using unique in a 30-30

[jason f]

how many grains are you all using? whether it be heavy for caliber bullets for near subsonic or light bullets for plinking or small game. what is the heaviest bullet you ever tried in it?

[Throwback]

I run 5 grains with a .32 lead ball lubed with LLA and push-through-sized, seated below the case mouth un-crimped for about 900 fps if memory serves. Credit goes to Junior for that combination. I really like between 9 and 11 grains with the 311014 of about 178 grains. I can't recall the velocity but suspect it was less than 1,400 fps. This would be safe with heavier boolets if you wanted to try them. I did have good results with a flat-pointed 311284 214-plus grains with my alloy and a nearly full case (34 grains?) of IMR4350. This was a recommendation in a Harris article if I remember correctly. It ran in the 1,850 fps territory in a Winchester carbine and was 3 - 4 MOA with the factory sights and me behind the rifle.

[rintinglen]

I have used a lot of Unique in the 30-30, usually 8 grains at a time with a 90-100 grain boolit. I have used it under an RCBS 30-180 FN that weighs in around 190 grains as cast of COWW. I didn't get good consistent results, so I went back to 2400 for that boolit.

[barrabruce]

around 10 grains unique under a 150-180 grn shot o.k. for me.
As I got lower I seemed to get less uniformity in the load.
I use only bulleye 3.8-4gns over 150's at the moment for my plinker loads.(got a 150 phase happening)
3/4" at 75 yrds and still working on it. for 10 shots.

I have used a rn 180 lee with good success and the 180 fp also in my 1:12 twist.
In my gun that is about as heavey as I could stablise.

tried 32 cal lee swc 90 grner but no better than an 1" at 50 yrds.

[Larry Gibson]

If you want light weight cast bullets near or under sonic then Bullseye works much, much better than Unique.

Larry Gibson

[blixen]

tried 32 cal lee swc 90 grner but no better than an 1" at 50 yrds.

That's pretty dang good!

I've been shooting the Lee 90 grain SWC in my 30-30s with 5-7 grains of red dot, but the results haven't been that good.

I'd like to try bullseye, but fast powders are unobtainable around here. I've got some Trail Boss left because I got mediocre accuracy with it and put on the back of the shelf.

[Larry Gibson]

If you find Bullseye then try 2.7 gr under the Lee TL314-90-SWC. That will give 800 - 900 fps out of the 30-30 with very good accuracy. 10 shots in 1" at 50 yards for me which is pretty darn good IMHO.

I cast them fairly soft, lube with LLA, let dry and push size base 1st through a Lee .314 sizer. That most often fills the grooves with lube. If not lube again then push base 1st through a Lee .311 sizer for use in .30 cals. The lube in the grooves keeps them from being swaged away. Sizing base first also keeps the bases flat. I seat them to the second lube groove and lightly roll crimp there. They feed slick through my M94s.

Larry Gibson

[rhead]

9.6 grains of Unique under a plain base 150grain flat nose. very good accuracy.
3 grains under the 93 grain Lee SWC.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I am doing well with 2.3 gr of Tight Wad under a Lee 314-90gr swc, I got a chance to put a few groups on paper yesterday at 25 yards loaded up with 7 rounds all but the first shot was touching the others

[beefyz]

I've had alot of fun just "plinking" with my '92 Winny @ 50 yds. Hunting days are over, can't see to 100; 50 easy on the eyes and the loads are light and easy on the wallet also.
I've used with success a 115gr rnfp sized to .311 over 6.5 grs of Unique for 1-2" grps, a 150 rnfp @ .310 over 7grs of Unique for 1-2" grps, and a 165 rnfp over 9 grs of Unique for 2 1/4" grps. I also have some Missouri 135s to test that will probably come in around 6-7 grs of Unique.

[Shuz]

7g of Unique behind a NOE 30-165RF that drops 171g boolits from 50/50(ww+1%tin/pure Pb) works very well in my Marlin 336, .30-30. Velocity is 1132 with an ES of 8 and Sd of 3.

[Tackleberry41]

I dont use unique, bought an 8lbs keg of solo 1000 not long ago, been trying to find uses for it. Works good in my 500gr 45-70 subsonic loads. Was testing some 30-30 today, 6.6gr of solo 1000 under a Lee 200gr cast from WW, gave me an avg of 1095 fps, nice hot day here on the cumberland plateau. Gonna drop the charge a little as some were starting to crack. Got a better scope on the way, the antique deerfield isnt cutting it, but could pull off nickel sized groups at 50yds with it.

200gr is probably a bit heavy for the majority of 30-30 out there especially when you slow em down. But I came on an old stevens 325 in the LGS, that the guy was willing to trade me for a 70s era glenfield with microgroove barrel. Since stevens used surplus machine gun barrels, it has a 1-10 twist in it, and put a nice crown on it with the lathe not long ago, pretty happy with it.

[Czech_too]

7.9 grains under a 165 RD boolit in an OLD Win. 94 w/irons enables me to keep 'em all in the black at 100 yards, 5 1/2" bull.

I'm not gonna complain.

[davidheart]

I actually use Bullseye. If I remember currently it's about 3.5-4 grains bullseye under a 160 grain boolit for a squirrel load to 25 yards. I don't use Bullseye for full power loads. You'll notice numbers all over the place from 2-10 grains for shotgun powders. Just play it safe, watch for pressure and learn when "enough is enough". When I use too little powder I actually have extraction issues because my primer tries to pop out rather than form to the cup.