Rabbit Rollers with the .30-30

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Dumpstick

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When I was at the last ENS in Mustang, I was talking with....uh....whomever it was, and I mentioned my low-power .30-30 loads. Interest was expressed. I figured I would give out some info on what I've been messing with.

Lee TL314-90SWC, cast fairly soft - 50/50 CWW/RL. Sized .311, tumbled in 45/45/10.
Loaded in unsized brass, just push the projectile in as far as my Lee dies would allow. I don't have pics of the loaded rounds, sorry, but I seated it to the second groove from the tip. Pics will help -

First pic is the first go-round. I used Promo, iron sights, 25 yds standing offhand.
998 fps, SD 16 fps, ES 32 fps
Obviously, I wrote the # of the Lee mold incorrectly.
P1010034 (Medium).JPG


Going a bit too slow. I wanted to duplicate a standard .22LR, but with a projectile that is half again the diameter, and double the weight.
I tried again, using 4.0 Promo, but it went too fast (almost 1100 fps) for what I wanted. I was looking for something around 1050 fps.

Then, wanting to scope this Mossberg, I traded a member here some stuff for his unused 4x Tasco (with the Jap optics - very clear scope). I'm trying to get this rifle suitable for my MBH (Much Better Half), 'cuz she has my 336 and won't give it back.
This Mossberg is the weird looking "tactical" job, with the adjustable stock. The adjustable stock is why I got it. Mrs Dumpstick needs a shorter length of pull than the Marlin 336 offers, so I'm trying to entice her to trade for the Mossberg. She won't do it without a scope.

Back on track here.

Today, I went out behind the barn to zero the scope. I took some more rounds, a bit different this time.
I took 14 rounds with me, that's all I had loaded up. It took 8 rounds to get it close, the first 3 went who-knows-where. I moved up at 10 yards, just to get it on paper. 5 more rounds, it was close, so I backed up to 25 yds. Rested on my rickety portable stand.

Here's the last 6 rounds.
15Feb'18 -1 (Medium).JPG


First shot, adjust.
Second shot, adjust.
Third shot, adjust.
Last 3 shots in 5/8", that's outside-to-outside measurement. From a lever-action with a creepy trigger.

These are a hoot ! Pull the trigger, I can hear the hammer hit, it goes Pfft, then I hear it SMACK the cardboard target backer.

I giggle... and do it again. I need to load up more. Lots more.


~1050 fps, good SD & ES. Accurate, and heavy enough to roll a rabbit at any reasonable distance. Quiet enough that one could shoot these without hearing protection, although I don't recommend it.

I think I got what I wanted. This is why I reload.

next up - Squirrel Smackers. A .30-30 with a 45 grain .310 roundball. Still working on this one, it will be a while.
 

swampratt

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Love those little thumpers. Looks like you got that load dialed in.
You are correct those PFFT loads are so much fun to shoot.
Barrel will never warm up.

I made some 32-20 loads with 95gr round nose bullets I powder coated. 2gr of red dot through a heavy octagon barrel marlin ballard.
I bet you could go through 50 rounds in that 30-30 in no time.
 

Dumpstick

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Well, I ran into a problem. Up 'til now, I have been single-loading these rounds. I tried loading some in the tube magazine, to see if they would cycle.
They didn't.

The problem appears to be the neck diameter. I sized to .311, which made the OD of the neck right at .331. That fit okay in the chamber (if it'll chamber, it'll shoot...), but had a problem in the magazine.
It seems that, if I loaded 4 in the mag, the first 3 would feed fine. However, when the spring pressure lessened, the last round would not feed. It was sticking in the tube, from the neck diameter.

Look -
P1010137 (Medium).JPG


The round on the left is sized .311. You can see the mark on the neck where it rubbed on the mag tube. I had to take the mag tube cap off, and knock it out with a dowel.

The round on the right, and on top, are sized .309. I chose that diameter, because I have that sizer. I need to get a .310 sizer, see if they feed at that diameter.
The neck is .329 OD, and they feed fine thru the tube mag. Now, I need to re-shoot the test, see how they shoot.

The scoops shown - I wanted to set up a quick way to load these. The charge of 3.7gr Promo fell betwixt the newer yellow scoop, and the older red scoop (the red scoop looks huge, but has a hollow base underneath. It's not as big capacity as it looks.). So, I made one.

Grabbed a .380 ACP shell, soldered a piece of copper wire to it, and commenced filing.
File, scoop, weigh.
File, scoop, weigh.

Now I have a scoop just for this load.
 

swampratt

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That is the way you do it. I have made many scoops from brass cases.

If you want them to throw really really close to the same then take a scoop to fill the scoop you plan on charging the case with.. in other words trickle into your scoop then card off.

Wider mouth scoops this pays off the small capacity ones are pretty darn close no matter what.

Now When I was shooting cast from my 30-30 I wanted jacketed accuracy to 100 yards.. I could pull off a few good shots then a flier would ruin it.
I was always getting fliers.
I thought ....and figured i would measure neck thickness some were .010" and some .014 thick.
I turned all my necks to .010" and the fliers went away.

I also sized all my bullets to .309" no issues.

Like you stated you need to shoot them and see how they do.

If you turn necks the slow cast loads really need thet consistent amount of bullet holding forces to shoot tiny groups.

I also measured neck Id before loading..all needed to be exactly the same ID not .0005" difference.

Yes I sorted to get that.. annealing helped in that consistency department.

You probably knew all that.
 

Dumpstick

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I shot the loaded rounds today, the ones sized to .309. They didn't group as well. Not bad, mind you, but not 3 in 5/8".

I got to thinking.... the rounds loaded in the tube mag fed fine until the last round. I wonder if the last round in the mag is hanging on the mag follower. The piece that pushes the nose of the round. IIRC, that follower is a plastic cup that envelopes the nose of the round.
I wonder, if I pull out that cup, get out the Dremel.....

As for the neck tension, and turning, well, this is a plinking/varmint round. I don't need tiny groups. I have no intention to neck-turn a few hundred .30-30 shells for rounds that will be shot in the backyard.
Hell, the 90gr bullet is so short, just the jump to the lands is probably 20 feet or so.
 

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