!

[onondaga]

The Lee boolits for 32-20 and 32 pistol drop at .311 so if you are looking for a light plinker boolit they could be considered.

Gary

[BoolitBill]

I agree with Ben above. The Lee soupcan is very accurate out of my Win 94!

[Kirk Miller]

Thank you all for the advice and experience. I do have the Lee 113gr. soup can, but have not been able to find the magic combination to make it work. Even with my 51yr. old eyes, my Marlin will shoot 1" groups at 50 yards. Now that, is on a good day with peep sights and the Lee 150 fn or 311041.

Maybe I'm chasing a rainbow, but I'd like the same accuracy from a light, soft recoiling boolit that I can cast in quantity. With NOE's current group buys going on, I thought this might be the perfect time to get the boolit for my needs.

Thank you all again for your help
Kirk

[Nrut]

Kirk,
You might take a look at Accurate Mold.. (a sponsor here)
If he doesn't already have the design you want then Tom could probably make one for you..
Way faster than waiting for a group buy..

http://www.accuratemolds.com/

[excess650]

I've changed my NOE order from the 311316 to one each 311008 plainbase and 311008 GC. These should work in all of my 30cals and maybe my 32 H&R Mag.

My Lyman 311008 casts larger than I like at .314"-.315", and my Lee "soup can" casts with fins, so I've never been thrilled with it.

Moutain Molds or Tom at Accurate Molds could cut something different and I'm considering something in the 125-135gr range with GC, but don't know why I would even need such a boolit. As you already alluded to the Lee 150 FN is a good moderate weight design. My CZ-527 sure likes it!

[Bret4207]

Excess. I'm glad you made the differentiation between the 311008GC and 311316. If I've seen it once in print, I've seen it a dozen times-" The 311316 is just a 311008 with a GC." Nope, wrong, no way. Two different designs. I'd have gone with a 311316 PB rather than 311008GC, but I'm funny like that!

[mainiac]

Funny this post came up,,,, I just aquired a 336a,1948 vintage,in 30-30.
I do not have any 30 caliber rifle molds(YET!) but i do have a few 32 molds for handguns,,,,

I wanted to shoot the old girl,so i loaded the 311316,ahead of 16.5,and 17.5 grs of imr4227.
Guessed at this load.Both groups shot around 1.5 inches @ 50 yards,,and shot around 1600 f.p.s.

With a little fooling around,im sure this boolit would shoot an inch or better.

I need to order a rifle sized mold for it,but the 311316 is some fun to shoot.

Tried 8 grs of unique as well,,under 2 inch group,and around 1400 f.p.s.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Thank you all for the advice and experience. I do have the Lee 113gr. soup can, but have not been able to find the magic combination to make it work. Even with my 51yr. old eyes, my Marlin will shoot 1" groups at 50 yards. Now that, is on a good day with peep sights and the Lee 150 fn or 311041.

Maybe I'm chasing a rainbow, but I'd like the same accuracy from a light, soft recoiling boolit that I can cast in quantity. With NOE's current group buys going on, I thought this might be the perfect time to get the boolit for my needs.

Thank you all again for your help
Kirk

If you work down , that 150 can recoil very soft and be very accurate for pinking , yes it costs a bit more in lead but try it without the gas check

it may be that the 150 just has that mush less of a jump to the rifling that it does it more consistently

it's all about fit , and that includes filling the throat for some guns, others don't mind as much

i do well accuracy wise with the lee 170 down around 14-1500 fps without a gas check

[Baja_Traveler]

I use the 115gr 311008 over 8 gr Unique (or Universal) as my 50 yard chicken load for Cowboy Lever gun Silhouette. It makes a great plinking load with very little recoil - and is very accurate out to 100 yards. The Pigs at 100 go down a little too slowly for my liking, so I don't use it there, but I wouldn't hesitate to pong a rabbit at 100 using it....

[johnly]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=108527


I took one of my my Ballard rifled 336-ADLs out to the range over the weekend in search of the "ideal" load. Accurate, low recoil, all with a plain base bullet that feeds through the magazine. The bullet of choice was the Lyman 311410 cast from 15 parts isotope lead and two parts linotype, and sized to .310". 2400 and 4227 were good, but 7.0 of "Clays" punched a .88" group using iron sights at 50 yards. I'm still going to try "Trail Boss" on my next trip to the range, but if it shoots better than "Clays" that would just icing on the cake.

John

[Catshooter]

For plinking, don't forget the lowly round ball. They can be very accurate and it's tough to find a boolit that uses less lead.


Cat

[rintinglen]

I've shot many many, light loads in 30-30. I have used the Lyman 311-316, the 311-419, the RCBS 32-98, the 311-245, the SEACO 321, the RCBS 32-84 and perhaps a couple others I bhave forgotten. The 311-419 and the 311-245 are my main stays. 8 grains Herco or Unique, no filler, and fun abounds. I used these in Cowboy rifle Silhouette for chickens, I've hunted rabbits and ground squirrels using these loads: either will shoot groups to the limits of the gun at 50 yards. Another favorite is the Lyman 311-465 over 17.5 grains of 2400. I can not for the life of me understand why Lyman no longer sells this boolit mold. Those Louverin boolits are great for short to medium range shooting.!

[jmsj]

I have been using the 311008 in 30/30. I have been using 7.5-8.5 grains of Unique. I read where TCFAN was using large pistol primers instead of large rifle primers and thought I would give this a try.
Man I can't believe the difference this made. I backed down to 7.5 grains of Unique and used a Wolf large pistol primers. The below target was shot using my "homemade" Trapper w/ iron sights. This group was shot at 50 yds and measured right at .750 C to C. My eyes and iron sights have been giving me fits this year so I am especially pleased with this group. This group is as good or better than I have ever shot this gun
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae97/jmsj515/targets002.jpg
I had never thought of using large pistol primers before.
Thanks TCFAN for the tip, jmsj

[TCFAN]

jmsj you are more than welcome. I got the idea of using pistol primers in rifle loads using pistol powder from some one on CastBoolits.

That target group you posted in your picture is a dandy...................Terry

[Catshooter]

Very nice group!

The rule I go by is pisto powder/pistol primers. Rifle powder/rifle primers.


Cat