30-30 ai

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Is anyone shooting 30-30 AI with great results in a 336 or 94 ? What are the details of your results.

Thanks, BvT

[Don McDowell]

I shoot a Marlin I had chambered to 30-30 ai. It works very well with jacketed bullets and slower powders such as rl 15, ramshots biggame etc.You can expect 200 fps improovement over the 30-30.Case life is good, most cases are lost during bullet seating, the shoulders being easily collapsed.
Have messed a bit with cast bullets , but I don't ramp up cast bullets like I do jacketed so using the ai for a cast bullet shooter seems a waste of a good chambering job.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Good to know. Thanks, BvT

[Newtire]

I get right at 2300 fps with the 311407 Groupbuy clone or the 311041 out of a 20" barrel angle eject M-94. Anneal the neck and part of the shoulder and blow the case out with a stiff charge.

If you're going to use it for a cast bullet gun, a waste of time. You get a shorter neck so the boolit sits down into the powder space-although I've not had a problem with that. It really would be great with some of those flex-tip Hornady's I'll bet.

[O.S.O.K.]

I have a 1970 Win 94 that I rebarreled and restocked - used the Numrich 24" octagonal barrel "kit" and a replacement buttstock/cressent buttplate. Turned out nice. Before I installed the barrel, I rechambered it to AI (40 degree shoulder). It can reach over 2600 fps with 150's but I think that's a bit too much - and I prefer 2500 fps with the 150's. The 170's give 2400 and change and are a little more accurate. I use W748 but most of the "regular" 30-30 Win powders will work with the AI as well.

I also have a Marlin 336 with 20" barrel that I rechambered. I did that one with an extension and didn't remove the barrel. It shoots faster than the above - due, I think to the microgroove rifling. That is, it reaches the same velocity with less powder and so is acheiving a higher pressure with less powder... that is an aspect of microgroove barrels that I've hear other's repeat with the AI.

I have Lee dies and have found that the AI cases are very sensititve to crimping - so I use only a light crimp - just enough to ensure that the bullets don't submarine in the cases - and thus far they haven't. I ruinded a few cases before figuring this out - the shoulders bulge out and the rounds don't chamber.

I have avoided the bullet seating problem by using a Lee universal case neck expander to slightly flair the case mouths prior to seating the bullets - this eliminates enough of the downward pressure on the case to prevent the shoulders from colapsing.

It is a great way to get a little more out of your 30-30 while not so much that you have to worry about bullet failure with 30-30 bullets.

And I agree about this being a jacketed bullet thing - the 30-30 is almost perfect for boolits as-is IMHO.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Thanks. I figure little deers here don't need no 'estinkin j bullets. I think I'v learned enough to forget the AI. BvT