What powder for 30 Carbine?

[ebb]

I looked at the Nosler and Hodgdon reloading data center and found that I have nothing that is suitable for my wife's M1. I had some 2400 but a friend wanted to load for his 44mag rifle, and i gave it to him. I was hoping to have something loaded so she can shoot it for her birthday. Any ideas? My powders run towards the slower side or are pistol powders.

[Outpost75]

H110, 296, 4227 all work and data is plentiful.

[ShooterAZ]

VV N110, H110, W296, 4227, and 2400 in that order (for me anyway). All five will work well, but I've had the best accuracy and consistency from VV N110 in the 30 Carbine. YMMV

[stubshaft]

H110, 296, 4227 all work and data is plentiful.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he said, with the addition of 2400;

[Barry54]

Accurate No. 9
4100
Lil’Gun
Enforcer

Were on the Hodgdon data center as well.

[15meter]

And now for something completely different:

Alcan 8.

I stumbled across some load data in, I believe, Sierra #2. I was thumbing through the manual last Wednesday while swapping tall tales at the club and found the data.

And I have Alcan 8 that needs to become gunsmoke.

Got Alcan?

[challenger_i]

Alcan #8 is also listed in the Lyman manual dated 1978.

[Rockindaddy]

Winchester 680 ball powder was originally loaded in the 30 M1 carbine. At one time I had over 200 pounds of it at $3 / lb. Probably have 50 or so left. Have given a bunch away over the years after it was surplus. Win 680 ball works great in 22 Hornet, 7.92x33mm Kurtz and even 50-70 Govt. but really shines in 30 M1 Carbine. The listing now shows it as 1680 ball powder. McPhearson's reloading manual has good listings. My 44 Colt Annaconda likes 16.5 grs of 680 ball with 300 gr cast boolits.

[Rapier]

Most manuals advise against cast bullets in a carbine. With the 30 Carbine and cast bullets, you should expand the case mouth, then seat the bulllet, then taper or profile crimp the case mouth only back to straight as separate stations.

The 30 carbine head-spaces on the case mouth, so if you shave lead and that lead collects on the case mouth, the lead will then buildup in the chamber's mouth, upon loading, this can result in a cartridge firing out of battery.

When a carbine fires out of battery it does bad things to the little carbine, like blowing the bolt lugs, extractor, etc.

After the event, discovered that cleaning all lead buildup from the case mouth after reloading, eliminated the possibility, when combined with regular barrel cleaning and there was no reason not to use cast. Contraty to the manuals admonitions not to use cast.

[rmb721]

I use a Lyman 311410 bullet with 12 grains of IMR-4227.

[Larry Gibson]

I've been loading cast bullets for use in M1/M2 Carbines since '67. I have shot thousands of rounds of reloads using a couple PB'd cast bullets but settled on GC'd cast bullets as giving the best accuracy when equaling jacketed bullets performance both velocity and accuracy wise. I've used all the above mentioned powders, including Alcan 8, and found numerous yeas ago that H110 gave the best performance across the bullet spectrum from 90 gr up to 120 gr.

[gwpercle]

I see the following listed in the RCBS Manual #1 :
imr 4227 , imr 4198 , 296 , H110 , 2400 and sr 4759 ...
and good old Unique if you have some squirreled away !

I bet Accurate #7 and / or Accurate #9 would also work in the slow powder category .
Gary

[TNsailorman]

I agree with Larry. I shot the M1 Carbine from the early 60's thru the 80's before I let an old fellow vet talk me out of it for sentimental reason on his part. I used mostly 2400 and H110 and found H110 to be slightly better. Cast boolits are not a problem with the little M1. I found them to be quite accurate at 100 yards. my experience anyway. james

[georgerkahn]

I am on same page as most all responders. Having a few different M1 Carbines, I also was "a-scared" to cast/shoot lead. However, a range buddy (now deceased) turned me about vis this, with his using hard-cast gas checked round nose slugs, powered by H110. I cast/sized/gc'd 200, but only have shot fifty. No ftf; no leading! If we ever should get a below-85*F day, and I can make it to range -- shooting these from a Quality Hardware carbine is #1 on my t-do list!

[Larry Gibson]

"If we ever should get a below-85*F day,"

I'm probably not going to see one of those until October, perhaps November.......been running 110 to 123 the last few weeks. Does get down to the mid to high 90s at night......

[dale2242]

Geez Larry, I hope that you have a good AC.
I`ve been whiney about 100-102.
I`ve heard that 296/H110 was developed for the M1 carbine.
I bought an 8# jug of WC 820 which is supposed to be M1 carbine pull down.

[jimb16]

I use a Lyman 130 gr. rn in my carbines (all 11 of them) I use H110, 2400 or 4227, depending on which one is most accessible from my powder cabinet. I usually have the bullet PCed, but not always. I do not get any leading. I have had more than 40 carbines over the years including a registered M2. I shot cast in all of them. Out of all of those, I've had exactly 1 that had a problem with leading. I think it had a rough edge on the gas port that caused the gas cylinder to clog up. NONE of the others ever had any problem with cast bullets of any appropriate size from 90 gr to 130 gr, gas checked or plain base.

[paknheat]

I used H-110 for my load for .30 Carbine.

I was shooting it in a Ruger Blackhawk and not a carbine.


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[georgerkahn]

I used H-110 for my load for .30 Carbine.

I was shooting it in a Ruger Blackhawk and not a carbine.


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I, too, have a .30 carbine chambered Ruger Black-hawk, and -- I did not mention -- the H110 load was suggested to me for shooting in this revolver. H110 works well in the handgun, too, albeit it (to me ) gives new definition to LOUD!!! when fired in it! My initial loading for the Ruger used 2400, but I did not wish to add stress in keeping the loadings separated/marked, so I shot up all the 2400 loads. They worked, too, and even maybe a tad not as loud? But, again, the H110 load works in both. In a major load book, my loadings are 2nd from lowest for the carbine. I do use military primers, too, and have yet (knock wood) to have a ftf.
geo

[Texas by God]

When I started loading .30 Carbine; I tried W296 because I had it for my .41 Magnum.
It worked so well I’ve never tried any other powder for full tilt loads- except for H110 which is the same.
I have used Unique for mild cast loads- using it as a straight pull bolt action.


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