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.
Experimenting with the .30-30?
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highfinblue
Well-Known Member
A couple of guys say they are getting right at, one slightly over 2700 fps with H322, and 125 grain Remington bullets. One is showing 36, the other 38 for maximum charge. I would certainly back off 10% and load one to check it before increasing. I've gotten to where I'm loading one of a powder charge and increasing a grain at a time each with one round on my way up to find the beginning of pressure signs. I back off a full grain at first sign of pressure and don't even try and approach it further. These are big game cartridges of course, I never treat the littles that way, learned that lesson the hard way when I could barely lift the bolt on a 204 increasing a grain at a time years ago. Correction on the above info, the 38 grain charge was with a Nosler bullet, and according to this fellow it was 2680 fps, the 36 grain charge produced 2720 fps, and he said he has killed numerous blacktail with that load.
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 also use it in the 22H, 22KH, and all the x57s, as well as 6.5x55 and a couple American rounds. Generally speaking, I'll take it over any American production brass. I still really didn't expect it to be tougher 30-30 brass, but initial impression is that it is.
Critter Picker
Well-Known Member
With a bolt action,you can increase accuracy br headspacing on the shoulder instead of the rim.
cloverleafs
Member
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.
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.
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highfinblue
Well-Known Member
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.
Baker Alvin
Well-Known Member
tagging in
Me too
hesse
Well-Known Member
We did the same thing with the 300 Savage . We had to go with 35 year old reloading manual to get load data for a 165grain none flat nose bullets. That might be able to help
cdherman
Well-Known Member
As stated earlier, I would be happy to run some QL numbers, but looks like there is lots of data out there already for the OP.
Back when I started reloading, my rifles consisted of a 25-06 700 BDL, and a Marlin 336 in 30-30. I reloaded a fair bit for the 30-30 lever gun. That Marlin (still in my possession) would and I assume still will shoot sub MOA groups scoped. I lost interest in that gun generally as 30-30 ammo was so darned cheap in the 70's and 80's that it made little sense to reload and shooting out to 200 yards or so means that sub-moa accuracy is pretty much a cute, worthless feature. 2" groups with factory ammo is pretty darn sufficient!
The 25-06 was the gun that needed reloading. Ammo was far more expensive and on a college kids budget, the $99 Cabellas reloading kit was my ticket to more rounds down the pipe and finally learning how to shoot. (well, better than before at least)
The 336 is back to iron sights. Not exactly on purpose -- my bro dropped it and the cool old 4x Weaver (a real one) was laid to rest. Its the only iron sighted rifle I own these days.
Back when I started reloading, my rifles consisted of a 25-06 700 BDL, and a Marlin 336 in 30-30. I reloaded a fair bit for the 30-30 lever gun. That Marlin (still in my possession) would and I assume still will shoot sub MOA groups scoped. I lost interest in that gun generally as 30-30 ammo was so darned cheap in the 70's and 80's that it made little sense to reload and shooting out to 200 yards or so means that sub-moa accuracy is pretty much a cute, worthless feature. 2" groups with factory ammo is pretty darn sufficient!
The 25-06 was the gun that needed reloading. Ammo was far more expensive and on a college kids budget, the $99 Cabellas reloading kit was my ticket to more rounds down the pipe and finally learning how to shoot. (well, better than before at least)
The 336 is back to iron sights. Not exactly on purpose -- my bro dropped it and the cool old 4x Weaver (a real one) was laid to rest. Its the only iron sighted rifle I own these days.
Well maybe I'm going off the deep end with this. I ordered a Lee collet neck die and Redding body die for the .30-30 today. I have multiple dies for .30-30 I've collected or been given over the years, but never reloaded for it as I haven't been shooting it enough that I felt the need to reload.
