Contender 30-30 stock or AI ?

[TAC14]

Found a Contender rifle bbl in 30-30 to shoot lead in. Thinking about renting an AI reamer to, if nothing else, extend case life. Anyone been down this road ?

[500Linebaughbuck]

i have. a 30-30AI is for jacketed bullets. a 30-30 is for both jacketed and cast. if you are shooting only cast, i'd say go with the 30-30.

the AI only does 100 - 150fps faster and it takes more powder. a long time ago, i was AI everything but i've gotten older(not smarter, just older). i'd say go with the 30-30, use cast and go only 1600-1800fps for hunting.

[Hickory]

The 30-30 is the perfect castboolits cartridge with 170 gr. boolits at 1800 fps you can't do much better than that.

[WALLNUTT]

I had a SSK 30 30AI barrel once upon a time. I shot the RCBS 180SP ahead of 37g of IMR 4831. I know the load sounds crazy but that's what it liked. I used it to make International in IHMSA. I hit 7 chickens in a shootoff to beat a couple of XP 100s. It shot pretty good.

[crappie-hunter]

My 30-30 contender carbine barrel is deadly with cast. Ranchdog 311-165tlc ,Lyman#2 alloy and 33gr WW748 . Kills whitetail like they were hit with a sledge hammer. Probably close to 2000fps. Veral Smith recommended the 748.

[OlDeuce]

My Contender with the 30-30 24" barrel is doing really good with cast boolits! I would say just stay with the 30-30 as is !!!!!

Ol Deuce

[rking22]

I would stay with the standard chamber, you give up .125 neck length in the conversion. That long neck is very nice, more powder capacity, ho hum. Standard 3030 gone plenty fast for a cast deer shooter. Plenty and more for paper:)

[Ramjet-SS]

I concur for cast stay stock want to pick up 5% powder capacity go Improved for jacketed.

[WALLNUTT]

What use a long neck if you're going to seat the bullet out to engage rifling?

[barrabruce]

What use a long neck if you're going to seat the bullet out to engage rifling?

Long loverins.

And long paper patched loverins


I'd buy a 7.62 - 54r if I wanted to hot rod the 30-30.

[curator]

The Ackley Improved version of the .30-30 cartridge does allow for longer case life. I'm not sure that this is really important as .30-30 brass is easily found at most public ranges just lying on the ground or in the brass buckets. I have an H&R Handi-rifle in .30-30 that had the rim recess cut a bit deep. Case life, even with mild cast boolit loads was 3 or 4 reloads before there were signs of head separation as well as the occasional broken case. (a real PITA when hunting and needing a follow-up shot) By reaming the chamber to the Ackley Improved 30 degree it gave the cases a acute shoulder to head space on as long as I neck sized only. The slightly enhanced case capacity allows for larger charges of slow powders that will push cast to J-word velocities with accuracy. For me, the conversion was well worth the rental of the reamer and the hassle of fire forming new brass. Since doing it, I have yet to use my broken case extractor.

[WALLNUTT]

The AI version can be neck sized with a 30 Herret neck die and bullet seated with a std die.

[Tom W.]

Convert it. You don't have to shoot A.I. loads in your fireformed brass if you don't want to, but you have that option.

[tctender]

Stick with whichever you want to. I have both and they are both good rounds.

[TAC14]

On hold. Now looking for a cut rifled Marlin RIFLE in 35 Rem. (24" bbl)

[pls1911]

Have shot TC in 30/30 14" barrels for 30 years in IHMSA steel shoots, hunting, or just bustin' rocks.
Deer, pigs, raccoons, armadillos, squirrels (!!) or rocks at reasonable ranges have been no issue with several bullet designs over 24-25 grains Reloader 7.

7 TCU 14" was bought for an alternative 20 years ago, and I got 20 cases fire firmed before life got in the way....
I am looking to get back to it.

[725]

I've got the 10" .30-30 and love it.

[leadman]

I have a Contender barrel in each, one is about 12", the other 21". Velocity is the same in both with max jacketed loads. Both shoot cast with excellent accuracy. Lee makes 30-30AI dies, may have to polish the sizer out to fit like I had too, or I just use a Hornady neck size die most times.