.30 Carbine 120gn cast data

Going to be reloading for my wife's .30 carbine so she can afford to go out in the field and shoot more.

I've got a couple thousand 120gn lead (We've shot cast lead in this for 20 yrs without a problem) along with some new brass.

Problem I've got is that the only reloading supply store in this are has no H110 and is unlikely to get any anytime soon. The last time I looked they had no W296 either which seems to be the other common powder used with the .30 carbine.

I'm looking for alternate common powder loads (min-max) for 120gn cast if anyone has some in that range.

We're honestly not that concerned with accuracy issues since she practices strictly short range defensive shooting or just shoots for fun.

If I have a min-max range I'm sure I can find a load in there that will provide reliable functioning.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Unique, Herco, and 2400 are the first to come to mind. In fact, I'd pick one of them over H110/W296 for cast.

I used to load 311465's using IMR4227. I don't know how "common" that powder tho.

I"ve always used 2400 powder in the 30 carbine, but I do used a 130 gr RN cast slug.

Dick

The following will do;

2400; 11 - 12.5
#9; 11 - 12.5
4227 (either IMR or H); 11 - 13

Larry Gibson

Fitzwaryn,

Welcome to the forum. Get yourself the Lyman Reloading Handbook. Your bullet shouldn't be that different between the 115 grain 311359 and the 130 grain 311410. Both listed therein. I am partial to IMR-4227. Its a real pleasant shooter in the M1 30 Carbine.

Good shooting,

Nobody has mentioned Lil' Gun or VV N110 yet. Those work too. Ramshot also has one that is about right, but I am not sure of the name now.

Ditto on 2400. In fact, that's all I load in 30 carbine, both jacketed and cast.

My father uses the 2400 for our M1's

I had an M1 carbine for a few years and shot hundreds of RCBS 115 gr RN's. Best load was with IMR4227.

15gr of lil gun or 13.5gr of Accurate 4100 works well in my carbines using the rcbs 115gr cast.

Using 120 grain bullets, there are many different powders that work well. I use 4227. The idea charge is supposed to be 14 grains, but it is hard to get that amount into the case so you will probably have to go with around 12.5-13. Use a slight taper crimp and keep the case lengths uniform. LLS

Accurate #9 works well also.
If you can locate any WC820 this was the original powder for the carbine.

I shot a zillion 311008s with 2400 in mine before I got tired of picking them up and retired it.

2400 in NZ too...

I've been using 13 grains of 4227 with the Lee C309-120 RN and it shoots quite well in 2 Carbines and one Ruger SBH. Frank

...........Add another to the list of4227 users. I have a Ruger BH in that flavor and use 12.0 grs.

...............Buckshot

Haven't done the cast just yet in mine, but have burned many pounds of 2400, and a few of AA-9 using various J-loads.

To be honest, until I was in my mid to late teens, early-80's I had never used anything else BUT 2400. Just all pop ever had around, so thats what we used since I started shooting them around age 5.

4227 works in mine as does 2400. I prefer the 130 grain 311410 as there are no gas checks to buy, makes for a very inexpesive plinking round.

Just curious, has anyone tried the Lee Soup Can in a M1 carbine?

Ken

Accurate # 9 would be my pick if W296 and H110 are not available.

Hello to all.
I am using a Lee C309-113-F (number 90362 on the Lee catalog) with a Pat Marlin GC and I would to reload with the VV N110 but i dont find any data for this powder. Can anyone help me?
The gun is a .30M1 carbine by Saginaw.
Thanks in advance.
Nino

Hello to all.
Nobody reply???
Nino

Iwottopq, although I could not locate data for that specific boolit, I did find comparable data in the Lyman #49. First of all, the burn rate for N110 is right in the neighborhood of other powders listed for use in the 30 Carbine. As with any project, start light and work to a reliable load, checking pressure etc. having dispensed with the legal-eze, here's what I found:

115gr N110 10 grains 1635 fps 31,300 CUP to 11.3 grains 1754 fps 39,700
130gr N110 10 grains 1659 fps 29,700 CUP to 11.3 grains 1684 fps 38,500

Same charges for two different boolit styles yet the heavier boolit went faster with less pressure. Since the spread on the powder charges is only about %10 I would work from the bottom at 1/10th grain intervals. Oh ya, the manual listed the 10 grain charge as the load with the most potential for accuracy for both boolits.

I personally use 4227 as it works well for me. I have done a lot of reading on various sites, such as this one, and consider them as reference material but prefer to see data from the factory or from a published reloading data. Vihtavuori doesn't list that boolit or weight and lists heavier charges for a 110 grain bullet. Lots of folks like N110, I just don't have any personal experience with that powder. Call me a stick in the mud, I stick to 3 pr 4 powders and that's about it. Frank

Hello to all.
Dear Frank, thanks for your help.
Just yesterday I shoot 25 loads composed by 10,5 grs of N110 on the 113 grs GC LEE boolits and its seems work well. Tha velocity was 496 m/s, the recoil very low with a good precision. At 100 meters the shoots were in a 12-15 cm diameter circle.
With the FMJ 110 grs tha charge was 11,8 grs.
Thanks again for your help.
Ciao
Nino

Seems I'm late to respond I also use VV N110 110gr fmj I used the Lee dipper it charges around 12gr. Around 1700+ fts,

I just posted my results with Power Pistol using 5-6grains.
I think that a tuned load could use powders outside the 2400/H110 window, but you should do lots of reading about the pressures achieved before trying new stuff.
I would bet that even Titegroup could be made to work (seems to work in everything else), but thats WAY out of spec for the M1 carbine.

I prefer IMR 4227 for my mild cast .30 carbine loads plinking loads.

If I want maximum loads and velocity, I use W296/H110, but I never load light charges when using W296 or H110.

I have also used AA#9 and A2400 in .30 carbine hand loads. There is nothing wrong with using any of those powders really.

I have my chronograph notes on hand for a FPS baseline using 110 grain J-word bullets fired through a .30 carbine pistol using all 4 powders.

Chronograph data is for .30 carbine pistol, using 110 grain jacketed bullets.
Fired through a 6.5 inch length barrel, using CCI small rifle primers.
Test pistol is an AMT Automag III. (Not a revolver barrel)

13.1 grains of Alliant 2400 = average FPS of 1522
12.8 grains of Accurate #9 = average FPS of 1564
14.2 grains of IMR 4227 = average FPS of 1487
15.4 grains of W296 = average FPS of 1611

I have not personally used N110... However the Lyman Cast Handbook #4 does show N110 as the designated potentially most accurate loading for .30 carbine.

Source Lyman Cast Handbook #4:

115gr Lyman #311359 (#2 Alloy) 1.635 OAL
N110 10 grains 1635 fps 31,300 CUP to 11.3 grains 1754 fps 39,700 CUP.

and

130gr Lyman #311410 (#2 Alloy) 1.680 OAL
N110 10 grains 1659 fps 29,700 CUP to 11.2 grains 1768 fps 38,500 CUP.

I rarely see Vihtavuori powders on the shelf around my parts. When I do see them, they are pretty expensive. Consequently, I do not get to play around with them very often.

I like a plinking load of 12.4 grains of IMR 4227, behind a cast 110-120 grain boolit, tumble lubed in LLA, or 45-45-10.



- Bullwolf

For the Lyman 311359 GC @ 115 gr, I use AA-9. Very accurate at 25 yd plinking range using 10 gr AA-9.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fitzwaryn

Going to be reloading for my wife's .30 carbine so she can afford to go out in the field and shoot more.

I've got a couple thousand 120gn lead (We've shot cast lead in this for 20 yrs without a problem) along with some new brass.

Problem I've got is that the only reloading supply store in this are has no H110 and is unlikely to get any anytime soon. The last time I looked they had no W296 either which seems to be the other common powder used with the .30 carbine.

I'm looking for alternate common powder loads (min-max) for 120gn cast if anyone has some in that range.

We're honestly not that concerned with accuracy issues since she practices strictly short range defensive shooting or just shoots for fun.

If I have a min-max range I'm sure I can find a load in there that will provide reliable functioning.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

---

AA # 9 .

I have used Unique . Had to go with the published max load to get my Inland to cycle .

I think my cousin uses WC 680 which is said to be simular to AA # 1680 ?

God bless
Wyr

Hello to all.
I use 10.5 grs of VV N-110 with a Lee 110 (113 as drop out) GC boolit. The velocity is about 520 m/s (meter per second).
It work very well and no leading in the barrel or in the gas cilinder.
Ciao
Nino

Hello to all.
Sorry. Mistaken the velocity. It was about 490 m/s!!!
Sorry again.
Ciao
Nino