Looking for 30-30 small game loads

[cwlongshot]

Hello guys,
  I am looking for some experience with small game loads for the 30-30. (specifically in a Savage 24)

I have a couple different good lead bullets. First is a Lyman 311440 and the second is a RCBS 180g FP GC bullet.  I have both case #2 alloy maybe a bit softer, outside lubed with alox and will be used as cast, the diameter is about .311.

I have never been a fan of small powder charges in large cases and not a fan of fillers either. So, I prefer bulky powders. I have a can of trail boss and a number of others like ol stand by 4756 and PB to try. I see some light loads in old Lyman manuals.

What have you used and what do you advise?

CW

[45-70.gov]

big cases and small charges used to bother me too


but i had a lot of bullseye given to me  ...free
it seems to work well........powder position doesn't seem to cause inconsistency


try 3 grains  with any cast you have.......i wouldn't use a GC

[geezerbiker]

Back when I could walk a long ways I used to carry a hand full of small game loads for my rifles in the odd chance I got really lost and needed to hunt small game.  Now I load these for fun.  I use a 120g cast bullet for the .30 carbine or a .32" round ball run through a Lee .312 sizer.  The round ball comes out of the sizer looking like a round nose boat tail at around 90g as I recall.  I use 4 to 6 grains of Red Dot normally with these but I've also use about the same amount of Unique.  These are light loads and you could up them a couple grains if you'd like...

Tony

[Dee]

Unique powder is what I used with a 170 gr. cast gas check bullet. Used it for years.

[Ranger99]

somewhere in my mountain of magazines
and reference material is an article by
sam fadala on that very thing. i'll try
to hunt it up. i know he uses a tiny
bit of powder with roundballs or swaged
roundballs.

[JB Weld]

I shoot a 113 grain boolit over green dot out of my 3030 (Marlin 336). Start at 7 grains and work up from there. It is a great low power load. Very little recoil and noise. I have also had good luck with Trail Boss with the same boolit.

[Ranger99]

in guns magazine 2009 buyer's guide
volume 66,  mr. fadala sez :
"my 30/30 for example shoots round lead
balls intended for the .32 caliber squirrel rifle.
these .310 pills are readily available over the
counter. full-length resize your brass. fit a
standard primer. pop in a mere pinch of fast
burning powder. squeeze the round ball down
level into the mouth of the case, and that's
all there is to it. the 30/30 has been
metamorphosed into a peanut shooter. i have
similar squib loads for my 30/06, as well as
45/70 with a .457 round ball intended for the
ruger old army cap and ball."


in a sidebar photo, there is a photo of two
pointed bullet 30/30 rounds, and some
loose cast round nose bullets.
the text reads:
" a way to prepare small game loads for a
big game rifle is light cast bullets, such as
these .309 diameter 75 grain weight for
30 caliber rifles"

[Lloyd Smale]

yup 7 grains of unique with a 150-180 cast is about like shooting a 22 mag and it kills much better. Its been very accurate in my guns too.

Unique powder is what I used with a 170 gr. cast gas check bullet. Used it for years.

[cwlongshot]

I like unique too. I used 10g fire forming 444 I to my .410 chambers. Did not quite do the job. This I need a faster powder.

IIRC 13g with a 255g was my cowboy 38/55 load.

I have a bunch of #2... Like 10# . I'm not much for "experimenting" with reloading. . But burn rates show it very very close to other suggested powders. But It's a ball powder. Hummm

[anweis]

8 to 10 grains of Unique and cast bullets.
I also used 10 grains Unique under 110 grain grain jacketed bullets made for .30 carbine. good accuracy at 50. .30 carbine semijacketed bullets made by Hornady and 8-9 grain UnIQUE WILL BE AWESOME AS WELL.