.30-30 loads using 2400?

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have been loading 2400 in the .30-30 under a Lyman
311041 173gr. bullet and it works very well and quite accurate.
Today I wanted to load some RCBS 150 gr cast with 2400.

There is not one single load listed in any book I have for
2400 under a 150gr cast bullet!!

I found two load listings for 125-130gr. cast and a bunch for
170-180 gr cast bullets.

Why nothing for the 150???

Has anyone have data for or experience with the 150gr.cast using 2400?
Thanks for your help.

[jd45]

My 2 cents?.........stick with what works. You can count on it bringing your game down. It's reliable. There's really no need to experiment further, if your 170 load is as accurate as you say it is. I know it's tempting, tho. I 've done the same thing. jd45

[stretch]

Just out of curiosity Chuck, I looked in Phil Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Reloading"
(copyright 1937), and felt sure I'd find something for you. No soap. For 150gr. "metal
clad" (read jacketed) yes, but nothing for lead. Then I looked in Richard Lee's 2nd edition, as
he has a special section on lead only. Again, no soap.

There's gotta be a reason.......

-Stretch

[Chuck 100 yd]

jd45, I have at least 15 very accurate loads for the .30-30 with different powders and bullets. But none using 150gr. cast and 2400 powder.
To me experimenting is what reloading is all about. Trying to get the best accuracy from my leverguns is what keeps me interested.
I recently bought a NIB Canadian Cent. Win 94 rifle,.30-30.
It shoots extremely tight groups with Lyman 311041`s cast of WW+Tin over 18gr. IMR 4198 but they chamber very hard due to the bullets nose deeply engraving the rifling.
A dummy round with the RCBS 150 bullet chambers with ease.

Maybe I will have to cast some 311041`s out of a soft alloy.

I have most of the common powders that are used with this bullet,Unique,5744,4198, etc.etc. but would like to try 2400 due to its ability to be metered accurately and the fact that I have an 8# jug of it.
Thanks Stretch

[Don McDowell]

15 grs of 2400 with 150 gr bullets has worked pretty well for me.

[45-70marlin]

Hey Chuck,
go to this site, it has great info on cast bullets.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

[Chuck 100 yd]

45-70Marlin , Thanks,I posted there also.

Don, Thanks, That`s about where I planed to start with the powder.

[Rusty]

I don't have mine handy right now, but you might want to check the Lyman cast bullet Handbook.
The Aliant web page also has information on it.

[El Chivo]

my Alliant loadbook has a silhouette data page, and lists a 152 gr lead bullet, 16 grains of 2400 giving out 1,650 fps at 33K CUP.

[Don McDowell]

Well Chuck that load has been rumored to be able to keep pop cans jumping at around 100 yds.

[Sixgun]

Chuck,
Whenever you see a load for a 170 gr. bullet, the same load will work for anything LIGHTER. You can add a half gr. until you get what you like, but as a common sense thing, don't go much over than a couple of percent over of what the max load was for the heavier bullet.

For all of the weird stuff I shoot, I don't even bother trying to look up the load. I just compare case capacities of a known caliber that uses the same powder/gun strength that I shoot and go from there---------Sixgun

[Chuck 100 yd]

Thanks guys, just wondered why no listing in my books
(Lyman included) for a cast 150 bullet. Then I got to thinking,
does Lyman even make a 150gr. mold for the .30 tube feders?
No bullet, No data from them!

[TX Gun Runner]

In reduced cast bullet loads I use Unique . 2400 powder is a great powder , but I have seen it ring chamber in reduced loads in straight wall cases . The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook has a lot more loads using 2400 in 100 other chamberings

[Charles]

You are not dealing with critical pressures with 2400 and cast bullets at any sane level. Anything between 14 and 16 grains will be just fine. Use what gives you the best results. 2400 is the WRONG powder for cast bullets in the 30-30 or most any other rounds at velocites above 1.8K fps or so. You can easily get 2.2 K fps in the 30-30, with cast b ullets, but use 3031 or a like medium burning powder.

[Charles]

tn gun runner ---- If a barrel/chamber of a straight walled case was ringed with 2400 powder, there was something else in that case in addition to the powder. Most likely a wad of come kind, or a filler that acted like a wad.

[KCSO]

I think the biggest reason you see so little for loads for the 150 grain bullet is that the 150 does not offer much in the 30-30. If you look carefully you will see that you can't safely push the 150 much faster than the 170. The 170 also seems to be more accurate for some reason. I have done some work with the 150 Lee bullet in the t 30-30 and 16 grains of 2400 was just about as accurate as the 170 bulllet. I also liked the 150 and 6.5 of unique for a short range plinking and small game load.

[Griff]

I think it all depends on the 150 boolit one is using. Not all are created equal. Also, I think you're mssing a bet if you overlook RE-7.

[TX Gun Runner]

tn gun runner ---- If a barrel/chamber of a straight walled case was ringed with 2400 powder, there was something else in that case in addition to the powder. Most likely a wad of come kind, or a filler that acted like a wad.

In 30 plus years of Schutzen shooting I've seen 3 chambers ringed and all with 2400 . Two of them were Win high wall in 38-55 and the one guy been shooting the same load for over 20 years with no problems before he ringed his chamber . And the 3rd one was a Ballard in I think it was a 40-60 Sharp straight . I quit shooting 2400 in my 32-40 when a old timer in the Schutzen game warn me about it . I switched to IMR4227 . I don't know why it rings chamber and don't care why , and no one is sure why it ring them .

[Borregos]

Found some photocopied pages a fellow shooter gave me some time ago, I believe it is from a Lyman book.

150gr plain base (#311241):
14gr 2400 for 1710fps
20gr 2400 for 2180 fps

150gr gas check (#311466):
16gr 2400 for 1800fps
21gr 2400 for 2375fps

[Chuck 100 yd]

Thanks again guys, I think I will start at 15gr. and see how it goes. This is a target load so no need for speed,just accuracy.