30-30 casting and hand loads

In preparation for the first match of the year I am working on my 30-30 loads.  Last year I had some issues and a lot of other things going on so, I decided to do a little more investigation this year.

First, I was living off previously loaded bullets done by myself and a shooting partner.  Read, I was shooting off of reload inventory.  This got me in two areas.  First, although this gun was the exact same model, caliber, barrel etc, the chambers were not the same.  What would fit in his would not chamber in mine.

Second, I assumed he was using the supply of cast bullet I gave him.  Turns out, he was using up some LaserCast bullets that looked damn near identical.

Third, never underestimate the importance of trimming all your brass to length.  I had some variation here which was the first thing to attack.

Case Prep:

I tried to get everything shot up last year to empty the brass.  I think my gun was enjoyed by a number of new shooters who may or may not be back.  Iron sights at 200 yards is not the easiest introduction to the sport.  I still have 17 rounds which won't chamber.  I think I will just pull them.

STM is great stuff.  John even better with his patience to trim to length some 400 cases before he cried uncle, time for a margarita.  Then de burr them all, clean out the flash hole and then, put them in the STM again.  Dry, and weight sort. Some say it is all a waste of time but it was a long winter.

Then the million dollar question, what will I use for COAL.  (Cartridge Over All Length).  I fussed and fuss and concluded 2.555" is perfect where the lands DON'T come in contact with the bullet.  Or that was my logic at the time, it has since changed.  I was not really sure what was optimal and winter was not kind this year for any testing.  You will see to the right that this left my crimp groove exposed and the topic or crimp or not to crimp comes into play.  If you are in search of accuracy, no crimp.  If you need a rugged bullet that you don't want to baby, crimp.  In my case, the bullet to the right is sized .311" and it is snug in the case and is not going anywhere.  I used these at the St. Patty's day Match.  This handsome bullet was cast by John who has perfected alloy management unlike myself.

More research.  Turns out you are just guessing until you create some form of chamber cast. You can melt a number of products and pour into your chamber.  Not an easy feat with a lever gun.  Or you can try the process called a "pound cast".  Read the link and you decide.  I got it right on my second attempt.  First, aluminum rod did not transfer the sharp hits as well as steel.  And, don't overfill your brass with lead.  I had mine too full and I could not chamber my pure lead bullet even with some care tapping from the breach end.  New pure lead bullets and filled brass were made, a steel rod and my second attempt yielded the picture to the left.

So now things get complicated. What makes for optimal bullet depth and case length can't be accommodated.  I have not been able to find 30-30 brass that is 2.085".  Maybe 2.040" is the longest I have found in my bag of untrimmed brass.  Even if I did, there is the issue of COAL and the ability to get the round from the magazine up into the chamber.  My current mould's "aspect ratio" prevents me from getting the largest diameter into the chamber without making the bullet so long it can't be cycled.  So the research will continue.  I now have some .313" sized bullets, larger than .311" and they are set as long as will cycle in the subject gun.  Still fighting some lead shaving but here is the current product that waits for a certain range to be opened on the 100 yard line.  Note how the bullet is expanding the brass above the shoulder in order to fit.  Heavy pressure left a ring on top of bullet in order to push into the brass.  Could be time for a neck sizer and just kiss fired brass.  Remember, the 26th is just two weeks away.

CLA Schedule. (click date for results)

April 26, 2015
May 31, 2015
Aug 22, 2015

See the results post for all NH match dates for 2015.  They will turn orange after the results are posted.

Link for Bore measurement definition.

Click on the images for a detailed view.

Shooting for Score, a different animal....

Animals that don't fall down and tell you where you are in your progress toward completing 20 shots!  I was terrified of shooting on the wrong target.  6 targets numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.  And I had to be on #5 for every shot.  5th target out of 6 would be the penultimate target but in this case, it was 3rd from the right.  Just to keep you thinking if the snow blowing in your face, my carefully prepped 30-30 brass dropping on the concrete, snow melting on the barrel and going who knows where when it hit the forearm.  FOCUS!

Well, first there was the chaotic reload.  I have spent hours, days prepping brass, like 400 RP cases are all now 2.030".  Thanks John for use of your trimmer and equal effort turning all these cases.  I was having some rounds last year that would not chamber and having identical brass length is a good place to start.  Why not deburr the flash hole and weight sort them too in the winter months.  Then, plat with seating depth only to find that a depth just shy of the lands has the bullet too far out to crimp.  All this put me in a quandry as to what was the right thing to do.  Then the match came so I just them in without a crimp and loaded them one by one.

The circle is 6 3/8" so......I might have lot a pig or two.  The high shot I called.  the others were not bad breaks, or bad enough a break to have me look through the spotting scope.  On a whole, it is a good performance with the 30-30 hand loads, hand cast.  My issue is too much input from pulling and not squeezing the trigger causing the shot to go low or high.

My bullets were cast a few years back when I first got into loading but were never shot.  They have a bit of oxidation but I think that is only objectionable to the human and it makes absolutely no difference accuracy wise.  interesting that the shinny sized areas don't show any oxidation.

Next effort is to create a "pound cast" which I am learning is a trickier project in a lever gun than a bolt gun.