Starting with 30-30

Ike666 · August 6, 2011, 02:03 PM

I decided I'm really not loading enough calibers and need to develop another. I'm resurrecting a safe queen, a Marlin 336, that has been languishing for many years.

Reading the stuff on the Rifle forum it seems like it should be a fun gun to shoot. Not really a hunter, so mostly for the range. Probably take it to the woods occasionally (more and more bears and 'yotes around here). Ergo, get set-up to reload 30-30 Win.

I'm completely without a baseline as to components, so any guidance would be appreciated. I'm literally starting from scratch.

Best die set? Best crimp die? (Lee FCD?)
Best brass? Best bullets? (I don't cast - yet - so they'll have to be store-bought).

Best primers? Best powders? (I've got 4#s of Trail Boss I'm not really using - will it work?)

Any suggestions, recommendations, tips. tricks, or anecdotes will be put to good use.

89blazin · August 6, 2011, 02:18 PM

You'll be disappointed to hear the only published load for Trail Boss I have is w/ a 160gr cast bullet. (see http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp)

I recommend W748 powder w/ 150gr JRN. I shoot this combo out of my Marlin 336 and have great groupings.

I had problems w/ RCBS dies in this caliber...kept breaking the depriming pins. I bought a set of Lee along w/ their crimping die, and I'm happy as a pig in a poke.

As for not really a hunting caliber, I have several monster white tails on my wall that will beg to differ.

farmerboy · August 6, 2011, 02:53 PM

Not really a hunting caliber??? O'cmon They probably lead the pack!!!! Great guns for say up to 200 maybe 250 yards

Ike666 · August 6, 2011, 03:26 PM

Sorry for the mislead - I'm not really a hunter, so the rifle will be mostly for targets & plinking. I am well aware of the long, long history of this caliber as a hunting round. I was just reading that it was the first centerfire round loaded with smokeless powder and has probably put more venison on the table than any other round out there.

UtopiaTexasG19 · August 6, 2011, 04:04 PM

You can go to the individual web sites for the major powder manufacturers and down load charts for different calibers, the powders recommended, and the grains of powder for specific bullet weight by grain.

PA-Joe · August 6, 2011, 07:36 PM

You can get the new Hornady Flextip bullet that they use in their Leverevolution round and reload that.

TXGunNut · August 6, 2011, 08:54 PM

Just got into .30-30 reloading myself last year, no idea why. I reload for every other centerfire rifle I own and have owned a few .30-30's over the years. Mebbe I ran out of that $6.99/box factory ammo and got tired of looking @ all that empty brass. I'm using a Hornady 170 gr SP over 35 grains of 748. My thutty-thutty is a Winchester 94 Trapper so I really haven't done any serious accuracy work. I'm kicking around a cast boolit load, that was part two of Project Thutty-Thutty and I haven't gotten around to it yet. Remington and Winchester brass work great, no probs with a new set of RCBS dies. Last year was a bad year for decapping pins (3) but I don't recall what I was loading, pretty sure it was .35 Remington and Redding dies but it uses the same pin as RCBS.
It's a fun cartridge to load and brass will be easy to find around here in the next couple of months. For some reason I don't hunt with my Trapper, it has a receiver sight and sling swivels but it's just a fun gun, I guess.

jinxer3006 · August 6, 2011, 09:20 PM

Quote:

You'll be disappointed to hear the only published load for Trail Boss I have is w/ a 160gr cast bullet.

Or you could just go here:
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf

Trailboss will work fine in a 30-30 as long as you're OK with light loads. I use it with my Win 94 and cast bullets--cheap and lots of fun to shoot with hardly any recoil.

CherokeeT · August 6, 2011, 10:02 PM

I used Hornady 170 FN bullets and H335 when I was loading jacketed. Now I load only cast, still use H335 for some loads but nostly faster powders. TB will work I'm told but haven't tried it yet for cast.

BruceM · August 7, 2011, 02:07 AM

When doing .30-30 and .35 Remington handloads, I've found that it's important that all brass be trimmed to the same length and that the crimp die be carefully adjusted. The brass is very thin and it's easy to bulge the case when crimping. The two best powders seem to be W748 and IMR 3031 but some folks have had good success with others.

Bruce

PawPaw · August 7, 2011, 05:45 AM

And yes, a crimp is absolutely necessary, as those bullets are carried in a tubular magazine and will be bumping head-to-toe as they go thru the firing sequence. I use the Lee Factory Crimp die. It's not nearly as length-dependent as other crimp dies. Treat your brass like any other caliber, trim to length, full-length size, camfer, etc.

Lots of powders are good for the .30-30. I use RL15 for full-house loads with 130 grain jacketed bullets and 4895 with 170 grain cast bullets pushed to 1850, but those are simply my preferences. As in all reloading, get your starting loads from reputable sources and have fun.

Bigdog57 · August 7, 2011, 07:17 AM

I began handloading for the Thutty-thutty a couple years back - I have the Marlin 336 lever rifle and the old Savage M340 bolt rifle. I load pointed Spitzers for the boltie - no probs since it uses a box magazine!
For the Marlin, I use a 170 grain Hornady Semi-jacketed FP bullet - this rifle seems to prefer the 170s over the 150s, even in commercial ammo.
Tried the 160 grain FTX Hornady, but it didn't do as well as the 170 grain either.
I use IMR4895 powder, finding it the best of the few powders I tried. I have a LOT of it too.
I began with the Lee dies, but could never get a crimp - then read the instructions again - they DID say this die does NOT crimp! So I bought the Lee crimp die. But I have gone to almost all RCBS dies for my rifle loading, and now use RCBS for the .30-30 too. Never a problem with pins breaking in this caliber (different story in military calibers...), or with crimping.

243winxb · August 7, 2011, 07:49 AM

Jacketed or Lead bullets with gas check will work well in Win.,Rem.,Fed.,brass using IMR 4895. Any larger primer. Use a Lyman "M" dies for lead bullets.

Mule · August 7, 2011, 01:28 PM

Don't overlook the Sierra 125 gr FPHP. I have found it to be very accurate in my Marlin 336C. Recoil is light. Terminal performance on Missouri whitetails is exceptional.

I have been loading with surplus Accurate 2200. Regrettably my last jug is empty. Soon I will start developement with another powder.

Hammerhead · August 7, 2011, 02:21 PM

Is your barrel Micro groove or standard rifling?

For plinker loads I like the 100-150 grain LFP and LRN's over Trail Boss. I get really good results at 1,000-1,200 fps with those bullets. The LRN's were shot in my single shot Handi rifle, the LFP's in a Winchester.

http://magnusbullet.powweb.com/store/page3.html

Hammerhead · August 7, 2011, 02:23 PM

Want some reading material?
http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/i...k307&board=5.0

Ike666 · August 7, 2011, 03:38 PM

It's a micro-groove barrel. And what, exactly, does that really mean? I thought it was just marketing hype - does it have real implications for bullet selection?

farmerboy · August 7, 2011, 03:40 PM

Is the wood dark stain or light? Hehe

Mule · August 7, 2011, 04:43 PM

Some say not to shoot lead bullets from micro-groove barrels. Can't comment. I have only used jacketed bullets in mine.

August 6, 2011, 02:03 PM	#1
Ike666 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2009 Location: SW VA Posts: 491	Starting with 30-30 I decided I'm really not loading enough calibers and need to develop another. I'm resurrecting a safe queen, a Marlin 336, that has been languishing for many years. Reading the stuff on the Rifle forum it seems like it should be a fun gun to shoot. Not really a hunter, so mostly for the range. Probably take it to the woods occasionally (more and more bears and 'yotes around here). Ergo, get set-up to reload 30-30 Win. I'm completely without a baseline as to components, so any guidance would be appreciated. I'm literally starting from scratch. Best die set? Best crimp die? (Lee FCD?) Best brass? Best bullets? (I don't cast - yet - so they'll have to be store-bought). Best primers? Best powders? (I've got 4#s of Trail Boss I'm not really using - will it work?) Any suggestions, recommendations, tips. tricks, or anecdotes will be put to good use. __________________ ___________________ "I'm your huckleberry."

August 6, 2011, 02:18 PM	#2
89blazin Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2009 Posts: 107	Reloading 30-30 Win You'll be disappointed to hear the only published load for Trail Boss I have is w/ a 160gr cast bullet. (see http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp) I recommend W748 powder w/ 150gr JRN. I shoot this combo out of my Marlin 336 and have great groupings. I had problems w/ RCBS dies in this caliber...kept breaking the depriming pins. I bought a set of Lee along w/ their crimping die, and I'm happy as a pig in a poke. As for not really a hunting caliber, I have several monster white tails on my wall that will beg to differ.

August 6, 2011, 03:26 PM	#4
Ike666 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2009 Location: SW VA Posts: 491	Sorry for the mislead - I'm not really a hunter, so the rifle will be mostly for targets & plinking. I am well aware of the long, long history of this caliber as a hunting round. I was just reading that it was the first centerfire round loaded with smokeless powder and has probably put more venison on the table than any other round out there. __________________ ___________________ "I'm your huckleberry."

August 6, 2011, 08:54 PM	#7
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	Just got into .30-30 reloading myself last year, no idea why. I reload for every other centerfire rifle I own and have owned a few .30-30's over the years. Mebbe I ran out of that $6.99/box factory ammo and got tired of looking @ all that empty brass. I'm using a Hornady 170 gr SP over 35 grains of 748. My thutty-thutty is a Winchester 94 Trapper so I really haven't done any serious accuracy work. I'm kicking around a cast boolit load, that was part two of Project Thutty-Thutty and I haven't gotten around to it yet. Remington and Winchester brass work great, no probs with a new set of RCBS dies. Last year was a bad year for decapping pins (3) but I don't recall what I was loading, pretty sure it was .35 Remington and Redding dies but it uses the same pin as RCBS. It's a fun cartridge to load and brass will be easy to find around here in the next couple of months. For some reason I don't hunt with my Trapper, it has a receiver sight and sling swivels but it's just a fun gun, I guess. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

August 6, 2011, 10:02 PM	#9
CherokeeT Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2008 Location: Medina, Ohio Posts: 273	I used Hornady 170 FN bullets and H335 when I was loading jacketed. Now I load only cast, still use H335 for some loads but nostly faster powders. TB will work I'm told but haven't tried it yet for cast. __________________ God Bless America US Army, NRA Endowment TSRA Life, SASS

August 6, 2011, 02:53 PM	#3
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	Not really a hunting caliber??? O'cmon They probably lead the pack!!!! Great guns for say up to 200 maybe 250 yards

August 6, 2011, 04:04 PM	#5
UtopiaTexasG19 Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Location: S.E. Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 743	You can go to the individual web sites for the major powder manufacturers and down load charts for different calibers, the powders recommended, and the grains of powder for specific bullet weight by grain.

August 6, 2011, 07:36 PM	#6
PA-Joe Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: NEPA Posts: 909	You can get the new Hornady Flextip bullet that they use in their Leverevolution round and reload that.

August 7, 2011, 02:07 AM	#10
BruceM Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2006 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 285	When doing .30-30 and .35 Remington handloads, I've found that it's important that all brass be trimmed to the same length and that the crimp die be carefully adjusted. The brass is very thin and it's easy to bulge the case when crimping. The two best powders seem to be W748 and IMR 3031 but some folks have had good success with others. Bruce

August 7, 2011, 05:45 AM	#11
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	And yes, a crimp is absolutely necessary, as those bullets are carried in a tubular magazine and will be bumping head-to-toe as they go thru the firing sequence. I use the Lee Factory Crimp die. It's not nearly as length-dependent as other crimp dies. Treat your brass like any other caliber, trim to length, full-length size, camfer, etc. Lots of powders are good for the .30-30. I use RL15 for full-house loads with 130 grain jacketed bullets and 4895 with 170 grain cast bullets pushed to 1850, but those are simply my preferences. As in all reloading, get your starting loads from reputable sources and have fun. __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com

August 7, 2011, 07:17 AM	#12
Bigdog57 Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2006 Posts: 122	I began handloading for the Thutty-thutty a couple years back - I have the Marlin 336 lever rifle and the old Savage M340 bolt rifle. I load pointed Spitzers for the boltie - no probs since it uses a box magazine! For the Marlin, I use a 170 grain Hornady Semi-jacketed FP bullet - this rifle seems to prefer the 170s over the 150s, even in commercial ammo. Tried the 160 grain FTX Hornady, but it didn't do as well as the 170 grain either. I use IMR4895 powder, finding it the best of the few powders I tried. I have a LOT of it too. I began with the Lee dies, but could never get a crimp - then read the instructions again - they DID say this die does NOT crimp! So I bought the Lee crimp die. But I have gone to almost all RCBS dies for my rifle loading, and now use RCBS for the .30-30 too. Never a problem with pins breaking in this caliber (different story in military calibers...), or with crimping.

August 7, 2011, 07:49 AM	#13
243winxb Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2011 Location: USA Posts: 1,730	Jacketed or Lead bullets with gas check will work well in Win.,Rem.,Fed.,brass using IMR 4895. Any larger primer. Use a Lyman "M" dies for lead bullets.

August 7, 2011, 01:28 PM	#14
Mule Member Join Date: October 16, 2002 Location: Franklin County Missouri Posts: 84	Don't overlook the Sierra 125 gr FPHP. I have found it to be very accurate in my Marlin 336C. Recoil is light. Terminal performance on Missouri whitetails is exceptional. I have been loading with surplus Accurate 2200. Regrettably my last jug is empty. Soon I will start developement with another powder. __________________ Shoot Safe! Shoot Often!

August 7, 2011, 02:21 PM	#15
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Is your barrel Micro groove or standard rifling? For plinker loads I like the 100-150 grain LFP and LRN's over Trail Boss. I get really good results at 1,000-1,200 fps with those bullets. The LRN's were shot in my single shot Handi rifle, the LFP's in a Winchester. http://magnusbullet.powweb.com/store/page3.html

August 7, 2011, 02:23 PM	#16
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Want some reading material? http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/i...k307&board=5.0

August 7, 2011, 03:38 PM	#17
Ike666 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2009 Location: SW VA Posts: 491	It's a micro-groove barrel. And what, exactly, does that really mean? I thought it was just marketing hype - does it have real implications for bullet selection? __________________ ___________________ "I'm your huckleberry."

August 7, 2011, 03:40 PM	#18
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	Is the wood dark stain or light? Hehe

August 7, 2011, 04:43 PM	#19
Mule Member Join Date: October 16, 2002 Location: Franklin County Missouri Posts: 84	Some say not to shoot lead bullets from micro-groove barrels. Can't comment. I have only used jacketed bullets in mine. __________________ Shoot Safe! Shoot Often!

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