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Posted: 9/4/2011 6:25:49 AM EDT
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Hey Guys-
My brother-in-law has asked me to reload his 30-30 brass. He said "do what you need". So, I got dies and I am looking for some recipes for hunting loads that you guys have. I am loading for his lever action 30-30, can't remember the model right now, but it is a standard 30-30. FYI: I have BL-C(2), H335, Varget, Benchmark, and some W760 at my disposal. Also looking for bullets that have worked well for your loads. I know I need to load for his gun, but I would like some info about what works for you. Since they are hunting loads, not looking for super-duper, 1/2" at 100yds with 20 rounds loads, but economical and can hit a pie plate at 100-150yds for deer hunting. Thank you |
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Bullet choices are pretty good for 30-30 reloading. Any of them are more than adequate for deer. Most cost effective bullets are the Remington Core-loct if you can find them in bulk / surplus. My personal favorite is the Sierra GameKing in 150 gr. Nosler makes a Partition for the 30-30. The 30-06 with a partition is my go-to elk load. Partition in a 30-30 is probably a little overboard. Winchester has bullets for the 30-30. I've only used their factory ammo, no complaints. I've got a hankering to try the new Hornady flextip bullets. When I use up the hundreds of 30-30 rounds I have loaded up, this will be my next experiment. Barnes also has a triple shock for the 30-30, but again, probably overkill. As for powders, any of the powders you mentioned will work. I would stick with either the Varget or BLC2; I've gotten the best accuracy with Varget. Remember to use a good crimp; this is for a tube magazine. Good luck, and let us know how it works for you. |
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I have been reloading 30-30 for a Win Model 94 since 1978. If a Marlin it will be a Model 336, doesn't matter either way.
The trick is to trim all of your cases the same length I trim to 2.029, the "trim to" length. 
I always seat bullets and crimp in separate dies, but if you seat and crimp in the same die case length is critical. You will crush the necks on long cases otherwise. 
I use a Lee FCD, factory crimp die, shown in the tray with seated bullet rounds that need to be crimped. Seat bullets to mid cannelure, and the OAL will be good. I have tried many powders, but settled on BLC2 and 150 gr bullets. Any LR primer or case will do. I separate my brass by headstamp. Some pics from my last batch of 30-30, 
Gathering up components. 
Sized and delubed. Tumbled off lube in plain corn cob. 
Cases primed. 
After dropping powder, checking all case for the same level of powder fill. 
Seating bullets. 
Crimped round on top. Uncrimped round on bottom. 
Finished. |
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Quoted:
I have been reloading 30-30 for a Win Model 94 since 1978. If a Marlin it will be a Model 336, doesn't matter either way. The trick is to trim all of your cases the same length I trim to 2.029, the "trim to" length. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB080601.jpg I always seat bullets and crimp in separate dies, but if you seat and crimp in the same die case length is critical. You will crush the necks on long cases otherwise. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB090607.jpg I use a Lee FCD, factory crimp die, shown in the tray with seated bullet rounds that need to be crimped. Seat bullets to mid cannelure, and the OAL will be good. I have tried many powders, but settled on BLC2 and 150 gr bullets. Any LR primer or case will do. I separate my brass by headstamp. Some pics from my last batch of 30-30, http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB060599.jpg Gathering up components. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB060600.jpg Sized and delubed. Tumbled off lube in plain corn cob. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB090605.jpg Cases primed. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB090608.jpg After dropping powder, checking all case for the same level of powder fill. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB090606.jpg Seating bullets. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB090609.jpg Crimped round on top. Uncrimped round on bottom. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/30-30/PB090616.jpg Finished. WOW! your good! |
| Thanks for the info, guys. I am cleaning, de-priming, resizing and doing case prep right now. I am using Lee Dies with a Lee FCD. All have seemed to be easy to re-size. Sounds like anything in the 150gr category will be sufficient. Think I will try BL-C(2) first as I have a pound that I have not opened yet. |
, but love hardcast in 45LC 
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Quoted:
I just searched for a reloading checklist, similar to the one dryflash has in his pics, and couldn't find one. I'm I searching in vain, or has it been posted/discussed before? Yes, but it's been awhile. I just made my own. 
Had to have a way to keep track of brass prep for each batch. |
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The 30-30 is and excellent caliber that lends itself well to low velocity plinking and small game loads or factory velocity loads using cast bullet for larger game hunting.
I cast my own bullets using the Lee .309 170 gr. RNFP for my Sav. 30-30 pump gun,I shoot two loads with that bullet design. 1. Wheel Weight alloy air cooled BHN 12 shot as cast from the mould no sizing,two light coats of Lee Alox/JPW tumble lube,no gas check with 7 to 8 grs. of Alliant Red Dot,Win. LR primer and no filler. It's a great plinking and small game load,muzzle velocity runs around 1250 fps. it's like shoot a big fat 22 rf and cost me about 8 cents per rd. to produce. Similar loads can be assembled using Unique,SR4756,Bullseye,TiteGroup or W231/HP38 powders. For these low pressure load you can just neck size the case and bump the shoulder back. 2. For my personal hunting load I use a bullet cast from a 30 to 1 Lead/Tin alloy BHN 9,plain old air cooled wheel weight alloy can also be used. I apply one very light coat of Alox/JPW Tumble lube and gas check is applied with the Lee .311 push through sizer my 30-30 likes a little fatter bullet. Second coat I ranch dip the bullet in the liquefied Alox/JPW lube to fill the lube grooves and set on wax paper and let dry overnight. Then I push the bullet back through the sizer gas check first which compresses the lube into the grooves and keep any lube from building up on the bullet nose. I use 28.0 grs. not a MAX load of H335 for a muzzle velocity of 1900+ fps. Similar results can be obtained using powders like Reloader#7,Alliant 2400,IMR-3031 & 4895. These loads using the gas checks H335 combo cost me about 16 cent each to produce. If you don't cast there are several options available Missouri Bullets makes a nice 165 gr.plain base RNFP,Oregon Trail sells a nice 165 & 170 gr. RNFP bullet that you can apply your own gas check to on a as needed basis.the Lee .311 push through sizer will work fine for applying the gas checks to the OT bullets there cast bullets measure .310 right out of the box. For loading cast bullets in the 30-30 you will need to use the Lee Universal flaring die to flair the case mouth slightly so as not to shave lead off the bullet as its being seated,it's basically the same procedure as loading for pistol ammo. I also found it much easier seating the cast bullets in the 30-30 case by to replace the standard .308 expander ball RCBS die or expander rod Lee dies with a .311 expand ball or rod. This still gives you about .002 neck tension on the bullet,I use the built in roll crimp on the bullet seater die to crimp the cast bullet in the provided crimp groove. Accuracy is as good or better in most cases than any factory load and the plinker small game loads are an excellent choice for economical shooting or recoil sensitive individuals. 30-30 load with the Lee 170 gr. RNFP gas check bullet. 
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Quoted: I just searched for a reloading checklist, similar to the one dryflash has in his pics, and couldn't find one. I'm I searching in vain, or has it been posted/discussed before? I liked it, too. I made one available here. It's an MS Word file so you can modify it to suit yourself. Looks like this:  |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I just searched for a reloading checklist, similar to the one dryflash has in his pics, and couldn't find one. I'm I searching in vain, or has it been posted/discussed before? I liked it, too. I made one available here. It's an MS Word file so you can modify it to suit yourself. Awesome. Thank you. |
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Quoted: Nice job Scott_R. Just modify the form to suit yourself. Last time I modified mine, I added a wet tumbled block. On my form the Unknown block indicates the cases are range pickups. So unknown number of firings, note to self - don't use for max loads. Thanks, dryflash3. I just write UNK on Fired x to indicate Range pickups. I hope to add a wet tumble block to mine eventually.
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| I decided to go with the Hornady 150gr Interlocks. They were cheaper and for what my B-I-L is going to do with them, seemed to be the best fit. I was looking at the Flex Tips, but the warnings about tubular magazines and imagining him jamming shells into the gun as fast as he could made me nervous. |
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Quoted:
I decided to go with the Hornady 150gr Interlocks. They were cheaper and for what my B-I-L is going to do with them, seemed to be the best fit. I was looking at the Flex Tips, but the warnings about tubular magazines and imagining him jamming shells into the gun as fast as he could made me nervous. The Hornady 150gr Interlock a good bullet. The FX bullets was made for a tubular magazine. However you need to trim the cases shorter than normal and need a special seating stem to use with Hornady dies to keep from marring the bullet when seating. I have a buddy gearing up to load them. He already had Hornady dies. |
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Be sure to get the rifle so you can make sure the loaded ammo will cycle through the chamber and action okay. Shoot some of it, too. Yeah, 10-4. I am only going to load 20-30 for right now and take them out to his place to make sure the recipe is good and that they cycle. Using once fired federal cases with 36gr of BL-C(2) and CCI LR Primers. Medium powder charge from the Hornady 8th Edition. |
| Not trying to scare you but you might want to start lower than 36 with ballc2.Check more than one manual for that info.I've seen 36 grains blow primers and put a serious ring on 30/30 cases.It might not in some rifles but look it up and start lower.I wound up using 34.3 grains.in one rifle and that was all it could stand.I know that the max is 38 grains in some books but... |
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Quoted:
Not trying to scare you but you might want to start lower than 36 with ballc2.Check more than one manual for that info.I've seen 36 grains blow primers and put a serious ring on 30/30 cases.It might not in some rifles but look it up and start lower.I wound up using 34.3 grains.in one rifle and that was all it could stand.I know that the max is 38 grains in some books but... Will do, thank you. In the Hornady, it looked like a medium load (8th edition shows 33.3-38.9gr range). For Hodgdon's site info, it is getting near max, but for the 150gr Flat Point, there is only a 4gr difference (33-37gr). With that warning, I'll make a few at 36gr and drop down to 34gr & 35gr. Making 10 each and working up during testing hould help. |
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