30-30 reloading - The Firearms Forum

kar298 · 03-22-2004, 08:58 AM

first off i want to say hi this is my first post in this forum.
I am just getting into reloading and i was wondering what type of powder, brand of primer, and weight and size of bullet does every one use to reload there 30-30 rifles with. I will be using these to hunt white tail deer.

Marlin · 03-22-2004, 09:11 AM

Glad to see you at TFF, kar298.

I hope you will join in the fun and festivities often. You will find that we have a very congenial bunch of folks here at TFF and that the collective knowledge about guns, shooting and all other related subjects is second to none elsewhere.

I am just starting reloading myself and can't help you on the .30-30 but I'm sure one of our experts will be along soon. My experience so far has been limited to the .30-06 and .270 Win.

Country101 · 03-22-2004, 10:08 AM

Welcome to the forum, Kar298! I'm in the same boat as marlin. I cant help ya out with the loading stuff yet. Somebody will be along soon with some great advice for ya.

inplanotx · 03-22-2004, 10:16 AM

Welcome kar298. Glad to have you aboard. Here is some reloading data for your 30-30.

30-30 Reloads

Lots to choose from. You need to figure out what bullet you want to use and then again what components. It is usually an individual choice here.

Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions. I would buy a good reloading book made by the manufacturer of the bullet you select. They are the best source of information on their products.

Marlin · 03-22-2004, 10:35 AM

Handy tables IPT.

Thanks!

JohnK3 · 03-22-2004, 10:59 AM

Also check out LoadYourOwn for lots of good information on handloading.

I use Winchester 748, Winchester Large Rifle primers and Hornady 150gr. RNSP in Winchester cases for my deer loads. I'd recommend you look into the "Ladder Method" of building up an accurate load. I'm probably not the best person to explain it to you, so I'll suggest you search on "ladder" on LoadYourOwn's forums and follow the link listed.

Found it!

Ladder Method

kar298 · 03-22-2004, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by inplanotx
Welcome kar298. Glad to have you aboard. Here is some reloading data for your 30-30.

30-30 Reloads

Lots to choose from. You need to figure out what bullet you want to use and then again what components. It is usually an individual choice here.

Yeah i have looked at that site and i have those same sheets in the one book that i got with my lee kit, i was wondering though what powder every one found to be the best for the 30-30 loads, i plan on using at least a 150 grain round nose bullet. and i was thinking of using remington larger rifle primers?

inplanotx · 03-22-2004, 11:32 AM

kar298, each rifle likes its own distinctive load variation. It is all in experimenting with different ingredients to find out what your rifle likes. JohnK3's rifle might like winchester 748 and shoot one inch groups with it, where yours might group 4 inches with his load. No two rifles are the same. We reload to find the best load for OUR weapon. What might be a fine load in my rifle, might be overpressure in yours and cause major problems. You have to find out what is best in your rifle. That is why you see loads listed under each bullet weight with different powders. Hope this helps explain it!

JohnK3 · 03-22-2004, 01:03 PM

Absolutely, IPT.

The Ladder Method (I followed the link and found out the only reference left is to a PDF in German!) basically states that you should load about 5 cartridges per charge weight, starting down near the bottom of the range listed in your manuals and work your way up to the maximum in small increments, usually 0.2 grains per set. Mark these in some way to make sure you can identify each set of cartridges.

Now, go out to the range and setup a target at 100 yards. Carefully shoot each set of charge weights and mark the groups they make on the target between sets. Keep the point of aim the same for all sets. DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SIGHTS. You'll notice they begin to "walk" up the target, like a ladder. When you hit the "sweet spot" load, you'll notice that the groups from each set begin to cluster closer together before they begin to continue their climb up your target.

Don't forget to watch for signs of overpressure with EACH load!

The average charge weight for the "cluster" is the "ideal" charge weight for that case/primer/powder/bullet/rifle combo. When you change lots of powder, even if it is the same brand, you should laddertest again. If you change anything, bullet weight/brand/style, case, primer, powder type, etc. you have to laddertest again.

The basic theory is that each barrel has a resonance point at which it is most accurate. You are adjusting your charge weight to put the combination as close as possible to the resonant point for your barrel.

DISCLAIMER: I'm just starting out reloading, myself. I do NOT claim that this is a perfect method, or even scientifically accurate. I find it to be an interesting theory that makes a certain amount of sense to me and I am presently investigating it with my own loads to see if it is valid. I've read several people on various forums that tend to agree with this method, as it is close to what they use in developing their own loads. I am especially attracted to it by the fact that it is a consistent, methodical, change-one-thing-at-a-time method of testing. I will cheerfully accept any constructive criticism and equally cheerfully ignore any "you're an idiot!" type flames.

kar298 · 03-22-2004, 01:18 PM

Ok the ladder method makes sense to me now. The only thing i am unsure of is which type of powder i want to use to load my shells, there are so many different types. How do i choose the best/right powder for my 30-30?

inplanotx · 03-22-2004, 01:34 PM

As I stated above. Figure out what bullet you want to use. Then buy the bullet manufacturers reloading manual, they all have them as do the powder makers. Look at the load that you find appealing to what you want to do. Find out which primer and brass maker they used to develop the loads they list. These are tried experiments and the loads listed are tested by the bullet manufacturer! See what powders he uses and try them! They give min and max loads. Start with the min and work your way up in 1/2 grain increments until you find a load that is not overpressure and shoots well in your rifle! Read what JohnK3 said above. It is very good info and I second what he states. Good luck.

kar298 · 03-22-2004, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by inplanotx
As I stated above. Figure out what bullet you want to use. Then buy the bullet manufacturers reloading manual, they all have them as do the powder makers. Look at the load that you find appealing to what you want to do. Find out which primer and brass maker they used to develop the loads they list. These are tried experiments and the loads listed are tested by the bullet manufacturer! See what powders he uses and try them! They give min and max loads. Start with the min and work your way up in 1/2 grain increments until you find a load that is not overpressure and shoots well in your rifle! Read what JohnK3 said above. It is very good info and I second what he states. Good luck.

ok thank you

inplanotx · 03-22-2004, 06:10 PM

If you want to pick a bullet by specific manufacturer, I can give you a little more insight into what they have done as I have most of the books at hand.

IPT

Steelerfan55 · 04-25-2004, 05:32 PM

Has anyone had any luck with cast bullets for the .30-30. If so, please help! I can't buy a group at 50 yds with 150 gr Flat Point Round Nosed.

inplanotx · 04-25-2004, 06:18 PM

Hi Steelerfan, the first question I would ask is what rifle are you reloading for and have you ever slugged the barrel? If not, then it would be in your best interest to do so. I would also look into using the 170 grain load for the 30-30. Please let us know and we can help from there!

Steelerfan55 · 04-25-2004, 07:54 PM

I am loading for the Winchester Model 94, and no, I have never slugged my barrel. It seemed to shoot factory jacketed loads fine.

inplanotx · 04-26-2004, 06:29 PM

Then I suggest that you try as many powders to find the load for your gun! That's what reloading is all about!

03-22-2004, 08:58 AM	#1
kar298 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: johnstown, pa Posts: 180	30-30 reloading first off i want to say hi this is my first post in this forum. I am just getting into reloading and i was wondering what type of powder, brand of primer, and weight and size of bullet does every one use to reload there 30-30 rifles with. I will be using these to hunt white tail deer. -->

03-22-2004, 09:11 AM	#2
Marlin TFF Admin Staff Chief Counselor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: At SouthernMoss' side forever! Contributor Posts: 13,853	Glad to see you at TFF, kar298. I hope you will join in the fun and festivities often. You will find that we have a very congenial bunch of folks here at TFF and that the collective knowledge about guns, shooting and all other related subjects is second to none elsewhere. I am just starting reloading myself and can't help you on the .30-30 but I'm sure one of our experts will be along soon. My experience so far has been limited to the .30-06 and .270 Win. Attached Images __________________ *The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.* *The only criminal class native to the United States is Congress.*

03-22-2004, 10:08 AM	#3
Country101 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dardanelle, AR Contributor Posts: 2,028	Welcome to the forum, Kar298! I'm in the same boat as marlin. I cant help ya out with the loading stuff yet. Somebody will be along soon with some great advice for ya. __________________ Gainfully employed= shooting somebody elses bullets and getting paid for it Country101

03-22-2004, 10:16 AM	#4
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	Welcome kar298. Glad to have you aboard. Here is some reloading data for your 30-30. 30-30 Reloads Lots to choose from. You need to figure out what bullet you want to use and then again what components. It is usually an individual choice here. Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions. I would buy a good reloading book made by the manufacturer of the bullet you select. They are the best source of information on their products. __________________

03-22-2004, 10:35 AM	#5
Marlin TFF Admin Staff Chief Counselor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: At SouthernMoss' side forever! Contributor Posts: 13,853	Handy tables IPT. Thanks! __________________ *The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.* *The only criminal class native to the United States is Congress.*

03-22-2004, 10:59 AM	#6
JohnK3 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,636	Also check out LoadYourOwn for lots of good information on handloading. I use Winchester 748, Winchester Large Rifle primers and Hornady 150gr. RNSP in Winchester cases for my deer loads. I'd recommend you look into the "Ladder Method" of building up an accurate load. I'm probably not the best person to explain it to you, so I'll suggest you search on "ladder" on LoadYourOwn's forums and follow the link listed. Found it! Ladder Method Last edited by JohnK3; 03-22-2004 at 11:06 AM..

03-22-2004, 11:32 AM	#8
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	kar298, each rifle likes its own distinctive load variation. It is all in experimenting with different ingredients to find out what your rifle likes. JohnK3's rifle might like winchester 748 and shoot one inch groups with it, where yours might group 4 inches with his load. No two rifles are the same. We reload to find the best load for OUR weapon. What might be a fine load in my rifle, might be overpressure in yours and cause major problems. You have to find out what is best in your rifle. That is why you see loads listed under each bullet weight with different powders. Hope this helps explain it! __________________

03-22-2004, 01:03 PM	#9
JohnK3 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,636	Absolutely, IPT. The Ladder Method (I followed the link and found out the only reference left is to a PDF in German!) basically states that you should load about 5 cartridges per charge weight, starting down near the bottom of the range listed in your manuals and work your way up to the maximum in small increments, usually 0.2 grains per set. Mark these in some way to make sure you can identify each set of cartridges. Now, go out to the range and setup a target at 100 yards. Carefully shoot each set of charge weights and mark the groups they make on the target between sets. Keep the point of aim the same for all sets. DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SIGHTS. You'll notice they begin to "walk" up the target, like a ladder. When you hit the "sweet spot" load, you'll notice that the groups from each set begin to cluster closer together before they begin to continue their climb up your target. Don't forget to watch for signs of overpressure with EACH load! The average charge weight for the "cluster" is the "ideal" charge weight for that case/primer/powder/bullet/rifle combo. When you change lots of powder, even if it is the same brand, you should laddertest again. If you change anything, bullet weight/brand/style, case, primer, powder type, etc. you have to laddertest again. The basic theory is that each barrel has a resonance point at which it is most accurate. You are adjusting your charge weight to put the combination as close as possible to the resonant point for your barrel. DISCLAIMER: I'm just starting out reloading, myself. I do NOT claim that this is a perfect method, or even scientifically accurate. I find it to be an interesting theory that makes a certain amount of sense to me and I am presently investigating it with my own loads to see if it is valid. I've read several people on various forums that tend to agree with this method, as it is close to what they use in developing their own loads. I am especially attracted to it by the fact that it is a consistent, methodical, change-one-thing-at-a-time method of testing. I will cheerfully accept any constructive criticism and equally cheerfully ignore any "you're an idiot!" type flames.

03-22-2004, 01:18 PM	#10
kar298 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: johnstown, pa Posts: 180	Ok the ladder method makes sense to me now. The only thing i am unsure of is which type of powder i want to use to load my shells, there are so many different types. How do i choose the best/right powder for my 30-30?

03-22-2004, 01:34 PM	#11
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	As I stated above. Figure out what bullet you want to use. Then buy the bullet manufacturers reloading manual, they all have them as do the powder makers. Look at the load that you find appealing to what you want to do. Find out which primer and brass maker they used to develop the loads they list. These are tried experiments and the loads listed are tested by the bullet manufacturer! See what powders he uses and try them! They give min and max loads. Start with the min and work your way up in 1/2 grain increments until you find a load that is not overpressure and shoots well in your rifle! Read what JohnK3 said above. It is very good info and I second what he states. Good luck. __________________

03-22-2004, 06:10 PM	#13
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	If you want to pick a bullet by specific manufacturer, I can give you a little more insight into what they have done as I have most of the books at hand. IPT __________________ Last edited by inplanotx; 03-22-2004 at 06:11 PM..

04-25-2004, 05:32 PM	#14
Steelerfan55 Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 33	Has anyone had any luck with cast bullets for the .30-30. If so, please help! I can't buy a group at 50 yds with 150 gr Flat Point Round Nosed.

04-25-2004, 06:18 PM	#15
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	Hi Steelerfan, the first question I would ask is what rifle are you reloading for and have you ever slugged the barrel? If not, then it would be in your best interest to do so. I would also look into using the 170 grain load for the 30-30. Please let us know and we can help from there! __________________ Last edited by inplanotx; 04-25-2004 at 06:19 PM..

04-25-2004, 07:54 PM	#16
Steelerfan55 Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 33	I am loading for the Winchester Model 94, and no, I have never slugged my barrel. It seemed to shoot factory jacketed loads fine.

04-26-2004, 06:29 PM	#17
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	Then I suggest that you try as many powders to find the load for your gun! That's what reloading is all about! __________________ Last edited by inplanotx; 04-26-2004 at 06:30 PM..