sizing question.

[twc1964]

Ok fellas, im starting my loading of my jm stamped marlin 30/30. I know i should slug the bore but i dont have a brass rod long enuff for that. I have a bunch of lee .309-170f boolits cast and powdercoated and my lee sizer is spitin em out at .310.5. I see where many size to .311. Should i just try with current diameter or open up the sizer. I also need to get a expander spud from n.o.e and not sure which to get. As always, ant advice is greatly appreciated.

[MBTcustom]

Shoot your bullets as cast with 10 grains of Unique and lube with White Label 45-45-10. Bell the mouth of the brass with a pair of needle nosed pliers (shove the tips in and twist). You can work on all the fancy doo dads as you progress, but it doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
Have fun!

BTW, you don't need to have an expensive brass rod. Just go to the hardware store and pick up a 1/4" rod made of aluminum or steel. If you get the steel one, protect it with a few turns of electricians tape every 2" or so. Do not try to use a cast bullet to do your slugging. Use a soft lead fishing sinker from the fishing section of the superstore.

[runfiverun]

most do size to 311 or so for the marlins.
you don't have 311 you have 3105.
the 30-30 brass is pretty thin, I'd just flair the case mouth and seat what you have and try it.
you can flair the case mouth by bumping it against an 8mm or 35 cal neck die... gently bumping it, you just want a flair there not a wild-cat round.

[fatnhappy]

I have 2 marlins in .30-30. One refuses to feed anything over .3105" The other keyholes at that diameter. It needs and feeds .312"
I guess what I want to say is fit is king. Fill your throat and have at it.

[twc1964]

I do have a lee universal flare die so i can use that im guessing. I will try the unique load with my boolits @ 310.5 and see how they fly. If groups are loose or keyholing i can always hone out the sizer die to .311 and rinse, lather and repeat. Thx for the help guys. This caliber and lever guns are all new to me. The only rifle i load for is an ar with j words. Totally different.

[454PB]

The Lee universal expander should work fine, I size .311" and the Lee tool is what I use.

[northmn]

The first step is to try it before complicating things. Slugging a barrel is OK but not really neccessary for a 30-30 of newer make. I have not slugged any of mine. Nor do you need to size the bullets. If they are coming out at 310.5 don't size them. Many prefer as cast anyway. I have used Lee Liquid Lube with excellent results in the 30-30 and 32-20. The mold I use for the 32-20 tosses them out at 311 but I get no leading using the LLL and good accuracy. I think the lube can add another .0005 to the diameter.
Another factor in use of a micro groove barrel is alloy hardness (or for that matter any other rifling). If you are using wheel weight drop the bullets in water while casting. Keep the water a ways away from the melting pot as a drop of water can cause a serious splatter if it hits molten lead. I put mine on the floor. These will harden to a Brinell higher than than that of linotype. If you are loading for a hunting bullet these will not expand.
The 30-30 is a really great cast bullet shooter, and you should be able to get excellent accuracy from the rifle.
One thing about levers. Before you go through all kinds of pains with cast, shoot some jacketed to see if the rifle has the accuracy. I have two older Marlins, Ballard rifling that both had to have a little work done on fit to get them to shoot. My 35 would walk about 3 inches with 3 shots at 50 yards before I loosened the forearm fit. The carbine 30-30 receive a little loosening of the barrel rings. One reason I am not as enthusiastic about the JM markings as some of the Marlin users. I had to do a bit of work on two of them to get them to shoot.

DEP

[twc1964]

Northmn
My alloy is range scrap with a bit of tin and antimony added. Im getting about 12.5 water dropped. I pc all my boolit and the .310.5 is after passing thru my lee 311 sizing die. They went thru tight so im thinking they were .312 or better. I will throw a caliper on em tonite. The rifle shoots straight with j words also. This is an aw marlin. Its a no frills version made for wally world. Darn clean shooter for the money i paid for it.

[OverMax]

Your doing OK. I read you powder coated em and that's good too. It's just a matter of adjusting the powder charge up or down to get your best groupings is all that's left to do._ One last thing. Helpful for us to know what you have available for powder on you're bench? (Just a thought is all)

[twc1964]

Overmax, i have rel10, 748, h335, 2400, 8208xbr and some unique. I figured id test em for function with lighter loads first then work up to 1900-2000fps for hunting uses. These boolits weigh around 180gr with gascheck.

[northmn]

I had a great load for my 30-30. It was a 188 grain bullet pushed at about 1950+ over my chronograph. Got a deer with it at 140 steps from my tree. The deer was laying on its stomach and had to be pushed over to clean it. Bullets were sized then heat treated. To get the nose soft I placed the bases in a pan of water and heated the noses with a propane torch. Lost a couple or so with overheating but I didn't really feel I needed that many to hunt with. They shot the same as the ones that were not annealed. Bullets were about 1/2WW 1/2 lead or maybe a bit harder. They would perform like a Nosler.
Been using a 35 Rmeington lately so I do not go through that effort as much. I used Re7 for that load as I seem to find a little faster powders seem to work better with cast.

DEP

[OverMax]

All that you listed (powders) I recognize as being good choices for the 30-30. Only one I haven't tried is 8208 XBR. Unique as far as I know many use it for reduced plinking loads so to speak. But I'm sure you already know that.
As for me although I do own a model 1936 Jm I seldom shoot it. I tinker with those 94s I have in 30-30 & 32-sp and paper patch both which keeps me guessing (never a done deal.) After reading your resonances here twc1964. Yup_I'm quite sure your no rookie sitting at that reloading bench. But a tip I will pass on. I found AA-2230 worked about the best do to it being a ball powder verses a stick of those suggested powders I tried. Top accuracy observed in both my Winchesters & Savage 1899. I'm sure you'll find a recipe with one of those powders you have on hand that will equal or better my recipe development. I do wish you the best of luck in your 30-W.C.F venture.

tommy

[twc1964]

Thx overmax and all others for your responses. I think i have a good idea on how to proceed now. As soon as deer seasons over i can start testing loads and begin to work out any bugs i encounter along the way. Thx again.