loads for .30 Carbine handgun

[Mavrick]

I've been playing with my Blackhawk .30 Carbine for quite some time(10 or 15 years) but have very little to compare with other shooters. There don't appear to be many others.
The small number that I've seen over the years may have something to do with it. Ruger doesn't recommend handloads, and they definitely state against cast, so I would need to communicate with another loader.
I've used most of the j-word styles that are used by the carbine users, but I want to compare flat-base and gas-check with other pistoleros.
Mine is a 4 5/8" model and carries beautifully and is just great for tin cans and tree squirrels. Rabbits fall over as soon as they see me enter their field.
My first boolit is the RCBS .32 Auto RN sized .308"(later .310") in WW+2%tin or Linotype. I've used fast powders like BE, RD, and WW231. AA#5, #7, and 2400 have also found their way downbore.
Lee 113gc RN do well in this gun when sized .310", and seated in front of AA#9, H110, or Li'l Gun.
Have fun,
Gene

[Combat Diver]

Gene,

Sounds like your having fun. In the mid 80s I wanted one to go with my M1 Carbine. Finally got one for about 30 minutes when someone had to have it more then me and traded me out of it (I did keep the dies, brass and bullets). Just got another CMP carbine and may have to look for another Blackhawk when I get home. Have fun with your Blackhawk. Oh, I did load some 55 gr .224 JSP with sabots in the .30 carbine. Either used H110 or 2400 which worked it the carbine but never chorno'd the load.

CD

[zxcvbob]

I've got one; a 7.5" Blackhawk. I haven't shot it much lately except a few times with some Wolf steel-cased ammo. I used to shoot it a lot with cast bullets (or Berry's plated bullets) and Herco powder -- about 8.0 grains if I remember correctly.

I tried using 11 grains of surplus #7 powder with 115 grain cast bullets. That was a hot (and accurate) load, but I got case head separations. I think this lot of powder is a little faster than canister-grade AA#7 and I should have worked up from about 9.5 or 10 grains.

[9.3X62AL]

4-5/8" barrel, eh? How cool izzat--I've only seen them in 7.5".

Full-tilt loads in the 7.5" tubes are right blasty--I'll bet that shorter barrel could set off earthquakes in fault zones!

My short experience with the Blackhawk x 30 Carbine was a while back, and I can't recall details much. I remember the revolver being LOUD, fairly accurate with the jacketed bullet loads I fed it, and the few jackrabbits and ground squirrels I strafed with it were permanently impressed in wide-screen and Technicolor. Hunting with the beast REQUIRED both earplug AND earmuff usage.

I've pondered getting another 30 Carbine Blackhawk, now not having a firearm in that caliber and ~300 rounds of ammo on hand, plus dies/moulds/errata for the caliber. In the 20-odd years since the first such revolver, I have learned a whole lot about reloading and casting, and believe I could tame the blastiness and turn the beast into a small game and varmint whacker of the first order. I'm a total pushover for mid-caliber handguns anyway, so I should just sell something else and turn the proceeds into another 'Hawk.

[Mavrick]

zxcvbob- Yeah, all that Ruger made were 7 1/2". The Boss keeps asking why I change everything I get my hands on. "'Cause they don't make what I want!" The operative word is "Hacksaw."(I actually had a gunsmith cut it on a lathe, then install a new front sight.) I've never been sorry. I've used several 4 5/8" BH in several calibers, and I love them-especially the carrying part. I just went back through my notes and realized...I haven't used Herco. How strange! In the morning, I'm going to load some up. I may not get to shoot any until Tuesday, because of the holiday, but it'll be loaded. Thanks for the heads up. I don't know how I missed it. 8.0 sounds like it on the top end, so I'll start around 6.0, which is how much Unique I used. I've never used anything over 100gr, too.
Combat Diver-Hurry back. The shootin' HERE is a lot more fun. You're not punished so bad for a miss. The idea of a sabot never occurred to me, but I've read recently about some experiments, so I might give it a try.
9.3x62AL-Blasty is the word, all right. I've always used earplugs, AND earmuffs.(Well, not always...but as long as I've owned the .30) It's been mentioned that everyone within three miles knows when I'm shooting from the flash, too.
2400, WW571, H110, and WW296 will make their presence known. If ya use BE, WW231, and AA#2 and play like you have a .32 Mag, it's not so bad, tho' I think it's still a good idea to use muffs.
Have fun,
Gene

[Thumbcocker]

Check out Mr. Begal's article in the cast pics section. When I want to civilize my .30 carbine BH i use soupcans and .32-20 data.

[Poygan]

Beagle has some great articles on this caliber for the pistol. I tend to go back and forth between different calibers so haven't completely worked up loads so far. My observations: using the carbine brass is frustrating and I have switched to the .32-20 brass. Either the carbine loads will bind in the cylinder or will seat too deep to touch off the primer. My best work to date is with the Lee 113 grain load with gas checks. It also does well with the Lyman 313226 around 93 grains. The front band on the Lyman 311359 has to be seated deeply in the carbine or else it binds for me. But, it is accurate! Mine is the new model BTW. So far I've used mostly 2400 and AL-8 but it should do well with powders in the Unique range if you prefer less noise and blast.

[runfiverun]

i use the 32-20 brass trimmed back.
and the rcbs 32-98 plain based. sized at 313
i like the fast powders right now. i am using up some old 700-x, at 3.5 grs the 1-1/2 lbs i have is gonna last a while.
it's impressively quiet and flat shooting also.

[Larry Gibson]

I did a bit of load testing with the Ruger BH in .30 Carbine i had on loan quite a few years back. I quickly found standard .30 carbine ammo and loads to be a "blast" and quit using them. I used Lyman's 311316 (118 gr GC'd 32-20 bullet) and 313631 (105 gr SWC .32 H&R bullet) cast of WWs (old style that needed no additional tin), sized to .310 and lubed with Javelina. I used 32-20 data for Unique and settled on 4.5 gr under either bullet for right at 1050 fps and excellent accuracy with a pleasant load to shoot. For the shorter barrel upwards of 5 gr might be useful. The Hornady swaged 90 gr .32 SWC was also sized to .310 and used over 3 gr of Bullseye for a very nice load. The Lee 314-90-SWC duplicates that bullet.

I came into a Ruger original run SS with 6 1/2" barrel in .32 H&R which is a much more pleasant carry revolver and duplicate those loads for the most part and they are a joy to shoot and deadly on small game and vermin. The Lee 90 gr SWC over 3 gr of Bullseye is my most used load. The Ruger .30 carbine was returned to it's owner with about 200 loads of the 313631 over 4.5 gr Unique. He found that load so pleasant and accurate he got a mould and decided to keep the Ruger. He still has it today.

Larry Gibson

[9.3X62AL]

Larry, you are a mindreader. The #313631 figured highly as a candidate for this application. Once you move it at 1100 FPS or faster in my 32 Magnum, it settles down and shoots well.

.310" seems like a "default setting" for sizing in these revos. Good to know.

As if the local jackrabbits and coyotes didn't already have sufficient cause to loathe my passage through their hideouts......

[Mavrick]

Larry-I've got to agree with you about Unique. I've sent a few over the screens, and done well. The accuracy has been as good as can be, after I started sizing to .310.
My velocities have been 1150 with 4.8 gr to 1175 with 5.0. The variation has hung around the 25fps mark, and I see that as hard to beat. Mostly I've been using CCI 400 primers, and the bullets I've used with these loads are Lee 90362 with 2-6-92...in other words, I added some antimony to WWs.
I like the boolits to be a little harder whenever I go over about 1000fps. I've cast some out of Linotype and sent them out at 1450+ with slower powders with as good accuracy. That's the "blaster" realm, though.
Most of the time I use Red Carnuba lube, unless I'm using the little 88gr RN .32Auto boolits, and then most of the time the lube is BAC.
I may get a .313" sizer to try out...could be interesting.
Have fun,
Gene

[missionary5155]

Good morning
A Nam helicopter "chief" made tanker at Ft. Hood had one while I was there. We tried real hard shooting up all the left over carbine ammo from our company armory. I can see him sitting on the turret top as we moved in column across the tank trails popping away at the wabbits. All I had was my rattle trap 1911....

[9.3X62AL]

Talk about an esoteric mould......RCBS had (and may still have) a SWC design nominally at .308" and 110 grains for the Ruger 30 Carbine revolver. It was a limited production item (I'll say), but there it was.

[Larry Gibson]

9.3X62AL

Larry, you are a mindreader. The #313631 figured highly as a candidate for this application. Once you move it at 1100 FPS or faster in my 32 Magnum, it settles down and shoots well.

.310" seems like a "default setting" for sizing in these revos. Good to know.

As if the local jackrabbits and coyotes didn't already have sufficient cause to loathe my passage through their hideouts......

That is a favorite bullet of mine in the .32 H&R also. I cast them really soft and HP them with the Forster 1/8" tool and at 1350 fps they do a creditable job or jacks, haven't tagged a 'yote yet with the revolver but it will happen one of these days. Now in a M1 Carbine with the same bullet cast of WWs + 2% at 1900 fps they do a real job on 'yote. The M1 Carbine with such has always been a favorite of mine to use on call in denser sage brush. Picture shows some loaded with a 15 round mag.

That bullet in the 30 Carbine Ruger is also deadly for all the same reasons with Unique at 1400 or so fps. I had to size .310 for the Ruger because a .311 sized bullet in a lot of milsurp cases would not chamber. I was not thrilled about reaming cases so I just went down another .001 and all was well.

Larry Gibson

[mtnman31]

I have a Taurus Raging Thirty. For those not familiar with it, it is a Raging Bull frame chambered for .30 Carbine. It has an eight round cylinder and a loooonng ten inch barrel. I can't really help you with cast loads as I have mostly fed the gun a diet of jacketed so far. It has shot all the jacketed well and I didn't have any problems with the few cast that I have put through it. I just like to brag about it because it is such a massive gun. If I ever had to confront a burglar or the likes, I'd hope to have the Raging Carbine handy. Even if it was empty it would surely scare the fool away, it is just an intimidating looking gun.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Raging_30.JPG

[Wally]

I've used the Lyman 311410 & the 311008 with great results...using HP-38, Unique , & Bullseye powders. Accurate and fun to shoot.

[Mavrick]

I was able to get out with some of those Herco loads. I used 6.2- 6.9gr with CCI 400s. The velocities varied from 1308 fps to 1330fps, average. I backed it down quite a bit because the Lee boolit seats into the case quite a ways, and doesn't leave a lot of room in the little case. The velocities were a little erratic, so I'll try a little more later.
I also sent some Li'l Gun and H110 downrange with velocities in the 1485-1495fps range and the results on paper were quite good. I'll try the same speeds with Herco, and see what happens.
Have fun,
Gene

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Using RCBS 120 grain RN, 14 grains 4227 and seated to the front of the first band, with a slight taper crimp. Blasty but accurate. Also with the same bullet, 5.0 grains of Unique is accurate and much quieter. LLS