Marlin .30-30 with 311041

[Bomberman]

So a while back I thought I had found "the" load for my Model 336 SC with Ballard rifling. 28.0 grains of Reloder 7 and a 311041 sized to .310 was the ticket. So I loaded up a hundred thinking I would be hunting/shooting more than I have. That was four years ago. Recently I've been wanting to get back into it more so I grabbed my ammo and hit the range. This was the result at 25 yards, not 100 that's written on the target. Note the two on the right seemed to keyhole.
175387

So I went back to the drawing board thinking that I was pushing them a little too fast. Here are the targets from today's range session.

175389 175390 175391 175392

So I'm thinking IMR-4198 looks promising for a little further testing...maybe bump it up to 20.0 grains and see how the grouping goes.

Thoughts?

[runfiverun]

you got some vertical stringing.
either go up or add a filler you have ignition inconsistencies.
I'd re-try the RL-7 working back towards your original load.
it's not unusual for older ammo to lose it's accuracy.
alox lubed rounds will do it from the alox locking everything together, other times it's the brass itself losing it's anneal.[normal for some brass mixes to do over time and especially ones that were fired a few times]

[RPRNY]

Can't argue with the 4198 load. Looks very promising. 18 grs 4227 and the 311041 is a star in my '68 Texan microgroove. You might try that as well.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk

[OnHoPr]

you got some vertical stringing.
either go up or add a filler you have ignition inconsistencies.

How can you tell if it is ignition inconsistencies from vertical stringing? Will ignition inconsistencies be the only culprit in vertical stringing or could there be other symptoms like barrel heat causing the condition.

I get a lot of groups with the 30-30 and the Lee 180 gr like the two targets on the left @ 100 yd, but the two climbing shots are usually over the first three shot group. If it is November steel the rising two shots will not be so far away from the first 3. If it July steel they will climb an inch.

[runfiverun]

the direct vertical is velocity variations.
you weighed out the powder so that ain't the problem.
you just aren't igniting the low amount the same way each time.

when you see stringing more on a horizontal plane you blame the primer itself.
if the stringing is at a 45[ish] angle your either bouncing the rifle away from the rest or it has a rub somewhere along the barrel channel.

with the Marlin lever guns the rub is generally under the fore stock [quite often at the little cap] or the mag tube is causing tension or the dovetail connection is doing it.
your consistent climbing issue is the barrel heating up and pushing away from something as it gets tight.

if I seen the stringing on the rl-7 load I'd back off 1/2gr on the powder and poke a tuft of Dacron in there and shoot it again.
that should round out the group and tighten things up around the center.

[gnostic]

My results are much like yours with the 30-30 and the 311041 bullet at 25 yards. I'm shooting about 4" to the right in smallish groups. I've loaded rounds with 7.5 to 10 grains of Unique, 4.5 grains of Bulls Eye, all three shot to the right. When I loaded 33 grain load of 748 the rifle shot to POA.

My theory is, when this bullet is shot, at below approximately 1900 fps. The bullets group to the right.

[725]

What runfive run said, but also I'd investigate the relationship of the boolit to the lands & grooves as it enters the lead. As long as it functions reliably in the lever, I'd stretch it out or shrink it up some. Lots of possibilities.

[kungfustyle]

temperature has a play in things too. If you did your load development in the winter/cooler months and your getting back into it in the summer, that could explain some play. Hotter temps = more pressure. Just something to think about when you get this load put together go shoot it at the time/temp you want it to preform.

[Bomberman]

I finally got out to try a couple of things to improve the groups.

175759 175760

I bumped up the load of IMR-4198 to 21.0 grains, no filler. The load for Reloder 7 was also increased...to 24.0 grains, again, no filler. The target shifted on the last shot for RL7 accounting for the low flier.

I was using a section of oak for a backstop and was able to recover two boolits. Here's one of them...
175762 175763

The ready to load weight of these was right at 178 grains...this recovered boolit weighed in at 172 grains. I was pretty happy at the weight retention.

Right now I'm going to take the IMR-4198 load up another grain and back off to 100 yards and see what it'll do.

Opinions and thoughts are always welcome.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

glad you worked it out, imr 4198 is my favorite powder!

[blikseme300]

18gr of 4198 & 16gr of 4759 are my go-to powders under the 311041PB in 30-30 from Marlin MG rifles sized to .311". Use this load info at own risk! Recoil is mild and accuracy is very good. I have used RL7 and 4895 with good results but as I have more of the other powders that is what I prefer to use. Tufts of Dacron do help to improve groups especially in preventing vertical stringing due to velocity variations without.

[TXGunNut]

Glad you figured it out! I like your 2400 load under a lighter boolit. I've had some vertical stringing attributable to inconsistent or too light a crimp but it appears that was not the case here.