.35-30 conversion and cast boolets?

[hc18flyer]

I am considering buying a rem 788 or savage 340 in .30-30 playing with cast in it and then possibly having Jess Re-boring convert it to .35-30. What are your thoughts? Am I better off saving a few extra bucks and working towards a .358 win conversion? Want to shoot some steel targets and possibly close range whitetail.
Thanks in advance for your time, Tom

[Outpost75]

8860088601
Left to right .30-30 cartridge with .35 Remington and .35-30 far right. Rifle is my Winchester 1894 relined in .35-30 by John Taylor with 16" twist and I love it. Use .35 Remington data, just be cautious approaching the max. loads in the 340 Savage. In the Remington 788 you can use. 35 Remington load data straight up. Most of the time I use an LBT 361-260FN plainbased bullet with 15.5 grs. of #2400 which approximates .38-55 ballistics at 1420 fps. A nominal caseful, about 30-31 grains compressed of 4064, RL15 or Varget gets 1600 fps and doesn't lead.

[MarkP]

I think a 788 in 30-30 would be pretty pricey; more than a Rem 700 / Win M 70 in 308, 7-08, etc.

[Piedmont]

There was a question in an old Fouling Shot (journal of the Cast Bullet Assn.) on converting a 788 to .35-30. The man who answered the question had one. He said the magazine had to be opened at the front (neck area) to allow the larger bullet to fit in the magazine and this allowed the top round of the magazine to ride higher. This lead to feeding and ejection problems between the round coming out of the chamber and the top round of the magazine. I don't know about converting the Savage, but you are putting another $250 for the conversion to an already cheap rifle. A lipstick on a pig situation.

Another possible conversion on a 788 would be to .32 Special. I'm hoping/assuming this wouldn't cause feeding/ejection problems. The ballistic difference is slight but the .32 was standard with a 1-16" twist which allows accuracy at higher speed than 1-10" twist of the 788 in .30-30. That fast twist is the one failing of the 788 for cast in my view. They still shoot very well, but when I hit 1800 fps. I know I am on borrowed time as far as accuracy goes. I have one of these Rem. .30-30s and if you want to do something to help with cast I would rebarrel to .30-30 with a slower twist or go the .32 Spl. route. However, mine still has the factory 1-10" .30-30 barrel on it because it shoots so darn well I don't want to change it.

The .30-30 is a pretty good short range deer cartridge as is.

There may still be some Ruger .358s floating around that CDNN was selling last year for a little over $400.

[frnkeore]

I think the 340 would be best to start your project. In my area, they run $150 - $250. The weak point on them is the extractor. Here the 788 will be better. Mine never broke but, after numerous firings, the case head would expand enough that the extractor wouldn't pull the case out. So for hunting FL sizing is a must.

Another plus is that they are extremely easy to work on and to headspace. I rechambered my 30/30 to improved with a 30 deg shoulder and it shot very well. I could raise the velocity to 300 Savage levels.

Savage thought enough of them to chamber the 225 Winchester in it, a 52,000 CUP round with the same case head size as the 30/30.

The only draw back to the 35/30 will be recoil but, if it's used mostly for hunting that shouldn't be a issue. It would be more than enough for Deer and should work well with anything up to (and including) Elk with cast or jacketed.

Frank

[KLR]

You could buy a Savage 11, Stevens 200, or Savage Axis in a .308 based caliber and a .358 Winchester rebarrel kit from Midway. You can find a coupon code for $20 off making the price $180. Then sell the original barrel, barrel wrench, and headspace gauges to recoup $100 of the cost of the kit. I'll bet you can do all of this for less than the price of a 788.

358 Winchester Rebarrel kit:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/343533/e-r-shaw-barrel-kit-savage-110-series-small-shank-358-winchester-factory-magnum-contour-1-in-14-twist-24-stainless-steel

[hc18flyer]

That looks interesting. I'll look into exactly which Savage models can be converted, I'd like a wood stock. I wouldn't need a 24" barrel, could be shortened and recrowned. Thanks for ALL the replies, I knew this group would have more for me to consider. Thanks, Tom

[Baron von Trollwhack]

I have both the 35-30-30 conversion of a 94 winchester By JES and his conversion of a 30-30Marlin to 356 W.
I believe the 356 W conversion is better because the 358 W dies work, and are cheaper, the exact case if you should decide on a 788 R (308 head case) conversion to 358W, and not fool with the 788/35-30-30 Which will require $180 worth of specialty dies or a Kluge system to reload. The 358 W is easier to reload with the regular dies, and can be reloaded to a higher power level or just as easily reduced in power. You don't have to spring for a 30-30 788 either. The Savage 340, that I also have in 30-30, should better be left so, as a one locking lug system gun.

The Marlin is a great gun in 356 W. If you go with JES the work is first class whichever way you go.

BvT

[Old Coot]

You could always shoot 180gr. or 220gr in the 3030 (Since you don't have to worry so much about bullet shape). You would have alonger bullet that bucks the wind bett3er, retains more velocity and penetrates deeper. Brodie

[helice]

Edd Bagley converted a Marlin type Glenfield 30-30 that he picked up really cheap. His title here is Badgeredd and he is very knowledgeable about the 35 caliber rifles. He has converted a bunch of rifles to 35. He'd be a good one to converse with. You might like to PM Edd. He's the greatest of gentleman and a storehouse of knowledge. Tell him Karl sent you.

[hc18flyer]

I took KLR's advice and ordered the .358 Shaw Savage replacement barrel from Midway. It is a 24" 'magnum' contour, with a .725 muzzle and straight taper. I decided it was simply too heavy to carry, even cut back to 20". I am looking into a Shilen 'sporter', thru Jim at Northland SS. Still wondering if I wouldn't be happy with a bolt 30-30 or 308 to play with?

[KLR]

I took KLR's advice and ordered the .358 Shaw Savage replacement barrel from Midway. It is a 24" 'magnum' contour, with a .725 muzzle and straight taper. I decided it was simply too heavy to carry, even cut back to 20". I am looking into a Shilen 'sporter', thru Jim at Northland SS. Still wondering if I wouldn't be happy with a bolt 30-30 or 308 to play with?

Sorry if I steered you wrong, but have you installed and shot it yet? The magnum contour is bigger than a sporter, but so is the size of the hole. I compared it to my 243 barrel and it doesn't feel like that much more weight. Cutting off 4" will make a big difference especially since the weight is out at the end of the rifle. I installed and shot mine and was surprised at how manageable it felt at the full 24" length. I only shot a few groups using brass formed from 270/280/30-06 brass, but it put 5 105gr swc tumble-lubed bullets into about an inch at 50 yards.

BTW, before you put $350 into a Shilen, what would it cost to have a gunsmith shorten and reprofile the one you have? I've already sold the barrel wrench from the kit and my take-off barrel and I only have $95 in switching to this barrel so I could get some work done and still be well under the price of a Shilen. Granted, it's not a Shilen, but that won't matter to me as long as it will shoot.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[C. Latch]

At some point in all this, shooting jacketed bullets out of a 30-30 would start to look pretty cheap.

Just sayin'.

:wink:

[KYCaster]

What's wrong with a Marlin 336 in 35Rem?

A great 100 yd. deer getter and much cheaper than any of the conversions......

....but maybe you just want to play with something unusual???

Jerry

[hc18flyer]

Part of it is playing with something unusual. I have never had the lever action bug. I enjoy working up solid loads and really just getting a good start casting my own boolets.
Thanks, Tom

[Dan Cash]

Part of it is playing with something unusual. I have never had the lever action bug. I enjoy working up solid loads and really just getting a good start casting my own boolets.
Thanks, Tom

Jerry just gave you some really good advice. In my area, a .35 Rem is pretty unusual and mine is unusually accurate, at least to me and, I will argue that it is fully a 200 yard deer gun. If you get tired of it, you can recoup your money but I would bet you become firmly attached. The project you are chasing is a 90% loss proposition.

Dan

[nanuk]

... The project you are chasing is a 90% loss proposition.

Dan


so are WSM's or WSSM's but folks still buy 'em

[Outpost75]

What's wrong with a Marlin 336 in 35Rem?.....
Jerry

These days .35 Remington brass is less plentiful and more expensive than. 30-30.

The great majority of .35 Remingtons, Marlins anyway, are Microgroove, which limits bullet choice.

The shorter neck of the .35 Remington precludes loading cast bullets much heavier than 220 grains at an OAL which will feed, because the GC protrudes into the powder space.

The rimless case is less suitable for repeated reloads with low velocity, subsonic, "blooper" loads, without head-to-shoulder length shortening, causing headspace issues.

All of the above make a good case for necking up common and plentiful. 30-30 or. 32 Special brass, or necking down the excellent Starline 2.085" .38-55 or. 375 Winchester brass.

You can equal. 35 Remington performance with 200-grainers, but also have the option of heavier 260-grain cast, without the bullet base protruding below the neck. I can get 1600+ fps with the 260-grain plainbase for hunting, and also get good accuracy and low noise shooting the same 260-grain bullet at 1000 fps with 7.2 grains of Bullseye.

For the Eastern woods hunter who both casts and handloads, the. 35-30 is just about ideal.

I sold my. 35 Remington Marlin within a year of the time I got my relined 1894 Winchester back from John Taylor. And I have not regretted doing so. The rimmed cartridge is much better for me.

[Nickle]

I certainly can understand wanting to do this.

Oddly enough, the 38-55 is moderately popular here. It should be, it does everything the owners want it to.

I concur, it will be easier for CB work than the 35 Rem. Now, the 35 Rem is a good cartridge. Just not the better one in this situation.