The 30 Newton is a viable alternative to rechambering a 308.It is not the 30-338 wildcat...and was never loaded to those pressures or velocities.It can be made from cases without dealing with any belt for those wanting to do so.Yes..it is more entailed than necking down an existing belted magnum...but never-the-less...is a viable alternative to the problems associated to making a 30-06AI.It is an obsolete cartridge...one that was far ahead of it's time,and it is a wildcat...not a factory load...and with it being a wildcat...there are different steps to go thru to make it work and more expense over using off the shelf factory ammo...but isn't this 1/2 the fun of owning and shooting one? Having something totally unique is very apealling to me.
Pressures in the Handi are and always will be the nemisis of this type of action,however,the Handis can and do operate at much higher pressures than 56k, and do so safely and quite accurately,without any problems provided some simple steps are taken to ensure it. Tthe chambers and bores have to be polished or they should be relatively smooth to begin with from the factory, and that they lock up with minimum headspace. If the rifle is woefully inaccurate to begin with...one needs to find out why before doing any rechambering or reboring and correct that problem/problems first,then look to having it changed.Some here cannot see the need to change to something else over the given factory choices available to us now...and these fine folks are correct to a point...the factory does indeed give us a few good choices...but where they aren't correct is this is only
their veiwpoint...and not someone elses...I for one want to see more caliber choices...and if I have to modify an exsisting one due to it's having an out of round chamber...excessivly long throat..or if I am just wanting to be different...then so be it..because this is what
I want...and appearently others feel the same way.
These rifles aren't always sub-MOA right out of the box...some have to be really worked on to produce superb accuracy...while others produce sub-1/2" groups with minimal prep work.Some have to be shimmed,some have to have the barrels bedded,some have to have the recievers bedded when the barrel is in lock up,still others have to have a pressure point in the barrel channel of the forearm to produce consistancy.Yet each thing we do will be different on someone elses rifle due to the varied shooting styles and bench equipment we all have,there is no one perfect solution for every rifle. Most long time shooters realize that you have to work at getting a rifle to shoot accurately...&
consistantly. This is a fact most folks seem to forget when dealing with our little rifles...and I don't know wither it's because they don't feel it's worth the effort or because these aren't bolt action rifles..I can say from my own experiance with them...that they all will do better having the barrels and chambers polished prior to any shooting with them and to totally free float the barrel in the forearm by relieving the wood around the barrel in front of the stud and behind..then have a solid contact with the forearm in the barrel stud relief...and of the 2 rimmed cartridges in the Handy I've owned and shot...those being the 30-30 and the 45-70...they needed way- less than any other barrel I've owned,for prep work,but then again it is the nature of those 2 cartridges that have made them 2 of the greatest all time cartridges to begin with.
For those wanting to learn more...I suggest you pick up a copy of The Handloaders Manual of Cartridge Conversions 3rd edition by John J Donnelly & Bryce Towsley...it has thousands of accurate drawings and instructions on which to make your own cases and detailed instuctions on case forming,and some loading data along with the velocities.It is a wealth of information and can help those wanting to expand their knowledge.
Have a Great 1
Mac
