• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

.30-30 my latest reloads, and the state of the economy

Just bought this matching silver scope. I've been dreaming about this one for a while.
20160319_175456.jpg
I posted some photos in the 464 scope rings and bases thread.
 
CaddmannQ said:
I think it's a sort of high temperature electrostatic paint with aluminum powder in it. I don't think it's like the regular polyester powder paint but more like a ceramic coating.

It does wear down...
Click to expand...
Well, If it is a Mariner it would be reasonable to assume it was a corrosion resistant finish.
 
andrew678122 said:
I have recently taken the scope off my 464 SPX and installed a Williams FP receiver sight. I really like the FP receiver sight, now all I need is the Lyman target front sight.

I have been to the range a few times, getting the bugs ironed out and sighting it in, but this morning I went to the range and shot it at 100yds. With the Williams FP I find it easier to be accurate as opposed to the stock sights. The only change I'm going to do at this point is get a Lyman target front sight, that way I'll be able to see the target at 100yds rather than have it hidden by the blade front sight. At 100yds the stock 464 front sight completely hides the 12" Birchwood Casey targets I was using. I just centered the fiber-optic where I knew the target to be.

This is the best group I shot, but quite a few groups were close to this:

I was shooting my reloads, but this time a 150gr Sierra flat nose with 29gr of H4895. I'm going back to my usual Speer bullets, but I ran out.

I used to buy Remington 150gr Core-Lokt, and got into reloading because it was cheaper, but now I can't even buy .30-30 in Academy or Walmart if I wanted to. I have heard that there is such a demand that ammo makers are only making the more popular cartridges. I guess .30-30 is not popular enough...

So now, reloading is the ONLY way to go. Prices for components has gone up some, but it's still way cheaper than store-bought ammo. I think I'm paying about $10 more per pound of powder, $1.50 more per 100 primers, but still about the same per 100 bullets. The powder and primers I buy locally because of the hazmat fee, and local prices are the ones that have risen the most. The bullets I get from Midsouth and are relatively unchanged, even the powder they sell is the same price! If I can invest in some powder I'll buy it in quantity, and the primers, but with the hazmat fee I'd need to buy 8 pounds or so before it really became worthwhile.

The bottom line is, I'm happy with my Mossberg 464 SPX, reloading and my shooting, what else is there?
Click to expand...

Andrew, are chronographing your loads? I am interested in what velocity you are getting using the 29 gr of H4895. 29 gr of H4895 is lower than the starting charge of 30.5 gr I am reading in the Lee manual for that powder. I am going to load up some plated 150 gr Xtreme bullets with H4895 if I have enough for 50 rounds. I think I will be a lot short. I may have to use Trail Boss. I want lower than factory velocity but 1500-1600 is too low. 1700-1800 is my target velocity. I also would like to find some info about the original 3030 loads and see what velocities they ran their lead bullets at.

****Found it. Original bullets used were 160 gr. copper patch lead (or jacketed) 1970 fps was the standard velocity at the time.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/3030history.htm
 
Last edited:
hombre243 said:
Andrew, are chronographing your loads? I am interested in what velocity you are getting using the 29 gr of H4895. 29 gr of H4895 is lower than the starting charge of 30.0 gr I am reading in the Lee manual for that powder. I am going to load up some plated 150 gr Xtreme bullets with H4895 if I have enough for 50 rounds. I think I will be a lot short. I may have to use Trail Boss. I want lower than factory velocity but 1500-1600 is too low. 1700-1800 is my target velocity. I also would like to find some info about the original 3030 loads and see what velocities they ran their lead bullets at.

****Found it. Original bullets used were 160 gr. copper patch lead (or jacketed) 1970 fps was the standard velocity at the time.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/3030history.htm
Click to expand...

My calculations based on Lee Manual's information should give you appx 2017 fps with your 29.0 gr load. 28.0 gr will give appx original 3030 velocity of 1973 fps, which is only 3 fps higher than the original factory velocity of 1970 fps. I sure hope i have enough H4895 to do at least 20 loads.
 
Okay I have the notes from the last rounds that we reloaded:

Bobby notes that he used 170 grain Hornady round nose bullets and 32 grains of Hodgdon lever with Remington primers.

They cycled well, but then again I couldn't tell you a lot about accuracy because of the scope situation.

I shot a couple good groups and the rest were all over the map.

My buddy Bobby just handed me 100 rounds of .223 and 20 more rounds of .30-30 that he has loaded with the Sierra 150 grain flat nose & IMR-3031 28.5 gr and federal primers.

The books says 2000 feet per second thru the standard Barrel, but mine is only 16". I am estimating 1850 to 1875 feet per second for this batch.

The .223 notes show H322 powder 23 grains & 55grain Full Metal Jacket. Federal primers. Book at 3100 fps.
 
20160321_172102-1.jpg

Sorry, Charlie . . . it's not the future you imagined is it?

Hang on to that football buddy.
 
CaddmannQ said:
Okay I have the notes from the last rounds that we reloaded:

Bobby notes that he used 170 grain Hornady round nose bullets and 32 grains of Hodgdon lever with Remington primers.

They cycled well, but then again I couldn't tell you a lot about accuracy because of the scope situation.

I shot a couple good groups and the rest were all over the map.

My buddy Bobby just handed me 100 rounds of .223 and 20 more rounds of .30-30 that he has loaded with the Sierra 150 grain flat nose & IMR-3031 28.5 gr and federal primers.

The books says 2000 feet per second thru the standard Barrel, but mine is only 16". I am estimating 1850 to 1875 feet per second for this batch.

The .223 notes show H322 powder 23 grains & 55grain Full Metal Jacket. Federal primers. Book at 3100 fps.
Click to expand...

Some previous statements deleted by hombre; Post below edited for correctness and safety.

My favorite load for the .223 is a 55 gr Hornady Soft Point; Primers are either CCI or Winchester Small Rifle. Cases are mixed, depending when I got them. Some are range brass, some are once fired (by me) Winchester and most are once fired Lake City. (which I know are only once fired because I have to remove the primer crimp on all of the military cases, and many of them are range brass from Lewis Machine test firings.)

I have not chronographed them but accuracy has been excellent. This is my standard all around load for hunting or target. I also load the same specs with 55 gr fmj. Good accuracy.

I am testing some copper solids also. Hopefully I will get them out to the range soon. I loaded them up last summer or fall along with some souped up .308 Win loads. I am testing 125 gr TNT hp bullets, but I do not have that data handy. It is in the ammo boxes on labels but I am just too lazy to go look at the specs. I am hoping for explosive effect on coyotes and G-Hogs.
 
Last edited:
Bobby was just showing me some sharp .223 copper coyote slugs with these tiny little hollow points. . . never seen anything like that before.
 
CaddmannQ said:
Bobby was just showing me some sharp .223 copper coyote slugs with these tiny little hollow points. . . never seen anything like that before.
Click to expand...
I loaded some 125 gr .308 TNT bullets that look just like them. They look like FMJ but they are hollow point hunting bullets. May be the same bullet in a different caliber. My 308 Savage bolt gun is a real hoot to shoot. I was surprised the recoil is so light. My Marlin 3030 kicked a bit harder. But then again, the Savage 308 has a 26" bull bbl and weighs about 9 lbs all dressed up with scope, bipod and sling. It looks bad with the bipod.

I just finished loading 50 3030 rounds with the XTreme plated 150 gr bullets. H4895/22.0 gr. OAL 2.550"; Federal Case and Primer. Calculated to be just about 1600 fps. XTreme does not recommend anything over 1500 fps so these were only slightly more. Next time I will stock up on Berry's plateds if I want to use them. They are rated for 1975 fps and that is a long time standard velocity for 3030. It started live at 1970 fps with a 160 gr bullet and has just gotten better over time.

I know I cannot put more than one in the chamber and one in the tube but I have some Speer 150 gr sp's I use in the .308. I am going to load a few of them also for a little added BC which translates to distance and retained velocity at a longer range...just in case I need a little longer winded bullet. Eventually I will get the Hornady poly tipped bullets but I need to get to see how the gun likes me before I spend real money on it.
 
Last edited:
oli700 said:
I would listen to Lee.....I have an old Savage bolt 30-30.....cool old gun
Click to expand...
Is that a 788 Remington? I had a .222 when i was 21 and that is the first rifle I ever reloaded for. I couldn't shoot worth a crap but i never lost my enthusiasm and interest in reloading. I eventually sold the rifle and I always wanted to get another one but it was discontinued. I got a Mod. 78 Remington in .270. It was a shooter and i must have learned something. I ran my tests, did some chronographing and came up with some 150 gr loads that neared 2900 fps. I got done testing and fired the remaining 15 rounds for practice at 165 yards. 1 1/8" group, 15 shots, 165 yards. I called it very good.

I went to Montana and killed a smallish muley and when I got home I had to sell the rifle. From then on I decided I would sell the other half before I parted with another shooter. Now I do not have to worry about it.
 
hombre243 said:
Is that a 788 Remington? I had a .222 when i was 21 and that is the first rifle I ever reloaded for. I couldn't shoot worth a crap but i never lost my enthusiasm and interest in reloading. I eventually sold the rifle and I always wanted to get another one but it was discontinued. I got a Mod. 78 Remington in .270. It was a shooter and i must have learned something. I ran my tests, did some chronographing and came up with some 150 gr loads that neared 2900 fps. I got done testing and fired the remaining 15 rounds for practice at 165 yards. 1 1/8" group, 15 shots, 165 yards. I called it very good.

I went to Montana and killed a smallish muley and when I got home I had to sell the rifle. From then on I decided I would sell the other half before I parted with another shooter. Now I do not have to worry about it.
Click to expand...
I'll have to look again but I think it is a Savage of some sort...bolt action , magazine fed, maybe 50's or 60's in production ......odd looking stock.
 
CaddmannQ said:
Bobby was just showing me some sharp .223 copper coyote slugs with these tiny little hollow points. . . never seen anything like that before.
Click to expand...
I wonder if you were saying those coyote bullets are the brand name or the type of game they are intended for. I read in "Long Range Shooting" there is a frangible bullet made by Coyote. But I cannot find a listing online for any company named Coyote. I will look in that book to see what they are and repost here. You just jogged my mind, piqued my intrest and spurred me into the research mode. The jogging and the piquing i don't mind but please watch those spurs.:)

Sorry, no luck I found the company, Environmetal inc makes Hevi-Shot, and the article I read says they make a Dead Coyote .224 bullet, but it is not listed on their site. May still be being tested.

This is a search engine. I have not followed it up yet.

https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=dead+coyote+.224+duster+bullets&fr=ush-mailn_02&fr2=p:ml,m:sb
 
Last edited:
I hired this guy to spur you on in your efforts.

methhoo.jpg

I don't know much about those bullets. They're just what he uses to hunt coyotes. I don't know the brand.
 
Last edited:
Several manufactures offer solid copper projectiles. Barnes TSX is popular. I believe the Hornady FTX is also solid copper,
 
dieselmudder said:
Several manufactures offer solid copper projectiles. Barnes TSX is popular. I believe the Hornady FTX is also solid copper,
Click to expand...
Those bullets in the 100 pack your friend handed you...those were solid copper? I didn't know there were any solid copper bullets with hollow points.

The coyote killer bullets in that link are a type of frangible. The core is a powder but it acts like a solid lead core when it hits bone and stays pretty much intact. It is some weird stuff. It is like it has it's own built in ai so it knows whet it is hitting and expands accordingly. That is why I was interested of that is what those were. But I do not see them on the HeviShot website. I will keep lookin as long as you club that meth head and keep him away from me.:eek:

I did a little web search and I see solid copper with hollow point is pretty popular. I will have to try them.
 
Last edited:
hombre243 said:
My favorite load for the .223 is a 55 gr Hornady psp, 24.5 gr IMR 8208 XBR, (normally I used a Remington 5 1/2 small rifle primer but I ran out.) Now I have CCI and some Winchester sr primers I am trying out.
Click to expand...

~~~~~~~~~~~
Uhhh..... for safety sake alone I am going to caution everyone reading this post to NOT USE Remington 5-1/2 Primers which are small pistol magnum primers.

Even the Remington 6-1/2 Small Rifle Primer is designed solely for the .22 Hornet and nothing hotter, and this "small rifle" primer will crater and blow when used with cartridges like the .223 Remington.

Here is the Remington Product Catalog : http://www.remington.com/ammunition/components/primers/centerfire-primers

Pay close attention here, please, for what I am warning people about. Thank you for reading.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601138078/remington-small-rifle-primers-6-1-2 Read the Warning

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Remington-Primers/741162.uts Read the Warning


To use these primers will possibly result in expensive bolt face erosion as the ignition gasses cut backwards like a welding torch against a bolt and firing pin hole. Again, as a Moderator I have a responsibility to pull back some reloading data posted here in this board which could lead to possible firearm damage or possible injury.

Thanks for your time.

Respectfully...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top