Share??

[XWrench3]

does anyone have a favorite 30-30 cast boolit load they would like to share, for use in a Marlin 336, using Reloder 7 powder? i do not need something that will melt the alloy before it leaves the barrel (xtra hot):eek:, just something that will shoot 100 yards pretty accurately. i am using 152 grain gas checked lee flat nose bullets, air cooled wheel weights. i had a really good load a while back, but all my data was in my computer, and i lost everything when it was hit by lightning:shock:. and i would like to at least shorten the trial and error.

[Dan Cash]

I was using 25 gr of R7 under a 31141 bullet. It shot ok but the powder is very position sensative causing vertical stringing. 30 gr R15 is a much better load under the same bullet. Velocity is in the 2100fps range, about factory.

[XWrench3]

hmmmm, maybe i am in luck then. i do have about 1/2 of a bottle of rl 15, i usually use that for the 223. but what the heck, its worth a try. thanks.

[drklynoon]

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/RecipePrint.aspx?gtypeid=2&weight=150&shellid=78&bulletid=132&bdid=540
Give this link a try. It says 29 gr's for 2188; however I do not know about the test barrel length.

[runfiverun]

rl-15 is in the 4064 speed area.
either powder should work fine.
i think i have used everything from 700-x through 4831 in the 30-30 with boolits/bullets from 100 through 180 grs.
i'm still looking for a bad load.

[XWrench3]

i'm still looking for a bad load.

you have a lot better luck than i do, or my standards are a lot higher. i have had plenty of unacceptable loads.

[BruceB]

[QUOTE " all my data was in my computer, and i lost everything when it was hit by lightning:shock:.[/QUOTE]

Gents;

THIS, right here, is the best possible reason NOT to trust all your data to the blasted electronics! We NEVER know just what might come along to destroy all our records. Paper and ink are low-tech, but a heck of a lot more-reliable as an information resource than a bunch of electrons.

It is possible to back-up your personal computer records by REPORTING your results on a site like this,(Cast Boolits) where at least the bare bones of your experiments can also be of use to others, as well as being available to yourself if a computer melt-down should occur. Also, what about a prolonged power outage?

At the very least, even if your detailed records are in the computer, keep a condensed version SOMEWHERE on paper!

[blackthorn]

Buy a good surge protector for the computer, or better yet, get the unit that installs at the main box and protects the whole house. The other way is to buy one of those little storage "sticks" that you just plug into your computer and transfer the information onto the stick. Every so often you just plug in the storage stick and update it. You can even have several sticks and allot one for each subject you want to "back up". Of course paper print-outs work too!

[geargnasher]

Two things. First, the Marlin with the 20" barrel seems to really like faster powders like RX 7, 4198, and XMP5744 with lighter boolits. Second, the Marlins seem to HATE small, bore-riders like you have. I have that mould and the nose casts .299" as fat as I can make it with WW alloy and tin.

Depending on the year and particular rifling you have, the bores themselves are reported to be different sizes, I've heard of a year break somewhere around 1968 where the MicroGroove bores went from .305-ish to .301-2". That Lee bore rider won't shoot very well if the nose can't do it's thing to guide the boolit straight.

I recommend a Ranch Dog or Accurate Molds design with an ogival, flat nose rather than a two-diameter boolit with a sharp step from nose to body diameter. If you have a cast of your rifle's chamber and throat, you can see why the bore riders don't work as well as they do in some other rifles.

Start at 21.5 grains and work up until you find a sweet spot, which might be a 2" round group at 100 with that boolit, but I hope you can make it shoot better. There is one boolit in particular that groups under half inch for five rounds in my 336 using RX 7, this might be pretty unbelievable to some, but it's true.

Gear

[geargnasher]

I was using 25 gr of R7 under a 31141 bullet. It shot ok but the powder is very position sensative causing vertical stringing. 30 gr R15 is a much better load under the same bullet. Velocity is in the 2100fps range, about factory.

Not so much position sensitive (although it can be slightly so), but barrel harmonic sensitive, do a careful workup from starting loads and you'll discover a lot about that in a tube-fed rifle. Leverguns are plagued with harmonic issues. There are two sweet spots with my Marlin and RX 7, one well below and one just slightly above what you list. The higher-velocity one is more accurate, I suspect due to better combustion.

Gear

[runfiverun]

it could be that i don't have a finicky rifle.
or that it might have slightly been finicky untill i fixed it.
it has done very well from 900 fps up past jaxketed velocities.
could be i impact slugged the throat and worked with it.

[P.K.]

" all my data was in my computer, and i lost everything when it was hit by lightning:shock:.


Gents;

THIS, right here, is the best possible reason NOT to trust all your data to the blasted electronics! We NEVER know just what might come along to destroy all our records. Paper and ink are low-tech, but a heck of a lot more-reliable as an information resource than a bunch of electrons.

It is possible to back-up your personal computer records by REPORTING your results on a site like this,(Cast Boolits) where at least the bare bones of your experiments can also be of use to others, as well as being available to yourself if a computer melt-down should occur. Also, what about a prolonged power outage?

At the very least, even if your detailed records are in the computer, keep a condensed version SOMEWHERE on paper!
:goodpost:

Run's latest with flooding reenforces the above, bad loads are marked accordingly and good loads/spec's are noted on their own 3X5 card in my file. Even loads I don't have slingers for go in the file, future refrence I guess. ;-) I picked up 5 packs of 3X5 cards on clearance at a local office supply. When asked I was told "Nobody uses them anymore."

I still get weird looks at the range when I fish that log out. I'll let the cool kids play with their I-thingies and what not's. Range flags still work w/o batteries. ;-)