Advice on 30-30 molds for win 94

[toallmy]

I have been looking for a good wile for a 311-41 with little luck , so I guess I should order a copy that will cast what I want . That's when it started getting complicated mainly because I don't know what I need , I have not done a chamber cast , or slugged the bore . A member hear sent me a few plain base 311-41 stile to play with sized at 311 and they slip into a fired case easily enough and chamber fine if crimped to the crimp grove . I suppose I will split a case down the side of the neck to find the rifling . I have a older Sears model 54 and a win 94 from the same time period both rifles have the same twist . From my research I believe the best results come from the fatter the better as long as they chamber , but the idea of bore riding confuses me even more . Then there is the mold cutters like the NOE 311-041 or NOE 311-165 RF RD old style or new stile for Marlins / Saeco # 316 / RCBS 30-150 FN ,or 170 RNFP ,/ Arsenal 311-170 RF , then on to lee 150/170 . I would like to get them going a little faster so gas check is probably in the mix as well . Now I'm really confused . By now you guys probably figured out I don't know what I'm doing haha hey .

[lobogunleather]

For the past 30-plus years I have been completely satisfied with the Lee C309-170F in .30-30 (and .30-06, .308, .30-40, .300 Savage, and several others). For .30-30 Winchester rifles I cast 50-50 mix of old wheel weights and new linotype metal, Hornady gas checks, sized .309 with NRA Alox formula lube. A load that pretty much duplicates factory ammo performance is 30 grains of H-335. Has proven itself with over a dozen Colorado mule deer, and I don't remember a single one that required a second shot.

[375RUGER]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=30_319&products_id=516

This works might fine in my 94. As another member puts it "Like biscuits and gravy"

[OS OK]

My choice was based on having a wide flat meplat so I wouldn't have any surprises loading them in a tube magazine.
Here is the dummy set-up round next to a 125g. HP FN. This was a used mold I lucked into but it casts both plain base and gas check...I like that.
I'm going to PC 'clear coat' the GC version.


194718
I have neglected to work this load out so I can't provide any numbers, I just haven't gotten there yet.
There's a certain 8mm 250 grain cast that has diverted my attention lately!

[Hick]

I get good results with the C309-170 and also with the old lyman 311410. Both work quite well loaded single shot or in the magazine. The 311410 is not a flat nose, but it is reasonably rounded and I've fired many, many of them (and other round nose bullets) with no issues regarding the magazine (in fact, the only thing I shoot with my Win 94 that I won't put in the magazine is the Hornady 150 FMJ/BT-- and similar bullets-- they're to long to chamber from the magazine).

[Lonegun1894]

I have two molds I use for my .30-30s (Marlin 336 and Winchester 1894), one is an old Ideal 31141 that has been HPd, and the other is the NOE version of the Lyman 311041, both get sized to .311". Before I got them, I used both a Lee 309-150GC and a Lee 309-170GC, and both worked just fine, but the 31141 design shoots just a little bit better in my guns, I don't know why. We're talking groups of 2"@100yds with the Lyman design vs 2.5-3"@100yds with the Lee, so not enough difference to make a difference in hunting, but it makes me feel better to have a bit more accuracy, even though it doesn't make any difference in performance since most of my hunting is usually inside of 50 yards.

[toallmy]

I appreciate you gentlemen taking the time to give me some insight into what works for you .

[LeadPoisonTX]

toallmy, all the above recommendations are excellent. I would add this question: what do you want to do with a boolit like the Lyman 311041? Is it target, plinking, or hunting loads you are after? By the way, the 311041 (and clones from NOE, Ohaus, etc.) is a great design for the 30-30, kind of a "do it all" boolit. Like you, I have a Sears Model 100 that is exactly like my Winchester '94. My 311041 loads perform equally well in both rifles that is scary good. So far, I've develop a target/plinking load with Red Dot - see my other post here (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?331118-30-30-Red-Dot&p=4037249&viewfull=1#post4037249) for details. I did not bother to do a chamber casting, and I do not size my boolits since they drop right at .3105 with my alloy.
Next, I want to develop a hunting load with 311041, and I will start with Reloader 7 (25.0 to 27.5 grains according to Brian Pearce in HL 253, page 87).
The way I see it, all the molds you mention are great candidates for your rifles. It is just a matter of picking one and start experimenting.

[NYBushBro]

There's a fellow on e-bay selling a Lee 6-cavity copy of the Lyman 311041 (in either GC or plain-base variety). Sometimes he even offers them on sale (maybe 10 bucks off the normal price.) Just a thought.

[toallmy]

I suppose I'm looking for a shooter not a hunter , I would like to take the old 30-30s out for fun more often they have been left in the cabinet way to long . It also seems like the 30-30 cartridge was made for cast boolits not to much space for powder , and plenty of room for boollits . It seems as if you can go 1000-1500 fps / or 1600-2000 with work . I would like to get the speed up in the future but I think I should start low and try to figure it out first so I have sorta narrowed my choices to NOEs copy of the 311-041 or the 311-165 RD but I'm not sure about the gas check or not to start with . I'm not mold snobby as to the choice but relies I will probably have a better chance of getting what I would like by going this route . Can you all sorta give me a idea of the as cast diameter with different alloys ?

[lotech]

Rcbs 30-180 fn

[toallmy]

I have a couple RCBS molds and find them a pleasure to cast with .

[Wayne Smith]

I suppose I'm looking for a shooter not a hunter , I would like to take the old 30-30s out for fun more often they have been left in the cabinet way to long . It also seems like the 30-30 cartridge was made for cast boolits not to much space for powder , and plenty of room for boollits . It seems as if you can go 1000-1500 fps / or 1600-2000 with work . I would like to get the speed up in the future but I think I should start low and try to figure it out first so I have sorta narrowed my choices to NOEs copy of the 311-041 or the 311-165 RD but I'm not sure about the gas check or not to start with . I'm not mold snobby as to the choice but relies I will probably have a better chance of getting what I would like by going this route . Can you all sorta give me a idea of the as cast diameter with different alloys ?

You will probably end up with two molds, or one like the Arsenal mold above, one cavity GC'ed and one not. From your stated desires you want to experience the entire spectrum of the 30-30, not a bad thing. But you will want a plain base mold for the low velocity (cost saving) and a gas check mold for the higher velocity.

[rintinglen]

My favorites" 311-466 155 grain Louverin, 311-465 120 grain Louverin, 311-041 and RCBS 30-180 FN.
Something for everyone there.

[popper]

My Marlin didn't like any version of the RD very well so I did a 170PB & 185 GC with no crimp or lube grooves that has a slightly smaller meplat. Shoots good in 30/30 & BO, 1200-2200 fps. PC or BLL TL.

[gwpercle]

I went with the Lee 2 cavity C309-170-F for my Winchester model 94 , I size it .309 , install a gas check and use convential lube .... it does just fine in the 30-30.
I will confess to never having sluged the bore or throat on this rifle.....it shoots them well so I'm happy.
Gary

[fishnbob]

After slugging my 336 I went with a Lee 309-150F. I lube with Carnuba Red, sizing to .309 and fit a Gas Check on it and accuracy is good at 100 yds. Around 2" is the extreme spread using 3031 powder.

[WALLNUTT]

I like the old Ideal 311441. It is a 120g truncated cone gas check that is lights out in my Win '94.

[waco]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=30_319&products_id=516

This works might fine in my 94. As another member puts it "Like biscuits and gravy"
I'll second this one.

[ShooterAZ]

My Win 94 30-30 is not the least bit finicky about he boolits I feed it, but shows a definite accuracy preference to boolits that are sized to .311. The Lee 150F and 170F both work very well in mine, although my 170 mold casts at to small to size to .311. I have the Noe 311041 and RCBS 150F also, all work fine. The Lee 30-150F is the most accurate in my 94 AE Saddle Ring Carbine.

[toallmy]

Well wile I was thinking it over it seams I missed the sale :-( but that's ok now to what size expander insert do I need to start with , so I can order it at the same time . I will be feeding them from the tube magazine with a crimp . 3.11-307 , 3.12-308 ,3.13-309 . I decided to go with a 311041 gc to start my adventure into the 30-30 casting .

[Lonegun1894]

Excellent bullet choice! Measure the inside neck diameter of a case fired in your rifle, and there you have the diameter you need. All my .30-30s like a .311". My two .308s can't agree though. One wants a .311", the other won't chamber anything bigger than a .309".

[izzyjoe]

I'm happy with my Lee 170 in my win 94 and in my Marlins, I would like to someday try the Rcbs 180's just to see.

[toallmy]

I received a NOE 311-180 FN 4 cavity aluminum GC mold yesterday , along with a .312 .308 exp plug , this with the lee expander die should get me started . A couple weeks ago a member sold me a .309 lee push through sizing die that I plan on starting out with to find out what size I really need ' my plan is to try some at .309 and open up the sizing die a little bit at a time up to .311 ' just to see what works the best for me . So this weekend I am going to cast up a few out of coww to tinker with the OAL and chamber fit while I wait for the GC from Sage . This should be fun . It's been awhile since I used pan lube .

[toallmy]

They are coming out of the mold at .312 , that is what I was after . I wanted something big enough to be able to size to .311 if that is what works the best for me . I am glad I tried NOE I was hesitant to buy a Lyman used 311-041 off of ebay .

[RPRNY]

Great boolit for the 30-30! .311 may be on the large size for Winchester's cut rifling, but it's a good place to start. My Marlin microgroove likes .311 but I have a Handi Rifle with cut rifling that prefers .309 and an old Winchester (since rebored to 35/30-30) that wouldn't shoot anything smaller than .312! I find 19 grs of 4227 a treat under the 311041. Good luck and enjoy.