Wanting 30-30 mould some help for newbie.

[barrabruce]

Can some one of the more imformed people her please give a selection of moulds that will fit me 30-30.

Wheel weights for medium.

my fired cases measure .309" internal case diameter.
The rest is the pics.
Bore of rifle is .308"
Lands .302"
Length from land start to base of case neck 0.535"

Most like likely common specs but new to this game.

Thanks.
Barra

[autofix4u]

I don't know if I am any sharper than you but here goes. we need to know the make & model of you rifle for proper bullet profile slection.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Hullo and Welcome, if you are shooting a lever, you might want to go to the group buy thread and look at the remake of the Ranch Dog 165gr boolit, it is being reproduced by Swede as we speak if you desire a good mold. There are several good 30/30 boolits out there , like the man says , need to know what you are shooting them in and what you are trying to do...Hunt, Punch Paper, kill attack beer cans?????

[HeavyMetal]

Also are you going to use this in a rifle or pistol?

Lots of Contenders out there as well as bolt guns galore as well as the usual amount of 94's and 336's.

Some boolits you can use in all of them some you can't.

So let us know and we can be more help!

[hunter64]

Lyman 31141 (311041) works just fine in any of my 30-30 levers. It was specifically designed for the winchester 30-30 in mind. As Slow Elk stated the ranch dog 30-30 bullet works great also. I had my 31141 hollow pointed by buckshot and it hasn't hurt the accuracy at all and it is very versatile as to how much of a mushroom effect you want to create. 29 grn of IMR 3031 and the 31141 has taken many close in deer in the dense woods that I hunt in.

[barrabruce]

:veryconfu Oops I thought that it had to fit the throat!!

Right then NEF/H 'n R single shot...157 30-30 barrell. pre 1987 sometime...
4 groove rifling!!
Has some tool marks in the front of the bore (still newish looking) but it shot 1 1/2 inch groups with the best load yesterday around the 1" mark.
Hornady 150 grainer spire point interlocks.
New gun first firing.

Looking for pobably a 150 ish...size.

Something I can load for pigs if needed and down for rabbits.

Something easy to lube but mostly accurate with out sizing and nose bashing /bumping.

The ranch dog seems to be favored well and I have seem some pics of the small and many lube grooves.
I thought he don't do it no more.

Can I get one for hollow point and still cast flatnose as well??
With a gas check do I have to have a sizer?
If so will banging them though a die like a lee classic reloader do??

Now for the question I will probably have to sit down for..how much we looking at???

If I can get hold of a lathe I'd like to try paper patching.
Making a mould adjustable from 120-175's roughly.Hollow pointed so I could load them up fast.... heeheee!! See what'd they'd do.

But first I must get over the basic's.


barra

[heathydee]

I like the Lee 150 gn flat point . The boolits fall from the cavities measuring .310" . I just fit a gas check without sizing the boolit any further . Both my barrels are a little on the tight side with a groove depth of .307" .I have pushed the boolit to over 2300 fps in my 30-30 Chicopee single shot with groups of around 1.5" at 100 meters. The same boolit out of my bolt action 7.62x39 gives similar accuracy at around 2100 fps . I buy all my Lee stuff from Westerm Firearms down in Sydney . Their mail order service is great. If I recall correctly the last double cavity Lee mould I bought from them cost $39 plus postage. The Aussie dollar has fallen a bit since then though . Best of luck .
Heath

[barrabruce]

Thanks Heath
I see they got them listed. Bit dearer thou.
c309150F I think.
How do you fit a gas check with out having to put it thou a sizer???

Barra

[heathydee]

Thanks Heath
I see they got them listed. Bit dearer thou.
c309150F I think.
How do you fit a gas check with out having to put it thou a sizer???

Barra
I just machined up a simple seating die that fits into the shellholder station of an old super simplex turret press . It squashes the gas check on but does not reduce the diameter of the boolit. If you want to try a few , PM me with some details if you are anywhere near Cairns . I will be up there from about the 10th to 14th of July on holiday with my family . I will happily give you 40 or 50 to try if you are interested.
Heath

[barrabruce]

Ahh I still got me super simplex turrent too.. I use it for me Khornet.
P.m. sent
I would love to try a few !!!!

Barra

[Tom Myers]

:veryconfu Oops I thought that it had to fit the throat!!

Right then NEF/H 'n R single shot...157 30-30 barrell. pre 1987 sometime...
4 groove rifling!!
Has some tool marks in the front of the bore (still newish looking) but it shot 1 1/2 inch groups with the best load yesterday around the 1" mark.
Hornady 150 grainer spire point interlocks.
New gun first firing.

Looking for pobably a 150 ish...size.

Something I can load for pigs if needed and down for rabbits.

Something easy to lube but mostly accurate with out sizing and nose bashing /bumping.

The ranch dog seems to be favored well and I have seem some pics of the small and many lube grooves.
I thought he don't do it no more.

Can I get one for hollow point and still cast flatnose as well??
With a gas check do I have to have a sizer?
If so will banging them though a die like a lee classic reloader do??

Now for the question I will probably have to sit down for..how much we looking at???

If I can get hold of a lathe I'd like to try paper patching.
Making a mould adjustable from 120-175's roughly.Hollow pointed so I could load them up fast.... heeheee!! See what'd they'd do.

But first I must get over the basic's.


barra

Barra

You are definitely starting off right by making a pound slug of your chamber. If you don't know exactly what your chamber/freebore/lead configuration is, your efforts to find a good bullet fit are, at best, just hit and miss.

I used your sketch dimensions, inferred the rest of the dimensions and used my software to produce a chamber/case/bullet overlay of three of the bullets mentioned in the postings so that you can get an idea of the approximate bullet fit of each one in your Chamber.

If you wish you can carefully measure the slug and let me know each of the dimensions shown in the drawings and I can redo the drawings for a more accurate representation of the bullet fit.

The Night Owl Mold 311-165-GC RF is Swede Nelson's grease groove version of the now unavailable Ranch Dog TLC311-165-RF bullet.

This is just my opinion, but it appears from the drawings that the Night Owl Mold would be my first choice for best fit in your chamber.
You can still get in on the group buy at this link

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=54638

You are off to a great start. Just keep on truckin'.

Tom Myers

http://www.tmtpages.com/LinkSkyImages/forum_images/Bara%2030-30/30-30_Winchester_Barra_~_Neff_HR~Barrel_30-30_Winchester_R-P_Rot_Cutaway_Night_Owl_Mold_311-165-GC_RF_Rot.Jpg


http://www.tmtpages.com/LinkSkyImages/forum_images/Bara%2030-30/30-30_Winchester_Barra_~_Neff_HR~Barrel_30-30_Winchester_R-P_Rot_Cutaway_Lyman_Mold_31141_Rot.Jpg

http://www.tmtpages.com/LinkSkyImages/forum_images/Bara%2030-30/30-30_Winchester_Barra_~_Neff_HR~Barrel_30-30_Winchester_R-P_Rot_Cutaway_Lee_Mold_C309-150-F_Rot.Jpg

[barrabruce]

From your drawing corrections would be
Neck length is 0.487"
Neck 2 = 0.325"
Neck 1 if not taken on taper of shoulder but at neck start 0.332"

Leade 0.105"

With the case length overall measurement of 2.113" with spec max 2.040" always e a jump /gap there.

Make any difference?

Awesome work there
Bruce

[rockrat]

A plus with the Night Owl mould, is that you can order one of the moulds with a HP in one of the cavities.

[Bret4207]

"Fit" is king, yes. But fit, even with all the numbers you give ( and a fine job BTW), isn't as simple as that with off the shelf moulds. Each mould and each batch of alloy casts slightly different sizes. Asking for a perfect fit from a factory mould right out of the box is pretty high hopes.

What seems to work is to get a mould that drops a slightly oversize boolit and between the sizer and ignition forces work to get things to fit. No matter what we do prior to squeezing the trigger in the end the powder fits the boolit to the throat/barrel. That's why some guys can shoot what seem to be slightly skinny boolits and get good accuracy and why others shoot what would seem to be "too fat" boolits and get good accuracy. The barrel is the ultimate sizer.

Beyond that good initial design characteristics help. A long unsupported nose tends to give problems, a well supported (fat enough) nose tends to shoot much better. I would love to try the RD boolits but I'm pretty happy with my RCBS 30-180FN.

[barrabruce]

Thanks all
I rnded up in Cairns again and bought some factory cast bullets 165 grns with blue muck on em. .309" the nose is abit small for the lands but 'll try em anyway. Black hawk bullets Oz

Found a dusty packet in one shop which read C309-180 r.
SO I got it at a resonablle price.

I have had a go at casting some in wheel weights and my noses are wrinkly. :)
They seem to be a bit loose in the barrell too.
Seat nice in the chamber thou.
The fattest one was frossty looking and it fitted quite nicely.
These are plain wheel weights dropped on moist cloth.
I think my spoon ladle maybe cooling things off to quick as after I pour the sprue is soild before I can think about it.
I actually got a few that the gooves look sharp and not rounded even.

If the lead goes frosty and the scum is no longer there does that mean I got it too hot and lost me tin??

Any way I'll have to play with this a bit.
Think the Lee will do me for the crash and burn before I wreck a good mouild lerning the ropes.

Bruce

[barrabruce]

Ahh well tried making a new ladle.
Last batch on the left. Cured the wrinkles anyway.


Think I'll load a few up in a few weeks when I can get to the range again see how they go.
Filled out better but the nose is still a bit loose in the bore.
The rest I'll sort though and find a few good'uns and see how they go.
And they say it is easy!!!! once you done a few thousand maybe :)
Don't worry if I can find some real long necked brass... and can do this proper I may be able to even hit something!!! :)

Cheers
Barra

[NHlever]

:veryconfu Oops I thought that it had to fit the throat!!

Right then NEF/H 'n R single shot...157 30-30 barrell. pre 1987 sometime...
4 groove rifling!!
Has some tool marks in the front of the bore (still newish looking) but it shot 1 1/2 inch groups with the best load yesterday around the 1" mark.
Hornady 150 grainer spire point interlocks.
New gun first firing.

Looking for pobably a 150 ish...size.

Something I can load for pigs if needed and down for rabbits.

Something easy to lube but mostly accurate with out sizing and nose bashing /bumping.

The ranch dog seems to be favored well and I have seem some pics of the small and many lube grooves.
I thought he don't do it no more.

Can I get one for hollow point and still cast flatnose as well??
With a gas check do I have to have a sizer?
If so will banging them though a die like a lee classic reloader do??

Now for the question I will probably have to sit down for..how much we looking at???

If I can get hold of a lathe I'd like to try paper patching.
Making a mould adjustable from 120-175's roughly.Hollow pointed so I could load them up fast.... heeheee!! See what'd they'd do.

But first I must get over the basic's.


barra

For a basic, and inexpensive mold to get you started, I would suggest the Lee 30-150 FP. It has shot well in all my .30 caliber rifles at a wide range of velocities. It does wear a gas check, but that can be left off for your rabbit loads. The mold is well under $20 US, and would make a good one to learn with. If you wanted a second at those prices, I would get the Lee 30-113 FN since that makes a fine 32-20 duplication boolit.

[Echo]

Ozzies (and everyone else!) the best fish we ever tasted IN OUR LIFE was barramundi in Cairns!

[jimkim]

Don't limit yourself to the standard 30-30 type bullets. You have a single shot. This will allow you a wider array of moulds of which to choose. I wouldn't rule out heavy bullets. http://www.castbulletassoc.org/forum/view_topic.php?id=2765&forum_id=49&page=1

I have a buddy that hunts with an H&R 30-30. His two favorite moulds are the Lee "soupcan" and the RCBS 7.62MM-130-SPL. I think the Lee C312-155-2R(I know it's heavier) would be comparable.

I pray I didn't confuse anyone with my rambling.

[HORNET]

The one on the left looks better, but the base is still pretty rounded and the corners on the bands should be sharper. That, combined with your statement that the sprue was freezing quickly suggests that you need more heat. Try running the mold faster to build up more heat or turn the temp control up a bit, maybe both. It should take a few seconds for the sprue to harden after you get the cavity full. If you start to see localized heavy frosting, slow down or turn the heat down. Play around until you find how that mold wants to run (then write it down). It's a heat balancing act.

[barrabruce]

Thanks for the advice fellas !!!

Heathydee's coming up this way soon and is gunna drop off a few bullets to try in me gun for me...

So I'll wait and see if it likes something he has.

Easy enough way !!!!

:)

In the mean time I wasted some alox on me last batch of cast and I'll see if I can a few on the target hanger somewhere in a fortnight when I can get to the Murdering Point Range again !!!
Well try and get 'em to shoot minute of something!!! Scattergun at least before I get hold of his stuff to test out.
Will save money on a mould that should work but me gun rejects for some reason.

I'm starting to think that cast bullets and rifles must sometimes be like fickle women.


Barra

[barrabruce]

Hmm had a go today late in the arvo.
Just got going and found that fluxing with bees wax seemed to cure some of my woes.
Getting better
reading up on more newbie posts never know may get the hang of it yet.
Just got it sorted then SHMBO yelled out I was sinking the plac eout.
The wind had changed but I pressed on.
Finally getting somewhere near normal looking lead boolits even squareish on the base!!! :-D:-D:coffee:

Barra

[HORNET]

That looks better than the ones in the pictures that you posted earlier. The base is filled out much better but the bands still look a little rounded, might could use just a bit more heat. Or maybe a touch of tin, 1-2%. I'd try them and see how they do. They don't have to be perfect looking to shoot well, sometimes very well indeed.