Mold/cast bullet recommendations for 30-30 and 35 Rem

[oscarflytyer]

What molds/bullets are you casting that shoot well in a Marlin 336 30-30 and a Marlin 336 35 Rem? Looking for 170 FP for 30-30 and 190-200 RN or FP for the 35 Rem. GC or not, want to use them for deer. Will prob push in the 1900-2000 fps range. Both my 336s are Micro-groove bbls. I was holding out for Ranch Dog molds but nobody is parting with theirs. Recommendations are appreciated. Thanx

[altheating]

For the 35 rem RCBS - 200 FN GC, no sense looking for anything else. Can't comment on the 30-30, but I bet Screwbolts can, he has shot more 30-30 cast than anyone I know.

[Friends call me Pac]

NOE 311165 for 30.30. I only have one deer to show for it but if you check out the "Well it didn't bounce off" thread you will see it works just fine.

[Wolfer]

I have the Lyman 311-041 and I had Eric put a small HP in one cavity. It works great in my 336 as it does in all my 30 caliber rifles.

BUT

It only drops at .309 which works in my guns but won't work in all.

[richhodg66]

altheating gives good advice on the RCBS 200 grain FP. I'm using the NOE clone of it which seems to have a slightly larger meplat. Great bullet in the .358 and one .35 Remington I've tried it in, I doubt you'd find a better design for a hunting bullet in the .35.

For .30-30, I like the 31141 Ideal mold I have or the NOE clone 311041 which is slightly bigger diameter on the ogive. The Ranchdog 165 grain bullet is good too. I've killed deer with all of these now and think they're good choices.

[HamGunner]

Ideal 31141 worked well in my FIL's 80's model 94 Win. .30-30 at 50 yards. Probably would have done better if I could still see using open sights. Mold drops at .310 and that is where I lube/sized as well.

126169

[oscarflytyer]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanx guys. And the RCBS seems to be the go to for 35 Rem. Still trying to decide on the 30-30. Key is the Marlin and wanting it to be slightly oversize - about .310.

Guess I should have stated, would like to cast with WW + 2-3% tin, which I assume would be fine with a GC (although yet to use a GC bullet). For non-GC, I have some Lino that I can mix. Figure 40% Lino/60% WW. Again, open as al I have cast/shot so far has been pistol/revolver up to ~1000 fps - all out of WW+2-3% tin.

Feel free to kick me b/n the white lines on mixes and hints and tips for GC and non-GC at rifle velocities, and with the Marlin micro-groove bbls.

[HiVelocity]

For .35Rem, don't discount the NOE 360-190-RF.

Anyone ever try the 311440? I have this one, haven't really tried it yet.

HV

[Hickok]

The Lee C309-170F works great in my Model 94 30/30. Drops boolits nice and fat out of ACWW, I check and size them .310".

[mattw]

For the 30-30 I would suggest the Lyman 31141/311041 or the 311466 if you don't mind a Loverin type bullet. My 311466 is out of round several thousands, have almost no lube grove on 2 sides after running through a .310. Would like to find another one that is round.

[TXGunNut]

Big fan of Ranch Dog's 359-190 for the 35 Rem, mine's the old Lee version but NOE offers one. I like the 311-165 for the 30-30, but I'm looking forward to testing frnkeore's 310-164, also made by NOE.

[Screwbolts]

As Altheating said and others, the RCBS design from NOE is perfect in the 35 Rem. for your 336 Thurty - Thurty, the NOE version of Ranch Dog either with TL or conventional lube groves will be hard to beat. the boolit was designed for the 336 throat as I understand it. I have a 5 cav NOE mold of it that is 2 with GCs and 3 PB. Because I shoot 30-30 bolt guns with names like Stevens and Springfield and Savage, the beautiful FN doesn't like to always feed properly from my Mags, but it shoots. 15 gr of SR4759 and the PB version has caused several deer to laydown and expire. :-) I could be convinced to part with this mold because of MY choice of rifles not feeding it perfectly. It is a pleasure to cast with.

Ken

[imashooter2]

I have had excellent results in the .30/30 with both the Lee C309-150-F and the 311440. The 311440 should be a great hunting boolit... a 150 grain .30 caliber wadcutter.

[pls1911]

I highly support the RCBS and RanchDog recommendations above.

I would also strongly recommend the RanchDog profile for the .35 caliber..BIG meplat for bore.

The RD and RCBS profiles noted are available from NOE molds, which in my opinion are among the best available today (along with Mihec and NEI)

Go ahead and invest in a 5 cavity mold....REAL time savers and the NOE consistency between cavities is near perfection.

[Dthunter]

For the 35 Remington, I like the "Accurate" 36-195 mould. It produces bullets like this:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/darcytyndall1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsd9182624.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsd9182624.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/darcytyndall1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps89a71937.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps89a71937.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/darcytyndall1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsff2fd8c4.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsff2fd8c4.jpg.html)

And they tend to shoot well at 100 Yards.

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/darcytyndall1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1a7ae122.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1a7ae122.jpg.html)


http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/darcytyndall1/image_zpsb9d97213.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/image_zpsb9d97213.jpg.html)

With an alloy of 13 lbs wheel weight alloy +5 lbs of pure lead, they expand well! 0.85", and retained 97% of it original weight. This bullet was recovered at 100 yards after being shot into a dry piece of poplar fire wood.

[Dthunter]

I am hoping to bump up the speed into the 2000fps range and then test the expansion characteristics. Hopefully the boolet holds together as well at it does at 1760 fps.

[GooseGestapo]

I concur with the 200gr FNGC RCBS mold for the .35Rem. I got one this year and used it to take a deer. Shot was pass-thru chest shot at ~110yds. No blood trail, but dead deer. This was with 34.5gr of H4895 which give 2.5moa and 2,000fps from my m/groove Marlin 336. I had to get .360" sizer to get decent accuracy. The m/g barrels want "fat" boolits.

I'm now using 38.5gr BLC2 for 1.5moa. I'm also hollow pointing the bullets by drilling 7/64" x 3/8" hollow points. I did this with a .338" Lee 220gr rngc and got superlative performance on a deer with similar shot placement to one taken with .35 earlier.

For the .30/30, I've been using the Lee .311" 150gr FNGC for 38yrs. I got my first mold in 1976 while in college. Still have the pan and hollow punch for them. (orginal stick of 50/50 Alox was LOONGG ago shot up !!) i Gave that single cavity mold to my older brother 30+yrs ago, but got it back after he passed. I also have 2-cavity version and have used it for 30 or so years. I started sizing .311" about 15yrs ago and that's all I use for ANY .30cal now. (.31's, I use .314"... but that's another story altogether...). Works best for Marlin m/g barrels.

I've taken a number of deer with it at speeds of 2,000fps-2,100fps. Mostly over 28.0-30.0gr of IMR3031, but now prefer just 30.0gr of RL15.... W/W alloy, nothing fancy. Don't ask me about expansion as I've never recovered one. I don't see much, but then dead deer are dead deer... Accuracy trumps everything else, as does shot placement, shot placement, shot placement....

[Dthunter]

Dead deer are dead deer, very true "GooseGestapo"! Lol!

I have been fortunate to shoot deer, bears, moose, elk, etc with various cast boolets, and they all kill very well (if placed properly through the vitals)! If they expand, it only gives us a better chance to find a blood trail. Transfering a higher pecentage of the kinetic energy through expansion is normally a positive result.
Some of the areas around here are nearly impossible to track an animal without a good blood trail.

[pls1911]

If you'll adjust your alloy to an as cast hardness of 10-12, then heat treat to mid 20s you'll be very pleased with performance. Bullets shoot like linotype, AND hold together like the softer base alloy.
Placement is paramount, closely followed by penetration, and finally expansion.

[Dthunter]

If you'll adjust your alloy to an as cast hardness of 10-12, then heat treat to mid 20s you'll be very pleased with performance. Bullets shoot like linotype, AND hold together like the softer base alloy.
Placement is paramount, closely followed by penetration, and finally expansion.

I am happy with my performance I am getting. A boolet doesn't "HAVE" to be VERY hard to shoot well. A harder boolit can be more forgiving to an extent. Managing how the pressure is applied by using some slower powders can help just as much as some harder alloys.

I have a few different alloys casted at home with this boolet design. Some on the harder side as well. I will have to test them with the Saeco hardness tester. I just have to find the time when I get home to test it.

We have had a strange winter here this year! Every time I have the opportunity to go shooting, the temp drops to -30 Celcius! LOL! Darn it!

This stuff is interesting!

[6pt-sika]

For the 30-30 I had great success with the Lyman 311041 and the Ranch Dog 311-165GC .

In the 35 REM I had excellent success with the RCBS 35-200GC and the Ranch Dog 359-190GC .

I had the RCBS 30-180GC when I still kept 30-30 levers but never used it on deer , it did however do nicely on paper .

[6pt-sika]

As to hardness I have NEVER used anything harder then air cooled wheelweights or water quenched wheelweights . And with that being said my target work has been better then anticipated as well as all the penetration I needed on whitetail deer or black bear .

[GooseGestapo]

I played with heat-treating boolits. I got some Lee 458" 400gr HBFN to nearly 30bhn. But, they were no more accurate than aircooled w/w and it would take a large moose or grizzly to "test" the penetration difference. My guess is that the harder might penetrate less due to shatter than expansion of softer bullet.
We don't have many 1,000lb bears or moose.
The only application for a "harder" than w/w bullet is with the .22cal. But, a 50gr FNGC at 2,100fps will do anything I need a .22 to do, anyway...

I still vote for the Lee .30cal 150gr FNGC. Mold only cost's $20...!!! How can you go wrong ???
I've fussed at Lee for 30yrs for not making a 200gr FNGC .358" mold !!! I missed out on the group buys of special runs...
And I don't like t/l designs for rifles!
My RanchDog 200gr fngc .338" is terrible for accuracy above ~1,300fps. Not enough lube !!!
The Lee .338" 220gr RNGC is a vastly better boolit, imo... At least in my rifles...

[oscarflytyer]

Not to kick up old dust, but... Appreciate all the info you guys provided.

I just got the new Lee 358-200-FN they came out with for the 35 Rem. Never found an RCBS, and def not a RD, then hit upon the Lee. Hoping for good things out of it for the 35.

Also just got an old NIB Ideal 311291. My understanding is that it should work great in the 30-30. Also got the Lee 309-170F. Figure one or 'tother will work in the 30-30's.

Last, got a NIB RCBS 308-165-SIL if all else fails. But really expect to use this one for other 30 cals, like 300 Savages and 308 Wins.

[sliphammer]

I vote for the 31141

[Viper225]

I need to start playing with my 35 Bullberry Contender with cast one of these days. I will probably go to Mountain Mold and see what I can design. I am impressed with the 480R mold I got from him.
http://www.mountainmolds.com/

Bob

[Ifishsum]

I can say that the Lee 309-170F sure works nicely in my Win 94 .30-30. Mine drops about .310-.311 and 175 gr with COWW

[HiVelocity]

If you have a moment, check out the video:........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVnjG1LhO0Y&feature=youtu.be

The Ranch Dog 311-165-RF shot through water filled milk jugs expands to .80 caliber; retains 88.2% weight retention.

HV