speaking of 30-30

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Grizz
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speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

a kind of poll i suppose >
.
now that I have a 30-30 project in the contemplation stage, plus 40 rounds of *cough* store-bought unfired brass . . , i am on to shopping for reloading dies and ONE MOLD for casting the ONE LOAD for the trapper . . .,
.
the obvious, from your experience, if you were to pick one bullet for this 30-30 trapper, which one, and why?
.
I have round ball covered by the #1 Buck mold.

ONE projectile to cover the normal stuff. Designed to safely function in the Marlin's tube magazine. Other than that, what would you select as your one mold for casting ammo around the camp fire in a cave deep in some wilderness. Scratch that. Heh.

From brer bear stopper to brer squirrel harvester, what is your most versatile One Load?
.
thanks in advance, grizz sendz
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Grizz
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

P.S. I am planning this for a gift to son's ranch where he has deer and hogs for food stock, plus turkeys. Wait, 30-30 for turkeys? Doable with a head shot, or a squib load. The idea is that there is one gun that is always in the truck, and all the necessary maintenance and support equipment is in the office. A Ranch Kit.

thanks for looking,
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by 1894cfan »

My first choice would be RCBS 30-150-FN, wide flat nose that ought to work pretty well for deer and hogs and save a bit of lead over heavier bullets, and second choice would be Lyman 311041 173gr. Both gas checked. If you want something heavier, go with the RCBS 30-180-FN, made with L#2 it comes out at 195gr. Go with the RCBS 30/30 Cowboy die set, it's already set up for cast bullets. HTH
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OldWin
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by OldWin »

Mine is the Lyman 311141. It also has the hollow point pin.
I figure this covers me pretty good.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Sounds like a great project. Jim Taylor has written extensively on this topic and I think there are a couple of articles on this site.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Drawdown »

Good thread, I'm interested in the answers, cause I never did get onto cast, meant too, but always backed out!
But don't underestimate the 30-30 for turkeys, it's actually one of the best. I had 150gr Rem CL @ aprox 2200fps, but most any semi powerful 30wcf is well know in the SE.
The 22 Hornet is king, but it's needs the right expanding bullet. The 30wcf is just like Baby Bears Soup when it gets there with a soft Fn or RN.
I've got Henry E Davis book, the old probably most famous turkey hunter ever, from the swamps of S.Car in early 1900. That's mostly all he did was turkey hunt with a rifle.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Walt »

Good subject!

That RCBS 30-150-FN is probably an excellent all around cast bullet for .30-30. I don't have that mold but I plan to order one if I can find it. I have a Lyman 311291 mold (170 gr) which was apparently the original bullet loaded in the .30-30. It's a round nose design which would work great for turkeys while minimizing spoiled meat. That bullet ahead of 16.5 grains of 4227 for a velocity of 1500 fps shoots great in my Trapper.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Drawdown »

Walt, is that bullet available already poured-formed?
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Walt »

Drawdown, sorry but I just don't know. I have never really had a reason to find what's available commercially because I have the mold.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Walt »

Drawdown, I have spent the last hour online searching for custom cast bullet manufacturers who offer the Lyman 311291 bullets. I see your dilemma. They don't seem to be available, at least not the exact design with a round nose and gas check. I suspect some people might think that small round nose could be dangerous in a tubular magazine but as many rounds of that bullet that have been fired in model 94s, I seriously doubt it. I'll let you know if I come up with anything.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by 1894cfan »

OldWin, I think that mold has been discontinued. Closest I found was the 311041 173gr FN and the 311291 170gr RN which for me runs 180gr with L#2.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by 1894cfan »

Walt, Midwayusa has the RCBS 30-150-FN out of stock with backorder ok for $130. HTH
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Drawdown »

Thanks Walt, if you do just let me know! I started to go down the road of getting set up for casting my own about 2 years ago, but at my age and time, it just wouldn't be worth it. I considered some other cast bullets on market, but I just left it alone. But if I knew a specific good bullet and powder, I'd get the other stuff, give it a go. But if I don't, no big loss, I've got plenty guns, regular jacketed bullets to more than keep my spare time and hunting needs busy!
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Griff »

My favorite mold for the .30-30 is a Seaco 316, casts a flat nose 150 gr gas checked bullet, sized @ .309". I've had my best luck target shooting with this bullet over 27.5 grains of RE7, Winchester WLR primers in Federal brass. Best group was ¾" @ 200 yards from the bench off sandbags. My newest reloading manuals show that as exceeding max, but the older ones it is almost max.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Catshooter »

If I had to do it with ONE mould it'd be the 311041 (31141) for sure. Gotta have that flat point for any target with meat in it. Mine drop 183 grain bullets. Those over 18.5 grains of 2400 is a favorite and is good for about 2,000 feet. Mighty tough on squirrels though.

The second mould would be for squirrels and would be the 311008 (31108). Miine's 116 grains and over five grains of Red Dot it will do 1.5 inches at 100. It does take a while to get there! Very quiet and gentle. With a silencer it's spooky quiet. Runs about 1.000 or so feet.

Wonderful loads.
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OldWin
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by OldWin »

1894cfan wrote: Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:45 pm OldWin, I think that mold has been discontinued. Closest I found was the 311041 173gr FN and the 311291 170gr RN which for me runs 180gr with L#2.
Yes. I tend to forget that stuff. All my stuff is old as the hills. :D
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Sarge »

Drawdown wrote: Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:21 pm Walt, is that bullet available already poured-formed?
Try Ed at Maplewood Bullets. Been using him for years and I've never had a bad bullet from him.

http://maplewoodbullets.com/services/
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Drawdown »

Thanks Sarge I will look into them
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Walt »

Thanks,1894cfan:
I ordered one of the 30 caliber RCBS 150 gr molds last night from Midsouth Shooters Supply. It's on the way...$140 incl tax and shipping.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Walt »

Hey, Drawdown;

If you have any interest in a 170 bullet for .30-30 with a RNFP rather than a round nose, Oregon Trail has gas checked bullets in stock for $40/100.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Drawdown »

Thanks Walt, I'll look into those also!
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by 1894cfan »

Walt wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:53 pm Thanks,1894cfan:
I ordered one of the 30 caliber RCBS 150 gr molds last night from Midsouth Shooters Supply. It's on the way...$140 incl tax and shipping.
Hope you remembered the top punch! RCBS #546.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Walt »

Thanks for the reminder, 1894cfan.

I have dozens of top punches for my 50+ molds. The only one I can't seem to get is for a 325gr LBT WFN for my .454. I sent Veral Smith a check for it at the beginning of March and after 7 phone calls to him, I'm still waiting.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

I suppose I should get a baseline performance with the 150gr ammo I brought home from Academy, before shortening the barrel.

The irony is, I have a perfectly good trapper in 357, a Winchester 94 AE with the dreaded rebounding hammer and angle eject, which is a wash with the marlin side eject. The rebounding hammer is sort of an automatic half-cock, the slider "safety" is on the tang and doesn't impose itself . . . it was very happy dinging a 100 yard gong with 125gr loads, but I haven't shot it since. . . The trigger pull is itself a built in safety, but dry-fire doesn't move the bead from the aim point, so it's do-able, probably fixable. . .

BUT, it's not a 30-30. The Marlin will never be light and trim the way the 94 is, and the 94 will never shoot 30 cal like the Marlin. Time to get some trigger time as a preliminary inquiry.

In looking over the myriad molds and boolits, I am drawn to the 170Gr flat nose, even though I have 180Gr 357 loads, so it seems like skimping. The 113Gr .30 looks like an interesting plinker and close in small stuff round, with a heavier one for, say mooses and grizzes and ornery bulls and whatever else shows up.

My deer hunting experience ranges from 25-20 thru 338 WM to 45/70, with a big long pause at 44Mag, which seemed absolutely perfect for our needs. But'Cept seemed puny around the big teddy bears that sized us up for dinner from time to time . . .
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by BigSky56 »

Grizz , I use a 173gr hcfngc pushed by 24.3gr of aa 5744. It's a accurate arms manual load online. Pushing 2200 fps, I wouldn't flinch from dealing with a brownie with a 30-30 and that load. danny
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Grizz
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

BigSky56 wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:02 pm Grizz , I use a 173gr hcfngc pushed by 24.3gr of aa 5744. It's a accurate arms manual load online. Pushing 2200 fps, I wouldn't flinch from dealing with a brownie with a 30-30 and that load. danny
Thanks Danny, that's good info and backs my hunch about that round. My son's 30-30 prefers the 170s to the 150s.

Time to hit the woods when the cool spell arrives . . .

grizz
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by JMick »

Have you looked into the Ranch Dog 165gr?
I have only read about it , NOE sells the mold and had pretty good info on it.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

JMick wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:48 pm Have you looked into the Ranch Dog 165gr?
I have only read about it , NOE sells the mold and had pretty good info on it.
thanks i will look into it
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Drawdown »

I'm going to look into getting probably the 170g RNFP, if not another this winter. I'm busy now hunting, everything else. But I'll give em go, be ready this spring to try em!
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by JDL »

NOE has a copy of Lyman's 311291 and 311041, 311-173-RN, and 311-184-FN respectively. If I didn't already have the 291, 041, and RCBS 30-180FN I'd send a check immediately if not sooner. I have a friend who has several of his molds and all are top notch! Heck, I think I just talked myself in getting a copy of Ranch Dog's mold anyway. :wink: Nothing like a new mold to cheer one up! :D
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by piller »

Not a lot of experience with the .30-30, although mine has shown that it likes the Oregon Trail 170 grain bullets. I could probably get a thousand of their bullets and never need any more ever. They are now called LaserCast. 170 grain RNFP and not gas checked. Now sold by 400 count.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

I'm considering that. Save the cost of the mold and casting and sizing and lubing and. It's what I did with my hunting ammo, bought cast bullets outright.
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Re: speaking of 30-30

Post by Grizz »

New Marlin in Brown!

Trolling a backup drive I stumbled on a photo by Marshall Stanton showing off his Marlin conversion to trapper rifle. This looks like a good pattern to start with:
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Finished_Trapper_Detail.jpg
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I think about making the mag tube one round longer, and I've thought about shortening the forearm about 4 inches, and giving it a bulk reduction in line with winchester forearms, which might make the proportions better to my eye. That would put the band at the fore end of the rear sight. . . And then an inch off of the butt and a thin recoil pad to keep the gun upright when parked on the deck and leaned up against the stove . . . LOTS of variations possible.



I hope Marshall and his family are all OK . . .
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