RCBS 30-150 Cowboy. Its a plain base design thaylt shoots well in my 30-30's both Winchesters and Marlins (micro grooves)
RCBS 30-150 Cowboy. Its a plain base design thaylt shoots well in my 30-30's both Winchesters and Marlins (micro grooves)
I got him talked into Lee’s C309-170-F with Sage gas checks.
So the above Lee 170 grain gas check mold seated where the crimping groove is located won’t chamber as the micro groove rifling is engaging the forward ogive of the bullet. Sure seems odd that a design for the 30-30 can’t be seated in the crimping groove where intended? Out of spec mold? I’ll tell him to call Lee and see what they say.
if you can find one, 311440.
https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet...bullet=31-150L
Last edited by Jeff Michel; 04-27-2024 at 08:47 PM.
“Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
― Mark Twain
W8SOB
My C309-150-F engraves rifling too. The lever closes just fine and the boolits don’t pull if I want to unload it without firing.
”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn
My Straight Shooters thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-shooter
The Pewter Pictures and Hallmarks thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-hallmarks
Engaging the rifling is a good thing if it doesn't interfere with the bolt closing or removing a loaded round. It contributes to accuracy.
Good Luck,
Rick
Griff
NRA Patron
SASS Endowment/Life
CMSA Life
I just took possession of one of the new Ruger 336SBL’s. I’ve only had it to the range for one trip and have only tried a few starting loads. This is the NOE 312-151-RN, powder coated & sized to .311.
I can feel some slight resistance closing the lever, and quite a bit extracting the unfired round. I’ll try a few more traditionally lubed, and some with good old Alox. The first rounds showed promise, accuracy wise. But I’m concerned about chamber pressure. If other-than-powder coated bullets don’t chamber/extract easier, I’m going to abandon trying to pair this bullet with this rifle.
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]326174[/ATTACH This is with the Hunter Supply 165 grain bullet, but there are molds available for it, too. Marlin 336, Micro Groove barrel.
Edit to add:
310 diameter
Last edited by scattershot; 05-03-2024 at 10:22 AM. Reason: Added info
"Experience is a series of non-fatal mistakes"
Disarming is a mistake free people only get to make once...
I don't think there is any worry about chamber pressure from the engraving in your picture. Lead, even hard alloys are soft. If you were talking about then same situation with a jacketed bullet then there would probably be reason for concern but then again a jacketed bullet wouldn't chamber if it were the same diameter on the nose. Of course, as always, start with a reasonable powder charge and work up or down as indicated. In a 30-30 and a Marlin lever rifle if you actually see any traditional pressure signs you are well over the strength capabilities of the rifle.
Good Luck,
Rick
My friend's 336 does well with my handloads using the Lyman 31141 sized to .310, lubed with White Label 50/50, and loaded at full pressure. We shot some on paper, and I don't remember specifically the group size, but it was acceptable and in line with the factory ammo we shot.
My experience with the microgroove Marlin 336 is that both .309 and .311 sized boolits shoot acceptably. However, I had less leading with the 311 boolits. Likely because the width minimized blowby. The other thing I would recommend is to take a boolit or soft fishing weight and swage the barrel to find the actual groove diameter. Then go .001 over that.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. -Psalm 91:1
I have found that with Microgroove® 30 caliber barrels if a bullet that is 0.310" or 0.311" it will shoot more accurately than a smaller diameter bullet.
The 303 British with bore diameters of 0.314 have taught me that I should always be a minimum of 0.002" over bore diameter, and more diameter does not hurt unless the case neck is too large to chamber
My 9.3x57 has a very slender (tight) chamber neck and I have to reduce neck thickness to allow 0.368" bullets to seat without the neck being "sticky" Without thinning the neck i am limited to 0.367" max and slightly larger groups than the 0.368" sized bullet. 0.366" bullets that match bore diameter shoot a 2" group at 50 meters, 0.368" shoot a 1.25" group at 100 meters.
Years ago I read a statement by one of the pioneer cast bullet shooters - he wrote " the best cast bullet sizer is the throat of the rifle barrel." So far he has been right.
I have shot "as cast" powder coated bullets in my 303 MkIII martini that were 0.318" and they gave great groups. In the same gun 0.314" bullets would whiz down the range - spinning end for end and would key hole in a pattern at 50 meters.
Go now and pour yourself a hot one...
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 |