Author Topic: In search of 30-30 cast bullets (Read 1121 times)

30gman · « **on:** July 27, 2008, 06:33:01 PM »

Hello guys, I have been reading posts on this forum for about a year now. This is my first post.
I recently bought a handi in 30-30. It shot,with a weaver b4 scope, out of the box, with no mods 5 shot groups with 1 shot at 25, 2 shots at 50 and 2 shots at 100yds of 11/4". I am thrilled with that. This was with my handload of ww 748 powder and ww jacketed 150 gn fnsp bullets. No problem here.
My problem is I would like to shoot cast bullets, to save money. I have tried to decipher what I have read here and on other forums but there is so much info that it is hard to decide what bullet and load to use. I mainly shoot 100 yds at paper targets. I am not interested in speed or killing power, only accuracy. I don't like a lot of recoil. I am not interested in casting my own bullets. I want to buy them ready to shoot. Can anyone tell me what bullet to buy and where to by them and what load works in your 30-30.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
30gman

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2008, 11:33:06 PM »

I have found that shooting quality cast bullets are just as expensive as shooting the average jacketed bullets. If you buy the cheaper cast bullets, then you will probably not be satisfied with the results and they are not much cheaper that run of the mill jacketed bullets. When you cast your own is where the money saving part comes in. Just my 2 cents worth.

RugerNo3 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2008, 01:20:21 AM »

You might consider going to a supplier of surplus powder to buy the pulled military FMJ's. Single loaded into a Handi for paper punching, they'd work better then cheap cast. An inaccurate bullet is no better then a hand-thrown rock.

bilmac · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2008, 01:45:38 AM »

I would think that with all the cowboy shooting going on there should be some very good bullets being made now. You might not save a lot of dough, but in the 30-30 there isn't much difference in performance between jacketed and cast either. Why don't you go to the cowboy forum and ask the same question.

towpro · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2008, 01:55:04 AM »

What do they say? "Every Gun is a lesson in itself"?

What your gun likes might not be what my gun likes.

I think you will find straight cast is limited to around 1600fps, which might be to slow for the twist of your barrel.

I was shooting 170 grain cast in a 32 Winchester Special case, they were doing OK, but not really that good of a group. The faster I shot them the better the group got until I got to around 1700fps and the barrel started to lead up. Once lead is in the groves you might as well be shooting groups with a shot gun with one pellet in it!
Then I switched to 170 grain with a gas check. Around 2000 fps seems to be working best with them, with no leading.

I think you might want to look for gas checked bullets.

silver surfer · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2008, 02:42:07 AM »

I would recommend Laser Cast bullets from Oregon Trail. They have a Brinnel hardness of 22 so leading is little to non-existant. I shoot the 350 grn's in my 45-70 BC and they shoot very well up to 2300 fps.

jpshaw · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2008, 02:52:57 AM »

I'm waiting for canon6 to jump in here. He is a fan of cast bullets in the .30/30. I would only advise you to use a gas check for velocities over 1600 or so.

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2008, 04:09:44 AM »

I do not think 30gman is concerned about velocity. His concern is cost and accuracy. There are some very good cast bullets out there, but I find that they cost as much as jacketed bullets, so he would not be economizing any with them, especially when you start putting gas checks on them. I do not know of any "cheap" cast bullets in .309" that will shoot worth a hoot. I have only shot 130 grain cast out of 30-30. They were cheap but the accuracy was abysmal.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2008, 04:55:28 AM »

Western Bullet has a good selection of .309" cast bullets at a very good price, I'd be sure to check them out. The 30-30 has a 1:10" twist, so I wouldn't be concerned about twist being an issue, there are many 30-30 cast bullet shooters here, try the search function to find prior posts on the subject.

Tim

http://westernbullet.com/cbip/cbip.html

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 28, 2008, 05:23:50 AM »

I have no idea how well the Western Bullets shoot - but the price is VERY reasonable. Those 180 grain Flat Nose gas checked bullets look interesting at $11.00/100 and i think extermely reasonable now days.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** July 28, 2008, 05:28:39 AM »

I've not shot the .309", but I've shot a lot of his .458" bullets and have 200 of his .379" GC cast bullets that he sent me unsized, I ran them thru my .380" die to shoot in my 38-55 Target.

Tim

30gman · « **Reply #11 on:** July 28, 2008, 05:48:23 AM »

Thanks for the information all of you. I think I probably will just stick to the jacketed bullets I have been using. Had the idea it would be a lot more economical to shoot cast bullets but it looks like unless you cast them yourself it really isn't. Thanks for your help.
30gman

bilmac · « **Reply #12 on:** July 28, 2008, 04:05:23 PM »

$11 is chieper than the chiepest jacketed I see at $16.79. In the 30-30 there isn't much difference in peformance between jacketed and a good hard cast gas checked lead.

towpro · « **Reply #13 on:** July 29, 2008, 01:44:05 AM »

Quote from: bilmac on July 28, 2008, 04:05:23 PM

$11 is chieper than the chiepest jacketed I see at $16.79. In the 30-30 there isn't much difference in peformance between jacketed and a good hard cast gas checked lead.

the only thing I shoot is cast. I even cast bullets for the 22-250. the only jacketed I have shot in the last 10 years was 100 through my 22-250 to break in the barrel (last month). Since that barrel is currently in NY (I hope getting replaced) I guess I will be shooting some more jacketed to break in the new barrel.

I do recall a bag of 100 jacketed for the 22-250 was $10.00

gstewart44 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 29, 2008, 03:30:02 AM »

I used to shoot a whole lot of 3030's at paper. I wanted accuracy like you, and didn't want to bother with a bunch of recoil. I was using peep sights, not a scope. After trying several cast bullets of 125 -170 gr, with and without gas checks, I was not satisfied. I tried some of the Hornady short jacket 100 gr bullets. They were cheap, no recoil and very accurate. with my peep sights at 100 yds off of sandbags I routinely shot sub 1" groups. I haven't bought any of these bullets in a while but I would imagine their shape and weight would probably keep the cost down.

canon6 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 29, 2008, 05:59:05 AM »

I shoot 179gr rnfpgc in all of my 30-30's(three of them) and have used just about every one I could find.I finally settled on True Shot ,.309 and they shoot real well in my rifles.If you are going to shoot at less than @1500 just use plain base bullets.Lasercast bullets have a 170lfn that goes for $51.50 for 500.I have used them and they are very accurate. hth Doug

GrampaMike · « **Reply #16 on:** July 29, 2008, 07:14:43 AM »

30gman

I have been trying hard cast bullets in all of my Handi's. The 30-30 is one of the better (accurate) ones. Don't know about being cheaper, but recoil is usually less (probably because of the lower pressures in most cases). Anyway I have tried 5 different GC bullets from Beartooth Bullets. All .309, 135gr SPGC, 140gr FNGC, 155gr LFNGC, 160gr FNGC and 170gr LMNGC. My best results (most accurate) 1st 140gr w/IMR4198 2105fps, 2nd 155gr w/IMR4198 1992fps, 3rd 140gr w/VihtaVuori N120 2111fps. It is sometimes hard to get the Beartooth bullets, but I don't seem to have a problem, maybe because I order so many.

Or just lucky on my timing with them.

Winter Hawk · « **Reply #17 on:** July 29, 2008, 10:35:57 AM »

May I suggest visiting the Frugal Outdoorsman at http://www.castbullet.com/index.htm? He has a ton of information on shooting cast bullets, and a bunch of it is on the .30-30.

-Winter Hawk-

towpro · « **Reply #18 on:** July 29, 2008, 02:16:18 PM »

Here is another place with more information then any single person can remember on cast boolits. This is who has been helping me.
I been casting for 6 months, probably already shot over 2000 rounds of my own boolits.

NOte, this is not spelled wrong. Boolits is the way they were made in the past. Put a condom (jacket) on a boolit and you got a bullet.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

Saloon slug · « **Reply #19 on:** July 29, 2008, 03:04:52 PM »

These guys make some good stuff. http://www.montanabulletworks.com/

John Boy · « **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2008, 04:51:19 PM »

Gardners Cache ... http://gardnerscache.com/lead_rifle_bullets.html
Take your pick ... 155's to 210's

coyotejoe · « **Reply #21 on:** July 31, 2008, 11:47:20 AM »

I like gas checked bullets but they do add a couple of bucks to the price. Western lists the plain base 130 grains at $8.00 per hundred or the 150 grain plain base at $9.00. If you're just paper punching you could load them over 7.0 grains of Unique for about 1300 fps and 1000 shots per pound of powder, that makes for pretty cheap plinkin'.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2008, 12:07:42 PM »

Quote from: bilmac on July 28, 2008, 04:05:23 PM

$11 is chieper than the chiepest jacketed I see at $16.79. In the 30-30 there isn't much difference in peformance between jacketed and a good hard cast gas checked lead.

For paper I would agree there isn't much difference but on game I would have much more confidence in a Remington 150 grain Corelokt than in any .30 caliber hard cast bullet. I don't much trust a non-expanding bullet smaller the .44 caliber and even there I'd prefer some expansion. I know this question was about paper shooting but someone might be thinking of hunting with these loads.

bilmac · « **Reply #23 on:** August 01, 2008, 12:29:24 PM »

Coyote
Your'e right. I've shot some critters with hard cast 30-30s. Sometimes it works sometimes it dont.

30gman · « **Reply #24 on:** August 01, 2008, 01:25:43 PM »

Allright,
You guys have convinced me! I am going to try some cast boolits.
Your help has helped to make the choices a lot easier to understand.
Thanks to all.
30gman