.30 caliber cast lead.....

[canoeguy]

I am going to start casting .30 caliber bullets, and need some suggestions...

I'm going to load for two Winchester 30/30's, a 1980's "Ranger" and a 1949 vintage Model 94. I am also hoping to build an accurate cast bullet load for a 1984 vintage Browning 1895 lever rifle in 30/06. My intended purposes will be target shooting and knocking over steel targets out to 100 yards. If I hunt with these rifles, I'll use factory 150 grain jacketed bullets...

I'm looking at Lee's 170 grain flat point mold, .309 diameter with a gas check, sized with a Lyman 4500 lubricaor and sizer. If this bullet works well in both 30/30 and 30/06 I'd be tickled to death...

I'm also thinking about heavier bullets for the Browning 30/06, I'm looking at the Lee 180 and 200 grain Round Nose Molds, but lubing and sizing them with Lee Alox and the Lee Lube and sizing kit, installing gas checks with the Lee sizing die...

The only reason I'm thinking of using Alox instead of my Lyman sizer and lubricator is the top punch, I have a flat nose top punch that should work with all flat nose bullets, but round nose and spitzer bullets would require buying and installing more top punches for round nose and spitzer bullets...

Anybody out there use Lee Alox and gas checks in 30/06? I'm thinking of velocitys in the moderate range, something like 1700 FPS or so...

Also, I'm thinking of doing this with straight wheel weight lead, hoping the gas check should be enough to eliminate leading without adding any tin or anything else to my lead. I've had good luck (no leading and good accuracy) with straight wheel weight lead in 45/70 pushed to 1300 FPS or so.....

[David Sinko]

I cast the Lee 150 gr. bullet for the .30-30 barrel of my Savage 24F combo gun. Since this is a single shot, I don't have to worry about pointed bullets. I use regular soft lube (not Alox) and have gotten excellent accuracy with full power loads using heavy charges of BL-C2. I use quenched wheel weights with gas checks and never had any leading issues. I once tried this bullet without the gas check and couldn't hit the paper at 50 yards. I would also like to try the Alox route since my Lubrisizer is down at the moment until I can find a proper fitting wrench to add more lube.

This bullet works reasonably well in my .30-06 but so far I have used only reduced to medium power loads. Point of impact is low and finding something that shoots to the sights is a real challenge.

Dave Sinko

[dave b]

I tried the lee 170 gr bullet and found that the nose engaged the lands and wouldn't let me close the action on a Marlin 30-30. The 150 grainer works fine. I size them to .309 with the Lee push thru die and tumble lube them once before sizing and again after with thinned LLA. I think the 150s would shoot in just about anything.

[6thtexas]

I've used the RCBS 180 gr. FN in a 30/30 M64 Winchester. It worked fine and was accurate. I used the same bullet in both a Browning 1895 30/40 and an old Ruger M77 in 30/06. I've taken a total of five deer with the bullet.

I get good accuracy up to at least 2100 fps with the bullet cast from straight wheelweights and Alox lube. Depending on the rifle I will size them either .309 or .311.

[LoboGunLeather]

The Lee 170-grain RNFP GC bullet works very well in all of my .30 caliber rifles. I have used it in .30-30, .300 Savage, .30-40 Krag, .308 Win, and .30-06 for about 25 years.

I cast these with an alloy of 50% new Linotype metal and 50% wheelweights (resulting in a 160 grain bullet), seat Hornady gas checks and size at .309 in my RCBS lubricator/sizer, and use Alox lube.

With the .30-30 you can achieve ballistics equivalent to factory ammunition using H335 (I use 28 grains). This load has put over a dozen deer in my freezer. Note on the .30-30 that the Marlin rifles with MicroGroove rifling will not stabilize cast bullets (a friend tried my loads in his Marlin and the result was erratic accuracy even at short range).

In the larger capacity cases like .30-06 I like to stick with medium burning rate powders and around 2000 FPS. 36 grains H-4895 works well with a 2-grain tuft of fiberfill over the powder, bullets seated to contact the rifling leade. In my Ruger #1 this load will shoot 2" groups at 100 yards consistently. In a Remington 03-A3 Springfield I use the 300-yard elevation setting for point of aim at 100 yards, and it will shoot 3" groups all day long.

A note on the larger cases (like .30-06, .30-40, etc): Lower pressure loads can result in cases with diminished headspace (at the shoulder area). I set aside cases specifically for use with the cast bullets and never use those cases for full pressure loadings or jacketed bullets. My routine for .30-06 cases is 6 loadings at full pressure, then rotate those cases into cast bullet use. I have a couple of hundred cases that have been used with cast bullets over 20 times with no signs of ever wearing out.

Cleaning the rifles is a breeze. I run a dry patch through to mop up the Alox, then a dry bore brush for about a dozen passes, then a patch with a little bore solvent followed by a dry patch or two and I am done.

I have recovered several of these bullets from mule deer up to about 250 lbs weight. Penetration and wound channels are comparable to jacketed soft points. Recovered bullets have all retained at least 140 grains weight. Expansion is minimal unless bone is hit, in which case the bullets show considerable deformation but have always punched through shoulders and ribs and continued to penetrate. The Hornady crimp-on gas checks have always stayed on. Heart and lung shots have always dropped mule deer cleanly.

Have fun.

[acl864]

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[canoeguy]

Thanks for the info, I'm going to buy the molds and a set of 30/06 dies this payday. I just got the Browning 1895 and the guy who sold it to me threw in two boxes of factory ammo and 150 empty cases, so I'll be set...

I'm going to get the Lee 170 Mold and a 180 grain mold, and some gas checks. Tumble lube them and hope for good results.

Thanks,

Canoeguy

[kraigwy]

just a hint:

For cast rifle bullets, you can beat TrailBoss powder. It fills up the case for more constant ignition and burning.

I use it w/cast bullets in my 30-30 TC pistol, 308 win, 375 H&H, and 416 Rigby. Works great.