Mold suggestion for 17" twist .30 caliber

[Mk42gunner]

As my .30 BR rifle project slowly comes together, I find that I am in need of a mold. Somehow I just can't see using a 180-220 rain mold in the little cartridge.

This project all started when I bought a barrel for $30. Then a few years later, a Savage 110 to put it on. A few weeks ago I found a Lyman 25X LWBR scope for it.

Right now I am in the process of bedding the factory plastic stock, with carbon fiber arrow pieces as stiffeners. Trigger will be addressed when the bedding is done.

Initial loading will be accomplished with the Lyman 310 set in .308 Win. Later I may spring for real dies from CH4D.

I did a chamber cast with cerrosafe, .332" neck and not much throat. This may be the rifle that makes me buy a .308 or .309" H&I die.

The twist was determined by using a cleaning rod and tight brush, one turn in seventeen inches.

I did price some 110-125 grain red coated pretenders. All I can say is :holysheep it goes against my casting frugality (is that a word?) to spend forty to fifty cents a shot just for bullets.

This is going to be a range toy, primary distance of 100 yards. I'm thinking something around 150 grains?? Or maybe just go with the 311316 or the group buy 314120RF from years ago.

What do you think?

Robert

[stubshaft]

You could use the RCBS 30-115-SP bullet and might be able to shoot the 130 grain SP too, but I do not think that the 17" twist will stabilize a 150 grainer.

[Fitz]

I have a 300 HAM"R that has a 1 in 15 twist i shoot a 180 gr in it and it does great , but this is in a modern sporting rifle so I am limited to a cartridge length of 2.260 , so I would try before I decided against it .

[Mk42gunner]

I did look at and use one of the many internet calculators for the Greenhill formula. With a velocity of 2000 fps (guess, and probably high at that) it says the rifle should stabilize bullets up to .800" long. That is where I pulled the 150 grain guess from.

The short throat also goes into this. I just don't think a long projectile will fit without being seated so deep that the lube grooves are completely into the case body.

I did make a dummy round using a 130 gr Speer FP meant for the 30-30. Its canalure is almost invisible once it barely clears the origin of rifling, by a layer of soot.

This twist is just a bit quicker than most .32-20's, so I will try some of those first. I just don't have anything in the mid hundred grain range to try.

Robert