Very light 30-30 loads...

[Jason]

I was reading the "Light 30-30 loads" thread below and it got me to thinking. Before you say "uh oh, here we go again" let me go ahead and say this idea is fairly harmless, or at least that's the goal. I was thinking that if I load my 30-30 light enough, I could practice with it on my pistol cartridge ram swinger that's made out of 3/8” thick A36 steel. Anyone got some really light loads that are cheap, shoot cleanly, and won't destroy a target like that at 100 meters?

[glen ring]

Jason
I use a 150 grain RCBS cast bullet and load out of the lyman reloading manual using unique powder. This is a very light load for my wife's 30-30 and seems to be about a 2 inch load at 100yards out of her Micro-groove 30-30 Marlin.

[Jason]

Do you mean cast with an RCBS mold? I don't have any bullet casting gear and don't have room for any with all the other loads of stuff I have for shooting silhouette. I was hoping for something using pre-made bullets. It's nice to hear that the lead bullet works in the Micro-groove barrel, though, as my 30-30 is a Micro-groove Marlin also.

[jnyork]

I use the Lasercast bullets with 14 grains of 4198. Doesnt even scratch the targets, plenty accurate.

[Jason]

Wow! Only $57.25 for 500 bullets, including shipping!

http://www.laser-cast.com/30Cal.html

Do you use the 165 or 170-grain bullet? What velocity does 14 grains of 4198 give you? Like I said above, I have a Micro-groove Marlin. Can you push either of those bullets fast enough to shoot rams with them without leading the barrel up? I can imagine going through a LOT of those bullets. Do you load them using standard 30-30 dies? I think I'm just going to pick up a Lee Deluxe Die set and call it good. It's not like I need to try for half-minute or better groups for cowboy targets.

[the ex pom]

Jason, i've used lead bullets with great success in my micro grooved marlin for years. The load I use is 13.5grains Imr 4227 with a 180grain bullet. This load doesn't damage even the closest targets and knocks the full size rams over. The same load works with any weight projectile down to about 150 but you may get a few rams stand with the lighter projectiles

[Jason]

I'm getting more and more intrigued by using cast bullets for matches as well as practice, especially those Laser Cast bullets. How much velocity would I need at the muzzle on a 170-grain cast bullet with a ballistic coefficient of approximately .210 to reliably knock down the 200m rams? Anyone got a guess at required momentum to topple a ram? They're the same targets we use in highpower so would require the same momentum, right? Also, I'm assuming the recoil from these loads would be more of a push like my muzzleloader than the kick I currently have with the higher-velocity jacketed bullet loads that I'm using now. Is that correct? The thought of only having one load for all of the animals in a match is very inviting. With Unique powder (10 grains or less per shot) and those cheap Laser Cast bullets, I would be shooting cheap, too. It would only be around 17 cents a shot.

[glen ring]

Jason

I went by the Lyman reloading manual for my charge of unique with the RCBS mold casting the bullet with wheel weights. I used Lee lube with no gas check ( un-sized bullet ) and I found that this bullet was by far the most accurate in my wife's 30-30 Marlin. I would guess that the velocity is around 1200 fps. I have tried several other cast and jacketed bullets in her gun, and this RCBS bullet was the only one that would group under three or four inches at 100 yards. I use the min. Load that Lyman manual shows of unique Powder. I suspect that this will probably leave a few rams standing, but she will enjoy shooting the load and is only now a "B" class shooter. I use RCBS dies,ad an old Rockchucker press, but had to purchase a LEE unversal case mouth expanding die to open the case up more to accept the Cast Bullet without shaving lead.

I use Lasercast bullets in my 38-55 and it seems to like them pretty well.

I ask for wheel weights at tire shops and have a lee bottom pour pot. I cast the bullets in the RCBS mold, let them cool, coat them with Lee Bullet lube, and load them after they dry. I'm trying to use one powder for all my shooting ( Unique) and for light loads in Rifles, Med. Loads in handguns and loads for my .28 guage shotgun, this powder has always been a favorite of mine.

This is a very cheap way to load for our rifles and my handguns. The initial investment of equipment seems like a lot, but I find it very satisfying to mold, lube, load and then shoot a good group with bullets I have cast.

You might check with Midway usa to see if there is a sale on bullet casting equipment. A good scale is a must have item, along with a good reloading manual.

[Jason]

Thanks, Glen. It's as much a lack of room as the cost of casting equipment that makes me not want to get started with it. It's also a desire to stay married after buying that Chargemaster powder dispenser and scale combo and a couple hundred bucks worth of components for the other rifles (bullets are crazy expensive now).

I think I might hold off on buying the cast bullets and Unique powder for now, too. I have a few pounds of Varget and still have most of the boxes of 100/110, 130, and 150-grain bullets I bought a couple years ago to set up for cowboy lever action silhouette. If I do start using cast bullets, I'll probably start with some of the Laser Cast bullets as a first step. Good to know that I might need to pick up that extra die to open the case mouths up for cast bullets. I've already got the Lee factory crimp die and the Lee deluxe die set should be here in the next few days. I'm sure trying to load different bullets with that seater won't be nearly as precise as my micrometer dies, but a couple marks on the die and some notes on which mark is for which bullets should be good enough for cowboy silhouette. I'm not sure how well my 50-year-old well-used hunting rifle would shoot no matter how great the ammo is anyway. It put 3 shots into 3/4" center-to-center at 75yds when I confirmed the sight settings for hunting and only took one shot to perform an impromptu heart surgery on the deer that was unfortunate enough to walk out 72yds away from me. Can't ask much more than that from a good old 30-30.

[Another Dang 9]

Honadys load book shows a 110 gr RN bullet load. I think speer does too. The bullet is a 30 carbine bullet but its a .308 just like the 30/30 I have not yet tried it but the bullets are on order...and waiting...and waiting. does anyone have any thought on that load?

[timfinle]

A friend of mine used the 110 grainers in the past. After loosing some rams, he now uses 125 grainers and is much happier with all the rams falling (so far). Very light recoil from the 110's and 125's.

[Another Dang 9]

I would only use the 110's on the chickens. 130's or 150's on pigs and turkeys and 170's on the rams. I've have faqctory 170 gr winchesters not drop the rams!