30-06 challenge

[DeadWoodDan]

I purchased a new to me Puvarian Mauser in 30-06 and am putting a nice Nikon 3x9 scope on it.
I'm curious if i can develop a load to practice up to/at 100yds with the only exception being I use a non GC booolit?

I would assume that the speed would need to be kept low, under 1,800fps? Not really sure what direction to take.

I have been doing searches and really never came up with the answer to my question. I have a few 30 cal molds and the most popular rifle and pistol powders available on hand....except Bullyseye can't seem to find it...yet.
Molds on hand...and some .32 cal also not listed
NOE311 165RF
NOE 311440
LeeC309-120R
LeeCTL312-160-2R
LeeC309-113F
LeeC312-155-2R
LeeC309-200-R
RD TLC311 165

Hopeing for some direction,
DeadWoodDan

[Wolfer]

I think you'll have trouble getting to 1800 without a GC. 1400 is probably very doable.
I'd start with 10 gr of unique and work up until accuracy fell off. I'd do the same with 6 gr of bullseye.
100 yd accuracy is doable but it can't be very fast nor does it need to be.

I think Ben has considerable expierence in this area. Woody

[DeadWoodDan]

There is an awsome sticky I have been picking over trying not to duplicate or reinvent the wheel. Now that Wolfer mentioned it, I do realize from past readings that I will need to stick to under 1400fps. My only concern here is to practice at 100yds and not use a GC. I am trying to keep it simple.
DWD

[Ben]

DeadWoodDan

People say they can cast .30 cal. cast bullets with a g/c shank and leave off the gas check and still shoot good groups.

I've tried it and I can't do it, I'm not saying it can't be done, but I am saying I've had absolutely no luck with this strategy.

Your molds all looks like g/c designs, I'd say if you'd looking for accuracy ( and who isn't ) , try your light loads WITH GAS CHECKS, not without them.

I like plain base bullets for light ( less than 100 yard shooting ) loads. I didn't notice any plain base bullets in your list of molds.

You might like to look at this link. It will illustrate what is possible with plain base .30 cal. cast bullets out of the 30-06 :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?167567-Modern-Bond-30-cal-190-gr-Plain-base

Ben

[Scharfschuetze]

I'm with Ben here. My best light and low velocity boolit loads that shot well out to 100 yards were with a 115 grain 32/20 boolit sized to .312* designed without a gas check shank at 1200 fps.

If I were to do it again, I'd custom order a design similar to either the Lyman 311299 or 311284, but without the shank for a gas check. I don't know what the rifling twist is of your Peruvian Mauser, but I'm sure its fast enough to stabilize a long boolt at lower velocity. The heavy boolit for calibre, if stabilized, should hold much better out to 100 yards than a lighter boolit. I would also keep the boolit alloy fairly soft so that the low pressure developed in the load would have the best chance of obturating the boolit when fired.

In years past, I developed a load for a silenced/suppressed 30/06 using the 190 Sierra Matchking at 1,100 fps so that it was subsonic for virtually no audio signature when fired for LE purposes. The 1 in 10" rifling pitch kept the 190 grain spitzer boat tail bullet stable to 200 yards. After that it was a guessing game where it would hit. While not germane to this conversation, it was interesting that the load was so quiet through the Model 700 that you could hear the bullet hit even paper targets out at 100 yards and further.

* Sized to .312 as they were on hand for my 32/20 S&W Hand Ejector.

[frnkeore]

90% or more of my shooting is done with PB bullets. The matches that I shoot in, GC aren't allowed and no one shoots GC bullets w/o the gas checks in those matches. You can maintain accuracy to at least 1550 fps with a good bullet fit.

The best advice that I can give you is to use a softer alloy, no harder than straight WW. I use 20/1 lead/tin. Remember that the softer the alloy, the smaller that the bullet will cast and if you have a bore riding bullet that won't engrave that area with the softer alloy, it won't shoot. A bore rider will still give excellent accuracy if it engraves the lands, even if it of a soft alloy.

Along with the above suggestion, you need to find your accuracy using the GC with the molds that you have. When you find the best accuracy, shoot the same load w/o the GC, if it holds up your done, if not, have the gc area reamed off the base and you should have what ever you lost back again. Make sure that the reamed diameter is at least .002 larger than the groove diameter.

Frank