Few Load data for 30-30

[Motard]

While strugglin with feeding and jamming problems on new Win 94 (Man this rifles need to ne brocken in as a dandy car!) I am testing some loads. My casts are from a vintage 311241 mould that drops nearly 160gr Plain Base Round Nose Bulletts and a Lee 309-170-F Gas Check that drops 180gr.

Oncoming a Mihec 308-duble cavity-hunting, hollow or solid nose, brass mould that I have still to punt in service cause I am fearing some zinc in my alloy. Hardness is 14,9 BHN whater dropped.

Now the promblem: I will probably discard the Lee Press for that rifle cause the tight mouth or I would need to seat the bullett way in the cartrige's shoulder to make it feedable.

Lyman boolits are shorter and working fine. But they are plain base and I canot find a low charge for Vhit n130 I have to drive them around 1650 fps.

Viht Manual lists 24,7 to 27,5 gr for similar, FMJ, bullet. I chhrpny tested some bullets at 23,8 gr getting 1991 Fps .

Lyman 49 Edition Manual instead carries 170 and 173 boolits, N130 Pwd, minimum 19-19,5 maximum 24,5-24,3. They should produce the speeds I am after for avoiding leading. Matter Is that my case capacity - 90% case filling bullet seated- is 31gr.
Italian manual shows 22 min 25,3 max for 150gr FMJ Speer and 20,8 min 24,5 max for same ball but 170 gr.

So there is a lot of empty space n my brass Should I use a filling? Or I may shoot this old caliber as it is? No book mentioning wad or filling

I know I can go to faster, pistol, powders but at the moment I would prefer stiking with powders I have (N130,N140, N160, N560).

[jmort]

I would not use a filler. I don't think the press is the problem, possibly the dies. Get the right OAL and it should work. I have that MiHec mold and it can work in the 30-30. I think you should be good with the "Lee 309-170-F Gas Check that drops 180gr." if you watch the OAL.

[Motard]

Long story here, I am still tryng find out the culprit: But it seems coming from a mix of factors, thight rifle mouth, european brass, my personal unknowledge on Levergun and the difficoulties finding an expert gunsmith. But I am having great help from forumers. :cast_boolits:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?291931-New-to-30-30-boolits-don-t-fit
ps. I am not keen at all for fillers.

[Larry Gibson]

Sticking with the powders you have is not going to help with the plain based bullet. Using a filler will not help either and you certainly don't want to use a wad. For those powders to burn efficiently a certain psi is required. That minimal psi will simply drive your cast plain base 311241 too fast. Sometimes doing what we want just isn't practical to meet our intended objective.

With N320 5.5 - 6.5 gr will get you an excellent load in the 1100 - 1200 fps range. No filler needed.

With N330 starting at 8 gr work up until you hit your target velocity of 1600 fps +/- or accuracy goes south if at a lower velocity.

With the GC'd Lee and MiHec bullets VV N130 and N140 should both work fine. Use a Dacron filler until the load density reaches 80 - 85%. With the N130 start at 18 gr and work up to 24 gr. With the N140 start at 22 gr and work up to 28 gr which should be close to case capacity (100% load density). Of course as with any "work up" load stop if and when excessive pressure signs develop.

Larry Gibson

[Motard]

I have that MiHec mold and it can work in the 30-30. I think you should be good with the "Lee 309-170-F Gas Check that drops 180gr." if you watch the OAL.
How do they perform? can you share me oal and mouth dimensions? I would greatly appreciate cause never had a so picky rifle

[Motard]

Does any one have data on Viht n130 or n140 in 30-30?

[leadman]

See Larry Gibson's post above for load data on n130 & n140.
Are you using an expanding die to open the mouth of the case to make it easier to start the boolit in the case without scraping lead from said boolit?
Are you sizing the boolits before loading? If this is a new gun a .309" boolit should work, if not try .308".
You do need to load only flat nosed boolits in the magazine of a Win 94.
The Lee 170gr FN was designed for the 30-30 so crimping in the top groove should work for the OAL.

[Motard]

thankyou Mr Larry. I read you are a real expert on 30_30 levers and was just tryng to find Yours job. Matter about powders choise belongs to the fact that here in Italy we have tight limits, and they will got whorst for what is happening in Europe. to stay in those limits and still reloads all my guns sometimes I need to get to a compromise. going over can lead to lose license:|. as soon as I will end my hangun powder Cheddite I wish I wil test yours precious infos.




Sent from my C6903 using Forum Fiend v1.3.3.

[Motard]

Hi Mr Leadman, yes I use both, the Lee flaring tool and a special insert for it I have had done on a late with three subsequent stepps .299-.307-.314. It' is long story (with a lot of pictures) on my other post, so not fair to duplicate, but I sludged the rifle: barrell is .307,4 buth and the whole chamber is extremely tight, any bullett over .333 at the mouth being refused. Ended up with three different set of dies: RCBS, Lee RBG, Lee Collett set, and the LFCD, and Lee 309 sizer that drops 309,4. And played with all to avoids rounds jamming specially if unfired. Four pages threads are way long I understand but if you like just take a look at post 43-44-68 there is the sum of what I think I catch.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?291931-New-to-30-30-boolits-don-t-fit&p=3443545&viewfull=1#post3443545 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?291931-New-to-30-30-boolits-don-t-fit/page3)

[LeftyDon]

I don't know anything about new Winchester model 94's, but the 30-30 case neck diameter spec's is 0.330" and bullet dia. of 0.308". A lead bullet of 0.311" - 0.313" should be about what I'd use. If you are using a lead bullet of 0.333" then that's way too large diameter. If you mean case neck then maybe try trimming your case neck thickness to get the overall neck diameter below 0.330".

[Motard]

Seems You hit the nail Lefty Don, I load cast resized 309,4 on my 307,4 slugged barrel. Number should be ok here. Matter is chamber very tight, being my rounds exactly .333 at the mouth. Often they jam some other no (acting the lever as a troglodite's clad helps) expecially if unfired. Culprit seems, tightness apart, the S&B brass that are the only rounds I colud find here. They are havvier and thicker than Us one. Borowed from a friend some federal and winchester and problems seems gone. Hope so
I have also been told that levergun needs a breacking in at least 500 actioning. Is it thrue?

[MT Chambers]

I don't find any reduced loads anywhere using Velveeta powders, just top end.

[fryboy]

Breaking in ... Varies by individual gun,some seem to have no need while others no amount seems to help
If indeed it happened with all brass I would suggest a finishing reamer but because it seems to work with win and fed cases turning the necks on the "fat" brass makes more sense altho a throat job may help with both brass and chosen boolits

[Motard]

Breaking in ... Varies by individual gun,some seem to have no need while others no amount seems to help
If indeed it happened with all brass I would suggest a finishing reamer but because it seems to work with win and fed cases turning the necks on the "fat" brass makes more sense altho a throat job may help with both brass and chosen boolits
Thankiou for advise. This is the rifle I have more issues reloading for. Althought I bet if I did at least started reloading with FMJ probably most problems would'nt had never shows. Instead I whent stright with cast fron day one and having short experience either with boolits and levergun it has been a hard school. But I like it, no matter. I still need to check each round I make to see if it feeds in the chamber flush or not. And reiect every one shows a minimal effort slindin in. Somethime slamming the lever while chambering seems helps. Somethime I nee knoking with a plastic hammer the bolt to have it open. Now I am tourning necks with the forster gauge to see if it helps with the S&B brass wich is the most common and affordable too. I thought I could let a gunsmith lap the chamber but I am somehow reluctant. in my ming tight is better than sloppy (this applies in a wide fields of life) and the rifle is still new.