303 Savage brass

[Denver]

Is it possible to reform brass from 30/30 Win to 303 Savage? I've looked, but haven't found a cartridge drawing for the 303, so thought it would just be easier to ask here.
There's some neat old guns out there chambered for the 303, but ammo and components are getting mighty pricey.

:castmine:

[scrapcan]

Here is a link to a drawing

http://stevespages.com/jpg/cd303savage.jpg

Here is a link to the index page for cartridge drawings on Steve's pages.

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

hope that helps.

[Denver]

Thanks Manleyjt;

The 303 is .020 larger just above the rim than the 30/30. Don't know if this would cause a problem with lower pressure cast loads or not. Anyone have any experience here?

[45 2.1]

A forum member, drinks, has a lot of experience with this. He cuts the neck portion off a 40 S&W case and slides it down over the base of the 30-30 case and fireforms it. He says it works great. Contact him about it.

[versifier]

That shouldn't be enough of a difference to worry about. I would fireform with a load of at least medium pressure to assure proper obturation of the case to the chamber and carefully check out the case's web. (I like the idea of the sleeve from the .40S&W case a lot, a logical and neat solution to insure concentricity and prevent any possible web stretching issues!) I think you will have best results with RE-7, 3031, and 4064. This is one cartridge where you absolutely must slug your bore as groove diameters in the old Savages ranged from .308 up to .312+. It has an edge on the .30-30 with bullets of 150gr and less, and with it you can get a 150gr up in the 2500fps range, about like the .30-30AImp. The Savage 99's (I imagine it was also chambered in their bolt actions, but I have never come across one) design also lets you use spitzer bullets with their ballistic advantages. That doesn't matter with boolits, of course, since you want a meplat for hunting loads anyway, but it is a neat little cartridge and a worthwhile project to get one shooting again. Please keep us posted on your progress.

[gutshot_again]

Some guys are using 220 swift brass to make 303 savage brass. Of course, the rim is smaller but it works in most '99's, including mine. At least it's worth a try without taking out a loan. Also Grafs is supposed to be coming out with 303 brass. It's been on thier webpage for $40 a hundred since January or so - every time I call it's always another couple months.

[Rimfire]

I have been using 30-30 brass for the 303 for many years the case does swell at the base but have never had one fail, all my case failures are neck splits the same as in reg. 30-30 loads. Use only new cases to make your 303 from as used or even once fired cases will be work hardend and may rupture when fired.

[Denver]

Thanks for the reponses guys. I don't have a 303 yet, but have been eyeballing a couple and just wanted to know what I was up against in buying something that ammo is getting scarcer for. I recently bought a 99 EG in 300 Savage at a garage sale because it was cheap, that has turned out to be an excellent shooter of cast boolits. I'm a long time admirer of lever guns and the more I research the 99s the more variations and calibers turn up that make me wonder why I didn't pursue them more in the past.

[versifier]

It's just another sign of gun nut old fartitude. I was in love with Winchester 94 levers when I was younger, and I still like them, 88's too, but for a hunting rifle, the older I get the more I have come to like the Savage 99. Sako made a beautiful lever, (I even got to shoot one once) but they were always beyond my budget, and I have never been impressed with the Brownings. I have nothing against the Marlins, but given the choice of levers I'd lean to the Savages in most any chambering to hunt deer around these parts. Far and away my favorite hunting caliber in the 99 is the 250Sav. I have never tried to cast anything that small, .30 is as small as I have explored, so I do not know how cast friendly it may be, but the .300Sav, .303sav, .30-30, & .308 m99's I've played with, cast, and/or loaded for all do fine with boolits.

[drinks]

I have loaded 200gr cast bullets at 2000fps in my '99 with the .30-30 plus sleeve cases and had no problems.
.220 Swift cases do very well, also.
I anneal the .220 neck, resize with the .303 die, then trim to length and fire form with 4.5gr Universal, a wad of tissue, a case of corn meal and another wad of tissue.
Have never lost a .30-30 or .220 case, so far!
I have shot the Lee 160 TL spitzer at 2600fps.
I love my '99, a 1920 carbine with splinter fore arm, 20" barrel and straight stock.
The barrel is .300-.308, does well with .309 to .311 cast bullets.