dented cases

[SHOOTALL]

Ok I admit I seldom load lead rifle bullets . Due to cost I have decided to try them in a 30-30 . A few years back I tried a few and it worked well but thing got busy and that was it for some time as I had less time to shoot .
 Well i got some pre lubed bullets , settled on a load and got to work . They looked good if i do say so myself. Being as this was the first batch and my expander plug has not arrived , standard 30-30 dies were used and that ever so slight sliver of lead was pealed off with a fingernail .
 Well they shot good but i noticed a dent running around the empty case as i ejected a case. I checked and all four that were fired were the same . So i fired a factory load and the case had a - yep a sliver of lead embeded in the case that looked like all the rest . The next shot had no dent in the fired case . Yep will wait until expander gets here to finish out the loading .

[Sweetwater]

WOW, that's a new one on me! Thanks for sharing. Is you new expander plug tapered, say like the 357Mag expander? I'm not familiar with those in the rifle dies.

Regards,
Sweetwater

[SHOOTALL]

It is explained as a 2 stage expander to bell mouth for easy loading of lead bullets . Which sounds like what you said on the second stage . It will be the first time i have used one .
 As a side i get 500 165 gr lead bullets lubed and sized for around $60.00 shipped to my door . I have 2 bags of a 100 each i got several years ago for $4.99 each . i pay $22.00 for 100 -125 gr sierra FPHP for the 30-30 and they are the least expensive around here others are hard to get and cost more . So to shoot with out breaking the bank i am trying the lead bullets . Thinking about small game with the 30-30 loaded down a wee bit. I am trying 17 gr. of IMR 4227 . I have heard 6-7 grs. of unique is a good load for small stuff .
 Will post how it all works out if anyone is interested .

[Sweetwater]

Looking forward to your reports!

A bunch of years ago I was in between wives and out of work, living in a camper on the desert. I had a 100 yard target set up in a canyon that I could shoot out the door of the camper, keeping me out of that Wyoming wind. I went through a lot of powders (Bullseye, Green Dot, PB, Unique, 2400, 4227, 4198, H335) in my 94Winchester 32Spl and cast bullets I made from wheelweights. I could shoot them without gas checks up to around 1300fps(book velocity) with accuracy approaching 2MOA, and some close to MOA. It was a blast!

With gaschecks? I shot a cow elk with a bunch of H335 pushing that 183gr FPGC at something over 2300fps. It worked. I also shot some mule deer and antelope with the same load. The 2nd shot was never needed, and no tracking.

Regards,
Sweetwater