Let's talk .30 WCF heavy cast boolits

[Bill in Oregon]

Was reading reprints of some old "Speaking Frankly" columns by Frank Marshall in the Cast Bullet Association journal and he thought a lot of the Lyman 311407 mold, which produced a 190-grain GC boolit, for deer and larger game. To me, the meplat is smaller than makes sense for hunting. The RCBS 30-180 FN looks like a better mold.
Tom at Accurate has a oodles of great designs. Liking the meplats on these two.
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_det ... 175J-D.png
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_det ... 200J-D.png
Once you choose your mold, which needs to be gas checked for shooting at 2,000-2,100, what is your favorite alloy specifically for hunting. Of course we want penetration, but Paul Matthews was a big proponent of using a soft enough alloy that expansion was possible, if not likely.

[M. M. Wright]

I don't cast much 30 cal stuff but for my 458-460 I like 30:1 for hunting but 20:1 for just about everything else.

[Sixgun]

Bill.........I don't hunt much anymore but when I did it was mostly jacketed bullets in the 33 Winchester......a few fell from the 45-70/45-90 with cast using number 2 alloy

I've done a fair amount of shooting with the 30-30 and cast bullets....probably 4-5 thousand rounds.......everything shot Good from 170 Saeco TCGC to the 180's, 190's, and several hundred with the 215 Lyman.....on the last one I had to flatten out the nose. Using an alloy of wheelweights and 4% tin dropped in water and sized to .311 always worked for me.

Some cartridges shoot good with anything in them....30-30....308....06....45-70...------6

On expansion in game using cast bullets.......the old timers would have a little trick....cast em soft......they knew it would lead but it would take a dozen or so bullets before that happened.

[JimT]

RCBS #30-180-FN cast bullet sized .311" and using Hornady gas checks - all lubed with Apache Blue.
All loads assembled in WW cases with CCI Large Rifle primers
Fired in a Model 94 Winchester Carbine
Chronographed 15 fee from muzzle to first screen


Powder Charge.... Velocity.... 50 yard Average Group

H380 26 gr. .... 1570 fps .... 27/32"

H4831 32 gr. .... 1462 fps .... 29/32" unburned powder in barrel

IMR 4350 30 gr..... 1647 fps .... 15/16" consistent

H335 26 gr..... 1796 fps.... very consistent - smallest group of test fired with this load - 5/16"

The smallest group fired at 110 yards was with 26 gr. H335 = 1 11/16"

[Bill in Oregon]

Great stuff guys. Jim, glad you hold onto your targets and shooting logs! That RCBS boolit gets good marks in several discussions I have run across. Wonder how fast it can be moved with acceptable hunting accuracy.

[Sixgun]

Bill...ya really don't need that much speed as noted by Jim's velocities. In dozens of old calibers Ive never felt the need to go above 1800. My preferred velocity is between 1400-1600. I've shot lots of 30-30's with cast at 2200 and the gun heats up fast. You run them at 14-1600 and you can shoot a hundred rounds just blasting.

Even out west hunting elk, I've kept the 400 grain gas check bullet at 1600.....we shot em, they fall. ---6

[JimT]

Bill ... Sixgun is correct. I shot these on the White Buffalo at the Whittington Center ... 1123 yards (1025 meters). They retain their velocity well.

[Bill in Oregon]

Thanks guys. Still trying to decide what rifle to use for cow elk next December. Seems like the old .303 Savage with 190-grain bullet at 1950-ish had a good reputation for this use.

[3leggedturtle]

Bill there is a discussion on this hevy load in Cast Boolits in the "Hunting with CB's" section.

[Pitchy]

30-30 i can see a little expansion as far as 45-70 ect a half inch hole does the trick if the hit is correct.

[Bill in Oregon]

Todd, thanks for that tip. Some good reading on this topic over at castboolits.