Re-assign a 30-30

[Rockydoc]

I have redundant Winchester 94 in 30-30 Win. I am thinking of having JES re-line or re-bore this gun.
Cartridges that come to mind are: 32 Winchester Special, 35/30-30 Winchester, and 38-55 Winchester.

Do any others come to mind? If you have a preference, why would you make that choice?

I already have bullet molds in 35 caliber, but either of the other choices may be better performers (I am guessing here).

What do y'all suggest?

 

[462]

First lever action I ever shot was my best friend's .38-55 Winchester 1894, so if I were to re-bore my 1955 dated .30-30 Model 94 it would be to .38-55.

 

[KeithB]

What do you plan to do with it?

 

[Ben]

Dies for the 35 / 30 are VERY expensive.
The old 38/55 would be hard to beat.
I believe JES bores his 38/55's to .376".
Certainly a very nice cast bullet rifle.

Ben

 

[KeithB]

^^Good points^^

 

[RBHarter]

357 Herett dies and 375/38-55 for the body .......
How about a 338-30 use 338 Fed dies , 9.3-30 nothing smart sounding here .

 

[CZ93X62]

I have a re-bored Win 94 by JES, from 25/35 WCF to 38/55. 3-groove rifling, 1-18", .376" groove diameter. I love the rifle, it goes along for bear medicine with us in the mountains. I wrassled among the choices--32/40, 35/30, 38/55.......38/55 was the easiest and least costly.

The 250 grain gas check bullets by Lyman and RCBS can run safely to 1700 FPS, past that point Starline brass primer pockets start getting expanded. BE CAREFUL with published data for this caliber, start low and work up. When bullets fit well you can get to a given power level with less powder than the data specifies.

 

[Glaciers]

Jess just did a 38-55 for me which I have not shot yet, hoping to fix that soon. His work looks top notch. Just got a couple of sizers and a couple of expanders from NOE today so I've got everything I need except time.

Love the 30-30 and the 32, got a couple of both, but spending $250 to move up to a 32, no. As Ben points out the expense of dies for the 35 - 30-30 and ending up with a wildcat, even though it's a good wildcat, it's still a wildcat.

As CZ says: the 38-55 makes sense. Plus a 225 to 280 grain slug is good medicine for about anything walking on this part of the planet.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I love the idea of the 35 3030 but like Ben says dies are crazy expensive.

My next choice would be the 38/55 it's an awesome caliber with cast and really brings home the bacon if you want to use it for that!

 

[CZ93X62]

On paper, the black powder 38/55 sends a 250 grain bullet at 1300-1325 FPS. That sounds a lot like a 44 Magnum revolver. It is not--the longer .375" 250 grain bullet has a lot more sectional density than any squatty, short revolver bullet. That same bullet running at 1650-1700 FPS is a devastating tool.

 

[RicinYakima]

Plus the light bullet is a fine plinker. The 275 grain bullets hurt in a 94 Winchester with that poor stock design. Fine for hunting, but painful off the bench. And this is from a guy who shoots a 450 Watts from the bench.

 

[Ole_270]

I really like my Marlin 336 rebored by JES to 38-55. I've thought about another in the 35/30 but I doubt Id see any difference in the field. I shoot a 250 gr plain base bullet out of mine, 1225 fps for plinking, jacking around, 1450 for hunting. I've had it up to 1700, but don't see the need and neither do the local deer.

 

[RBHarter]

I don't have a set of 35 Rem dies but that might be pretty close to a 35-30 .

 

[Bret4207]

As RB Harter notes, there's probably a work around for 35/30 dies. If I had the bucks, that would be my choice in a larger cal simply because of the plethora of 35 moulds. In truth, if I had that kind of $$$ I'd be building a 219 Zipper Improved or a 25/35 Ackley. Probably the 25/35 A!!!

 

[Joshua]

I’ve got sevens on the brain right now! I’d probably go with 7-30 Waters.

 

[oscarflytyer]

For me would be 38-55. I have 94s in 30-30, 32 WS (basically same s 30-30 but .321), and a 38-55. If I were reboring I would go 38-55. 35/30-30 does nothing for me as I have 35 Rem.

 

[JustJim]

I think if I were having a 94 re-bored, I'd get a 38-55. The ones I've had previously were good hunting rifles, and a lot of fun to shoot. On the other hand, if I were going to go whole-hog and build a custom rifle I go with a 32-40. The 32-40 is just as fun to shoot, and in my limited experience seems to be a bit more accurate. I also had better luck working up loads for the 32-40 than the 38-55s. I've never had good luck with a 32 Winchester Special.

 

[Edward R Southgate]

38-55 - I'm gonna send one of mine to be upgraded . I already have the dies and molds on account of having the 38-55 in a modern 1885 . I have a 94 from the early 70's I'm gonna use , a carbine .

 

[Charles Graff]

If, I had an excess of 30-30 rifles, I would sell or trade the excess for a good 32 Winchester Special. Do love that 1-16 twist barrel that 32 Win. Spls, come with. I have a really good 1959 Winchester 94 Carbine, that will turn in reliable 2 MOA accuracy with full snort cast bullets loads. I don't really cotton to human gender reassignment or caliber conversions. I like people and rifles the way there were born.

 

[todd]

i would do a 35/30.......oh, wait a minute. JES has done mine.

i called CH-4D up and he had 35/30 dies on hand. at the time(2 or so years ago) they were $115. so i bought the dies. yes, it was expensive, but i get by with my disability paycheck(i had a really bad stroke). there is way to reload them, i think that the 35/30 can be done by 35 rem or 358 win dies(i don't have either)....i think.


i use 200gr rcbs fn gc and some 2400/dacron to kill deer with. i was going use a 270gr bullshop stomper( https://bullshop.freeforums.net/thread/144/marlin-336-358-bullshop-stomper ) but after shooting the 200gr fn gc, i was impressed!!!!!