c

T
 Handloader
The Journal of Ammunition Reloading
Sept.-Oct. 1976 Vol. 11 - No. 5 Box 30-30, Prescott, Arizona 86301

FEATURES:
Primer Efficiency and Variation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Hagel 20
Omark Adds RCBS.. ........................ . . . . . . Rick Jamison 24
Slow-Burners in the 6MM and 25-06 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clay Harvey 26
NEAL KNOX
Editor and Publisher Pet Loads: .38 Special. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ken Waters 30
RALPH TANNER, JR. Casting Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... .AI Miller 34
Director of Sales
RICK JAMISON High Density Shotshell Loads ...................... DonZutz 36
Associate Editor .30-30 Cast Bullet Loads.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne Blackwell 38
DAVE LeGATE
Art Director Nosler Manual No. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clay Harvey 47
BOBBIE ROACH
Editorial Assistant Lyman Shotshell Handbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wallace Labisky 57
RICHARD L. ALDIS
Staff Photographer
JOYCE BUETER
Circulation Manager DEPARTMENTS:
TERRY BUETER
Circulation Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Answers, Please. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
WANDA HALL
Reader Bylines.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Loading The Old Ones.. . . . . . . . . 18
Accounting
BARBARA PlCKERlNG Lock, Stock and Barrel.. . . . . . . . .IO ProducTests.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Production Supervisor Tip to Tip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Propellant Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
JANA KOSCO
Executive Secretary

TECHNICAL The HANDLOADER, Copyright 1976. is published bi-monthiy by the Wolfe

Publishing Company, Inc.. P.O. Box 3030, Prescott, Arizona 86301. (Also
EDITORS publisher of Rifle Magazine.) Telephone (6021 445-7810. Second Class Postage
paid a t Prescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices. Single copy price of
current issue $1.25. Subscription price: six issues $6.50; 12 issues $11.50; 18
BOB HAGEL issues $15.50. Outside U.S. possessions and Canada - $7.50, $13.50 and $18.50.
CLAY HARVEY Rccommended foreign single copy price, $1.50. Advertising rates furnished on
request
WALLACE LABISKY
BOB MILEK g b L "f(o Publisher of The HANDLOADER is not responsible for mishaps of any nature
which might occur from use of published loading data, or from
AL MILLER recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may
MAJ. GEORGE C. NONTE, JR. 5 fl 1 p be reproduced without written permission from the editor. Manuscripts from
5 fret? lance writers must be accompanied by stamped self-addressed envelope
HOMER POWLEY
KEN WATERS
Tr%E " I 0
' and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.

JOHN WOOTTERS Change of address. Please give six week's notice. Send both old and new
address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Dept.. The HANDLOADER
EDWARD M. YARD. Mayxine. P.0.Box 3030, Prescott, Arizona 86301
DON ZUTZ

YOUR SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER COVER

This horseback hunter's fine Colt Python is protected by a full-flap

Bianchi leather outfit hand-tooled by Richard D. E . Nichols. The
chaparral visible above the horse blanket grows head high i n m u c h
Published by Wolfe Publishing Co., Inc. of the West, and will quickly cut away the finish of exposed wood
Dave Wolfe. President and metal of guns carried i n open holsters or scabbards - in fact,
it will cut away the wood itself. as the skinny buttstocks of
much-carried cowboy guns will attest The ,357 a m m o is a potent
combination of Hercules 2400 and 125-grain Sierra hollow cavity
bullets. Photo by Richard Aldis.

4 HANDLOADER Magazine

FAVORITE! 4831
Newly manufactured
4831. A new batch of
the original 4831, the
most popular of all
powders. Use same
loading data as our
original surplus pow-
der. Outstanding per-
formance with medium
and heavy bullets in
the 6mm's, 25/06,270
and magnum calibers.
1 k c a n . . ........ $ 5.95
8 Ib. keg.. ........ $43.95
OLD STAND-BY! H380
This old "stand-by" is
one of our most popu-
lar powders for Bench-
rest, varment or big
game hunting loads.
This spherical powder
f i l l s a gap between
4320 and 4350. It is
excellent in 221250,
220 Swift, the 6mm's,
257 and 30106.
1 Ib. can .......... $ 4.95
8 Ib. k e g . . ........ $35.75
ECONOMY! H335
H335 Spherical pow-
der. Popular w1Bench-
rest shooters. Gives
top accuracy in small
c a p a c i t y cartridges.
Great performance for
hunters in medium ca-
pacity cases. Lowest
priced powder on to-
day's market.
1 Ib. can.. ........ $ 2.95
8 Ib. k e g . . ........ $19.95
NEW! H205
A specialized extruded
powder which gives
outstanding perfor-
mance in medium to
large capacity .30 cali-
ber cartridges. It will
give good results in
most medium to large
capacity cases. Use
our data only with this
powder.
1 Ib.can . . . . . . . . . . $ 6.60
8 Ib. keg .......... $48.95
HODGDON POWDER CO.
SHAWNEE MISSION, KANSAS 66202
12
By Maj. George Nonte
I LIKE shooting the old-timers -
not just muzzle loaders, but the
arly breech loaders with bores that will
wallow your thumb to the first knuckle
nd chambered for cases that hold a
iandful of powder.
One of the older, big calibers for which
;uns are fairly plentiful is the SO-70. It
lates back to the middle 1860's and,
scording to the stories, made its combat
lebut against the Sioux at the Wagonbox
:ight right after the Fetterman massacre.
The first guns were the Allin conversion
)fCivil War rifled muskets - the daddy
)f the '73 Trapdoor Springfield, which
ucceeded it. Lots of Sharps sidehammer
,itles were a l s o chambered for the .S0-70,
is were a good number of Remington
tolling Blocks and assorted lesser makes
ind models. There's lots of those guns
iround, and while they aren't dirt cheap,
hey aren't priced out ofsight either. The
iristine guns go to collectors for big
noney, but the average-to-beatup ones
ire low-priced enough for shooting. Bores
hat are a bit rough can be lapped and
;ive tair accuracy with oversize bullets;
.ea1 bad ones can be relined economically.
o ne\\. Or, if you're real serious, pick up
me of Navy Arms Rolling Block or
vlartini actions and have a new S O barrel
itted.
OLD
The SAECO Model 24 Electric Melting
Furnace has been the "valued friend" of
cast-bullet shooters for many years. For good
reason: workmanship and reliability of the
Model 24 is unexcelled. The thermostat holds
melt temperature to 20". plus or m i n u s , in the
450"-850" range. Fiberglass-insulated 1,000
watt element melts 11 pounds of alloy in 20
minutes. Popular bottom-pour spout operated
by a long valve lever that stays cool. 110-115
volt AC-DC. (Also 220V AC-DC available.) But
above all - SAECO QUALITY Price o f $59.50
includes 4-cavity ingot mould
SAECO Reloading Inc.
P 0 Box 7 7 8 Dept HL Carpinteria, California 93013
The .50-70 cartridge hasn't been made
for many years. and even serviceable, old
brass is hard to tind. But that's no
problem now - Turner Kirkland, black-
powder impresario of Dixie Gun Works,
has tine, n w , .SO-70 cases. Headstamped
"DGW 50-70". they are of modern,
solid-head construction, far stronger than
even the latest of the original,
balloon-head brass. They have a good,
deep neck anneal and the primer pockets
are for standard, Large Rifle primers.
Because of the solid head and thicker
walls near it, these DGW cases don't hold
quite as much powder as the originals.
Seating the bullet to standard depth
leaves room for 60 grains of FFg black
without compression. Seating the bullet
o u t a bit allows the full 70 grains to be
loaded easily - and I've never seen a
SO-70 chamber that wouldn't accept
bullets seated 1/8-inch or so long.
Used with black powder and standard,
450-grain bullets, these cases will go many
firings without resizing. I n fact, so long
as you wash out the fouling soon (hours,
not days) after each firing, and don't dent
the mouths, the cases can be loaded many
times without tools. Decapping and
repriming can be done with a nail and
dowel - and DGW offers a low-cost,
Also:
Powder Measures Reloading Presses
Dies Bullet Moulds
Bullet Lubri-sizers Lubricants
HANDLOADER Magazine
companion mould for a shoot-as-cast
bullet.
Wash andbry the fired case, decap and
reprime, then simply pour in powder to
the base of the bullet. Smear lube in the
The value of accuracy
bullet grooves by hand, then finger-seat in
the case - and the cartridge is ready to
shoot.
is the only precise
You’ll get your hands dirty with this
kind of shooting, and you won’t win any
trophies at the Super Shoot - but it’s one
measure of Norma price.
hell of a lot of fun.
* * *
While the loading tool makers have
held back inflation better than some other
industries, prices are still getting steeper.
It’s nice to have a complete die set in
every caliber - but d o you really need it?
There are ways to save a fair amount of
change. For example, if you’re loading
.308 Winchester and .30-06, a single 308
seating die will serve for both if properly
adjusted. You’ll need sizing die bodies in
both calibers, but one expander/decapper
unit will d o for both. The .30-40and
.30-30 can be added by simply obtaining
sizing die bodies. There are similar
possibilities in other caliber families -
like a .38 Special sizing die will d o for
.380 ACP and .357 Magnum as well. The
possibilities are too extensive to list here,
but a bit of homework will show you how
to spread your bread further.
* * *
It’s repetitious perhaps, but a comment
or two on die care might also save you a
few bucks. Sizing dies are easily
scratched and just as easily pick up grit
which becomes imbedded in the cavity
surface. Sure, you wash or wipe cases,
but it still happens somehow. After that
the die mars cases and you’re tempted. to
throw it in the junk box and buy a
replacement.
Don’t - it can usually be salvaged.
You can send it off to the maker for
polishing, but that takes time and money.
It’s better to d o it yourself, If it isn’t too
bad, steel wool may d o the job. Chuck a How do you measurethe worth of your ammunition?By accuracy and
piece of dowel in an electric drill, then effective performance.. . or by price?
twist a wad of fine, 4-0 wool on it. Make it Norma ammunition costs more because we believe in only making
thick enough to be tight in the die, then the best. Each Norma cartridge is precision-manufactured and
run it in spinning - in and out a few quality-inspected to the strictest standards in the industry.Our brass
times, then clean the die and try a case. is renowned as “Second only to gold” for its quality, consistency, and
Keep a t it - even a hundred passes won’t color.Every cartridge is a blend of superior brass case, bullet, powder,
make the die any worse, and it may and primer. . . meticulously matched to give you constant accuracy
smooth out the rough spots. and optimum,performance. . . to make every shot count.
If steel wool won’t d o the job, d o the Exceptional accuracy has made Norma ammunition the choice of
same thing with a tight wad of cloth leading arms manufacturersfor factory testing. It is available in many
charged with oil and the finest polishing popular domestic and hard-to-get foreign calibers.
grit you can find. Don’t use the usual The price you pay for Norma pays off in superior accuracy and
coarse valve-grinding compound available Derformance.
at the hardware store; get something
finer. The die may be slightly enlarged by
the time you have it smoothed out, but
usually not enough to prevent its further
use.
I
Look around a bit and you’ll probably Lansing, New York 14882
sce other ways to save a few bucks. 1
1
September-October 1976 13
 Cas@'Fsullet
with a
Bolt-Action @30=30
trading posts from the African desert to

A S IT NEARS its 81st birthday, the the steamy rainforests of South America.
.30 Winchester (now usually Because this caliber has primarily been
referred to as the 3 - 3 0 Winchester), is chambered in lever action rifles and used I
still going strong and its vital signs look mainly for hunting purposes, its accuracy
good enough to carry it forward for many potential is seldom discussed. However,
more years. During this same life span recent chambering in a sturdy bolt action
many cartridges were born, lived a brief rifle, the Remington 788, has proved that
glorious life, and expired, never to be with a little careful handloading, the
heard of again. The venerable old 30-30, 3 - 3 0 can be surprisingly accurate.
4;
however, just keeps on trucking, Blackwell modified the M-788's trigger
providing game for the dinner table each The Model 788 has an extremely fast housing to allow a reduced sear engagement.
year and keeping the coyotes away from lock time plus the multiple locking lugs The housing was drilled and tapped and an
Alien screw was Inserted. The sear spring
the chicken coop. on the bolt to give it fine accuracy and was also shortened and rests on top of the
strength. T o top it off, this rifle sold for a Allen screw, between the screw and sear.
History books describe the 30-30as the reasonable price. Unfortunately Reming- This allowed the sear engagement to be
first American sporting cartridge to use ton no longer chambers the 788 for the reduced to give a crisp two-pound pull.
smokeless powder. Its nickname comes 3 - 3 0 but sometimes a used rifle can be Anyone attempting to modify a trigger
from the bullet diameter and the original found at a good price. should fully understand the mechanics,
otherwise It could be made unsafe by
30-grain load of smokeless powder. This careless tinkering .
cartridge was first produced for the Although my rifle had been abused
Winchester Model 94 lever action but somewhat before I bought it, the action
since that time rifles in this calliber have was still good and tight and the stock was
been chambered by most of the firearms sound. The factory barrel was replaced of the completed rifle with 20X Lyman
manufacturers, and the .30-30 can be with a 22-inch Shilen, tapered from 1 1/8 scope was just under 10 pounds.
found just about anywhere on the globe. inches at the breech to 3/4-inch at the
It is probably one of the few cartridges muzzle. The action and new barrel were My only gripe with the Model 788 rifle
likely to be found on the shelves of carefully fitted to the old stock. Weight is the heavy trigger pull. I corrected this
by a slight modification of the trigger
housing. The housing was drilled and
tapped and an Allen screw was inserted
and adjusted until the sear engagement
was reduced to give a crisp two-pound
pull. The sear spring was also shortened
and rests on top of the Allen screw,
between the screw and sear. A similar
but more elaborate method of trigger
adjustment for the 788 appeared in Rijle
37, page 35.
The completed rifle was first tested
with a variety of handloads using various
weights of jacketed bullets. Since the bolt
action has a clip feed, it doesn't have the
problem of bullet shape encountered with
the tube-fed lever action. The lever action
must be given a diet of round or
blunt-nose bullets to prevent an accident

These are typical cast bullet groups fired

by Blackwell In his .30-30 M-788 Remington
I 1 rifle. The techniques described In the
article were used to produce this sort of
accuracy.

HANDLOADER Magazine

idb By WAYNE BLACKWELL
Blackwell is shown recording data at the
range. The M-788 Remington used for the
load development carries a 20X Lyman scope
giving a total weight of just under
ten pounds.
with the pointed nose of one bullet setting
off the primer of the cartridge ahead of it
as the rifle recoils. My modified 788
performed very well with the jacketed
bullet loads and I lost no time in setting it
up for tests with cast bullets.
Most of today's successful rifle
cartridges, it seems, were developed
primarily for their belt-busting power and
high velocity. This is accomplished 'by
using large capacity cases which consume
considerable amounts of powder to
produce large volumes of hot gases which
in turn push heavy jacketed bullets down
the barrel at increasing velocity. I admit
that these high performance cartridges
have their place, but for many of us who
like to spend a pleasant afternoon at the
range or shoot an occasional deer, these
blockbusters are not always necessary, nor
desired.
Cast bullets can be made to perform
about 90 percent of our shooting needs at
a fraction of the cost and with less wear
and tear on the shooter and rifle. The
.30-30 with its long, thin, elastic neck and
moderate case capacity seems to be ideal
for cast bullets.
The cast bullet handloader will find
Greg Blackwell is shown loading lor his
H&R Topper M-158 break action single shot
.30-30 rifle with hand tools. Cast bullet
groups with this rifle often ran under a
half-inch lor five shots at 50 yards. The 22-
inch barrel rifle weighs only seven pounds.
September-October 1976
many of the same problems that plague
the person loading jacketed bullets. For
maximum accuracy, cartridge cases
should be sorted, trimmed, neck reamed
and miked. Powder charges must be
weighed accurately and the cartridges
assembled , with care. However, the
handloader who loads only jacketed
bullets can purchase a well-known brand
and expect good accuracy with little or no
problem. The cast bullet shooter, on the
other hand, must exercise complete and
careful control over his bullets from start
to finish. This includes mixing the bullet
alloy for casting through sizing and
lubricating. A single slip along the way
and the work is for naught. However, it's
a fine feeling to see those bullet holes
bunch up close on the target when you
have taken the time and effort to do
things right.
Since the projectile plays the vital role
in cast bullet shooting, a few techniques
that have helped me may be helpful to
you. These can be listed under alloys,
moulds, casting, inspection, sizing and
lubrication.
BULLET ALLOYS
After years of casting bullets for both
rifle and pistol, I have standardized on
one alloy - linotype. Although softer
alloys work fairly well in most pistol loads
and a few rifle loads, I find the best and
most consistent bullet performance is with
straight linotype. Of course, linotype is
somewhat more expensive than wheel
weights or lead-tin alloys, but its cost is
still far below that of jacketed bullets.
Commercial linotype composition is
consistent and each lot of bullets cast with
this metal shows little weight or size
variation.
BULLET MOULDS
Five different cast bullets were tried in
these 3 - 3 0 tests. They were the Lyman
No. 311299, 311291, 311413, 311466 and
Lachmiller No. 311175FN. All are gas
check bullets and weigh from 141 to 188-
grains, ready to load and shoot. Moulds
which produce a bullet requiring little or
nb sizing are preferred. Unfortunately
the suppliers of good quality rifle moulds
are limited at the present time.
In my experience the best accuracy is
obtained by using single cavity moulds.
These are slower, but produce bullets
39
The cast bullets at left illustrate “whiskers” - a result of alloy
composition, mould and alloy temperature, and the force with which
the alloy is introduced into the mould. However, they do no harm
according to Blackwell, and do indicate a well filled out bullet.
They’re removed simply by rolling the bullet gently on a towel or cloth
alter they’ve cooled. In the photo at right, the bullets illustrate the
off-center sprue. Blackwell swings the sprue plate to the edge of the
mould cavity prior to filling, making the sprue cutoff smaller.
Although the sprue is not centered, Blackwell says that the accuracy
advantage of the small sprue outweigh the disadvantage of the
off-center sprue.

more consistent both in weight and size. so that the hole in the plate is over the overlooked. All bullets I cast are carefully
Multicavity moulds can produce bullets of edge of the bullet cavity during the inspected for flaws and the ones that pass
different weights and size, but this pouring operation. This produces a bullet inspection are then weighed. Any bullet
condition is dependent on the quality of with a very small and “clean” sprue mark showing the smallest imperfection, or
the mould. For maximum accuracy each along one edge of the bullet. This almost varies more than 0.3 grains in weight
bullet produced must be as identical as always produces a bullet with a flat, from the average is tossed in the scrap
possible in every respect. uniform base and is probably the single pile. Even after careful casting I can
technique that has greatly improved my expect to reject at least 15 percent of all
CASTING cast bullet accuracy over the past few cast bullets.
I cast all my bullets with an electric years. LUBRICATION AND SIZING
furnace which provides good temperature Stirring the molten metal and fluxing
control during the entire casting period, at frequent intervals will keep the metal All bullets which pass inspection are
yet gives a comfortable atmosphere for composition consistent and helps assure sized and lubricated. And since the
the fella working the mould. My Lyman uniform bullets. New smokeless, odorless bullets used for these tests with the .30-30
furnace has a bottom pour spout and I fluxes now on the market are a big help. are of the gas check type, the gas check is
hold the mould tight against the spout carefully seated by hand before the bullet
while filling the mould. The molten metal Each pot of metal is used to exhaustion is sized. It is my feeling that crimp-on
forces all air from the mould and without the addition of new metal. Only type gas checks give more consistent
produces sharp, well-filled-out bullets. sprue lead and rejected bullets accumu- accuracy than other types. This also
Metal under such pressure, or high tin lating during the casting period are seems to be the findings of Carl Johnson,
content alloys can produce “whiskers” returned to the pot. All bullets cast and another cast bullet shooter (see Hand-
from entering the air vent grooves of the processed from one pot of metal are loader 55, page 26, “Cast Bullet Loads for
mould. These are easily removed by boxed and loaded together. the .22-250”). Although the gas check
rolling the bullets gently on a towel or has done its job once the bullet has left
cloth after they’ve cooled. BULLET INSPECTION the rifle barrel, the shedding of the gas
check and particularly the manner in
One little trick that has worked for me, Bullet inspection is one of the most which it is shed seems to have a bearing
which gives a good sharp bullet base every important steps in obtaining top notch on the bullet’s point of impact.
time, is to move the sprue plate off-center accuracy but is probably one of the most
All my bullets were sized in the Lyman
450 lubricator and sizer. The bullets for
the .30-30 tests were sized to .309-inch
although a particular gun may show a
preference to slightly smaller or larger
bullets. The old rule of slugging the
barrel and sizing the bullet .001-inch
larger usually works pretty well, but it’s
still a good idea to try bullet sizes a few
thousandths over and under this to be
sure of the best fit for your rifle. Some
rifles will shoot bullets sized from .308
inches to .311 inches with little difference
in noticeable accuracy.
Most reloaders have their own pet
bullet lub. I have found that the standard
Alox-beeswax lubricant hard to beat. I

This illustrates the components of the

load that fired the group in the photo. The
filler is Kapok.

40 HANDLOADER Magazine
have no leading problems, even when only The long elastic neck of the .30-30 the rifling when the cartridge was
filling one or two grease grooves near the proved ideal for cast bullet loading and chambered.
bullet base. the standard expander plug (used for Bench tools consisted of a Lee neck
jacketed bullets) in the resizing die sizing die and a n L.E. Wilson
Three brands Of cartridge cases were worked great for cast bullets. Bullets straight-line seater for cast bullet seating.
used for these tests: Remington-Peters, seated and then pulled with an inertia Primers were seated with the Lee tool.
Winchester-Western, and Norma. With puller showed no deformation. All lube The Lee knock-out rod was modified by
the bullets seated to the base Of the neck9 grooves in the pulled bullets were clean drilling a small hole in the end and press
each brand had the following average and sharp and there was no evidence of fitting a standard decapping pin into it.
water capacity: R-P - 36.8 grains, W-W lead shavings. Cases driven from the Lee die with the
- 36.0 grains and Norma - 34.7. Even modified rod were also decapped at the
though the R-P cases had slightly more After shooting some 700 loads in the Same time. A custom arbor press made
capacity, for cast bullet loads with Remington 788, the most promising were bullet seating at the bench a snap.
reduced powder charges no difference tested for accuracy by loading with hand
could be detected in overall performance tools. Loading variables were kept to an A small tuft (about one grain) of Kapok
between brands. absolute minimum. One case could be was used in each load to hold the powder
loaded 75 times or more before the neck charge near the bottom of the case.
All cases used for accuracy were split. All bullets were seated to just touch Although the medium-burning powders
segregated according to brand and all
necks were checked for variation in wall
thickness. Case necks showine a

Cast Bullet Load Data for the .30-30Winchester

0 Bullet No. 311299 G.C. Weight - 188.4 grains 0 Bullet No. 311413 G.C. Weight - 159 grains
Charge, Velocity, Charge, Velocity,
Powder Grains [fPSI Remarks' Powder Grains VPSI Remarks'
SR-4759 15.0 1,505 good load SR-4759 16.0 1,723 fair load
IMR-4198 18.0 1,665 poor load IMR-4198 18.0 1,762 fair load
RL-7 17.5-18.0 1,614-1,631 good load RL-7 18.0 1,717 poor load
IMR-4895 24.0 1,820 good load IMR-4895 23.0 1,729 fair load
IMR-4064 23.0 1,644 target load IMR-4064 24.0 1,756 good load
IMR-4320 23.0-24.0 1,602-1,698 target load IMR-4320 23.0 1,734 poor load
E L - c (2) 22.0 1,574 good load E L - c (2) 23.0-25.0 1,707-1,784 fair load
H-380 25.0 1,751 good load
0 Bullet No. 311466 G.C. Weight - 141.5 grains
0 Bullet No. 311175 F.N.G.C. Weight - 164.3 grains SR-4759 14.0 1,590 fair load
SR-4759 17.0 1,747 good load IMR-4198 17.0 1,682 fair load
IMR-4198 18.0 1,720 fair load RL-7 17.5 1,711 fair load
RL-7 18.0 1,705 fair load IMR-4895 24.0 1,907 good load
IM R-4895 24.0 1,896 good load IMR-4064 24.5 1,810 good load
IMR-4064 24.0 1,766 accurate load IMR-4320 26.0 ' 1,941 good load
IMR-4320 23.0 1,647 accurate load E L - c (2) 23.0 1,693 good load
BL-C (2) 23.0 1,698 target load
H-380 27.0 1,883 accurate load 0 Harrington & Richardson .30-30
Charge, Velocity,
0 Bullet No. 311291 G.C. Weight - 160.7 grains Bullet Powder Grains VPSI Remarks'
SR-4759 18.0 1,814 good load 311175 IMR-4064 24.0 1,818 fair load
IM R-4198 17.5 1,728 good load 311175 EL-C (2) 21 .o 1,618 good load
RL-7 18.0 1,747 fair load 31 1299 EL-C (2) 20.3 1,534 target load
IMR-4895 22.0 1,667 target load
I M R-4064
IMR-4320
24.0
24.0
1,743
1,742
target load
fair load
*Accuracy: Poor - 2-inch +
groups

BL-C (2) 22.0 1,674 target load

-
Fair- 1 114 1 112 inches
Good - I - i n c h
Accurate - less than I - i n c h
Velocities are instrumental, five feet from muzzle to midpoint of screens, Temperature - Target load - often less than 112-inch
65-80 degrees F. Chronographs used were Model 200 Chronograph Specialists and Model 21
Oehler. Primer used was CCI No. 200. All bullets cast of linotype metal. Actual bullet weight
given is sized, lubed and with gas check.

SeDtember-October 1976 41
used for these tests filled the case much
better than pistol powders, more
consistent accuracy was obtainZd by use
of the wad with all powder charges tried.
A fiber filler also tends to protect the base
of the bullet from hot gases. Dacron may
also be substituted as a filler with equally
good results but is somewhat more
difficult to acquire.
The first cast bullet loads tried were
with powders that had proved successful
with the .308 Winchester (see “Cast Bullet
Loads in the .308 Winchester”, Hand-
loader 60). These medium-burning
powders including IMR-4198 through
H-380, proved to perform equally in the
.30-30.
medium powders are
often overlooked when searching for
suitable powders for cast bullets. The
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook didn’t list
any powders slower than SR-4756 for the
.30-30. Du Pont’s SR-4756 is usually
listed with the fast-burning group Of
powders and is used primarily for pistol
and shotshell loads. Granted, the slower
powders didn’t burn as
as pistol powders but accuracy certainly
wasn’t affected.
m38/45m
CONVERSlON UNITS
We now have long barreled units for this interesting auto
1
, with the cast bullet loads and no undue
pistol cartridge - in premium stainless steel or chrome-
moly. Unit includes barrel, link, pin, bushing and recoil
spring: 7 % ” SS - $72.50; 7Yz” CM - $67.50; 6” SS -
$67.50;6” CM - $62.50; 5” standard length ss . $47.50;
Colt Commander to 38/45 - $47.50; Colt M K IV to 38/45 -
$52.50. 38/45 Case Form Die Set - $18.50; 38/45
Reload Die Set -$15.00. Send 350 for brochure on these
and other long standard caliber barrels. Dealers send FFL.
Whitney Sales, P.O. Box 875. Reseda. California 91335
7933 Gloria Ave. Van Nuys, Calif. 91406
42
A clean, dry patch pushed through the approximately 20 grains of IMR-3031 (see
bore about every 15 to 20 shots restored Handloader 20, page 22).
the barrel to top condtion. The Alox
lubricant always did its job and no trace My son Greg has a Harrington &
of leading was found at any time. Richardson Topper Model 158 single shot
in .30-30 caliber. This little rifle weighs
Du Pont IMR-4064 seemed to give the seven pounds with a 4X scope and has a
best overall accuracy with the five bullets 22-inch barrel. Cast bullet groups with
tested, but was followed closely by this gun often ran under a half-inch for
Hodedon BL-C (2). Du Pont’s IMR-4320 five shots at 50 yards with the No. 311299
and-IMR-4198 also performed well. A Lyman bullet and BL-C (2) powder. I
maximum velocity of 1,941 fps was considered this exceptional for this light
obtained with IMR-4320 and Lyman rifle, especially with its eight-pound
bullet 311466. Most of the top accuracy trigger pull.
loads fell in the 1,600 to 1,700 fps range, The best cast bullet performance in my
although there were a few exceptions. rifle was obtained with Lyman No. 311291
IMR-4198 and RL-7, in loadings with all and Lachmiller No. 311175FN as
bullet weights, showed the least velocity expected. These two bullets are well
fluctuation from shot to shot (usually less known for their outstanding accuracy in
than 15 fps). Recently reintroduced Du
Pant SR-4759 and Hercules Reloder 7
almost all .30 caliber rifles. Actually
gave Lyman 311299 did about as well as these
good groups but didn’t Seem to
give quite the accuracy that they had in two. The H&R Topper performed better
the .308 Winchester. with this bullet than either the 311291 or
311175FN. Lyman 311466 didn’t quite
The ball powders are a,so often deliver the accuracy I had expected;
overlooked when searching for a good cast usually it does very well in the .30 caliber
bullet load. They usually have a
reputation for poor burning characteris- rifles. The Lyman 311413 was the least
accurate of the five bullet types tested.
tics in reduced loads and are sometimes This was somewhat expected since
noted for producing a gummy type bore sharp-nosed cast bullets rarely deliver the
fouling that is hard to remove. Hodgdon accuracy that blunt or round nose types
BL-C (2) and H-380 performed very well do at normal cast bullet velocities.
fouling was noted. These two ball What kind of accuracy can you expect
powders proved so encouraging that I with cast bullets in your .30-30? With a
plan to do further work with thesc and rifle that groups within one minute of
other ball powders in the near future. angle with jacketed bullets you can expect
comparable groups with cast bullets if a
Undoubtedly there are other powders little extra effort is put forth. Depending
than those shown in the loading table that upon the type rifling used and barrel
will give good groups in your rifle with a conditions, cast bullets can shoot more
little work* Jim Carmichel was to accurately than jacketed bullets. Rifles,
obtain good cast bullet accuracy with with Micro-Groove rifling don’t normally
shoot as well with cast bullets; however,
what ii will do. The only sure way is to
try it out. One word of caution; clean the
rifle barrel of all jacket metal fouling
before trying cast bullets. The least bit of
metal fouling tends to affect cast bullet
accuracy.
So - dust off your ole .30-30, scrub
down the barrel and try some cast bullets.
I believe you will be pleasantly surprised
at the results. 0
HANDLOADER Magazine