30-30: .3095 bore

[jonp]

I just slugged my barrel with a .358 boolit. I lubed the barrel with kroil and rubbed a little sizing wax on the boolit and it went through with no problem. The problem is the barrel came out .3095. This would indicate a .311 boolit to me.

This seems a little large for a 30-30 but it is an old Sears Ted Williams so i'm sure is well used. The molds I'm finding for the 30-30 are .309. I've read a couple of threads on the 30-30 including a recent one but am wondering if .3095-.310 is common for a 30-30 and I am looking for a mold suggestion in .311 for this levergun. I found some Accurate molds that are .311 but am not sure about this. I want this for target right now and would like to stay around 150-160gr

[RickinTN]

My 70's Winchester 94 will take a .311 bullet. I think I'm correct in that most molds mass produced will have a hard time producing a .311 bullet. Tom's molds are excellent and any can be made to drop .311" or a little larger. I would suggest checking other dimensions such a throat diameter and freebore length before ordering your mold. I have the RCBS 30-150fp mold and I've not cast with it in a while. I don't remember if it will drop a .311" bullet or not, but if so would be a pretty good bullet for your application. My bullets run in the low 160 grain range from this mold.
Good Luck,
Rick

[Outpost75]

My old Winchester 1894 also needs a .311 bullet. The limiting factor is the diameter of the chamber neck, because some of these guns have chambers too tight to enable safely loading a cast bullet which "fits". Make a dummy cartridge with your chosen cast bullet and black the case neck and shoulder with a felt tip marker, chamber and extract the dummy. If the neck portion of the case shows rub marks or if you feel any resistance to chambering caused by a tight neck, you need to size your bullet enough to eliminate that interference, otherwise it could result in a dangerous pressure spike.

[Terrence Clarke]

I have a Marlin XLR 30-30 and its groove is .310, Tom at Accurate Molds made one for me at .312,in the catalog as 311-165DG ,all he did is make it bigger 312-165DG no extra cost you just say what size you want,hope this helps

[hornady308]

.3095 is not surprising. I have two older 94's, a Marlin and a 303 Savage. All of them work well with .310 bullets. As stated above, the neck diameter is often the limiting factor.

[dubber123]

My Savage 30-30 gets .312" boolits, so .311" isn"t out of the norm at all.

[Jupiter7]

Noe 311-165 RD.

[Screwbolts]

Another for the NOE 311-165 FN RD. Mine drop at .3115 with my WW alloy.

Ken

[jonp]

Excellent. Thanks

[runfiverun]

well you measured the barrel.
you need to know the throat and neck measurements.
a 312 boolit don't do you no good if you can't chamber it.

[jonp]

well you measured the barrel.
you need to know the throat and neck measurements.
a 312 boolit don't do you no good if you can't chamber it.

Next step = pound cast...patience runfiverun, I'm getting there

[CGT80]

I shoot an early 70's win 94 in 30-30. I am running an NOE Saeco 315 plain base mold. I size to 0.311" as well. I haven't tried to get groups with this gun. The boolits come out at 180 grains and I run them at 1300 fps with herco powder. I did manage to tie for first place in a 100 yard silhouette match. Those chickens at 100 yards are not the easiest to hit with stock sights.

I use the same boolit for my win 54 30-06 from 1926. 311 seems to be a pretty common size for lead boolits in 30 cal. 311 also works for my M1 30 carbine.

[Trinidad Bill]

I have just the opposite. Marlin 1893 manufactured in 1904, slugs at .304!

[blackthorn]

Just a thought-- was the boolit you used cast from pure lead, or have a small hole drilled through it? If not it could have had a bit of spring-back after being forced through the bore.

[Hurricane]

The description for a mold might say it is .309 but it will make a bullet .311. I size all my bullets for 30 caliber to .311 and all my 38 caliber for revolvers .360. If you try other sizes you might find other sizes that also work but why do that work when .311 and .360 work so good. I usually use half pure lead and half heel weights for bullets both revolver and rifle.

[Hurricane]

The description for a mold might say it is .309 but it will make a bullet .311. I size all my bullets for 30 caliber to .311 and all my 38 caliber for revolvers .360. If you try other sizes you might find other sizes that also work but why do that work when .311 and .360 work so good. I usually use half pure lead and half heel weights for bullets both revolver and rifle. Make up some dummy cartridges (no powder or primer--just case and bullet). If the cartridge feeds the bullet easily in and out the bullet is not to big. Lead is very soft and does not have pressure problems for a few thousands of an inch too much lead. Too small on the other hand will give you grief from the leading you will have in the barrel.

[9.3X62AL]

I have a new-to-me Marlin 336 in 30-30 WCF that was made in c. 1950 that awaits slugging by me. Its previous owner showed me targets it produced at 100 yards that promise some VERY IMPRESSIVE results with his loads and bullets, so it has a track record that I better live up to.

A Winchester 94 I've had for close to 30 years hails from c. 1980, toward the end of the 1894's "top-eject" era. Its throat is .309+, not quite .310", and grooves a fat .308". Lyman #311041 and #311291 sized at .310" have always shot well from it, and remain "30-30 accurate" to 2000 FPS. I would call it a "2-inch carbine" at 100 yards with both castings and with Sierra 170 flatpoints, the only redcoats I've run through the little rifle in any number. This Winchester was the first rifle I fired cast bullets through "seriously", and was certainly the first rifle I purchased with cast bullets as its primary fodder in mind. The 30-30 WCF certainly is a fine 30 caliber cast bullet chambering......perhaps the best ever. With the acquisition of this Marlin, I may now have a rifle that can do the caliber's intrinsic accuracy the justice it deserves.

[jonp]

Just a thought-- was the boolit you used cast from pure lead, or have a small hole drilled through it? If not it could have had a bit of spring-back after being forced through the bore.

Me? No, it was 50/50 coww-pb

[jonp]

Just a thought-- was the boolit you used cast from pure lead, or have a small hole drilled through it? If not it could have had a bit of spring-back after being forced through the bore.

Me? No, it was 50/50 coww-pb. I bought 3 lee .309 molds fr a member here 150,160 and 170 gr. I have not cast any yet and am hoping they cast a little large. Most of my other lee molds seem to

[mainiac]

I have an older 1948 336 marlin,that has a over size bore,,cant recall right now,but i think it is .311,,I settled on the noe 30-165,,and have had good luck with that.My only trouble is,i have to run neck turned brass in order to shoot these over sized boolits.Seems the old marlin has a very tight neck dia,,so i have to use neck turned brass.