.30-30 cast load for deer

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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I have used 50/50 plus 2%tin alloy with a few flat nosed bullets in .30 calibers with good success on deer. About to embark on something for #1 son while he's deployed.

I have an original Ranchdog 165 grain tumble lube bullet he designed for Microgroove Marlins (son't rifle is one). No experience with it in Microgroove, but good bullet so far in the things I've tried it in.

Plan is to cast a bunch from 50/50 plus 2% then developpretty much a full power .30-30 load for his rifle and go into mass production. My kind of standard has been about 25 grains of IMR3031, I'm hearing real good things about this Leverevolution powder, thoughts?

Never done it before, and haven't really had a desire to, but am considering giving some powder coat a go for him as he isn't the avid handloader I am and it would likely make things easier for him if he had a bucnh of these on hand when I'm not around to load for him. Will that stuff have any effect on terminal performance?

My syandard size for .30s is .311, will these Microgrooves do better with bigger or smaller?

Don't have the rifle in my hands yet, but should have it for a year or so to get this done.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
IMG_1481.jpegIMG_0470.jpegRenderedImage.jpegRenderedImage.jpegIMG_0440.jpegI generally find "fat" bullets are better.

Micro groove gets a bad rap. Largly undue. What I find is they simply show effects of a shooters lack of keeping there barrels clean, quicker.

Im not a huge fan of the lee "Micro ribbed" tumble
Lube bullets.

Only shooting them to allow your gun ta tell ya what it wants will tell
You what works best. Anything else is simply what each if us like or find that our guns like.

Yes PC adds thickness but your application methods determines how thick that coating is.


This is a NOE HTC bullet I use in my 300 BO. This bullet dropped 311 with a .298 nose.


CW
 
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300BLK

Well-Known Member
I see no reason to not pursue this, but Marlins are notorious for non-existant throats. You may (or not have) have an issue with the nose of that bullet being too fat with PC, but if it fits, try it.

I shoot .311" in my 1980s vintage 336, and have run "beyond book" with heavier bullets and WW748.
 
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popper

Well-Known Member
I use my version of the RD bullet, 31-184Cgr GCd & PCd, with LeverE, works fine. I size 311 for my MG marlin. 2K fps IIRC, 1950 with 30gr chronyd. Original RD mold in lower right. IIRC alloy was 3% Sb, 0% Sn. Larry G did some pressure testing for me when LeverE first came out. These loads are good in my 336 but he used a bolt action rifle. Don't deep clean often and don't like the walk to 100 yds anymore. Target from several yrs ago, haven't shot it much lately. IMR 3031 is good but higher pressure and not much more fps.
SCN_0138.jpg
 
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Spindrift

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
I have a Marlin 30/30 MG that shoots the NOE TLC311-166 very well, both with lubed bullets and PC. Sized .311.

The added nose girth with PC shortens max COL so the crimp groove is just below the case mouth. My solution was to shorten some cases, adopting the trim standard of the .308win. This allows the use of a .308win factory crimp die, and the Lee .308win trim guide, which I find practical.

I wouldn't bother with switching powders if you have good experience (and supply) of 3031.

Good luck!
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
All good information. Thank you. The mold I have is from when he was still in business as Ranchdog and has been a good bullet in other things. I know he designed it to work in Microgroove Marlins (FWIW, the only Marlins I have loaded for have all been waffle tops pre-dating the Microgroove).

I'm not set on this bullet. Somewhere around I have an Ideal 31141, and I bet that would work if need be. I like the meplat on the Ranchdog.

Never used 748, might give her a try. Desired end state is to develop a deer load and then make a bunch of it. The deer he shot with it this year were with some handloads of his from about ten years ago using jacketed bullets. It pains my soul to have to rely on a jacketed bullet in something like a .30-30.

I will be honest, I really have a prejudice against powder coating. Never tried it, and don't thing I'll ever really mess with it for my own stuff, but for long term ammo supply for him, there may be some benefit.
 
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300BLK

Well-Known Member
Benefits of powder coat include:

bullets don't oxidize
bullets aren't sticky and won't hold fuzz or grit from being in your pocket or dropped
powder coat doesn't melt in hot weather, so won't migrate to possibly contaminate your powder
bullets don't deposit antimony wash in the bore
hardness isn't as critical, so softer, more malleable bullets are useful over a wider velocity range

my 556 probably has 1200+ PC rounds through the bore since it was last cleaned, and accuracy remains stable despite 2500fps+ from 16"

I learned the value of 748 in 30-30 heavy cast bullet loads from John Kort aka w30wcf
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
Michael's bullets weren't designed around the rifling [other than the diameter the mold casts] they were designed so the nose filled in the giant void in front of the marlins chamber.

i've had several discussions with him about the design, and a real lengthy PM string about the 375 in particular.
we kicked back and forth a bunch of ideas, and i even went so far as to use the longer [winchester] 38-55 Brass in an attempt to span that gap.
after dicking around with a lot of stuff like that we went back to how the nose should be shaped to hang out over that void and enter the barrel as straight as possible.
the same principle works with stuff like the 5.56 throat too and the shape, alloy, and proper diameters in the right place is the key.

anyway.
run the bullet as big as you can.
put some powder you got on the shelf behind it and stay a click below maximum jacketed loads..
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
fiver said:
Michael's bullets weren't designed around the rifling [other than the diameter the mold casts] they were designed so the nose filled in the giant void in front of the marlins chamber.

i've had several discussions with him about the design, and a real lengthy PM string about the 375 in particular.
we kicked back and forth a bunch of ideas, and i even went so far as to use the longer [winchester] 38-55 Brass in an attempt to span that gap.
after dicking around with a lot of stuff like that we went back to how the nose should be shaped to hang out over that void and enter the barrel as straight as possible.
the same principle works with stuff like the 5.56 throat too and the shape, alloy, and proper diameters in the right place is the key.

anyway.
run the bullet as big as you can.
put some powder you got on the shelf behind it and stay a click below maximum jacketed loads..
Click to expand...
Thanks, that was pretty much where I was planning to start, I have quite a bit of 3031, 4320, some 4064, 4198, etc. I can figure out something from what I have on hand.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
300BLK said:
Benefits of powder coat include:

bullets don't oxidize
bullets aren't sticky and won't hold fuzz or grit from being in your pocket or dropped
powder coat doesn't melt in hot weather, so won't migrate to possibly contaminate your powder
bullets don't deposit antimony wash in the bore
hardness isn't as critical, so softer, more malleable bullets are useful over a wider velocity range

my 556 probably has 1200+ PC rounds through the bore since it was last cleaned, and accuracy remains stable despite 2500fps+ from 16"

I learned the value of 748 in 30-30 heavy cast bullet loads from John Kort aka w30wcf
Click to expand...
You left out that it allows guys to stand around comparing pretty colors like chicks at a nail salon, which is how I've seen most powder coating conversations go.

I do not, and will not own an AR and even if I did, I wouldn't bother with cast in it. No other advatage you list addresses a problem I have.
 
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300BLK

Well-Known Member
richhodg66 said:
You left out that it allows guys to stand around comparing pretty colors like chicks at a nail salon, which is how I've seen most powder coating conversations go.

I do not, and will not own an AR and even if I did, I wouldn't bother with cast in it. No other advatage you list addresses a problem I have.
Click to expand...
you're welcome
 
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popper

Well-Known Member
30gr 3031 should work fine with the RD mold, ~2100 fps. I had the regular groove RD that worked great (yea, was a Lee 6x) the TL should work better with PC.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I also have the RCBS 180 grain FN which is more like a 195 grain FN if I recall. That might be the best option, even better than the Ranchdog, although, that one worked quite well for me on a buck from a .308.
 
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Rex

Active Member
Rich, I found a few 30-30 cases from years gone by out in the garage. If you can use them, PM me your mailing address and after the holiday madness I'll send them to you. They have been reloaded before but maybe you could use them for practice or load development.
 
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popper

Well-Known Member
Rich, this is the orig. GC'd R.D. in my 336 at 50yds., old 3x9 bushnell scope many yrs ago. IIRC it was when I just started PCing & LeverE was pretty new. Didn't have a chrony then but should have been ~ 1800 fps. Again, probably Roto Sb alloy, 3-4% Sb. Larry tested for me, got 2.2K fps and 38k psi. with 35gr LeverE. Even then the 100yd walk was a lot. I'd stick with the RD. My version just doesn't have much lube groove.
311165GCCO.jpg
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
yeah lube capacity wasn't even a thought with the T/L bullets.
you gotta remember Michael was just dipping them in alox by hand and letting them sit and dry.
 
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