30-30 and Pistol Powder

[mr surveyor]

Thought I'd post this for RD .... it's his bullets

[Ranch Dog]

Looks pretty good. Are they being shot fast enough to kill an East Texas buck?

[mr surveyor]

the last couple of trips I've been able to make to the range were time limited, so unfortunately the chrony wasn't used. These were the last of the 311-170RF, so I had to try the pistol powder. I've had such surprising accuracy with Unique and 143 gr (from 150 gr mold) in the 30-30, I had to see what the 170's would do.

jd

[RBHarter]

The 165 will clock 1600 on unique and 2200 on 4350 . That ought to do inside 100&150 respectively.

[GasGuzzler]

I have some RD170s loaded at 10 and some at 11 Unique. Is it the same bullet? Or did I send you some and forgot?

[mr surveyor]

I have some RD170s loaded at 10 and some at 11 Unique. Is it the same bullet? Or did I send you some and forgot?

GG

The ones shot in the above target were the last of a batch of 311-170-RF cast, gas checked bullets that RD graciously sent me to finally get my feet wet loading cast for the 30-30. The rest I loaded with LVR, IMR 4895 and IMR 4320, and 20 or so I let a buddy load for his suppressed, .308 bolt gun. They are absolutely some of the best bullets I've had the pleasure of experimenting with. I also have about 75-80 cast 180+ gr bullets left that I got from a buddy in Wyoming to tinker with in the 30-30. I've pushed both these varieties to 2000 fps (or more), but still looking for the powder/charge rate accuracy node for my 336 with rifle powders. Using Unique with the 180's from Wyoming, I was getting near the same repeatable accuracy results as the above target with RD's 170 gr bullet and AA#7. What really got me interested in finding out how the "heavies" would do with pistol powders was experimenting with some local cast Lee mold 150's (actually weighed closed to 143 gr) and Unique. Although I had a baggie full of the little 150's from a local buddy (for about 5 years) my first cast bullet reloads for the 30-30 were from the batch of 311-170-RF bullets that RD sent. That was enough to make me dig out the 150's and give them a try .... but I chose to try a lighter load with Unique. That was enough to bait and hook me to keep tinkering with the cast bullets in the 30-30. Of those three varieties of cast 30-30 bullets, I can get what I personally think is very good accuracy using pistol powders and low velocity. I haven't been able to consistently find the accuracy with the cast that I can get out of Rem Core-Lokt or Sierra Pro Hunter jacketed bullets.

As for the bullets you sent .... they were the 180 gr bullets for the .357 R92. Very good quality work. Unfortunately, for me, I couldn't cycle them loaded in .357 brass .... mostly due to the cuts in my cartridge carrier. Rather than modify the carrier, I was able to load them in .38 spl brass and cycle. I still have a few of the bullets left that I plan to tinker with some more.

It's been "interesting" to deal with unexpected dain bramage, continue to (have to) run a business alone, turn 65, and try to appear to be normbal .... and still find time to do those things you just want to do


jd

[GasGuzzler]

Aha! I have an RD mold for .30-30 that drops 170 and is GC so ....