Trouble with light charges of 2400

dale2242

Well-Known Member
pcmacd, I think you may have said the key to ringed barrels in post 39 when you mentioned using non-natural WADS.
Those of us that use dacron properly use a fluffy piece between the powder and bullet to hold the powder against the primer.
Not a wad of it tamped tightly against the powder.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
I just used doggy chew toy filler material, stuff lightly with a pencil into 30/30 cases when I shot light PB unique loads. Don't shoot lite loads in that rifle anymore as I have other toys for that purpose. Never had a problem.
 

todd

Well-Known Member
pcmacd, I think you may have said the key to ringed barrels in post 39 when you mentioned using non-natural WADS.
Those of us that use dacron properly use a fluffy piece between the powder and bullet to hold the powder against the primer.
Not a wad of it tamped tightly against the powder.

i think your right.
 

Wheelgunner57

New Member
I use HS-6 for med loads, 2400 for med hot and H110 for full on mag loads. Downloading slower powders generally gives poor results. Oops, I was thinking revolvers, not rifles. Think i use 17 of 2400 in my .308.
 
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fiver

Well-Known Member
iirc the original buffer [meant for rifle use] was small and squishy little graphite covered balls.

shot shell buffer is small and granular, but a solid that doesn't squish.
it will raise pressures in a shot shell load because it adds to the payload weight, it's more like a solid lubricant.

there is a new buffer out there that goes in kind of like water glass then it sets up solid.
when the round is fired the stuff shatters and allows the pellets to flow freely.
Winchester uses it in their buckshot shells,,, but i'll be damned if i can remember the name of the stuff.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Funny how these old threads float to the surface every so often. 17gr of Alliant 2400 under a 207 grain cast bullet is my standard load in my .30-06 03 Spfld. I tap my cases on the bench before I load them and I close the bolt gently. Very accurate load in that rifle. I think a large majority of shooter on the line at Wilton use a similar load. Others use 2400 in 30-30 and .32-40 with similar results.

I did have a flyer problem and attributed it to excessive neck tension. I was running about 0.006". This was because my bore is oversize and my Lee collet die is obviously set up for a standard bore size. I moved to a .303 British mandrel and that dropped my tension to 0.002" or so. Groups tightened up and flyers went away. This is all extended range shooting out to 500 yds. Will be using that load and rifle in tomorrow's match.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
snake.
try sizing in a 308 die, or in a 30 cal neck size die with the 30-30 brass.
i get about .0015 with my hornady N/S die, and winchester 30-30 brass.
 

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
After opening a new Lee collet neck sizing die box, the next thing I do is throw the directions in the trash.
Next, when setting up the die, I turn the die in till I get the desired amount of neck tension.
For instance, .3085" for a .310" cast bullet. Screw the die in further, and it becomes .3065" for a .308" jacketed bullet.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Here are a couple targets shot today with 2400 and cast bullets. The .30-06 targets out out of my 1921 03 Springfield with original, pitted barrel. Scope is a 20X Unertl. Targets shot off the bench with a rest, but no rear bag allowed. Load is 17g Alliant 2400 under a GC NOE 314210 made from 20:1 and weighs 207gr and sized to 0.314.

The .32-40 target is a modified PB bullet. Not sure what the bullet is. I think the load is 12gr of 2400. Bullets are breech seated.

100 yds .30-06. - 6 inch target. Set my scope and never touched it again. High right shot was the wind gusting as a broke the shot. Spotter could not call it in time. 11 rounds on this target. Cold gun, 2 sighters, both drilled the center so I converted the 2nd and just started shooting for score.
100 yds 30-06.jpg

150 yds .32-40 - 9 inch target Did not shoot the group so cannot comment. Was shot same time as I shot the 100 yd target above so same basic conditions allowing for the extra 50 yds of range.

32-40 150 yds.jpg

200 yds .30-06 - 12 inch target. 12 rounds on the target. 2 sighters and 10 for score. Wind had picked up and both wind and mirage were changing back and forth. My hold on the target was moving roughly the size of the group depending on what my spotter called and what I saw thru my scope. All those center hits were with some KY windage to accommodate the wind which seemed to change more than the mirage.

200 yds 30-06.jpg

I did not take pics of the 150 and 300 yd targets. We trade off going downrange to paint and it was HOT today so I sat out 2 of the painting session. Some guys sit them all out.

I shot a perfect 40/40 today and so did several others. The mirage was more steady than the wind which I think helped drive the better scores. One shooter in his 80's shot a 39/40 with iron sights. Furthest target was 300 yds and then a 2 round offhand shot at a meerkat at 400. I missed my second shot by about 1 inch left of center. At least 2 shooters hit the meerkat. The guy with the .32-40 was getting a setting for the meerkat swinger we put up for that purpose. He hit is 8/10 shots off the bench. It's the size of a woodchuck.

Last week we shot our .22 match. For scoped rifles, it is a 3 minute match where every target is 3MOA for that range. Targets set at 50, 100, 150 and 200. The 50 yd target looks like a Necco wafer on a piece of string. After shooting that match this week, the size of the targets for this week's match was like shooting at a barn.

These groups are why I love 2400 in cast bullet rifle loads.