how to reload 30-30 for accuracy in a bolt action?

Just picked up an older Stevens 325C in 30-30, it is a bolt action with a 20"barrel.

As a fun winter project I want to see what kind of accuracy can be wrung out of this round/rifle.

As it does not have a tubular magazine, and rounds will be fed individually by hand, any .308 bullet will work correct? Pointed noses and feeding from a mag won't be issues.

For my other rifles I neck size, not full lenght size because I only have one rifle in any caliber and want the fireforming to remain. I do not crimp my bullets.

Any reason to change this procedure?

Any and all tips appreciated, Matt.

The same answers as I gave at................http://www.accurateshooter.com/forum...ml#msg35898807

Nice to see someone else from the other forums.

Lets hope others chime in as well.

Work up your loads as you normally do, but do full length size the brass or it may not fit.

I'd also really give the rifling on any old rifle a really good cleaning. Many have not been cleaned properly and a fouled bore will raise chamber pressure and hurt the accuracy badly. If you use a bore cleaner made to remove copper fouling and you should, if the patches keep coming out green, you may need to use some JB Bore cleaner wrapped around a tight patch to get the fouling out. I've had to scrub some really bad barrels for several hours and use more patches than you could fit in your hand to get some badly fouled bores clean.

I feel this is an important step before shooting any older rifle I have bought. I have found most badly fouled.

John K

Your weakest link will be the 30-30 case itself and limiting chamber pressure which should be kept at or below 40,000 cup. You could also try forming the 375 Winchester into 30-30 cases and these would be rated for 50,000 cup. Pick your bullet weights, powders and seating depths and have fun developing loads for your new rifle.

Found some of my notes. My NEF and Savage 99 (both .30-30s) liked H322 or H4895 with lighter (110gr, 125gr) bullets. Groups with the Sierra 110 gr bullet tended to be 1/2 the size of those with 150 or 155 gr bullets.

Link to an article be Taffin, with a list of .30-30 loads:
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-94765140.html

Hodgdon's on-line info:
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

Don't know why Hodgdon doesn't include H322 in their data. Supposedly Sierra lists it as their accuracy load, but I don't have their current manual. Will try Varget once I get everything unpacked.

This thread has got a good piece of info from Mike Turner about his successful formula with the 30/30 in BR. Luck, Tim

http://benchrest.com/archive/index.php/t-65983.html

The case thickness and chamber pressure limitations aren't a big deal for accuracy. People used 30-30 brass for years to make 219 Wasp cases and won tons of competitions.

A bigger limit will be the trigger on the 325 and the single action screw/barrel band mounting system - they are nice little guns but don't go crazy trying to make it something it isn't.

H4895 works well for me with 168gr SMKs and H4198 works well with 190 grain gas check bore riders (in my 788, Savage 99 and Remington-Lee sporter).

I would try some 110 gr Vmax bullets over RL17 or H322. Something like that single loaded.

Thanks to all who have replied so far.

Just waiting on brass, dies etc at the moment.

try some hornady leverlution. My 170 pump that was a 2" gun spit then under 1"

thanks, I'' check them out. I've heard that the powder will be available this Jan.

You might be able to use the same method some use to accurize the 303 British, another rimmed 30 caliber.

They place a small oring around the base of the case above the rim. This forces the case against the bolt face when the round is fired. The cases are now fire formed to you chamber. Neck size only from then on and the weapon should be a bit better than having the bullets a little loose in the chambers.

About 1/2 way down in this post is a good diagram of what I am talking about.

Dolomite

Meant to say RL7 for the 110 gr vmax - not RL17. RL17 is to slow
for that bullet.

Very interesting replies thanks. Great links as well.

Anyone know how these old boolts come apart?

I have used Varget and RL15 in my Contender Super 14 30-30 Pistol with good results with 150gr bullets. and Yes you can use any 308 dia. bullet in the 30-30 as long as you are not feeding from a tube. I have used some hornady 150gr SST's and Sierra 180gr SBT gamekings. I have neck sized for the Contender and after about 3 firings I have to FL size again because it starts getting hard to feed and extract.

[img width=600 height=400]http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab333/rritchie1027/30-301.jpg[/img]

160grn Hornady FTX over IMR 3031 in Rem brass with CCI 200s.

Iron sights 65 yards. The bullet closest to the bull was a cold bore shot. There are 6 shots in the bigger hole.

Now that is pretty good shooting. The 30-30 is / can be an accurate round. One of my favorite loads is H322. It is not published in too many places, in fact, I know of only 1 book that I have seen any load data for H322 in the 30-30.

I currently own 3 30-30 rifles, a 788 Rem, a 340 Savage, and a 366 Marlin. All three will shoot 3 round groups within 1 inch. The Savage 340E will get it into a 1/2 inch group at 100 yrds. Not too bad for an obsolete round. ha.

My son inherited a very ratty 340 from his grandfather. We refinished it, recrowned the muzzle and bedded the action and barrel full length. It will shoot 3/4" @ 100 with 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tips over 3031 (I'll look up the exact amt when I get home this week.

Thanks for the reply. At the moment the gun is completely stripped down. Going to give everything a good cleaning, refinish the stock and re-blue the metal.

You mentioned bedding the barrel along with the action, so the barrel isn't floated?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mattri

Thanks for the reply. At the moment the gun is completely stripped down. Going to give everything a good cleaning, refinish the stock and re-blue the metal.

You mentioned bedding the barrel along with the action, so the barrel isn't floated?

---

We tried a free float job on a 340. Litterally couldnt hit a 3 foot square at 100 yards with any load. It's the single action screw design of the 340 that makes it impractical, the barrel bounces all over creation on every shot. Same rifle acra-glass bedded from behind the recoil lug forward to the tip of the forearm: it suddenly became a tack driver.

Of course, that was after I bought the new barrel and had a machinist make me a barrel nut wrench for the 340.

Interesting.

I was going to take the barrel off as part of the strip down but noticed that my barrel wrench was too big.