Author Topic: Covert range trip with 30-30.... (Read 1963 times)

Old Fart · « **on:** April 28, 2013, 10:19:29 AM »

We've been covered up working on 2 houses, ones for sale now, and haven't had much trigger time.

I've been working on a plinking round for my 30-30 to keep critters chased off and got the chance to try one out this morning. My sweet wife slept in and I snuck off. Found the recipe in magazine, don't remember which one of the top of my head.

My target.

My 30-30, some might remember this pic from my stock refinish posts.

Yea I think it's a keeper.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2013, 10:35:13 AM »

I like that stock. Is it an older Topper stock or is that something that's available now?

BTW, Did you use a scooper or weigh out the powder?

Robc10x · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2013, 11:18:49 AM »

Nice shooting! Man that's awesome. Sneaking time to the range is the best.

Old Fart · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2013, 03:01:45 PM »

Quote from: jlwilliams on April 28, 2013, 10:35:13 AM

BTW, Did you use a scooper or weigh out the powder?

Scoop, it's a reduced load around 1300 fps.
Old stock also.

jpshaw · « **Reply #4 on:** April 29, 2013, 01:55:19 AM »

I would love a longer forearm like that. Also like your straight stock. I shaped all my shotgun stocks to straight but not my rifles yet.

Old Fart · « **Reply #5 on:** April 29, 2013, 04:28:13 AM »

I stumbled across the wood in the classifieds here. They were in less than new condition. I picked them up for something to do. Then decided they would look good on a 30-30. That's an old classic weaver K4 sitting on it also. Pretty much a day to day type setup.

The little 150's are more than enough to chase off the armadillos and what not.

petemi · « **Reply #6 on:** April 29, 2013, 04:43:38 AM »

Superb target. Nice looking rifle. I like the wood.

I have covert range trips too......That's when I don't want Patty shooting my azz off.

Pete

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 29, 2013, 02:16:58 PM »

Pete is the kind of fella that sens his wife off to work while he plays

Dinny · « **Reply #8 on:** April 29, 2013, 04:11:00 PM »

Nice rifle, load and shooting. I have used TrailBoss to get those cast bullets all the way down to about 600fps from my Handi rifle. That's a bit on the slow end, but armadillos aren't that fast anyways.

Quote from: jeepmann1948 on April 29, 2013, 02:16:58 PM

Pete is the kind of fella that sens his wife off to work while he plays

I'm on track to do the same thing. I have 8 more years left in the Army before I retire. My wife has been a homemaker since our daughter was born in 2009 and will remain so for about 4 more years when our son starts school.

Those will be the days!

Thanks, Dinny

theratdog · « **Reply #9 on:** April 29, 2013, 10:23:42 PM »

+ 1 on trail boss

petemi · « **Reply #10 on:** April 30, 2013, 03:24:21 AM »

Quote from: jeepmann1948 on April 29, 2013, 02:16:58 PM

Pete is the kind of fella that sens his wife off to work while he plays

Dinny's got it figured out...we feel sorry for you guys who can't

Seriously, like Dinny's wife, Patty was a housewife and mother for years and then went to work. She's still working for a number of reasons. First, she likes what she does and is good at it. Second, her boss pays full medical insurance for both of us. and third, she's increasing her Social Security Benefit.

The bad news is that she's planning to retire and my vacation will be over

Pete

Old Fart · « **Reply #11 on:** April 30, 2013, 03:28:33 AM »

Quote from: -Dinny on April 29, 2013, 04:11:00 PM

I'm on track to do the same thing. I have 8 more years left in the Army before I retire. My wife has been a homemaker since our daughter was born in 2009 and will remain so for about 4 more years when our son starts school.

Those will be the days!

Thanks, Dinny

Kind of how we did it too Dinny. I finished college and went to work and supported the family until my youngest went to school. Then my wife went to nursing school. I can see a distinct difference in our kids and the ones raised by the system. I think it was the best investment we could have made. We did without some stuff and lived in an old house. But the kids didn't seem to mind.

Back on topic........

This was just the first attempt at slowing down this round. I'm gonna try a few more down the road. I don't want to take to much off it, just enough it doesn't make so much noise it wakes my dead neighbors.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 30, 2013, 08:00:07 AM »

I still have the old reliable Unique and some Accurate Arms #5, but the Trail Boss has taken me over and can make those mouse to BP equiv. loads in straight cases and Ive also been trying it in bottleneck cases of late. For cast bullets it has been fully satisfactory for me, though for reliable expansion with typical hunting jacketed I would be leery. The solution there might be to use 30-30 class bullets in a .308 or '06.
The 30-30 used to get a lot more use, and that with 100 to 130gr. cast bullets at 32-20 rifle equiv. loads. Deer hunting with gun here is only 9days, with a few 'extra' special hunt days here & there, so having nothing but deer capable loads does me little good.
Well, I guess having more than -0- 45-70's then does me little good either........

Sourdough · « **Reply #13 on:** April 30, 2013, 09:28:38 AM »

My partner has worked loads for our .223s down to the same speed as a .22 mag. Works great for those little foxes and does not blow them in half.

The wife and I retired from the AF, then went back to work for DOD doing the same thing we had done while in the AF. I retired in 2001, she is still working. Our two sons are grown, the youngest still sleeps here, but we seldom see him. The dog and I go do anything we want, when we want. Little squirt loves to track Bears. Think he has a death wish.

Old Fart · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2013, 03:24:35 AM »

I have to admit that I have a few more I haven't messed with at all yet.
I decided on the 30-30 mostly because I had a ton of brass and several molds.

The one I'm finding most challenging right now is the 450 Marlin.
There just isn't much data out there on it and cast bullets.

Fortunately my long list of things to do on the houses has finally started looking like a honey-do list instead of a bucket list.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 01, 2013, 03:39:25 AM »

For cast bullet data in the 450 Marlin use the same data (the Hodgdon reloading PDF is a great resource) as 45-70.

Old Fart · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2013, 04:15:19 AM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on May 01, 2013, 03:39:25 AM

For cast bullet data in the 450 Marlin use the same data (the Hodgdon reloading PDF is a great resource) as 45-70.

Thank you sir, kind of thought I could, just wasn't sure if there were any problems with using it. I'll give it a look.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 01, 2013, 04:38:46 AM »

The cast bullet data is, almost by definition, a reduced load data as lead alloy bullets of a given weight are almost always at lower velo's, thus lower pressures, than jacketed.
In a rifle strong enough for a higher pressure cartridge the reduced cast bullet data of a comparable cartridge wont get you into trouble, regardless of caliber.
IIRC the case capacity of the 450M is so very close to the 45-70 that they are vitual twins, but the 450M was designed to be a higher pressure cartridge from the get-go and avoids the problem of a Level 3 45-70 load finding its way into a Level 1 gun.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2013, 04:46:18 AM »

Lots of 450M low velocity cast bullet data here....

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

Tim

Joe S. · « **Reply #19 on:** June 03, 2013, 09:24:52 AM »

i have used 10 grains of trail boss in 30-30 for a friends contender pistol. gonna load some up and steal a buddy's chronograph for a day to see what it will do out of a handi. at 50 yards with irons off a bench it will shoot 3/4" in my buddy's tender...