.30-30 loads with 165gn RNFP Hawksebury River Blackhawkes

[hunta270]

G'day from Australia

I've just purchased a Rossi Rio Grande stainless in .30-30 for hunting, target shooting and most importantly metallic silouette! I intend to use jacketed projectiles for hunting but was not sure if my range allowed them for silouette. because of this i went ahead on the recommendation given to me by other shooters and purchased 500 165gn hard cast ( teflon???) coated RNFP ( no gas check! ) projectiles could anyone please suggest some loads i can use preferably with the AUS made ADI powders or their hogden equivelants?

I have a large supply of AR2208 ( varget ) on hand, that i use for other cartidges and was suggested a starting load of 27gn behind the 165gn projectile but i think this may drive this bullet to fast and cause bad leading please correct me if i'm wrong though as i have no experience with loading cast bullets

any suggestions will be greatly appreciated thanks

[Shandy]

I'm not expert on reloading but I just shot the same bullets out of my 94 Winchester today at steel silhouettes using loads suggested by deadeye dave.

10grs of Trailboss made a pleasant load with minimal recoil and shot well if i could hold steady enough. Wails the first three targets with no problems. Success on rams should be ok too from other reports, its just I can't hit the things. Took down a few rams with it in the match, but I couldn't reliably hit the ba$tards as they kept moving and dodging out of the way. Slippery bleater's. Hit the swinger plenty of times.

But this load looks to be shooting pretty good so far but it's all I have tried. I shot probably a hundred rounds of it today and can't see too many reasons to change at this point. If I start ringing rams I'll do something about it but I'll persist with this for the time being. Makes a cheap load too.

[fwt1712]

Hi JD,

it sounds like you had a good go with the new 30-30.

Mine isn't here yet, but my dies turned up from Sinclairs this week so I can get to reloading now.

Did you flare the cases before seating the Hawkesburys, or is their coating tough enough to seat straight into the case.

I'm hopeful that a decent chamfer should allow them to load without shaving, as it will save another step in the press.

Also, how did the 357 go - I think Andy mentioned that the pills we used may have been a bit too wadcutter-ish i.e. wandery at distance.

cheers,
Nigel.

[daisy]

My Marlin wouldn't shoot them so a mate got some cheap pills. Looks like it's jacketed for me.

[w30wcf]

hunta270

G'Day from America! Based on my experiience with plain based bullets in the .30-30, powders similar in burning rate to 4227 would likely give the best results. 12.5 -14 grs has worked very well.

27 grs of Varget would be aok with a gas checked bullet but way too much with a plain based. What can be done, though, is to use PSB (plastic shot buffer) as a gas check between the Varget and the bullet. AFter placing the powder charge in the cartridger (reduce recommended charge by 15% since the PSB reduces the case capacity) add enough PSB so that the bullet will compress it by about 1/4".
NOTE: Do not use PSB with powders faster than 3031.

Have fun.

w30wcf

[hunta270]

I did have to flare the cases as they shaved a fair bit without... i dont have a flaring die or anything flash like that:) i just used a round pointed tent peg (crude i know) and the back of a small axe (even more crude lol couldn't find a hammer:)!!!) and just gave a few taps and all good no shaving...

i was suggested a load from somewhere in the area of 12-17gns of AR2205 ( sorry dont know american equivilent ) so i just started with 15gn and went to it i was told a little square of tissue paper to help hold the charge against the primer would be good so i did that too. accuracy was quite acceptable and even managed to knock over a few silouettes... although finer sights and much much more practice will improve my scores i was very happy with the performance of my new rifle:)

[deadeye dave]

Hunta 270,

Mate, as Shandy said I load with 10 grains trailboss, which nearly fills the case and I don't have to frig about with packers and tissue paper, which is by the way only good for drying those tears away when you miss.

I use 150 grain Lee mould cast projectiles for chickens, pigs and turkeys then I use 165 grain Hawks for the rams, with this load there are not many animals still standing if I do my part.

Forget stuffing about with thousands of loads and take the plunge and get on the wagon with trailboss, incidently I use this powder for my 32.20, 357, 30.30 and 45.70 and I am very happy with the results.

NIgel,

I slightly flare all my cases that are having lead projectiles inserted in them, I thought this was a well known common practice.

cheers

deadeye

[hunta270]

yeah i've heard good reports about trail boss so i should give it a go. as for the tissue paper i forgot to put it in about 20 or so rounds and they performed equally well so i wont bother with that anymore, very tedious and time consuming practice that is... i think ill use up the AR2205 that i bought as i wont use it in any other rifles, then get trail boss and use that. ill use 165grainers for everything so i dont have to change sight settings too much.

[fwt1712]

Thanks Dave,

I was trying to get away with an extra step because the Hawkesburys look to have pretty tough lube and was hoping that a decent chamfer would be enough to get them started ok. I agree that plain lead would be something that would be no chance from needing flaring.

see you tomorrow (air rifle),
Nigel.