hard-hitter for 30-30?

[MacGregor]

anyone got a recommendation for a good 180+ grain 30-30 mold? .308 or .309?
will be for a levergun, so rounded, flat, or HP preferable...

thanks!

[Junior1942]

Yep, the RCBS 30-180-FN gas check, double cavity. The BC = .255. Mine w/lube and gas check and in ww alloy weigh 195 grs. Push it with Varget to 1850 to 1900 fps in a Model 94 30-30, and it's like a lead freight train.

[SharpsShooter]

I will second Junior's opinion. I have the same mould that has been reamed to make it a plain base. It weighs196.4 grains. You can run the gas check version at higher velocities than my plain base, but at 1600fps it will develop 1028 ft-lbs at the muzzle and is still over 900 ft-lbs at 100yds. That's not too bad IMHO

[onceabull]

MacG: fine mould recommendation,as is Saeco's #307, which might not throw quite as heavy,; with either, heat softened front end with assure some exp. at realistic range( or can be HP/ed with one of the post cast devices)(as in Forster,and competitors) Enjoy, Onceabull

[MacGregor]

will look into that, thanks guys.... any thoughts on lyman 311041?

[jh45gun]

The Ideal or lyman 311407 is what I was going to suggest. Of course ya got to find one first. I have one and that is what I plan to use for my 30/30 cast loading. 180 grains or so gas checked I suppose heavier depending on your alloy and has a nice flat tip what is not to like. What ever you decide if it is for hunting make sure it has a flat tip. The round tips go right on through with out expanding. Not a problem with the flat tips.

[Junior1942]

will look into that, thanks guys.... any thoughts on lyman 311041?

Yep, it's a dandy bullet for 30-30. Mine RTL weigh 178 grs.

[Bret4207]

WIth the RCBS 180 FN I can duplicate the factory 303 Savage load- 190 @ 1950fps in both the 30WCF and Savage 303. The 303 Savage had a reputation as a better killer than the 30WCF back in the day. Good boolit.

[Larry Gibson]

WIth the RCBS 180 FN I can duplicate the factory 303 Savage load- 190 @ 1950fps in both the 30WCF and Savage 303. The 303 Savage had a reputation as a better killer than the 30WCF back in the day. Good boolit.

I will vote for the 311041 also. I've had a HP mold for some years. Early experience showed the Lyman HP stem made the hollow too deep and the bullet broke apart early in deer not giving proper expansion. I shortened the stem a little at a time and have found a hollow .17" deep gives very good expansion and weight retntion. I use either an alloy of 9 1/2 lbs WWs and 1/2 lb 50-50 solder or an alloy of straight magnum shot for hunting bullets. The WW/solder bullets are air cooled and the magnum shot bullets are water quenched out of the mould. I shoot them at .311" and use Hornady GCs and Javelina lube.

With either alloy my mould casts 177 gr bullets. I push them at 1990 fps with 30 gr H4895 in my M94 carbine. They are deer killing bullets extrodinaire! A friend killed a couple deer and feral goats with them out of a .308 Win M99 Savage at 2150 fps - very impressive results!

Tpr.Bret is correct about the rep of the old .303 Savage. It was built on the 190 gr RN Silvertip Winchester ammo. The 190 Silvertips also make excellent hunting bullets for the 30-30 if you can find them. I have 90 left and it is my bullet of choice for the 30-30 in the dense coastal rain forrest when hunting elk. I have a safe load that pushes them at 2040 fps.

However, back to cast bullets, don't over look the 311041. Even in the non HP form it has a proven track record that is how many years old? 311921 has hit the century mark being first made in 1905 and the 31141 was to far behind it. Having been in use that long says something for 311041.

Larry Gibson

[JDL]

Like others have said, the RCBS is a fine mold and my perference now, but there's nothing wrong with the 31141(041) that I used for years. -JDL

[Paul B]

I'm surprised no one hasn't said more about Lyman's #311291.It's not a bad deer bullet. Of the 17 deer I have taken with cast in the 30-30, 15 were taken with #311291. The other two were taken with the RCBS #30-180-FN. I have never had much good luck with Lyman's #31141/311041. At first, I thought it was the mold, so I bought another. Same thing, no such luck. I got an NEI mold that cast the same style bullet. It's so close that they look like peas in a pod. It also doesn't shoot worth a damn for me. I do believe I like the RCBS bullet a like better as it seems to thump deer a bit harder than the #311291. Whether it's the flatter nose of the RCBS bullet or just the added weight that does it, or a combination of the two, I just know that that bullet works.
I did give Jethrow Strait some of the 31141s i had cast up and he said they shot just fine in the rifle he used them in. I figure it's just my guns don't like that bullet. YMMV. I did just pick up another 30-30 rifle so I'll probably give them a try in the new gun.
Paul B.

[drinks]

The Lee 170F, 180R and my choice, the C309-200-R are very good bullets.
I am running the 200gr at 2000fps in my '99. .303 Savage, actually beats the factory 190gr RN , that actually does 1880fps in my 20"barreled carbine.
I have never recovered one, even with 24"of wet paper, so do not know what the expansion is, but the ground behind the box was covered in confetti.