Author Topic: Attn: 30-30 Handi Reloaders (Read 1678 times)

tacklebury · « **on:** October 06, 2012, 03:43:20 PM »

Have a quick question. Since all the .30-30 data I find is for RN or FP bullets, what are you all using for a COL on std. pointed bullets. If you are using them anyway. My thought was to just plant it close to the ogive, but figured I'd give a shout out first. The bullet I'm starting with is a Sierra 150 gr. Spitzer boat tail, in case I get lucky enough that someone's actually loaded that bullet.

Anyway, hoping for feedback, but if not, I'll load to what I think looks acceptable and test some.

okie44 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 06, 2012, 04:01:50 PM »

I would start by loading them .020 off the lands, some bullets like to be close some don't. They might look a little odd, and will not likely work in another rifle.

tacklebury · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2012, 04:13:55 PM »

Yah, I don't have the barrel here yet. lol I will probably do that, but wanted to get a set ready for next week. Hard to fit time in on weeknights for loading.

okie44 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2012, 04:20:09 PM »

Go ahead and load them long, when you get the barrel find the OAL a quick pass through the seater die.

tacklebury · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2012, 04:42:40 PM »

Well, here's what I ended up with. Left them at 2.75", which was approximately at the start of the bullet ogive. I did no crimp and will test them in the barrel and see if it's off the lands. If so, we'll use these to do some testing. If they are too long, I can still shorten them some and then will kiss em with the FCD.

jim36 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2012, 05:15:22 PM »

Tac
The 30 30 that I have is by far the most accurate H&R that I own.
I am using the Nosler Bal Tip (green tip) 165 gr. bullet. I use 30 grs of Varget at a col of 2.700. I tried some 150's some 125's but found that this, 165 bullet, was the best. It all came by trial and error. They are all different. Not saying this is the greatest, but it is a shooter for me.
Jim <")))><

twoshooter · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2012, 05:40:21 PM »

I had a bunch of 125 gr PSP I use in a contender, the same load works as well in the Handi, but mine has a short throat and the bullets had a sharp taper. I load them to 2.495 to miss the lands. I load .310 dia 123 gr to 2.575, and the 147 gr FMJ_BT to 2.720. The 125's are plenty accurate, I load them for my grandson (11) with 37.5 gr of WW748. I think I am getting about 2450-2500 fps, fairly mild.

Jeff H · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2012, 05:59:50 PM »

Quote from: tacklebury on October 06, 2012, 03:43:20 PM

......................The bullet I'm starting with is a Sierra 150 gr. Spitzer boat tail,........................

My first "varmint rifle" was a Savage 24V, 30-30/20g. using Sierra 110 grain HPs. They shot very well and it was the only 30-30 in the house so no worries about the pointy bullets in a tube mag.

petemi · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2012, 01:50:56 AM »

I'm away from home at the moment so I can't give you the COL I came up with. I loaded the 168 gr. Nosler BTBT very long and then set it deeper in tiny increments until it chambered easily. It shoots very well. I can post the data when I get home tonight.

Pete

Dinny · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2012, 02:13:36 AM »

I think you're going to really like the results of that particular bullet. I know someone else that's loading them and having great results on deer. Sorry, no data available where I'm at though.

Thanks, Dinny

gcrank1 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 07, 2012, 04:02:59 AM »

I dont go by book COL for single shots, it is there for repeaters, the rifles chamber and common sense reloading will tell you. Your load looks fine and will probably shoot as well as anything and at distance better than those poor BC factory loads. For me and our typically short range conditions a sleek bullet is a waste.

LittleJoe · « **Reply #11 on:** October 07, 2012, 06:24:03 AM »

Due to the fact that the point on the ogive of a bullet that contacts the rifleing and the distance to the tip of the bullet can be as much as .050" from two bullets from the same box, useing listed OAL is as usesless as Kenya Bob in the White House. In lieu of useing a Hornady/StoneyPoint setup to compare bulletseating depths to within 0.001" a quick and dirty test is to just crimp a fired case (from you gun) so that the case just holds the bullet but can still move if pushed on. Put one of the bullets that you want to test into the case( long) and put the case into your gun and close the action. The bullet/case will come out with a give or take max lenght for you gun. The neck/throat area of your chamber needs to be clean as any gunk in thes area will throw off the test. Useing a couple teeth to crimp the case works for me. Don' try crimping 105mm cases with your teeth.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #12 on:** October 07, 2012, 06:46:53 AM »

Quote from: tacklebury on October 06, 2012, 03:43:20 PM

Have a quick question. Since all the .30-30 data I find is for RN or FP bullets, what are you all using for a COL on std. pointed bullets.

Most, if not all manuals show 30-30 spitzer bullet data for TCs their handgun sections.

Tim

petemi · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2012, 12:51:07 PM »

I'm home and looked up the COL I used on the 168 gr. Spitzer. It's long....2.825.

Pete

tacklebury · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:47:27 AM »

Thanks guys for all the replies. This is the only 30-30 I'll be using also, so no worries there.

My intention is to use this with cast bullets only once I get into casting. Next spring we move out of town into the country, so we will not have the restrictions I do here.

I have a pouring room with ventilation down in the basement all set up.

For now I hope these work well and Dinny's friend having luck on deer is just what I was hoping for. My load should be around 2200 fps, but will hopefully get them chrony'd soon. hehe

tacklebury · « **Reply #15 on:** October 12, 2012, 04:23:27 PM »

UPDATE: I got my new 30-30 Superlite and I'm pretty pleased. It took about 1 hr. of tweaking the locking ledge to get enough interlock to hold the barrel shut under fire. I ran some of the above reloads through it and they shot super sweet. I didn't even have to adjust the sights and hit the 10x10 gong at my buddy's range first shot. He was pretty shocked actually as he's had a bit of an issue getting his old topper barrel to shoot. Here's what it looks like on my multi-gun frame. The band is my temporary bubba'd screw replacement. I drilled a second hole in the underside of the forearm so it won't move forward or rearward, but just needs to be kept in it's rotated locked position. I will probably make a barrel band lug similar to the one on Jason's new 30 carbine post.

Close-up of lock-up. Super tight

Finally a close-up of bubba band, which came off a laptop adapter.

So my goal is to load another box to actually put it on paper tomorrow if the rain holds off. If it doesn't, will probably have to wait till next week for groups. I can see I'll be replacing the sights most likely, but for now, they work.

petemi · « **Reply #16 on:** October 13, 2012, 12:49:30 AM »

Sweet looking and shooting little rifle. Good luck with it. It looks like the monsoons arrived. It's cold and damp and either raining, blowing, sleeting, hailing, snowing or all five at the same time

I've got 4 Handi's waiting for some decent weather for some needed fine tuning.

Pete

tacklebury · « **Reply #17 on:** October 13, 2012, 11:48:03 AM »

Hear you on the weather Pete. You guys up there have been hit harder than down here in Central MI. We just got some rain today, finally. Only bad thing was I didn't feel like being out in it, so I will have to test the next set of reloads later this week.

tacklebury · « **Reply #18 on:** October 24, 2012, 05:01:06 PM »

Well, the only negative on shooting was it kept sticking brass. I tried several things in the FAQ, but nothing was removing enough material. I finally ended up using one of the fired brass and Permatex Valve grinding compound to get it done in 1/2 an hour.

I drilled out the primer pocket and ran a screw through the case out the hole and put two nuts to get them to jam and keep it from spinning. Then I ran it in and out until the once fired brass would seat completely. Worked pretty well though and now it'll eject even loaded brass about 3' in the air. hehe

OldSchoolRanger · « **Reply #19 on:** October 24, 2012, 05:21:52 PM »

Great idea, got to keep that one in mind. Good Ole' Yankee ingenuity!

44 Man · « **Reply #20 on:** October 25, 2012, 01:20:17 PM »

I don't know my COL as all my reloading stuff in is Michigan and I'm in Texas for the next few months. BUT I do remember that I ended up leaving a diameter of the bullet in the case neck and that ended being where I left them. My 125 gr Sierra's and 130 gr Hornady spitzers both shoot amazingly well at that length. That's a great 30-30 combo gun! 44 Man

tacklebury · « **Reply #21 on:** October 25, 2012, 01:49:15 PM »

It's a shame we never seem to catch up when you are back here. Going to have to try harder to give you some notice when I plan on being at Jay's Sporting goods.

jpshaw · « **Reply #22 on:** October 26, 2012, 01:18:04 AM »

Keep us informed since I had much the same problem to start. Ran out of the Speer 150 gr soft points I was using that are made for .30-30 and Midway talked me into the Speer 150 Hot-Cor that is not meant for .30-30. Started crimping them in the crimping grove and needless to say that short throat was not going to work with that grove at all. Ended up with the dang bullet shoved into the case much more then I wanted. Just get so sick of having to conform to "making it safe in tubular magazines" and wish someone would make a bullet for .30-30 to expand at these velocities just for single shots.

So pleased so far with my .444 that I had to use for our primitive season I just might keep using it for the whole season.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 26, 2012, 04:13:01 AM »

Most sizing dies/expander balls undersize the case neck enough (often more than enough) to securely hold jacketed bullets in place and provide the neck tension for proper powder ignition/burn WITHOUT any need for crimp at all when used in a single shot.
Feel free to exercise the KISS principle, ignore that crimp groove on the bullet and seat it to work in your chamber.
The only caution is to load one up this way, make sure it fits/extracts from the chamber, then take a hold of that bullet and case by hand and try to pull the bullet out. Bet you cant without tools, but if you can you may need a crimp.

S8Raz · « **Reply #24 on:** October 26, 2012, 04:15:08 PM »

My experience is a bit different from that noted here. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck w/the lighter bullets. Accuracy was minute-of-deer, but not much better.
Loaded NBT 125's at 2.780, which I'm thinking was about 0.010" off lands. Ran them ahead of 34gr of H4895. Might try them with 3031 (my favorite) after deer season.
I'd be interested to hear what works better.

tacklebury · « **Reply #25 on:** October 26, 2012, 05:01:54 PM »

Well, will report back how the Reloader7 works, when I have time to put on paper. I may be going out tomorrow, but don't expect sub-moa with these iron sights. Sub 6" groups from a 4 lb gun at 100 yards off hand are pretty good for me though. I've managed to get sub MOA groups from every cartridge I reload for so far using RL7.

44 Man · « **Reply #26 on:** October 29, 2012, 01:02:54 PM »

Jpshaw, they DO make a pointed bullet for 30-30 velocities. It's called a Nosler Ballistic Tip. I do wish all bullet manufacturers would list the performance velocities like Nosler does. It would make putting loads together with the proper bullets! We can only hope. 44 Man
And yes, Tacklebury, we do have to get together this next summer!

cjrjck · « **Reply #27 on:** October 29, 2012, 01:47:15 PM »

I've had real good performance accuracy wise and game getting with the 130 grain Barnes TTSX at about 2450 fps. The long throats on my H&R 30-30 rifles let me seat the bullet way out there so I could probably get another 50 to 100 fps if I wanted to. Never had a need for it though.