More questions on 30 carbine projectiles

[Bmi48219]

I didn't want to hijack someone's thread so,
has anyone experimented with lighter grain weight bullets in the M1 30 carbine with a goal of higher velocities & accuracy at longer ranges? I see Speer & a few others make 100 gr. spire point jacketed .308 bullets. Don't see much out there for boolit molds made to cast sub 110 gr boolits.
Maybe a truncated cone style projectile? Or a sabot round?
Remington used to make a 30-30 cartridge with a 55 gr .223 bullet in a sabot.
I'm guessing getting the right COL while having enough room for a adequate powder charge would be the biggest problem.
Before anyone suggests it, I don't want to acquire a 300 BO.

[bob208]

in the day we used the Hornady plinker and bullets for the .30 luger. the Hornaday worked fair the othe not that good in the rifle in the Blackhawk they were good.

[Larry Gibson]

I've shot just about every weight of bullet from 71 through 130 gr, jacketed and cast, in the 30 Carbine out of M1 carbine across its practical 300 yard range. I've found bullets of 90 to 120 gr, cast w/GC or jacketed, pushed to 1850 to 2150 fps (depending on bullet weight) perform best at longer ranges of 150 to 300 yards.

Case capacity limited by OAL to fit/function in the magazine restricts bullet form to a degree. The 90 gr XTP, Speer and Hornady 100 gr half jackets and standard 110 gr carbine RNs are really the best jacketed to use. Cast w/GCs of 115 to 120 gr, loaded to 1850 fps, regulated to the sights will do amazingly well to 300 yards.

I have not tried any saboted bullets.

[Outpost75]

For varmint loads I have had wonderful results with the Hornady .309" diameter 90-grain XTP hollowpoint pistol bullet they make for the .30- Luger, .30 Mauser and 7.62x25 Tokarev. I load the same charge of 7.4 grains of AutoComp in the Carbine that I do in the 7.62x25. Not higher velocity, but at 1700 fps is more accurate than GI ball ammo, drops the brass at your feet and reduces risk of riccochets in farm country. I don't consider the .30 M1 carbine a "long range" varminter, as mine with iron sights isn't accurate enough for sure hits on groundhogs at over about 150 yards.

Larry does better with his scoped M1 carbine, but I've kept mine in its original issue configuration and about 3 moa is the best that it does.