Lee Soupcan in .30-30

[Beaverhunter2]

Did some testing in my 24F .30-30/12 gauge. Shot the Lee 309-113-F PC in Federal brass with CCI-200s sized to .311". Shot 9gr. of Unique with and without gas checks. 50yds with the GC got 1 1/4" and without the check just a bit over an inch. This load chronographed at 1563fps. The other loads were 18.0gr and 20.0gr of 2400. 18.0gr shot close to 2". 20.0gr was a winner at 3/4". This one averaged 2330fps with no leading. (ACWW)

Anyone ever shot a deer with this bullet? I have a good load with the Lee 170 and the RCBS 180FN but this feels a good dual purpose load.

Be safe!

John

[Landy88]

I like your Soupcan loads and am impressed with that one at 2330 with such good accuracy and no leading. I'd find it hard to use such a light bullet on deer, though; and, especially, with your good 180FN load as a ready to use option.

[barrabruce]

I use the same no gas check as cast unsized Lee soup can with 3 grains bullseye and a nap of Dacron.
Lrp in unsized cases. Finger lubed with soft lube.
shoots very very well in my 30-30.
My small game 32-20 load.
Easy on the shoulders and ears and above all accurate and cheap.

[trapper9260]

I will need to try this load in my 30-30 Marlin see how it gose. Have some use for this load .I got the mold and casting already .

[Wilderness]

I currently use Lyman #311576HP, 115 gns with gas check, cast of hard alloy, in .30-30. Previously I used the Soup Can.

"Hard alloy" is 3 parts Hardball to one of Lino, non-lead about 10%. Formulation was arrived at for 175 gn HP cast bullets on pigs, but works equally well with the 115 gn HP bullets. The hardness is there to control the expansion of the HP bullets.

My .30-30 load is 12 gns Unique for about 1950 fps. This load is heavy enough to bring the rifle to zero at 50 m when zeroed for full throttle stuff at 150. If necessary I can adjust the load to fine tune this zero. Groups are in the 2"+ range at 50 m, which is the price I accept for the complementary zero. I use this load for finishing, or for a not-so-noisy kill. This load is a surprisingly good killer, and what is left of the bullet after the nose blows off quite often exits the pig. It is also deadly on dogs.

I have likewise used these loads in .308. The 12 gn load also puts the .308 on the button at 50 m when zeroed for the good stuff at 150. Accuracy is better in .308, so uses can extend to decapitating rabbits.

Your 2400 load could no doubt be adjusted to synchronise zeros with your heavier loads.

Deer? I have no idea, but lack of penetration is unlikely to be a problem if the alloy is hard, though lack of destruction might be. In any case if you load for the complementary zero you will be able to use the real thing on the deer anyway.

[MT Gianni]

We had a member years back that shot a deer with that bullet. It died. Whitetail can range in weight from 90 to almost 300 lbs. A blanket yes or know is probably based on the posters region. I would shoot a deer with that combo if I could be assured I could place it in the ear hole. i would pass if I couldn't.

[Texas by God]

I use it in .30 carbine sized @.309" and yes, I would use it for deer at close range. It doesn't feed through my Mauser 30-30 or Springfield 30-40 Krag sadly, but it is a neat little bullet.
I'm fixing to cast up some to try them PC'd in the Carbine. I've only used LLA so far for it.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[FredBuddy]

Years ago, long before I started casting, I got
an Ideal 3118 mould in a box of stuff. I've been
using it in some 30-30's, powder coated with
Unique and Trail Boss and have killed some
of the local varmints with it.

Maybe I should step up those flat base 3118's
with some 2400. 1800fps would be nice.

Here I thought I was done finding "The Load"
for 7 different 30-30's................

[Char-Gar]

Some years back, we did an early group buy of a six hole Lee Soupcan.