Which powders are best for 30-30 336A?

[MattMore]

I just started loading my 30-30 336A and casting my own bullets using wheel weights. I have a Speers loading manual and it only lists jacketed bullets. If I use the grains and powder it lists, will I have any problem if I'm using lead bullets instead of the jacketed bullets? Will the velocity or the compression change because of the friction diferences?
Matt

[KYCaster]

GENERALLY......published data for jacketed bullets is safe to use with lead, but often gives poor results and very seldom gives optimum results.

Lyman, Lee, RCBS and Hodgden, among others, have plenty of data for lead boolits. Also check out "Cast Boolits"....link at the bottom of this page....lots of good stuff there.

BTW...welcome to the world of cast boolits!!!! Once you get started, there's no going back.

Jerry

[oldhickory]

Unique and Herco are good choices, as are 2400 and 4227 if you want to fill the case a bit more.

Welcome to CastBoolits!

[3rptr]

4198 will get your 155gr cast boolit to 1600fps using 18gr
up to 200fps using 28gr (max) driving a 170gr cast boolit.
YMMV
taken from Ideal Hand Book.

[Don McDowell]

18 grs of aa5744 makes a good cast bullet load.
15 grs of 2400 is another pretty good one.

[EDK]

www.gmdr.com/lever/options.htm has loads for 170 grain boolits with a lot of pistol powders. See the LYMAN book for cast bullets also. I'd use the hotter loads with rifle type powders with gas check boolits; go with the pistol powders for plinking loads with plain base boolits. Check out the GROUP BUY RESULTS on 311041 PB for some good data...that is the boolit I am using.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[wmitty]

Re-7 and 4895

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Hullo, 2400 for a pistol powder, RL-7, 4895, 4198 ,rifle powder , 150-180gr boolits

And welcome to the site

[MattMore]

thanks for your help any more info will help.

[jimkim]

What kind of mould do you have? If it is a Ranch Dog and you are using a hard alloy you can use the 170gr jacketed data from Hodgdon. You can find load info here too. http://www.realguns.com/loads/3030r.htm You can also download the reloaders reference. http://sourceforge.net/projects/reloadersrfrnce/

[6pt-sika]

I've had very good luck with SR4759 in the 30-30 with cast bullets .

But in the past 4 years I have shot quite alot of the Ranch Dog 311-165GC with 22 grains of XMP5744 and a CCI200 primer .

I've loaded and fired no less then 700-800 of these at metalic silhouettes . Also makes a pretty decent deer load .

[runfiverun]

h-414 and aa 2230 have produced fine results in my 30-30's.
full velocities with cast.
iirc the case was full of h-414.

[JDL]

I agree with runfiverun. 35 grains of H-414 with RCBS 30-180 FN does the best in my old 336A and 25 grains of WC-844 paired with Lyman's 311407 is very close. I also shoot the H-414 load in my Winchester 94, which is by far it's favorite. For my 336SC, I shoot the same charge of H-414 but, use a 165 grain LBT boolit.
JDL

[MattMore]

I have some h322 is that any good for the 30-30?

[tall grass]

MattMore

I have a pound of unopened H322 and the reason I haven't opened it yet is I have never seen data put out by anyone, who has the ability to test pressure, in cast bullets. There is some data out there for some jacketed loads in the 30-30 but as I understand it likes a little higher pressures and is a little more finicky. It cannot be compared to IMR 3031. I appeal to those who have experience with H332 to let us know what you think.

regards

Jim

[C A Plater]

My current hunting load is 30.0 grains of H322 pushing a 150 grain GC cast. Primer was CCI-200 and chronograph data from a 16" Contender barrel averaged around 2000 fps a bit better in a 20" Winchester. Accuracy is decent and in either carbine extraction is easy and no signs of excessive pressure even on hot days. Fired cases seem to require no extra effort in resizing and there is no evidence of leading so for me this is a keeper load. Your results will vary so approach loads with due caution.

[Throckmorton]

Is your A model a newer one,or one with ballard rifleing from the later fourties?
If newer,it should say 'Micro groove' on the barrel.
Do you have any boolits on hand,or are you just gathering info on all types of boolits/loads?

[MattMore]

Is your A model a newer one,or one with ballard rifleing from the later fourties?
If newer,it should say 'Micro groove' on the barrel.
Do you have any boolits on hand,or are you just gathering info on all types of boolits/loads?

Yes I have a newer model marlin 336A. I am loading a 150g FN with a lee C309 mold using a GC.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I like IMR 4198 the best in the .30-30 for cast bullets.
I`d stay away from the slower burning ball powders like 322 for cast. they need high pressures to burn well and will not do well with cast bullets at pressures below maximum.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/chuckleininger/IMG_1138.jpg
Lyman 173 gr. , 18 gr IMR 4198 @ 1595 fps and 50yd.:-D

[Dale53]

Chuck100yd;
Impressive results! That ought to do just fine in the deer woods as well as the range!!

Dale53

[Throwback]

Favorite bullets are 311041 & 311291 in that order. Unique seems to work well for plinking but I am new to using it. 2400 and 5744 have also worked well.

I have run these bullets up to 2,000 fps to hunt with when cast of a harder alloy. Traditional 30-30 powders work well for this purpose. 4895 (either IMR or Hodgdon), H335, 748, Reloader 7, 3031, and even 4064 can work well. I have used Varget most recently and I like it very well.

All of my loads have been used in the Winchester as I don't have a Marlin in this caliber.

As KYCaster says, published loads with jacketed bullets are usually safe but they may not prove accurate in your rifle. Having said that, I have been pleasantly surprised with H335 and Varget. You may find that best accuracy is with the starting loads.

[qajaq59]

You might want to buy the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. There is a lot of info in there besides just the loads.

[atr]

I get very good accuracy with 8.5 grains of Unique and 170gr boolit in my 30-30

[Dale53]

The 30-30 has good capacity (not too much and not too little) for excellent results with cast bullets. Using slow (for the caliber) powders, you can get cast up to jacketed bullet speed with good accuracy. "Throwback" has suggested a good range of powders for that purpose. My choice is RL-7. It measures well and is the right burning range for good results. There are others mentioned that may do as well.

Use of fast burning pistol powders, like Unique, while not useful for full power, work well for "bunny gun" loads (1200-1500 fps). I am out of town away from my loading data so cannot make particular recommendations.

Dale53

[runfiverun]

322 will burn in a 25-20 well enough or a 45-70. or a 223.
it does do better with a filler though in the 30-30.
the rcbs 150 fn g/c is built perfectly for the 30-30 crimps in the right place is plenty accurate.and has a nice meplat.
it's the only boolit of 5 [308] i have that my wifes 30-06 will shoot under an inch,it even does better then the ones that "fit".

[Lead melter]

Winchester 748, 30 grains thereof, under a Lee C309-170-RF sized .308" with Hornady gas check and LLA goes less than 2" at 100 long steps for me, and I don't have to work too hard to get it.
21 grains H4198 also works well for me with the Ranch Dog 165 grainer.

[jlchucker]

+1 to EDK and others who mention the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and latest addition of their Loading Manual. If you work with cast bullets much at all, these publications have a great deal to offer. If you load both jacketed and cast, then the Lyman Loading manual will cover both topics for you. Unlike Speer, Hornaday, and others, the Lyman company doesn't manufacture jacketed bullets for sale, so they have no ax to grind with their published data. The quality of some of their products may not be what it once was, but not when it comes to these loading manuals.

[nighthunter]

I shoot 20.0 gr IMR 4198 with a cast 155 gr GC from a group buy on here. I size to .3095. It shoots into an inch at 50 yards and slightly over 2 inches at 100 yards. Two PA deer laid down on the spot of the shot last year with this bullet and load. I know ....... It wasn't a magnum rifle or load so they don't count. 4000 feet per second is the new minimal acceptable velocity with bullets of 60 grains or more to be considered usable for anything other than makeing holes in paper.

Nighthunter

[Firebricker]

I've been expermenting with BL-C 2 recently with 311041. Did'nt measure the groups but they were on par with my other loads in my Win 94. The surprise was how well a friends marlin micro groove shot. FB

[GSPKurt]

I was at the range yesterday and was shooting my Marlin with a 170 gr cast bullet and BL-C(2). I got terrible groups, if you could call them groups! I am thinking it was the shooter...

[codgerville@zianet.com]

In my Marlin 336 I use 27 gr. H335 and 311041. Chronographs at 1940 FPS average. Good accuracy.