30-30 powder...too much?

[tipiguy]

I am shooting 125 grain Nosler balistic tips out of a super 14" barrel.  I am loading 32 grains of H335.  After each shot I look down the barrel and it looks like there are grains of sand lying in there.  I have taped the barrel and they look tan in color.  Now I know I am not at the max but am I using too much powder to completely burn?  What is all the "dirt" being left in the barrel?

Thanks for the help.

Tipiguy

[Duffy]

Most of the time when that happens I find that it's usually one of the following;
1- The load is too light for the powder/bullet combo.
2- The powder is too slow for the bullet/case capacity.
3- You need to use a Mag primer for the combo you are using.
Generally increasing the charge just three tenths to a half a grain will clean it up if it can be done safely.

Ryan

[John Y Cannuck]

I agree. The load is probably too light or too slow, for the weight of the bullet.
Working up towards max may cure the problem.

[The Shrink]

One other solution, if you're somehow wedded to that load, is to put a relatively hard crimp on the bullet.  This increases the resistance to the bullet leaving the case, giving that much more pressure/heat build-up behind it to increase powder burning effeciency.

[jhm]

Tipiguy :  I dont shoot a contender anymore but looking at the Sierra loads for contenders the starting load for the 30-30 with 125 gr. bullet using h335 is 34 gr. and you are 2 gr. below the starting load , I would think as the earlier posters stated your load is a little light for the bullet you are using.    JIM

[tipiguy]

I am using CCI large rifle primers.  Is another brand better for igniting 335 powder?

Thanks.
Tipiguy

[BCB]

tipiguy,

I am using CCI-200's with 34 grains of H-335 and the Hornady 130 grain SPSSP bullet in my Contender.  Very good accuracy and no unburnt powder in the barrel.  The 200's work O.K.  As some of the other posters mentioned, you may be using too light of a charge of H-335 to get enough pressure to insure good burn, although H-335 is not the cleanest burning powder in the world!  Yet, I have used three 8-pound kegs of the stuff in my Contender with the 30-30, 7-30, and 223 calibers--all good shooters with this powder.  Good-luck...BCB

[Snowshoe]

I am using 37 1/2 g of H335 and a Remington 125g psp in a Savage 340. It shoots flat and accurate. This load has worked very well in 3 seperate rifles.

[tipiguy]

I upped the powder to 33 grains of H335 which is listed as the max in the Nosler book.  I am still getting a lot of residue and immediately after the shot I look down the barrel and it is still full of "smoke/vapor".  

Is it safe to go another grain up as people have been posting?

I am also using a slightly longer O.A.L.  Would shortening the OAL mean that the bullet would be seated deeper and generate greater pressure?

I really appreciate the help so far.

Rich

[Duffy]

Hmmm,
Actually I have found that seating closer to the lands increases pressure and unless you REALLY seat them deep it doesnt increase that much. What do your pressure signs look like? Primer's flat? Hard to open/extract? You may try a WW primer, I've had better luck with them in most loads. If the pressure isn't there you could up the charge a little and try it. I usually only load about one or two in 1/4-1/2 grain increments so if they are too stiff you don't have so many to pull. Normally H335 cleans up pretty good.  Just be carefull and watch for PSI signs.

[Graybeard]

Especially in a Contender do not go above book listed max. Why are you concerned about it anyway? If the load works well and gives good accuracy why worry about some powder in the barrel? It will be blown out by the pressure wave ahead of the bullet on the next shot each time. It seems to be too many people are too concerned about what it looks like when they look down the barrel after a shot. The only thing I think you should worry about is what the group looks like and if you are getting the velocity expected. All else is irrelavant.

GB

[John Y Cannuck]

Would not recommend going over max in a Contender. Was the load listed by Nosler FOR the contender? If it was, your probably best to change powders, or just ignor the fouling. If it shoots well, why worry?

[EDG]

Higher pressure, hotter primers, higher temperatures or a longer barrel can get rid of most of the particles. It just requires more complete burning. Light loads of Unique are known to be a little dirty in a handgun but in a 28 inch rifle barrel it burns very clean. If you leave a lot of unburned powder in the barrel it does affect accuracy so I always try to use a combination that gives complete combusion.  I think this is one of the reasons the .22 Hornet is known to be fussy. Many Hornet loads do not burn completely. They will shoot much better when the particles are
removed between shots. This is also why black powder shooters cannot shoot long strings and maintain accuracy.
Ed

[boneguru]

pressure can build to dangerous levels and BOOM.
I like those particular bullets over w748 and varget for my 21" 30-30 contender, R

[Bug]

Unburned grains of powder left in the barrel is not an unusual thing. It's not a situation one looks for, but it won't necessarily hurt anything. As for the tan color, what you are seeing is the true color of the powder granules. They have had the deterrent/graphite coating blown off, and this is what they look like before the coatings are applied. If you pull down some of the foreign-made ammo, you will see a lot of this color powder. They don't have the coatings.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bug.