Has anyone got a favorite mold for a 30/30? A friend is wanting to start casting for his rifles. He has a Savage bolt acting and a Marlin 336. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Pavementends
Has anyone got a favorite mold for a 30/30? A friend is wanting to start casting for his rifles. He has a Savage bolt acting and a Marlin 336. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Pavementends
If cost is an issue and one is a bolt gun, the Lee RNGC 160 not only shoots well in my 30/30 as well as one of my 308's. The Lee flat nose 170 or 150's also shoot well in my lever gun. They are a good way to get started until your friend gets really hooked and starts checking out the many outstanding molds from NOE, Accurate, and Mihec.
I have the Lee 150 and 170 grain molds, both are excellent.
I'm having good luck with the Lee 170 gr flat point with a Hornady gas check over 7.5 grs of unique for a .30-30 load.
When I first got started in reloading, I bought a lee C-309-170 fp. After some "beagling" I got it to drop at .311 and shot it with good results. I have since bought a Ranch Dog 170 FP with larger meplat and a better hunting round. Both are gas checked and shot over 2400 or RE 7 at hunting velocities.
Lee C309-170 F It's a gas checked bullet with a nice flat nose. Works extremely well in levers and 30-30
Hick: Iron sights!
I also like the lee c 190-170 fp sized to .311
Bullet fit is the important part. Find out the throat and groove diameters of the rifles and size bullets to match.
I'm with several of the guys above- Lee 170 RFN. Casts around 182gr with ACWW. With 28gr of IMR 3031 and a CCI-200 it gets to just above 1900 fps in my 336. Consistently groups just over an inch for 5 shots at 100 yards. If that won't kill what you're hunting- you probably shouldn't be shooting it with a .30-30.
Going to grab another if they ever become available again....
John
Thanks guys, this gives us a starting place. Now if the molds become available again!
The Lee 309-170 GCFN works just dandy.
Attachment 280345 Attachment 280346 Attachment 280347
lee makes two for the 30-30, basically copies of Lyman's legendary 311041, the 150 grain flat point and the 170 grain. they both work great.
+1 for the 170gn flat nose.
sweet projectile.
good luck!
WebMonkey
Retired 19D
Psalm 91:9
Honda 919
The Lee 150 gr. FP mold was the very first mold I bought back in the late 60's. It has accounted for countless hogs and goats and still casts great today.
Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!
Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!
I had the 150 grain Lee and the nose was too fat for most of my rifles. The 170 has been just perfect. I size 'em to .310 with RCBS 80008 or LLA and load over 17 grains of the dearly departed IMR 4759. Gets around 1650 fps out of my Winchesters and is as accurate as anything else I have tried. Lately I have been experimenting with this boolit sans gas check and Unique. 8 grains shoots quite well but the POI is really low!
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |