Reloading 30-30 brass for my 336 Marlin

[dlbarr]

Brass is an assortment of Winchester, Remington...no Hornady at all. Using LEE 309-170-F bullet.

When seating the bullet, in order to get the OAL correct, the bullet drops into the case when the GC moves beyond the neck. If I seat the depth more shallow, when closing the action, the bullet is pushed into the case with the same issue as before - only now it's in the chamber.

I can't be the first guy that's run into this. Any suggestions? How about a shorter bullet recommend in the 160gr range?

[Scharfschuetze]

Sounds like you either have a tight bore or perhaps a short throat on your Marlin. I load the Lyman 311041 of 170 grains which looks similar to your Lee projectile without your issue. It measures just shy of .300" across the nose and slips into the bore and past the throat with the GC in the neck. Not much help to you I know, but that's how it should work with your Lee 309-170-F.

Check your nose or bore riding diameter and compare that against your land to land measurement. Good measurements should tell the story of why you are having the problem. Lee's technical drawing of the boolit shows the nose diameter to be .300." I assume that's from Linotype.

Also, are you crimping into the crimping groove? That should help keep the boolit from getting pushed deeper into the case as long as your nose isn't too oversize or the bore too undersize.

A final option would be to soften your alloy or tin content to increase the shrinkage of your boolit when it solidifies in the mould.

[Hanshi]

I normally use an "M" die with my 30/30 loads but confess to no trouble when I don't. Crimping is a must in the 30/30 IMO.

[dlbarr]

I normally use an "M" die with my 30/30 loads but confess to no trouble when I don't. Crimping is a must in the 30/30 IMO.

Showing my novice status here...what is an M die? I usually do crimp my 30-30 brass when reloading.

[dragonrider]

It sound like you are expanding the neck as you insert the boolit. Did you size the boolit with the gas check installed??? Or did you size the boolit and then installe the check??

[Edward]

I have a 1952 vintage Marlin waffle top 30-30 and in my notes 1 load using 170 gr Lee FN /GC shoots well sized at 310 oal is 2.510 ,also 309 if that helps .One of my favorites so I have lots of loads in use (I like to play) Ed

[bedbugbilly]

dlbarr - a Lyman M die is an neck expander die which, when adjusted correctly not only expands the neck to the right size for good neck tension, it bells the mouth so that the cast boolit is easier to seat. The bell can be adjusted by adjusting the depth of the expander stem. I have one for my 8mm Mauser and 30-30. They take the pain out of seating a lead boolit when it's a tad oversize . . . I refer to them as my "shoe horn dies". :-

Go to MidwestUSA and do a search for Lyman M Die. You'll see and read what they are. Some of the best money I've ever spent.

[retiredPO]

Agree on the M-Die, Lee makes a universal, that I have had good luck using, and versitile....
also, If you dont want to wait to see if that helps, friend told me (and it worked) take a 223, or a 220 swift, or similar sized
shell casing,... put your 30-30 casing on a firm service, and put the 223, in the throat of the 30-30, and give it an
extremely light tap,... you will see the bevel....and then you can at least see if that helps.

[TXGunNut]

[QUOTE=dragonrider;3555935]It sound like you are expanding the neck as you insert the boolit. Did you size the boolit with the gas check installed??? Or did you size the boolit and then installe the check??[/QUOTE

That's what it sounds like to me as well. Also are you trimming or at least measuring the cases? 30-30's like to grow and a consistent length is important for a consistent crimp.

[robg]

I prefer to keep the gas check in the neck and use FCd to crimp

[44man]

You have a neck tension problem or the bore ride is too large on your boolit and will not enter the rifling.
"M" die--NO. Makes it worse.
Dies maybe, I use only Hornady.
My boolit is 187 gr and I made one at 193 gr. The nose diameters must be no larger then .301" and the rest .311". Mine are made so the front band just contacts the rifling when chambered.
It does no harm to have the base of the boolit below the neck.
All those OAL figures you read and try to match are hogwash too. You fit to your gun and work loads.

[44man]

It sound like you are expanding the neck as you insert the boolit. Did you size the boolit with the gas check installed??? Or did you size the boolit and then installe the check??
I don't think his boolt falls in, I think he means the base is below the neck and I sure would not worry as long as the rest is held tight. Too much is made about keeping the boolit in the neck. What do you do with a .308 or .243 or any case with short necks?