Why Plain Base 30-30 Boolits?

[les265]

I am involved in a group buy for a copy of Ranch Dog's 311-165gr GCRF bullet with regular lube grooves. I noticed that many people are getting the mold with some cavities cut for a plain base boolit. I assume this is for plinking or cowboy loads. Is the lack of a lube groove for economy, or are lower pressure loads best in the 30-30 using a plain base.

[XWrench3]

as far as i know, a flat base bullet is the prefered one for low pressure loads. that way, the gas stops right at the base of the boolit. on a gas check boolit without a check, the gas can surround the tail of the boolit, and if things are right, start to melt the edges. that leads the bore quite quickly. i have been getting by using a gas check boolit w/o a check, but one of these days, i am sure it will bite me in the barrel (ha, you thought i was going to say bu++ didn't you! lol). anyway, one of the other members gave me an idea on how to modify my mold to drop one gas check, and one plain base. now, i have to go see about a reamer.

[9.3X62AL]

The pricing of gas checks from commercial sources is a part of the reason for ordering a mould lacking gas check heels for its cavities. Use of the gas checks adds a significant uptick to boolit cost. Plain-base designs don't have the velocity potential that gas check designs enable--that is the trade-off for the economy of a plain-base boolit.

What is a plain base boolit's "speed limit"? Hard to fix, and it varies from caliber to caliber and even rifle to rifle. Also at work is boolit fit in the throat and grooves, alloy strength, bore condition, twist rate, and lube quality/quantity. In the 30-30, the 45-70, 44-40, 32-20, and 25-20 I can run plain-base boolits in 92/6/2 alloy that fit well 1250-1300 FPS without complications. Same story with Magnum revolvers. Once I exceed 1350 FPS or so, accuracy starts to degrade markedly, and the bore brushes and patches get glittery. I haven't tried Linotype to push the boolits any faster, it's easier to just use a gas check boolit design.

At least 80% of my cast boolit rifle loads use a gas check boolit design. At least 80% of my cast boolit handgun loads use a plain base design.

[geargnasher]

Xwrench, gas doesn't melt the base of the boolit. That's a myth.

I'm in on that buy, so I'll speak strictly for myself. I hate gas checks. Sometimes I have to use them, but I don't like buying them, making them, or putting them on. If I can make something work with PB I will. The vast majority of my .30-30 work is with plinkers, both short and long range, so checks are a waste of time and money since I don't need extreme velocity. For stuff inside 50 yards I use pistol powders and Dacron and GC designed boolits without the check. For the longer range stuff, I use 748, but anything over book minimum starts to get a little wild with accuracy, and the leading starts at about 28 grains. I'm betting a PB boolit from water-dropped 50ww/50pure lead will get me to the high side of 1600 fps with decent accuracy, and that will help my 200 yard "plinking" on steel targets. Sometimes there just aren't enough steps in the rear sight elevator!!

I got the GC option because I hunt with this gun sometimes, venison and pig. For those I like at least 2000 fps and a check is mandatory for that in a .30 cal.

Hope this helps,

Gear

[les265]

Thanks for the replies and information. I ordered a two banger both gas checked. I should probably get a 4 cavity with two of each. I plan on loading up some mild loads with unique so why spend the extra money on the gas checks.

[Doc Highwall]

I have a 311041PB 6 cavity group buy mould made by LEE that I am shooting in my 1885 Highwall in 30-30 Win with 12.5 grs of 2400 powder just for plinking out to 200 yds. This is my big 22Lr load for all day cheep shooting.