A whipper snapper and his new 30-30!

[CWLONGSHOT]

The 30/30 is as ideal a case for cast as one could design.

I agree on the RD is just a dandy bullet!
Im also really loving the 311284 HP I got here from Brad!!

CW

 

[popper]

May be an optical illusion but the top one looks like the expander didn't go all the way through the neck. Seems like the 041 ogive step aligns in the sloppy 30/30 chambers better but as you found, nose is still a bit large. I had original Micheal Lee mould - it had the same problem in my Marlin. I used a washer to create the 'step' and accuracy increased.

 

[fiver]

I may have contributed to Buckshot's intel. gathering by relating an unamusing [to me] anecdote about antimonial growth, and opening day, and having to use an unconventional unloading method every time we got back to the truck.
until the one time I couldn't get to the point of either loading or unloading without the aid of the antennae on the Jeep.

 

[CZ93X62]

Unconventional loading methods usually means a major PITA process, so I strive to avoid them afield by test-drives at home ahead of time. I'll have to keep that "Jeep antenna" method in my bag of MacGyver-isms.

 

[Joshua]

May be an optical illusion but the top one looks like the expander didn't go all the way through the neck.

There is still some more tooling that I’m gonna need to acquire. A longer expander being one of the those things. The NOE is just not long enough.

So, a question for you guys. Is the RCBS expander long enough to completely expand the neck of a 30-30?

Josh

 

[CZ93X62]

Most sizing dies for 30/30 expand the neck to some degree during the press ram down-stroke after sizing. The expander ball in my early-80s RCBS size die mics at .3065". No law says that a .309"-.311" expander ball can't get swapped in as needed for cast bullets, then a quick pass through the expander to set a slight mouth flare. More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[fiver]

yep, I took the extra expander ball out of my x39 die set and use it to neck expand a whole bunch of my 3 cal rifles.
I also got super lucky for my 340 and 325 in that my Hornady neck size die leaves the internal diameter of most 30-30 cases as .309 and doesn't even touch the expander ball on the way out.

 

[Joshua]

I have ended up with three sets of RCBS 7.7x58mm dies. I will measure their expander balls to see if one will work. I like this idea better.

I was actually curious if people had used this RCBS neck expander plug in a 30-30 and if it was long enough to expand the entire neck.

Expander Dies To Flare The Inside Dimension Of The Neck | RCBS

This Expander Plug goes with the Neck Expander Die, which flares the inside dimension of only the case neck to ensure perfect alignment of the bullet during seating.

www.rcbs.com

Josh

 

[fiver]

I dunno,,, I got no dies like that.
but I bet many others here do.

 

[CZ93X62]

I don't have the RCBS Expander Die spud in 30 caliber, can't help. The Lyman M-die #30-R spud mics .305", so basically useless. Its engagement length is .550" from tip-end radius to its .311" step diameter belt. Most of my M-die spuds are custom-made by that navy guy that lives about a mile from my house. I haven't asked him about making anything since he closed his shop about 3 years ago.

 

[popper]

IIRC mine is 38R
Sorry, mine is 309 31p Lyman.for cast in the 30/30.

 

[Joshua]

I had a pretty beat up expander-decapping pin in one of the 7.7x58mm die sets. I just finished sanding it down from .311” to .309”. I like this solution. I sized about 50 cases with it.

Now I will just flare the mouths with my lee universal expanding die when I prime them.

Josh

 

[Ian]

Josh meant this one, and yes it does.

 

[CZ93X62]

I mix & match my die sets quite a bit to get the finished case mouth dimensions I want. I do re-home them in the storage box they belong in after use. I couldn't find a flippin' thing out there if I didn't return them to home port.

Spud or ball mic'ed diameter is no guarantee of finished neck diameter, all necks have a tiny skoash of springback, ranging from a few to several tenths. Just remember that most die dimensions are biased for jacketed bullets of "standard" diameters", which means that their finished brass products will likely reduce softer cast bullet diameters during seating. Gas checks might or might not open the gates properly for you during seating. Improvise, custom-make, and overcome.

 

[Ian]

What I did for years and years was hone the neck out on a Lee sizing die so it made the ID about .308" without the expander, then I bought an RGB x39 set and robbed the big expander out of it (Later got the bigger x39 expander by itself from Midway so I had a spare). These are the EZ expander design and if the x39 isn't set just right it will pinch the case necks in the die neck. Anyway, I used that and a .30 Carbine PTE die to bell and charge the cases on the turret press.

Now I use a a normal jaxketed expander in a less-honed die for powder coated bullets and made this straight-line, sliding sleeve powder-thru die to do the last thousandth of expanding and flaring while dropping powder at the same time:



I used a .30-30 chamber reamer to ream the sleeve so the case us supported as well as it would be in the rifle, in fact I headspaced the sleeve with a "go" gauge and this dedicated shellholder.

 

[Joshua]

Josh meant this one, and yes it does.

View attachment 17482

Ian,
Do you need to buy the die body RCBS sells for those or will these expander plugs thread into a RCBS sizing or seating die?
Josh

 

[Joshua]

That is quite the setup!
J

 

[Ian]

It choots good too: this with a 302" nose bullet in a .303" bore rifle, recovered bullets have NO rifling marks at all on the nose, but this can only be accomplished with tooling that makes absolutely straight, concentric ammunition:





With the RCBS spuds you have to have the threaded stud, lock nut, and die body too. Or dig in your oddball gunshow die collection and take an RCBS .44 Magnum seating die and flip the stem around the other way, tjread through the nut and then through the top of the die and then read on your spud.

If you will pick up a 12" piece of 5/8" 0-1 drill rod and have it shipped to me I'll make you a couple of inserts for your Lee Universal die and send them to you.

 

[Joshua]

That’s very generous. I’ll send you a PM.
Josh

 

[RBHarter]

I made a couple for the RCBS universal decapping die also . Just as another option .