Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Using your home cast bullets as a ammunition component. Group buys are listed here.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by Ranch Dog »

With 27 survivors of the meltdown, I decided to see how these bullets would fair with a bit more pressure put to them. I was also excited to switch to the Collet resizing die as I had completed a cycle on this small lot of brass, cleaning and annealing it two days ago. With the Collet die set up I started sizing the brass. Three cases in, "BOOM", the Collet Cap blew off! The die was setup correctly, I work with them frequently and have a bunch of them but the threads on the aluminum cap on this new die gave way.

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I pulled the cap off another die and got busy completing the loading task. I had order an +.002" oversized mandrel but it didn't fit past the Collet Sleeve. That has something to do with blowout as the standard diameter mandrell is a very tight fit as well. I'm not going to bother Lee about it, I ordered a replacement Collet Cap & Sleeve along with some other parts. As luck would have it, I'm glad I didn't switch to the oversized mandrell as the stock part provided very good neck tension with the .310" bullet. I actually rub the check of all my bullets on a NRA formula stick, even though they have been tumble lubed. It does two things; it sticks the bullet to the case mouth and it eases seating. I do this with jacketed bullets too.

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I used the Perfect Powder Measure to drop the 42.2-grains of Varget straight into the Safety Scale pan and then weigh them on the scale. Any that don't fall within the first ½ grain marks. It is very unusual to see any variation with Varget and there was none.

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The TLC310-180-RF makes an impressive cartridge!

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I loaded three magazines, nine cartridges total, and headed to the range. It is hot (80°) and windy today, winds gusting up to 29 mph, quartering across the range. With the target setup at 50 yards, I was a bit disappointed with the first shot as it was high and left. The last, lighter load step had the POI near the bull. I looked down the muzzle with the help of sunlight and the barrel was a very light gray color like it had been sprayed with primer. The 42.2-grains of Varget should be generating 45.0K PSI and I thought maybe that is too much for the 25 BHN alloy. I decided to shoot the others as the barrel might just be fouling as the last loads hadn't left a any trace that cast had been through it. The next and successive shots did pretty durn good with the exception of one additional flyer. This is a screenshot of the digital target scoring module of my handloading software.

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It is getting there! I've only a few bullets from this batch left but decided to weight cull them. They were pretty tight but I tossed three than where +/- .3-grains from the average.

I also talked to a friend of mine yesterday about my project. This fellow is the smartest guy that I've ever met and writes the software I use for bullet design and handloading. He thought my alloy mix was tight but that I should just add a small amount of #8 Mag shot to act as a catalyst to set up the hardening. He told me to heat it at 440°, to stay below the linotype melting point, and then quench it in iced salt water after the hour cook. I will do that within the next week. I do think that I will shoot the bullets as cast but pass them through a .311" sizer to seat the gas check.

My goal is to bust the 2500 FPS mark with the Scout's 20" barrel while bringing the MOA inside 1.5, preferably 1.25. Then, I will be ready to take it out to 100, 200, and then 300 yards.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by Ranch Dog »

Went out to pick up in the reloading room and decided to see how just bad the residue in the barrel was. The first patch show just the oily residue of the burnt Alox and the remaining three patches cleaned it up. I'm very encouraged see this and will put more pressure on the changer to get more speed and spin on the bullet. It might tighten up!

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I did figure that the load I shot today is minute of hog so I loaded up a magazine worth just incase a hog wanders by the house!
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by DaveInGA »

Ranch Dog wrote:I did figure that the load I shot today is minute of hog so I loaded up a magazine worth just incase a hog wanders by the house!
Yep, gotta protect the homestead from those marauding pork bellies, for sure! Looking good RD, keep up the good work. Wish I lived closer to the sod farms I buy from. They have a hog problem and I got an itch I need scratched related to hunting. Here in Georgia, you can hunt them year around just like you can in Texas. :D
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

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Been a bit under the weather for awhile but decided to do some shooting yesterday to finish up my supply of TLC310-180-RF bullets. I decided to push the remaining bullets a bit harder to see what I could get out of them. QL told me that 44.3-grains of Varget would give me 50.0K PSI so that is what I loaded. It started out pretty good but by the fifth shot the group was opening up and light leading was appearing in the barrel. I went ahead and finished the loaded cartridges rather than pull them as I was also sending them across the chronograph. The first five bullets produced a 4.972 MOA. After the first three, each bullet only increased the MOA so I stopped scoring the hits at that point.

The chrony results were impressive, 2593 FPS! The Winchester 180-grain PP factory ammo averages 2552 FPS and originally I hoped to see 2500 so I'm right there. 45.5-grains of Varget should give me a few feet over 2600 FPS and a harder alloy should give me tighter groups. I'm going to have a gunsmith recrown the barrel as well. This was a used rifle and the muzzle looked like it had ridden muzzle down on a floor mat over a lot of road. I didn't help it on my desert mule deer hunt either. The reason the muzzle is suspect is that that I established an accuracy benchmark with the Winchester factory ammo when I first shot it. Yesterday's shooting with a clean barrel and the same ammo, down to the lot #, was very different (doubled from 1.25 MOA) and unacceptable.

We had a great gunsmith nearby that died several years ago from a long bout with cancer. He took the time to properly train his son in law in the art but the shale gas trade called with benefits and pay. The shop stayed open but the gunsmithing services were suspended. The shale has be sealed and the gunsmith is back looking for business so when I visit my CPA on Tuesday, I will drop my rifle off for the work. I had thought about buying the correct tools but for just this job the buyin would be $200. I think he charges $30 so it is hard to go the DIY route.

I need to get casting up I don't think I'm up to it today.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by GasGuzzler »

Off topic but oilfield operations crawling to a halt is cramping my style at work.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

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GasGuzzler wrote:Off topic but oilfield operations crawling to a halt is cramping my style at work.
I bet, cheap gas is good but it sure has killed our economy. Last week, I filled up my 2004 Dodge 2500 at $1.229/gallon here in Cuero. I don't think my truck has ever seen gas that cheap in its near 12 years!
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

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My "new" 2007 sure hasn't. Gas was $2.99 when my Dad had it less than a year.

I'm doing my part though since I have to use 89 in both my GMCs (computer mods). It's no longer a $0.15 upcharge. I paid $1.799 the other day when the 87 was $1.29 but I digress.....
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by 62chevy »

Ranch Dog wrote:
GasGuzzler wrote:Off topic but oilfield operations crawling to a halt is cramping my style at work.
I bet, cheap gas is good but it sure has killed our economy. Last week, I filled up my 2004 Dodge 2500 at $1.229/gallon here in Cuero. I don't think my truck has ever seen gas that cheap in its near 12 years!

Or did the economy kill gas prices??
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

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Ranch Dog wrote:...cheap gas is good but it sure has killed our economy
By "our" I meant here where I live in DeWitt County, I'm not a big picture guy. You couldn't work for free here, all the drilling companies are gone; lock, stock, & barrel.

Started working on Part IV today!
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by GasGuzzler »

Me too. Lots of lost jobs.
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