LFN or LCFN in 30-30

[levernut]

Veral,
My 310-160-LFN-GC won't chamber in my Win 94 30-30 unless I seat the bullet so the gas check is below the neck.  Do I need a LCFN?
How long is the ogive on the LCFN?
Thanks.

[Veral]

  You are the first to complain that a 160 gr LFN would not chamber without pushing the gc down into the powder room.  The LCFN has a very similar bearing length, which is the critical factor here, and has worked well with 170 grains for everyone so far.  But your gun has a shorter than normal throat.
  A 150 gr LFN would most certainly chamber fine, but you'd do best using fillered loads.  Best filler is granulated shot buffer, but cornmeal or cream of wheat work fine too.  With any of them, use enough to get light compression.  With a compressed load, no crimp is needed in 30-30 loads, as the compression will prevent any setback.

  If you haven't dirtied the mold, and would be happiest with a lighter bullet which would seat properly, I'll exchange it for one that will fit, if you pay for the shipping from here to you.  However, you'll get best performance with the 160 gr bullet if you are going to hunt with it.

[levernut]

Veral,
I got my Win 94 shooting very well this past weekend but I did not use the 160 LFN mold.  I used a custom mold you made for me for my 30-30 Ackley Improved.  The mold reads .310-170-LCFN-Custom.  It has a small shoulder at the end of the bearing surface which measures .303 diameter.  The bearing length is nearly the same as the 160 LFN but the recessed nose lets me seat the bullet to touch the rifling with the base of the bullet even with the base of the neck.  The bullets were hardened to BHN 16 then lubed as cast which was .312.  I used H414 powder (same as Win 760) for about 2050 fps.  With a .220 meplat, this should work very well for Kansas whitetails.  Three shot were 1.25 c-c at 75 yards with an aperature sight.  It was easy to sight in since it shot so consistent.

[Veral]

  I don't know why your LCFN mold would be stamped CUSTOM, because your discription sounds like the regular setup.  But I stamped it custom for a reason.  At any rate, your report is pretty normal for the 170 LCFN in 30-30's.  Nice thing about it is it will shoot in about 90% of the 30 caliber rifles scattered across the land, and it is the ultimate game bullet, as the nose form expands easier than one that is more rounded on the ogive.