30-06 ...ultra light bullet

[JonB]

So, in the "Super Hard Bullet Recipe"thread,
RBHarter said...
<<A person asked the other day something about down loading a magnum of one sort of another to make it more range friendly . With good powder and bullet choices it's not hard to get a 460 Weatherby down to a really angry 45 ACP / Colts or a 264 WM down to 250 Savage or less , I said .
If in doubt about your intentions or skills buy the heavy mag and shoot shorts , specials , or 308 family levels over your chronograph . Easy ......."says the guy that resisted gas checks so hard he has a remedial mastery of the paper patch">>

This got me to thinking about my Winchester Model 70 (30-06) and a old Lyman mold 313226, a 95gr RN that drops at .313 and could easily be sized to .311

Is this a realistic thing to try?
or am I just wasting time thinking about it?

If so, What powders to investigate:
Titegroup?
Bullseye?
Unique?
Trailboss?
something else?

 

[Dusty Bannister]

I shoot the RCBS 32-115-FN seated out to just cover the lube groove in the 30-06. I use Unique, but any of the fast pistol powders would work well. Not particularly a light mouse load however. Red Dot is very popular.

 

[Glaciers]

Jon I have started using the Lyman 311 316 at about 113 grains sized .3115 with 5.7g Red Dot for 1143 fps. I was going to bracket that with 5.0 and 6.2 grains but, life intervened, and they are still in the tray for testing.
I also have a LEE 314 90 that weighs out at 92 grains, drops at .314 and I wanted to size to .312, .311 if I have to. Haven’t tried this one yet.
Bullseye is on the plate after I finish with RD

 

[MW65]

Just starting my adventures with the Lee tl314-90 ... I'm looking for mouse fart loads for fun inexpensive plinking at 50yds...

Testing out with bullseye and red dot first... in 7.62x54r, 303br, 30-06, 308, 30-30, and 300 Sav.

Reading up on the subject... lots of folks trying 90 to 125gr cast in the 30/31 cals for these light loads. Enjoy your experiment!!

 

[Ian]

Absolutely realistic....and super fun. I'd go with the faster powders like BE, Titegroup, Clays, Red Dot, Titewad, AA#2, whatever you have on hand. Pistol primers can be used uo, particularly if you have a bunch of Magnum LP that otherwise don't have a purpose.

 

[Glaciers]

Yes and I meant to say I will be following this thread as I’m sure you will get to testing before I will

LEE 314 90

On the other end of the spectrum I’m been testing a NEI mold that trips the scale at 308 220


LEE 314 90, Lyman 311 316, NEI 308 220

The NEI needed to be powder coated to be able to size .311
The 220 was loaded withRD as well 7.1g for 964fps, 9.0g for 1077fps, 11.2 for 1212fps
100 yard under 3” with receiver sights
I know you were asking about at 90 grain bullet, but, I’m looking forward to playing with all weights in this Springfield at subsonic or just above.

 

[RicinYakima]

I'm a big fan of the 120-125 grain bullets in the 30/06. I prefer them at about 1250 f/s to stay out of the trans-sonic range out to 50 yards for better accuracy. My powder was always Bullseye. Now days, I've have been using a lot of 7.62 x 39 because I have a nice CZ rifle in that caliber, and again with Bullseye for the same velocity.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

The 311316 has been my 32/20 bullet for decades!! Today I nearly never shoot it anymore! Just cause its a GC and I have no need with PC (and velocity I use for this bullet)

I have a LEE 93 gr that I use for plinkers.

CW

 

[Glaciers]

I picked up the NOE 311-137 RF plain base for use in the 327 mag and 30 cal light weight idea, I was also hoping to use it in the 30-30 levers, but the flat nose is small at .150, no sure about the use in levers

 

[Ben]

Here is the 30/31 cal. , Lee 93 gr. Tumble lube bullet , sized .311", with 6.5 grs. of B'Eye fired from my CVA break open , 30-06 .
5 rounds at 50 yards.
Some fun and cheap shooting !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Joshua]

I have a LEE 93 gr that I use for plinkers.

I’ve got the Lee six cavity 311-93-1R that my 30-06 likes just fine. I tumble lube these and load them over 3.2 grains of Bullseye. They are super fun.

 

[fiver]

sooo, i guess the answer is yes then...
i just got another 115-120gr bullet mold from John to mess around with another light 30 cal bullet.
i wanted the flat nose instead of the pointed 311359 i been using.
that gives me 2 gas check, and one plain base 30 cal. option for stuff.
the flat nose will get worked over some to coincide with my 30-06's scope settings only at 20-25yds for grouse when i'm up deer hunting.
clay's or titegroup will be first on the hit list, if no joy [at finding the cross hairs] then bulls-eye and 700-X will probably be next on the list.

 

[richhodg66]

I found a bunch of .30-30 loads in my Dad's stuff, five grains of Clays and what I'm sure is the Lee soup can 113 grain .30. Makes for a good squirrel load.

 

[JonB]

My Mod 70 has iron sights (as well as a scope), my plan is to pop the scope off and use the gallery loads with iron sights. I haven't shot a rifle with iron sights since I got the prescription shooting glasses (and that's been like 3 years)...oops, I take that back, I have shoot the 41mag Henry right after I got the glasses.

I mentioned titegroup first in my list, because that's what I'd like to try using. Besides the good reports from some of you shooting titegroup in bottleneck cases, I have lots of it in my stash, as that was the main powder I used for 9 and 40 back in the olden days when loading jacketed bullets, before I cast my own...afterwhich, I switched powders. I haven't opened a titegroup powder can in 8 to 10 yrs.

 

[CZ93X62]

Not a whole lot of light-bullet playtimes with the 30-06, but I have run Lee Soup Cans atop 16.0-18.0 grains of 2400 for cheep varmint loads. My last shooting of these was back during the Burrito Shoot days, so 2004 or so. They were reasonably accurate in a couple bolter 30-06s, 1.5"-2.0" at 100 yards IIRC. These never won a Burrito Shoot, but both Buckshot and Gopher Slayer had to have a really bad day--and I had to have a really good day--to defeat those two hard-holding off-hand mavens. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

 

[Ian]

I have Leupold quick-detach scope rings on my Savage hog hunter .308. The suppressor-height irons are sighted for the Lee 230 at 1030 fps at 100, the scope for the MP 30-180 HP at about 2500 fps, also at 100 yards, both with the can on. Very handy combo.

I'd try the Titegroup first. Ric mentioned staying supersonic to the target, either do that or stay subsonic the whole way. I'd go for the former if it were me, the powder has a better chance of burning correctly at 13-1400 fps with that light bullet.

 

[RBHarter]

I have the 313626(?) A little rated at 93 gr 32 pistol RN that drops at 97 gr .
I loaded some in a 30-30 with 3.0 Unique , but I can't see not using Red Dot at the same level .

I would think an 06' would be pretty close there too .

 

[Bret4207]

Pretty much any 32 cal revolver bullet will make a dandy cat sneeze type bullet for the larger 30 cals.

 

[Fiddler]

In the 30-30 with Lyman 3118, I use 3.8 gr Titegroup for 960 fps. Tang site with a post is good for 1" at 50 yds.

 

[Ian]

In the 30-30 with Lyman 3118, I use 3.8 gr Titegroup for 960 fps. Tang site with a post is good for 1" at 50 yds.

3.4 grains with the Lee 120-2R is good for about the same in mine with a LP magnum primer. Been meaning to try the 3116 powder coated without the gas check but haven't gotten around to it.