Casting Bullets For a 30-30

buddyb

I have been casting pistol bullets for a long and thinking about trying to make some,about 150 grain,for a 30-30.What is a good mold and do the need to be gas checked? What velocity should they be loaded to and still be accurate? Thanks

charliemeyer007

Lyman 311440 is 150 gr. I like the 31141 176 gr. better both are gas checked design.

I generally run all my cast bullets barefoot at a little slower if needed because it's less powder and no nickel a piece gas check making cheap trigger time. Alloy and lube are as important as powder selection and sizing diameter if a gas check is required or actually necessary. Less than 1500 fps no GC, more than 1800 fps a GC starts coming into plays. I don't think there a clear cut rules, you need to shoot your rifle and see what it likes.

There are some gas check makers out there. I wouldn't run aluminum ones in any barrel I cared about. A beat up old pitted dark bore war horse I would shoot aluminum gas checks made from cans with no concern.

Added .311 is already up to .003 over.

victorj19

Lee also has a FN 150gr mould that requires a gas checks.

Ray B

I use the Lyman 311440, which is virtually straight sided and rounds to a large flat point. The bullet is short enough that it feeds smoothly through the old 1894, so works well enough, but if I were buying a new mould I'd probably get the 31141 for the tapered point.

buddyb

Size the bullets at .311 or .312?

bpost

Although I hate to admit it I like the Lee molds for ease of use, good quality and low cost. The Lyman molds may be "better" for casting 200,000 bullets over 40 years but they are too expensive for experimenting with loads and little used calibers.

yonson

Sam Fadala did a lot of experimenting with 30-30 loads and listed one using 180 gr. cast bullet, no. 2 alloy (RCBS #30-180-FN) that he said was consistently accurate & suitable for deer hunting. 30 gr. of H-380, 26" bbl, 1911 fps (not tested in 20" bbl). This info from his book "Winchester's 30-30, Model 94". I have been using 180 gr. jacketed bullets for deer for a number of years and am sold on the heavier bullet (neck shooting only, consistent one-shot kills).

Ray B

The bullet casts out at .311" and I size it to .309" for use in a barrel that measures .308".