Savage 340 .30-30 coming - any tips appreciated

[Pistolero]

I got a Savage 340 in .30-30 on Gunbroker, not yet shipped. I was wondering if anyone here has experience
which may help me in getting it set up to shoot cast. I will shoot it as-is with some jbullets, just as a baseline
of what is possible. I am thinking of pillar bedding the action, free floating the bbl (is it already free?). I want
to scope it, probably, but it comes with a Williams 5D receiver sight, so that may be a good start.

Any info from someone who has one or has worked with one on what to look for and what to expect will
be appreciated.

Also, thinking about a .22 Hornet version with an eye to reaming to K-Hornet. Any experiences out there with
gun or cartridge - original or modified?

Bill

 

[fiver]

don't mess with it, just tighten that front band down tight.
get some 310 diameter 150-170gr boolits.
put some starting jacketed type powder loads behind them and go shoot stuff.
I use a loverign type bullet Walt melander made, the rcbs 30-150 others, the 311359 sometimes.
I think maybe the 311041 once or twice.
they all seem to shoot pretty well from 1800-2400 fps so I don't get too worked up about which one I grab.

 

[Pistolero]

Wow. That sounds almost too easy. I have a couple of Loverin designs and several Lee
150 to 170 gr designs, plus 311041. I normally size to .311, but perfectly willing to take
advice and start at .310. I use W748 in most .30-30 Jbullet loads, will try that. Like 32 gr.

Thanks. Sounds like the barrel is not free floated but has a barrel band.

Bill

 

[Ian]

34.5 grains of WW 748 and a 311041 cast of water-quenched 50/50 alloy, Federal 210 primers, Hornady gas checks, fill the bottom band and space above the gas check with FWFL is my hunting load. Sometimes I have to adjust half to one grain down depending on the particular lot of 748 (the medium ball powders vary widely lot-to-lot since Hodgdon took over), and don't shoot it in single-digit weather. Go have a ball. Clean the 60 years of copper and grunge out first, of course.

 

[Pistolero]

Thanks, guys. Sounds good. Yeah, cleaning the bbl fully is clearly the first move. I have seen
some milsurps which were literally layered archeological digs. I don't expect this to be as bad, but
will get out the plater and see what it finds.

I have some FWFL that I bought.....and have not yet tried. Will work it into the mix
at some point.

 

[yodogsandman]

I like this scope mount on my Springfield 840 30-30, a Savage 340 clone.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/14...tyle-scope-base-with-1-rings-savage-340-matte

 

[Pistolero]

Thanks, will keep that in mind if/when I decide whether a scope is needed.

Bill

 

[Ben]

Also, thinking about a .22 Hornet version with an eye to reaming to K-Hornet. Any experiences out there with
gun or cartridge - original or modified?

K Hornet on this forum is the man to talk with about the K-Hornet.
He has a lot of experience with that caliber.
He talked me into getting one.

Ben

 

[Pistolero]

How do you like yours? Did you ream it or buy it already modded?
How does it shoot? What rifle?

I hope K-Hornet will chime in here soon.

Bill

 

[RBHarter]

The 325 ,a way earlier model but essentially the same rifle , shot everything I fed it like and ace . Old Winchester 150&170 silver points , 165 SST , 312-155 SP , 172 gr 301618 NOE paper patch , they all shot great.

There's nothing to bed really in any of them unless you add a rear receiver screw .
The 49' 325 was a 30-30 . The 340 was a 222 . That passed my way that is . Both shot under 1.5" in spite of my best efforts to find a completely wrong load for them .
Not completely true the paper patches got torn by the rims so that was sort of a fail.

 

[Pistolero]

OK, shows how little (near zero) I know about these rifles. No rear screw.....OK,
that seems a bit odd, ....but, if it works, it works.

Bill

 

[RBHarter]

Ms shot a about 130# hog through both shoulders with the ,Whiting I think, peep sight at about 50yd .
They seem to be 1 of those too simple designs that just work extremely well.
I think 312-155 was over 4350 . Best group I've probably every shot .

 

[Ian]

Bill, out of curiosity I ran the numbers on my above recommended load through Quickload and it shows a pretty high over-pressure. 33 grains is about max, it seems the 748 spikes when you get above 90% fill. I have never had any undue pressure signs with that load in any break-action or lever-action rifles, nor any particular spookiness with 748 in tolerable weather, and I've shot a lot of it over the years. I'm not sure I believe QL on this one but err on the side of caution in that Savage bolt action, they are supposedly a fairly weak design and you don't want to set back the locking lug.

Maybe I should measure some case volume and re-figure. Keep in mind I use Federal 210 primers and not the magnum rifle primers that all the loading manuals seem to think is necessary for 748.

 

[Brad]

I shoot most of my 30-30 with 16.5 gr of 2400 and a 165 RD bullet. Runs 1700 fps or so and always shot well for me in my 336.

 

[fiver]

you don't want to get crazy with the pressures on these for sure.
I also have the 325-C Stevens and they are very comparable guns.
the extractors on them are a flimsy little piece of spring steel and the ejector is a pretty simple wound over spring too.
I lost the ejector piece for my 340 and made a new one from a bobby pin then found the old [real] one but never bothered to replace it.

I'm going to reserve the 325 for my 180gr home made jacketed bullets loafing along at about 2000 fps.
I have the 340 and a few lever guns for the cast projects.

 

[Pistolero]

I have shot a LOT of (IIRC) 36 gr W748 under 150 gr Jbullets in Win94s, accurate load. Never
saw any issues. Away from home now, all my records are there, so working from memory,
but I worked up the 36 gr load for my brother's 94 and he loaded it for years. I have shot a
bunch through my 94s, too.

Will check records before I do it, not looking to damage anything, especially ME. Might be
bad memory.

Hodgdon says max with 150 Sierra is 34.5.

Bill

 

[Bret4207]

Played with several 340's. Yeah, no rear action screw. I've seen people add them. That front barrel band works pretty good actually, if the bedding is decent from the factory. Most of these rifles I've seen have led a tough life. Factory sights are just above horrid and into awful category IMO. I've yet to see a scope mount I really like either, but there was a guy that had blue prints on line for a simple top mount base. Let me see if I still have his site... YES! Didn't lose it in the crashes! Try this site, lots of good info-http://www.leeroysramblings.com/gunsmithing_savage_340.htm

 

[Pistolero]

Wow, that is a great site! I have only started reading it, but have already picked up several good tips.
I really appreciate you providing it, Bret. I will study it closely. Already, I can tell that the internal
firing pin design of the 340 influenced the later 110 series, too. That adjustable firing pin protrusion and
little clip sounds real familiar. I had the clip pop under pressure and it is somewhere in the stuff in my
basement, but not likely to ever be found on purpose. I had to order a new clip after a full teardown of
the 110 rifle years ago.

I'm going back now to learn some more.

Bill

 

[fiver]

YES!
thank you Bret.

 

[300BLK]

Odd bedding to my way of thinking. It has a split rear bridge, so makes scope and receiver sight mounting an adventure. There is one action bolt under the receiver, and a metal band wrapped around the barrel with a screw threaded into it from under the forend. Some of them shoot very accurately, but I'm mystified as to explain how that can be.