On the subject of brass, I just started a bag of PPU brass that seems quite a bit tougher than the Winchester, Remington or Hornady. I can't quantify that in any way other than visual inspection and resizing feel though.
PPU brass in all cartridges is very good brass. It tends to be heavier than NA made brass and takes pressure well. It also has lower capacity so you get to max pressure at less powder "usually". I use it in a great many loads. It is far and away the best reasonably priced 22H and 7x57 brass I ever found, on par with RWS.On the subject of brass, I just started a bag of PPU brass that seems quite a bit tougher than the Winchester, Remington or Hornady. I can't quantify that in any way other than visual inspection and resizing feel though.
PPU brass in all cartridges is very good brass. It tends to be heavier than NA made brass and takes pressure well. It also has lower capacity so you get to max pressure at less powder "usually". I use it in a great many loads. It is far and away the best reasonably priced 22H and 7x57 brass I ever found, on par with RWS.
I have a Rem. 788 in 243 win. which is normally loaded around 58,000 psi. I believe the action is capable of more than typical 30-30 pressures but as you stated the case may be weak. If the OP could ensure that he only used heavier cases, for example from a 375 instead of a 38-55, he should be fine. How would he find out how much pressure each type of case can safely withstand. Trial and error doesn't sound safe.I (and others) might be able to help with some Ql data. But info like your max COAL (which may be your magazine) or may be where your guns throat peters out) would be helpful.
Do you have any of those bullets? Got a Hornady COAL gauge?
A bolt 30-30 is kind of a rarity. You should be able to get a lot more out of a bolt action, but the case is pretty small. I could not find a lot of references about case capacity, but experience tells me there is some space in there, with the right bullet.
Really, the issue is your ability to reload, accurately resize so that the reloads shoulder off the shoulder and not the rim, and then finding out where your COAL is at.
You *might* get close to 308 performance and you might have that rare sleeper gun in an oddball cartridge.
Or you could go buy any old .308 and save yourself the trouble......... They mostly all shoot well and your 30-30 bolt gun will most likely never do better....... Really depends -- do you have a sentimental reason to use that gun? Etc...
Finally, though the 30-30 case is indeed not a real heavy hitter (short base metal, IIRC) the 42k psi limit is based on lever actions. In the 788 bolt gun, you can certainly go higher. 64k creed psi? Maybe not! But over 42k, fur sur
Primer pockets will start to enlarge long before the case itself fails. I have worked up loads in 38-55 to quite a bit higher pressure for use in Ruger 1, Winchester 375 Big Bore levers and Win 1885 rifles. The 30-30 already operates at much higher pressures than the 38-55 and the 375 Win higher yet, thought the action on the Winchester Big bore were beefed up quite a bit for the 375 pressures.I have a Rem. 788 in 243 win. which is normally loaded around 58,000 psi. I believe the action is capable of more than typical 30-30 pressures but as you stated the case may be weak. If the OP could ensure that he only used heavier cases, for example from a 375 instead of a 38-55, he should be fine. How would he find out how much pressure each type of case can safely withstand. Trial and error doesn't sound safe.
I have a Savage 99 in 308 and I can't even approach maximum printed data in Hornady's handbook of cartridge reloading with it. It won't handle Varget loads a full four grains below maximum. I've had to be careful with Ruger Number 1's and other lever guns where I have never had an issue in a bolt action rifle. The one time I had a super heavy bolt lift in a 204 was the worst-case scenario I've had to deal with. My buddies like to run on the upper edge, I find a moderate to fairly fast accurate load, and I'm satisfied. I've had a couple of 788's in 6mm Rem, and never had much issue with either.Primer pockets will start to enlarge long before the case itself fails. I have worked up loads in 38-55 to quite a bit higher pressure for use in Ruger 1, Winchester 375 Big Bore levers and Win 1885 rifles. The 30-30 already operates at much higher pressures than the 38-55 and the 375 Win higher yet, thought the action on the Winchester Big bore were beefed up quite a bit for the 375 pressures.
Never had any issues with the cases, even with Starline, Bertram, Remington, Federal or Winchester made brass. Federal are the softest case of what I have used. Now that I know PPU, makes 30-30 brass I am going to see if I can find some.
I do agree that hot loading levers is a REALLY bad idea, as it is a real chore to get a stuck case out of one of those. All my levers I stay well within reasonable pressures.
Me tootagging in