Found the perfect 30/30 cowboy/ two hundred yard steel load

[makicjf]

I have used 10 grains of unique under a lee 170 gc ( 178 checked and lubed from ww with lla) sized to .311. It shoots well, but really required holdover and sight adjustment. At 150 I set the dot on top of the notch at the bottom of the semi buckhorn and held just over the turkey. The two hundred yard ram required setting the top of the post flush with the top of the semi buckhorn and holding center mass on the rams head. Trying to save pistol powder , I loaded up the same set up ( checked with the checks from 338magnum I bought here-- great price, worked perfectly btw) under 24 grains of imr 3031 backed by a federal magnum pistol primer. It hit 4 1/2 inches high at 100 yards, perfect windage with a 1 inch group. It is my hope that the 4 1/2 inches will eliminate the need for changing sight picture, but am not sure. I can only shoot to one hundred yards until I get the time and cash for a dumper of dirt to build a 500 yard range. Any guesses on how the 4 1/2 inch high will look at 150 and 200 yards? I'd hate to have to sight in in a competition, but thats what will happen!70607

[makicjf]

A marlin 336 cs 30/30-- its my favorite truck gun/ saddle scabbard gun tack driving pig slayer. It is my favorite rifle caliber rifle . Once the Marlin Cowboy in 45/70 has the original sights and a stiffer lever spring I may like it better. It has a nice tang sight from the previous owner, but I am struggling to shoot it consistently-- my sight picture fades in and out. Plus a tang sight is not quick into action. My hope is to reinstall the semi buckhorns and have them set a couple inches high at 100 yards, figure out where zero point of aim ends then set the tang sight for the next logical increment. The previous owner had lightened the lever spring, so it requires a grip to lock up: the sight is in stock, but Marlin is waiting for the spring to come off back order before they ship the parts. My favorite carbine is my rossi 92 in 45 colt-- anything from plinkers to boomers, light, quick and handy. I have the bucjhorns set like a peep sight-- I just allow the blade to center in the semi circle and holdthe top of the blade on target. I can hit a 200 yard ram (most of the time) if I hold on his head with the blade at the top of the buckhorn. Its a viable 200 yard gun loaded right.
Anyway, the rifle is a marlin 336 cs i picked up Gently Used for $250 about 4 years ago.
Jason
jason

[makicjf]

If you are right that is perfect for what I need--a bottom 1/3 hold on the fifty yard chicken and center mass on everything else. That would be awesome.
Thanks!
jason

[pdawg_shooter]

Funny looking 30-30 round.

[kbstenberg]

I will be the dumbie. What is the bullet?

[makicjf]

Thats a 45 acp with a lee 255 rnfp sized .452 with an oal of 1.20- I used it as an impromptu "ruler": its what I had on my belt

[sundog]

3031 is just about as perfect as one can get for 30-30/32 Win Spl cast loads.

[rintinglen]

I don't know about the aforementioned WAG.

In the Lyman 3rd Edition (much more generally useful than the fourth, IMHO) for the similar 311-041 at 1800 fps, which is about where I guess your 24 grain load to be, the boolit will be 1.2" high at 50, dead on @100, 4.88" low at 150 and 14.03" low at 200. I would expect your results to be about the same.

More troubling than the drop at long range is the decrease in energy. You're down under 700 pounds-feet and I had troubles dropping rams with light loads in the 30/30. I ended up with a Marlin Cowboy in 45/70 as a result.