30-30 Mold Question

[sharpshooter81]

Just getting into casting....got WW ingots all stocked up, already ordered a mold for my 45/70 and want to cast for my 30-30 also.....I would like to get a Lee mold just because they are inexpensive to start out, but what 30-30 mold does everybody use? I know the 45./70 marlin likes oversize bullets, but is a 30-30 the same way? What size mold do I need? Thanks in advance!!

[x101airborne]

I understand that you need an inexpensive mold to start out, but I would rather add a little change to the cost and reduce frustration. Get the Ranch Dog 165 gr flatpoint or see if anyone here has that mold and will sell you 100 or so to try. That mold was made for the levergun throat and there is a reason it works so well. Either do that, or get one of the standard lee .314 or .315 molds. Lee molds often cast small and then you can size the same boolits down to whatever size you need. My 336 waffle top likes a true .311 boolit, not a 311 mold that casts at .3098.

[MikeS]

You can get the Lee 170gr flat point mould, many folks have used it with good results. It was designed with the 30-30 in mind, and it should cast a boolit large enough to either size down to size, or just use it as cast, with a coating of LLA. If you don't mind spending more than $20.00 for a mould (the price of a Lee 2 cavity mould) I would recommend getting a mould from Accurate Molds, you'll get a good mould that will cast to whatever size you specify when you order it, and it will last a lifetime with proper care.

[MT Gianni]

Ranch Dog molds are made specifically for Marlin throats and work great. Few things are as expensive as a cheap mold and few things as cheap as a well built, properly fitted and adjusted mold. This doesn't put Lee completely out of the picture but you may have to do a lot of lee-menting to get it there.

[A pause for the COZ]

I shoot alot of these out of my 336 and a savage 340.
Pan lubed as cast or pan lubed and sized to .309 out of a lee push thru sizer. Gas checked or plain.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_8045.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_8044.jpg

[DLCTEX]

I cast for my 30-30 with the Lee 170 fp and the Lee 150 fp. I have taken 1 deer with the 170gr with a pass through on the chest. So far the best accuracy was with the 170 gr. but I haven't done load development with the 150 yet. The 170 has worked well with a wide range of powders, currently using Reloader 7. The 170 gr. is a 311 mould no longer offered, and the 150 gr. is dropping at 309.
For 45-70 I like Ranch Dog's 460-340 and 460-420 moulds and also Lee 459-340 with SR4759 powder.

[sharpshooter81]

I ordered the 459-405-HB for my 45/70....read good things about this mold

[Maven]

Just getting into casting....got WW ingots all stocked up, already ordered a mold for my 45/70 and want to cast for my 30-30 also.....I would like to get a Lee mold just because they are inexpensive to start out, but what 30-30 mold does everybody use? I know the 45./70 marlin likes oversize bullets, but is a 30-30 the same way? What size mold do I need? Thanks in advance!!


sharpshooter. The answer may depend on whether you have a Winchester Mod. 94 or a Marlin 336, and if the latter whether it has Microgroove rifling or not. E.g., my ca. 1991 Marlin 336 (Microgroove rifling) shot most accurately with CB's sized to .310" rather than .311" or .309". Moreover, the commonly recommended .30-30 CB's (Lee C-309-180-R*; Lyman 31141, Lyman 311291) gave me poor accuracy even when sized to fit the bore. Nevertheless, I got stellar accuracy from Saeco 315 and Lyman #311284, especially the former, if sized to .310".


*cast no larger than .309" from WW + 1% Sn: poor accuracy followed.

[mdi]

You can find a lot of info on bullet casting, alloys, sizing and lubrication in Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. I'd suggest you go to the trouble of looking for a 3rd Edition, I believe it's much better for a beginner to use (unless you're into black powder cartridge shooting, which is covered a lot in the 4th Edition).

[Larry Gibson]

I shoot alot of these out of my 336 and a savage 340.
Pan lubed as cast or pan lubed and sized to .309 out of a lee push thru sizer. Gas checked or plain.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_8045.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_8044.jpg

Excellent choice of lube....my favorite:bigsmyl2:

Larry Gibson

[wiljen]

the 2 cav Lyman 31141 shows up fairly regularly at decent prices in S&S if you keep an eyeball out for it.

[Alan in Vermont]

I'm using a Lyman 311440 bought back in the 70s. At that time I wasn't sure how it would work but it was on a sheet of discontinued molds that the LGS had. I think it was clearance priced as well so I grabbed one just in case I might want to cast for the 94. I've never benched it or slugged the barrel, just sized them .309 and sighted it in over bags on the hood of the truck. All it has ever been used for was plinking loads and accuracy has been more than acceptable for that purpose. I may put it on the bench this summer and really work on accuracy with full power loads so I can divorce myself completely from buying j-word slugs for a working load. I'm sorta half wondering how hard it would be to cast up a few soft nose boolits and maybe try taking Bambi down with one.

[geargnasher]

If you have a Marlin with MG rifling, it might like a .311" boolit best, but my Lee 309-170-RF drops them at about .3105" with WW+1%Sn alloy and they get lubed in a .311" sizer die and shoot pretty well.

I have the RD mould and it barely chambers in my gun, if the throat wasn't worn it would engrave upon chambering. Some people have to trim the brass back to still crimp in the groove if they try to use the boolit in other leverguns. That's the way they're designed to fit with the Marlins. It'a a good design though, and VERY accurate in my Marlin.

The MG barrels have a tendency to be oversized in both groove AND bore, and I think that's the reason my gun prefers the RD design over the "bore rider" designs Lee uses and the 311041 design. My gun has always preferred the Lyman Loverins in different weights sized .311", and since getting the RD design it is excellent too, I thing having a better supported nose is the key with the .303" bore.

Gear

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i use the c309-170rf mine drops WW+tin at .310 i don't size just lube and shoot in marlin