My Go to 30/30 cast load.

[braddock]

I read up on CE Harris's cast bullets for and there were two gems in there for me, the first was that he uses 30/30 for practice often, for a couple of valid reasons and the second was the load - 16 grains of 2400.
168 grn cast 309 boolit..jpg There's an image around here of the actual boolit I use, it's a commercial one and weighs 168 grains with a Sage Outdoors plain based alloy gas check on the, umm, plain base. I seat the boolit into the cannelure. The boolits are marketed as 30/30 fodder.
First up let me tell you what it won't do, in my hands it won't shoot moa in my 1958 Winchester mod 94 carbine, it won't go faster than 1750 fps and it won't shoot very flat past 150 yards.
What it will do is shoot 2", 50 yard groups all day long in comfort, little recoil and the noise is moderate. Velocity measured with my dodgy magnetospeed sporter.
I'm down to my last 6 ounces of 2400 so about enough for 150 loads left, what I do have is a full kilogram of Vv N110 so last night I loaded up 39 (it was all the primers left after my earlier reload session.
Today I shot 20 loads of 2400 and 25 loads of N110, both 16 grains. The N110 were on average about 20 fps faster than the 2400, sds were similar, tbh I don't worry over much about that. Not much to choose accuracy wise if you factor in I'm 81 years old and not a very practised marksman.
target 1.jpgtarget 2.jpgtarget3.jpg
I shot these groups rapid fire and the barrel was very hot at the end of each run, I also wasted about 20 rounds shooting up coke cans.
So there you go a nice mild load for real old men and young grandkids, just what the doctor ordered.
Should have mentioned I just fitted a side mounted 1x4 scope on and had to wind that in a bit to get it to shoot at the point of aim. FWIW I'm trying to get it to print 1" to the right of poa as that's how much the scope is offset.

[Pereira]

I've never tried 2400 in the 30-30, or N110 in anything, but that is some good info.
With a cast 170 to 173, I use Unique or Red dot.
I will give it a try next time I load some.

RP

[schutzen-jager]

6.5 grains of red dot under 160 grain hard cast, alox lubed gc bullet - found red dot more economical then 2400 with better accuracy -

[braddock]

One other thing I should have said it doesn't do - lead. The barrel is clean as a whistle after more than 100 cast boolits through it recently since the last jacketed one reached out.
Pereira, since you're experienced in quick burning powders, you'll know all about safe working practices to avoid a double charge of powder which has a really adverse effect on barrels, actions, fingers and eyes.
Here's the link to CE Harris's info :- https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...Rifles-Article

[marvelshooter]

If you've got any Titegroup or High Gun try 7 grains under your 160 grain cast boolits.

[braddock]

S-jager, accuracy is in the eye of the beholder, I just want a gun that will pop a bullet into a 5" ring at 100 yards which is about all I can shoot anyhows.
Red dot is like rocking horse crap in the UK, I'm quite happy with either 2400 or N110 as I have never experienced any ignition issues which have been known to affect the really fast powders in larger cases.
FWIW I use the same load and boolit in my Browning BLR 308, most of my range shooting is sub 100 yards and these loads hack it for me and I don't have a huge variety of powders in my inventory which, for me, is real good.
When I go after bigger stuff, I use 160 grain ftx and HLVR in the 30/30 and for the 308, Barnes 130 grn TSX, 140 grn NPB monos or 180 grn psp cup and core PMC using Vv single base powders.

[braddock]

Marvelshooter, I have, for me, a winning formula, why would I want to change?
What works for you, works for you just as mine works for me.
FWIW I have some titegroup but lack the bravery to start down a rabbit hole that deep. It does for 38 sp loads for me.
As I mentioned in my previous post small charges of very fast burning powder in bigger cases can have some unforeseen results, particularly ignition issues.
My next rabbit hole is substituting the Lee 150/309 gc molded boolit for the one I'm currently using with 14 grains of N110 behind it.
These loads are documented in Lyman's Cast Bullet handbook 4th Edition for the 30/30 - no mention of titegroup there btw.

[popper]

Unique worked OK for GC in the 30/30, 2400 was better for PB. 170 & 185 gr cast.

[Pirate69]

Marvelshooter, I have, for me, a winning formula, why would I want to change?
What works for you, works for you just as mine works for me.
FWIW I have some titegroup but lack the bravery to start down a rabbit hole that deep. It does for 38 sp loads for me.
As I mentioned in my previous post small charges of very fast burning powder in bigger cases can have some unforeseen results, particularly ignition issues.
My next rabbit hole is substituting the Lee 150/309 gc molded boolit for the one I'm currently using with 14 grains of N110 behind it.
These loads are documented in Lyman's Cast Bullet handbook 4th Edition for the 30/30 - no mention of titegroup there btw.

I think it was merely a suggestion on the part of Marvelshooter.

[Barry54]

Marvelshooter, I have, for me, a winning formula, why would I want to change?
What works for you, works for you just as mine works for me.
FWIW I have some titegroup but lack the bravery to start down a rabbit hole that deep. It does for 38 sp loads for me.
As I mentioned in my previous post small charges of very fast burning powder in bigger cases can have some unforeseen results, particularly ignition issues.
My next rabbit hole is substituting the Lee 150/309 gc molded boolit for the one I'm currently using with 14 grains of N110 behind it.
These loads are documented in Lyman's Cast Bullet handbook 4th Edition for the 30/30 - no mention of titegroup there btw.

IMG_9020.jpg

I was thinking about starting a thread on TiteGroup in the 30-30, but I guess here is just as good of a place as any. This is data from the Hodgdon website.

[rintinglen]

My favorite 30-30 load is the 312-440 design over 17.5 grains of 2400. It shoots very well in my 1953 Winchester with mild recoil and 2-3" groups at 100 yards on days when I can see the sights, an inch or so bigger when things get blurry.

I would love to get my hands on that darned leprechaun that keeps covering my front sight with wool when I'm trying to shoot.

[dale2242]

My 30-30 is a 14" Contender barrel.
I bought it specifically to shoot cast.
10 gr. Unique with 311291.
It shoots great.

[imashooter2]

I’ve been using 16 grains of 2400 under the Lee C308-150-F for many years. In my Marlin it is as accurate as any factory or jacketed load I have tried which is to say 2 3/4 inches average for 5 shot groups at 100 yards. I am fortunate to have picked up a couple more 8 pound jugs last October and have enough to last me a good long time.

[braddock]

imashooter2 is your marlin microgroove or ballard rifled?
Nearby there's an image of three of the boolits I shoot, one on the left goes through my BLR 308 with 10 grains of universal unfortunately it was never very accurate so I don't use it any more, the middle one is a lovely commercial offering, cast as a plain base 165 FN for 30/30 I use it in my mod 94 and also in my my BLR 3038 it's surprisingly accurate in that gun, same load18 grains of VV N110 gets about 1800 fps in the 94, 1700 in the blr.
Finally a recent addition a boat tail polymer coated boolit that I tested in my BLR and promptly decided that's it, 16 grains of 2400 and it groups very well indeed as long as I do my bit.
They are all commercial boolits and the plain based ones have Sage outdoors aluminum gas checks crimped on, I do all my casting outside and the weather's been unpredictable lately but I have 3 molds to knock out some replacements, 145 grain modded mold, 150 LEE and 170 LEE I like the boolits outa that one too.
309 cast boolits 122 165 175 grains.jpg

[hylander]

I also like about 16.0 of 2400
However, I like 19.0 of 4198 a bit better.
But I'm running low, so I think I'll start using 2400 again and try unique as I have a bunch.

[hylander]

My 30-30 is a 14" Contender barrel.
I bought it specifically to shoot cast.
10 gr. Unique with 311291.
It shoots great.

How is the recoil in the pistol?

[Cujo665]

One other thing I should have said it doesn't do - lead. The barrel is clean as a whistle after more than 100 cast boolits through it recently since the last jacketed one reached out.
Pereira, since you're experienced in quick burning powders, you'll know all about safe working practices to avoid a double charge of powder which has a really adverse effect on barrels, actions, fingers and eyes.
Here's the link to CE Harris's info :- https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...Rifles-Article

What lube you running?

[Cujo665]

IMG_9020.jpg

I was thinking about starting a thread on TiteGroup in the 30-30, but I guess here is just as good of a place as any. This is data from the Hodgdon website.

At 7.4 grains a jug will make 4x as many cartridges as the IMR-3031 I’ve been using at 27.4 grains

[dtknowles]

I sold my M94 years ago. You should never sell a gun unless you have too, you will always regret it. Anyway, I have a H&R Topper in 30-30, I shoot a similar Lyman bullet, I think it is spec'd at 172 gr. but it is the same shape and is a gas check mold. No it does not shoot MOA or even close but it is a great gun for shooting offhand at the steel plates at 100 yards with iron sights. I loaded it with Red Dot then Green Dot, I might try another powder when my loaded ammo runs out. I don't hit the plates every time offhand but when I miss I shoot from sitting and confirm I can still hit the steel. I think 30-30 is a great cast bullet cartridge.
TEK

[K43]

It's interesting to see what people outside the US are doing. We tend to forget there are powders here that aren't mainstream overseas. Gives me food for thought.