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SL1 · June 12, 2014, 04:47 PM

MWM,

I load .30 Herrett and figured out a few things that you would probably like to know.

First, the load data for it is mostly NOT pressure tested, aand varies all over the place. Initially, folks thought that the Contender frame was really strong -- then they stretched a bunch if them and learned the hard way. Then T/C came out with the G2 frame which IS strong. Try Mike Bellm's website http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/ for some info on Contender frames and max pressures for differnet cartridge head diameters. Some of his older stuff is not on his site any more, but IIRC, his recommendation was not to exceed 47,000 psi for .30-30 head sizes. An old Accurate Powders manual says that T/C told them not to exceed 42,000 psi, but a calll to T/C got the response "We don't have a record of telling them that." Anyway, Accurate has some good pressure-tested loads, but left out AA-1680, which seems to work well.

As for making cases, there is conflicting advice. From MY experience, it is easy to make them too long in the shoulder. The Contender action is springy, and will SEEM to fully lock-up but will not quite lock to the same point if the case is too long, and that seriously affects accuracy. What I found was that the advice about slowly shortening the case until the action makes a slight RINGING sound when it closes makes the gun more accurate than when not getting that ringing sound. But, others say their gun won't ring no matter how short they make the cases. Anyway, you will need to push the shoulder back after each firing so that they will fit again, because the springy action lets even light loads stretch enough to affect accruacy noticeably, at least in MY gun.

I got side-tracked some time ago on working-up accuracy loads for the .30 Herrett. But, it was not hard to get 2" at 100 yards off a rest, once I figured-out what I wrote above about forming and resizing cases. I expect I can half that when I get back to working on it. But it will never shoot bug holes.

Let us know how you do.

SL1

June 12, 2014, 04:47 PM	#10
SL1 Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2007 Posts: 2,001	MWM, I load .30 Herrett and figured out a few things that you would probably like to know. First, the load data for it is mostly NOT pressure tested, aand varies all over the place. Initially, folks thought that the Contender frame was really strong -- then they stretched a bunch if them and learned the hard way. Then T/C came out with the G2 frame which IS strong. Try Mike Bellm's website http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/ for some info on Contender frames and max pressures for differnet cartridge head diameters. Some of his older stuff is not on his site any more, but IIRC, his recommendation was not to exceed 47,000 psi for .30-30 head sizes. An old Accurate Powders manual says that T/C told them not to exceed 42,000 psi, but a calll to T/C got the response "We don't have a record of telling them that." Anyway, Accurate has some good pressure-tested loads, but left out AA-1680, which seems to work well. As for making cases, there is conflicting advice. From MY experience, it is easy to make them too long in the shoulder. The Contender action is springy, and will SEEM to fully lock-up but will not quite lock to the same point if the case is too long, and that seriously affects accuracy. What I found was that the advice about slowly shortening the case until the action makes a slight RINGING sound when it closes makes the gun more accurate than when not getting that ringing sound. But, others say their gun won't ring no matter how short they make the cases. Anyway, you will need to push the shoulder back after each firing so that they will fit again, because the springy action lets even light loads stretch enough to affect accruacy noticeably, at least in MY gun. I got side-tracked some time ago on working-up accuracy loads for the .30 Herrett. But, it was not hard to get 2" at 100 yards off a rest, once I figured-out what I wrote above about forming and resizing cases. I expect I can half that when I get back to working on it. But it will never shoot bug holes. Let us know how you do. SL1