How do I get to 550 yards with a 30-30

[barrabruce]

trade it for a 300 Win, Mag

laaalaaa 70-80 grns of powder ....Ohh My Gourd...... .... I need a lie down.....how much powder?......Arrrghh.... ..... I feel a bit wheezy....

[iomskp]

Good evening Bruce after driving back from Mission Beach last night I don't think you will be going to the range for a while.

[dverna]

I admire your courage and dedication to the quest. That is a long shot with the caliber you are using and a challenge even with the "right" caliber if you want to use cast bullets. Casting/sorting/weighing accurate bullets is not something I have high on my "fun" list.

One thought to ponder....why not try the game first with single loaded 175 gr SMK's (or other "good" bullet)? You will learn a lot by shooting a "good" bullet while wading through the muck of developing a cast load. If you cannot get a jacketed bullet to work, cast will be a waste of time and resources.

Another thing to consider, if you are not shooting 2 moa or less at 100 yards with cast now, 550 yards will just get tougher. So, developing the skill set to cast good bullets (which BTW I do not have and why I mention it) is needed before worrying about bullet type, loads or sight issues.

[gwpercle]

Practice Boy ...Practice ... Lot's of Practice... at 600 yards !

Riflemen are made , a few have some innate God given talent for accurate shooting but that's just to build on . I could always shoot but to get really good I had to spend hours and hours every month practicing shooting small groups ... no easy way to do it you just have to hone your triggernometry and wind doping skills .
Gary

[charlie b]

.......One thought to ponder....why not try the game first with single loaded 175 gr SMK's (or other "good" bullet)? You will learn a lot by shooting a "good" bullet while wading through the muck of developing a cast load. If you cannot get a jacketed bullet to work, cast will be a waste of time and resources.

This is what I did. Use a good quality jacketed bullet at a decent velocity and see how well you do at 500 first. When you and your rifle do well with better bullets, then try cast at that range.

[barrabruce]

My gun won’t shoot jacketed bullets well at all.
I think it’s to do with it being over specs; more into 309 than anything.
I read they made mine out of reject MG barrells that we’re going to get chrome bores.
I could be wrong but it seemed logical at the time.
I usually stay within 1.5 moa at most at 100yrds.
Handspan at 300 metres.
So I figure about 24" at 500m.
I have the mold I need to just shoot it a bit faster for easy elevation adjustments.
I shall see.
It may take some time and I might take a powder thrower with me to up the charge in a ladder test.

[charlie b]

Saw this the other day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyGabMeRlnU

[barrabruce]

Nice they had a drone as seeing device.
That was good shooting.
I may start off with something like a big road sign and work my way down.

[koger]

Go to Youtube, search, Sagebrush Longshots. They have a lot of long range shooting with cast bullets and Unique powder load.

[country gent]

I shot 308 and 223 5.56 out to 600 yds in high power actually 308 out to 1000 yds. While these were duplication loads of match ammo 168 at 2650 and 80 at 2700 They did the job well and performed well. Even the 45-70 at black powder levels 500 grn at 1200 fps will get you to 1000+. Trajectories are amazing and the bullets are at an angle to the face of the target. Its not so much what you shoot but how well you shoot it.

On a side note I started with a 300 in mag shooting 190 SMKs at 2900 fps for 1000 yds didnt take ong to realize recoil was going to make it a long day.

[barrabruce]

Good evening Bruce after driving back from Mission Beach last night I don't think you will be going to the range for a while.

Well I think you could be right.
I finally got a few bullets cast and went to the range.
Things look promising from initial testing of ladder test at 50 yards.
The place has turned into a duck swamp as the wet has arrived and more rain to follow.
Could be awhile before things dry out enough to get to the 500.

[Garyshome]

No place around here to shoot that far. Unfortunately.

[GooseGestapo]

I think you’ll find 550yds no problem.
I used the Lee 170gr FNGC at an estimated b.c. Of .240 At 2,200fps

With a 200yd zero, 550yd -come up is 28.2 moa; 167.2” come up. 8.2mil.
With a tang sight or rifle vernier rear sight, easily doable.
Remember, compared to the .45/70, or .45/90 black powder cartridges, the .30/30 was a flat shooting wonder for a few years. That is till spitzer bullets made their appearance circa 1898.

My .30/30’s really like cast bullets over Reloader15.

[Bill*B]

God bless you, and good luck! I'm trying to make my 50 yard groups presentable.

[Beaverhunter2]

Stalk

No kidding! LMAO

[Rodfac]

Hike in to 100 yds and let 'em have it! Rod

[William Yanda]

A heavy boat-tailled bullet launched fast and elevated.

I was thinking with lots of velocity and adequate elevation. Modify that to lots of momentum to include weight of the projectile.

I am curious about the back story. Why this distance for this caliber?

[barrabruce]

Well the background story.
Hmmm
Several thousands 5 maybe rounds ago I got into paper patching and trying to get to the 580 yard gong.
I had no luck with gas checks for accuracy with any alloy I would call suitable to shoot anything with.
It was a more of a personal challenge.
Full throttle loads of 32gns 2206h and a patched loverin 150 grns to 2100fps would fly to around 400 or so yards then whizz off into the scrub.
I finally cracked it one day by using a milder load of 15.8 2205. Powder for @1600 fps with the same bullets.
I was giving a young shooter a crack at a 30-30 with a 150 rn subsonics.
He was doing me at a coke can at 100yrds.
So I taught him about elevation and follow through with the same load at 300 yard gong.
We started with some paper patched 1600fps loads and were doing good at that gong as well.

A couple of wallabies hopped out near the backstop at 580 yards.
And I cranked the scope and took a shot at the 580 gong off hand.
Somehow hoping it would move them on.
Wow hit the gong.
Then 3or 4 more times after that.

I had forgot about that till recently.

Thought I’d try it again with the Pb pope bullet.
I have moved on a bit since last I have done it and just use as cast boolits finger lubed schutzen type loading being lazy and all.
No case prep and all that muck.

My throat is now 0.304" were it was once 0.302"
I tried a few pp but it’s not like it used to be.
I have honed out my sizer to 304 and I have a few to test for short range accuracy.

So I haven’t been just idol.
Did a ladder test on the pope bullet and I should hopefully get out there at 1200 fps.

But if I really have to admit it
Just to spite some people and because I can

Ps..
It took me some thinking to remember actually doing it and how I done it before.


Bruce

[barrabruce]

Well I did it I think.
Hit the gong that is at 500.

But........ no conformation of a bullet recovery. Splash of lead That’s all.

I took a powder thrower to the range and it’s set up to roughly some amount.
I think it could be close to 1200 fps from a 300mtre gong hit come ups.
I went to 500 and finally after a few hope full settings saw a splash just under the gong.
Couple more and got a ting coming back.
Whoohoo.
But the splash I saw could have been a rogue bullet.
Haven’t seen another one.

Well I could be within the general area now.
When I can get a day to shoot the 300 yard gong more I’ll have a bit more hard data to -lay with.
Life is hard with out a barren wall of dirt to send off impact positions.
Ha.
Felt like it was 4 seconds to hear the ring no visual.

[smithnframe]

Aim high!