30-30 AI info

[68 couper]

Hey-
Was talking with Mike Bellm about doing a 30 cal last week. He was liking the 30-30AI. How is the brass life on such an animal? Anyone having success with 150 grain cast? Shure would be nice to hear from experience with boolits at longer ranges. I have thoughts of pushing them pretty hard.
Thanks
Couper

[Goatwhiskers]

Can't speak directly, as I shoot 30/40AI, built back in '69. I will say that after carefully fire forming my cases using 110gr bullets and a mild charge, I'm still using cases from the original batch. Never even a split neck, altho I don't load "hot" loads, no need. One shot, one kill using 180RN Hornady pushed by 49gr H4831 @ 2200. Have just moved to cast in the old Martini, seems more fittin', so don't have much helpful info there, but it looks promising. I'd say go for it. GW

[54bore]

I believe forum member Bardo has one of these? Hopefully he will chime in here

[marlinman93]

I used to have a Marlin 336 in .30-30AI that I had rechambered to make it a better open country deer rifle. The cartridge is a great mod to the std. .30-30, and cases last even longer if you don't push them to max pressures. I used the Speer 130 gr. jacketed spire points in mine, and it was deadly at 250 yds. on mule deer. My load was giving me 2650 fps with the 130 Speer.

[curator]

68 cooper:

I have a NEF "Handi-rifle" that I rechambered for .30-30AI about 20 years ago. No problems with feeding a singleshot. Unlike my M94 that would not feed the AI case reliably. I get an extra 200 fps at the same pressures as the unimproved version. My best load is using an LBT 311-180 LFN-GC boolet cast of air-cooled wheel weight alloy, with 25 grains of IMR3031. Excellent accuracy and performance at about 1850 fps. 180 Sierra condum-ized slugs can be driven to 2200 fps without severe primer flattening or sticky extraction. These give 3-4" groups at 200 yards. I neck size brass using a modified Lee collet die and they seem to last forever.