Relaoding dies 30/30

old

Well-known Member
Well since you guys told me I could not use any thing but 30/30 dies I picked up a set of them today and the nesler (sp) bullets to load in the brass I have. Guess I'll be doing some reloading very soon in another size/type of round
 
Ya I figure as with any thing you re-load to take it slow and see how things work before starting to go hog wild and producing a large number and then have ammo that can not be used. Probably payed to much for them at $25 but hard to find much re-loading stuff in this area and had to go to 3 places just to get the bullets and dies. I also picked up a 5 round mag for my M-1 carbine but still looking for dies for that one
 
Get a good reloading manual, follow it to the letter. Where they list the "DO NOT EXCEED" loads, they mean it. Wise if you stay a few grains of the recommended powder lower than that. My experience - middle of the road about halfway between "start" and "DON'T" produces the best accuracy. Have always worked loads up from the bottom of the powder recommednations - a grain or so at a time - load a few, shoot a few... Load a few somewhat heavier... 'Course, I have a chronograph available, and a range here on the farm for testing purposes.

By the way, the brand name is "Nosler", a very good manufacturer of excellent bullets. Other than what I cast myself, almost everything I load is Nosler. Except Hornady XTP in my muzzleloader.
 

Necks are long & thin, some bullets seat well and some need a bit of finesse.

Also I am sure you know to use a flat nose bullet if you have a tube loader.
 
Just came in from loading a few 30-30s myself. As someone else mentioned, those case necks are thin and fragile on 30-30s. If you have never loaded that round it is a good idea to chamfer the inside of case necks to keep them from collapsing while seating the bullets.
Twenty five dollars is a pretty fair price for loading dies nowadays. Thats not much more than the price a box of ammo. Have fun. Joe
 
he should already be deburing the ID and OD of the case neck, after resizing and triming to cut to size anyway.

meaning he needs a good caliper capable of 3 digits past thedecimal.. preferably digital or a very easy to read dial caliper.. plus he needs a grain scale.. not a gram scale AND a reload manual.. and the proper projectiles, usually with a cannelure.. and powder that matches the load data int he manual, for that weight of projectile.

I don't use nosler bal;istic tips in any of my tube laoders.. though might in my savage clip fed 340 boltgun...

I'm using win softpoints for my marlin 336 and winchesters... specifically called out for the 30-30.. not generic .308 projectiles..

these will not be carbide diese.. so case lube will be needed.

primer pocket tools too...

hard to jump into reloading without doin it with both feet. in for a penny .. in for a pound

I agree.. 25$ is cheap. must have been used.. or were lee dies.
 
I and my son reloaded around 40 this evening. Used Combined Technology Nosler Bullets 150RN grain bullets and 32 grains of IMR4350 powder. Did this after dark so no way to fire any to see how they do. Boat-tail bullets by the way. They almost look like they are Teflon coated to boot
 
My son and I did around 40 tonight boat tail nosler type bullets 150RN Winchester brand so will see how it goes tomorrow when we shoot a few. Loaded then with 32 grains of IMR4350
 
Been reloading now for well over a decade just not doing it every day so some times have to back up and look things over again. I ALWAYS use a scale to set up my powder dump so I know they are right and check it about every 10-15 dumps to be sure it is right on. Read above or what I said to Kevin for the type and brand etc of the bullets I used
 
I have been reloading off and on now for decades and yes have more then one manual and I never load much if any over starting load. Read my other answers to get all my info on what we did and yes measured so as to know they came out at the 2.55 if I remember right as for how long they should be
 
IMR-4350 is a pretty slow powder for .30-30. If you get smoky cases, you'll need to either increase your charge or switch to a faster powder. IMR-4895 is a very versatile powder that you can use in many different cartridges.
 
A good starting/all around load that's worked well for me is a 170 gr FN and 28-30 grs IMR-3031. Not the fastest or the biggest bang, but it will get you up to the 2K-2100 fps area. Start at 28 and work up.
 
I use the IMR4350 for 2 reasons. #1 from the chart I have it says it pushes the bullet at around 1900FPS and #2 I have a lot of that powder on hand so I do not have to go out and buy which in this area is not easy to do. I could also use IMR 4198 but I do not have as much of it on hand as I do the 4350
 
I used the IMR4350 for 2 reasons. #1 I have a lot of it on hand so I do not need to buy powder which in this area is hard to do and #2 the FPS is 1980 which if faster then the 4198 which I also have on hand so went with what seems logical to use and that is as per the book
 
So, did you shoot your loads? How did they turn out? No sooty cases? What was the size of your groups? If you're happy with the results, that's what matters, but you're making it harder than necessary by using a less-than-ideal powder.

IMR-4350 is a great powder for pushing heavy bullets in .30-06, but .30-06 has almost twice the case capacity of .30-30, and it runs at much higher chamber pressures. I wouldn't consider using 4350 for .308 Winchester, let alone .30-30. Picking a powder because you happen to have a lot of it on hand is a terrible idea; a lot of reloaders fall into that trap, then wonder why they get terrible results.

Just because data is published for a given powder/cartridge combination doesn't necessarily mean it's a good choice. A lot of manuals publish data that is borderline usable, just because reloaders like yourself want to use what they have on hand. I'm guessing you're using the Lyman manual, since it matches your data, but did you check any other sources? I try not to use a load unless I confirm it with two independent sources. If you look at the load data on the Hodgdon site (Hodgdon owns IMR), you'll find NO .30-30 load data using IMR-4350. That's right: the company that makes your powder does not recommend its use for .30-30.

The problem with IMR-4350 is it is a medium-slow powder and .30-30 wants a medium or medium-fast burning powder. Slower powders need more pressure to ignite consistently, and .30-30 isn't loaded to very high chamber pressures. It might work fine in 70 degree temperatures, but then give erratic results when it gets down to 20. Another problem is that the max load listed in Lyman (36 grains) is compressed, meaning you may have a tough time getting all that powder into the case without an extended drop tube on your measure or funnel.

You paid good money for those CT bullets. You should really use an appropriate powder so they can do their job.
Hodgdon Load Data
 
Well #1 I am not a novice when it comes to reloading been doing it for decades. As for shooting any of the 30/30 I just did heck no I do not target practice during deer season. As for the powder I used I have used it for years and like how it shoots out of the guns I have used it in. So since the re-loaders manual say it is a good powder as in is listed in the chart I used it
 
Also by the way you may have the $$ to waste on buying a powder for each type of ammo you reload but I do not so I will use what I have and be happy with it knowing it will in fact do the job I need it to do. All I care is that it will kill a deer or if it comes to it kill a human if things go as many think it will go
 
I have reloaded for a number of years but only started loading 30/30 shells last fall. I am using Hornady FTX 160 grain bullets and 34 grains of their Leverevolution powder. Pointed bullet but has a rubberized tip for use in tube feed rifles. Supposedly adds 50 yards to the rifle. I don't know about that, but I know they do a great job at 100 yards. Daughter got a deer with it first day of season this year, great shot and the deer only went a few yards before dropping.
 
You say you're no novice, yet you make novice mistakes. Trying to use a light load of a slow powder is a classic rookie mistake.
 
By your own statement you admit you don't know if your load will push its bullet past the end of the barrel, let alone hit the broad side of a whitetail in freezing temperatures. Maybe you should confirm the performance and accuracy of your load before rejecting my advice.

Yes, I do have different powders for each cartridge I load. Actually multiple powders for each, some of which I'll probably never use again. You tend to acquire stuff after 35+ years of handloading. But it's hardly a "wasted" investment. Each one of those half-empty powder canisters represents something learned.
 
32 grs 4359 is a starting load with a 150 in a 30-30. 36.0 is listed as max in my manuals. Light loads of slower powders can work in small cases. It may not be optimal, but it can work. Let's not turn this into a spitting contest.
 
I load for hunting and on my place your lucky to make a100 yard shot so this load should do just fine. I have found over the years to make a good round that will hit the mark that the starting load is very good. I do a starting load with my 44MAG and dropped a 10 point buck at around 60 yards with one shot
 
You keep missing the point since the book say I can use that powder. As for a hunting gun this one is a back up for the back up gun and yes I will be testing the loads when deer season is over and I have yet to EVER have any problems with the loads my manual say I can use and how well they preform. Also as I said I am not a novice at reloading and have been doing it for well over a decade. Yes I could also go with the IMR4198 that I have but I use that in my SKS rounds so do not want to waste it in the 30/30 since the 30/30 is not a gun that is used much
 
I was taught to reload but a target master who shoot day in day out and hit targets if 3/4 inch all day every day with lite pistol loads and he was super good at it. I use the specs right out of the Lyman 47th edition reloading handbook and starting loads are not lite loads but starting loads which I have found to produce some of the best loads to be able to hit the target and punch one hole not 5 holes in 5 shoots. Or in other words bug off I'll do it a the book says I can
 
This 30/30 is back up for the back up gun so it is used maybe once a year by a person who is lucky to know how to shoot. My self I used a Russian SKS for my long gun for deer and a 44mag as my back up gun. I use the Lyman reloader handbook so I know what I do is as per spec and by the book
 

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