Reloading 30 30 winchester lever action?
I've reloaded for pistols and bolt action rifles, but never for lever actions, pumps, or semi-automatic's.
I have couple of 30 30 Winchester caliber lever action guns, one a Winchester 94 and a Marlin 36 and several once fired brass hulls, but no reloading dies. I'm thinking that I read that small base sizer dies should be used for these type guns, but when I went looking (searching online) for 30 30 Win small base full length sizing dies in 30 30 Win they are as scarce as hen's teeth!
I see 308, 243 small base sizing dies, but no 30 30 Win small base dies!
Do most 30 30 reloaders just try a standard die set and hope for the best or what??[?]
I have couple of 30 30 Winchester caliber lever action guns, one a Winchester 94 and a Marlin 36 and several once fired brass hulls, but no reloading dies. I'm thinking that I read that small base sizer dies should be used for these type guns, but when I went looking (searching online) for 30 30 Win small base full length sizing dies in 30 30 Win they are as scarce as hen's teeth!
I see 308, 243 small base sizing dies, but no 30 30 Win small base dies!
Do most 30 30 reloaders just try a standard die set and hope for the best or what??[?]
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My .30-30 is a bolt action so the question does not arise here.
But since nearly all .30-30s are lever actions, I figure the die makers cut their dies to size the brass down enough.0 -
i have been reloading for the 30-30 for 34 yrs now. with my marlin 336 never had a problem with the standard RCBS dies. just remember to use round nose ,flat point or the new rubber tipped bullet from hornady and use a good crimp so bullets do not pull with recoil in the tube. hope this helps. 260 0 -
If, after you size a cartridge case, it will slide all the way to the rim in a lever gun that has its muzzle pointed downward, and will fall free of the chamber of its own weight when the muzzle is pointed upward, any and all cycling problems will be other than the chamber/cartridge combo.
Joe0 -
30/30 Winchester loaded for Lever actions are fine when using regular full-length die sets. Just buy a quality die set and matching shell holder and you will be okay. In the many years I have loaded 30/30, I have used RCBS, Lee, and Hornady die sets with no problems at all. My first 30/30 reloads were done in a Lee Loader that a friend had, and even though the Lee Loader only neck sizes the cases, they still functioned fine.
If you do choose to reload for the 30/30, make sure to seat the bullet and crimp in separate steps. The thin case is easily crushed/buckled if you try to do both at once. Crimping is a must since the shells will be in a tubular magazine.0 -
Good info!
Thanks! and Later![:)]0 -
I load for several different 30-30's. I size the cases to work in the tightest-chambered one, which then works in all of them, but if you are reloading for only one gun, you can size the cases to work in just that one. I use standard RCBS dies and a Lee 'factory crimp die', which avoids a lot of problems with varying lengths of fired cases. 0 -
I've loaded for my .30-30 Marlin since 1965. I like 170 grain flat point Hornady over 30 grains of IMR 3031. I've used both Herter & RCBS dies with no problems. Make sure ALL your cases are the exact same trim length so you can utilize the roll crimp ledge present in the seater die. If not....be sure they are not over the max. length & get the factory crimp die. I also load 150 grain Spitzer after reading an Article in the 1989 Gun Digest about the "two shot tube feeder" You load one round into the chamber and another in the tube (magazine). Never put one in front/behind the other!! Be sure that the over-all length is maintained. No crimp is needed as the long neck of the .30-30 case holds onto alot of that Spire point. This makes your .30-30 a 200 yard deer Rifle. This was done before the latest flex tip bullets. It does limit you to just two shots. 0 -
You have been given great advice. Use the standard full length dies, and you should be OK. I would use a factory crimp/taper crimp die, in a seperate step from the bullet seating too. I would also make sure my cases are trimmed to a unifirm length, for the best results in uniform crimps.
Best0 -
I don't have the flat point bullets yet. Have the 150 gr spitzer for two tube loading as mentioned above, IMR 3031, will get a lee taper crimp die even though I can maintain a even trim length of the hulls. I've seen some hulls get sticky in a bolt action rifle chamber even though the cases were all same length after using the roll crimp of a standard die. I'll keep the fired brass with the same gun after firing and chamber test each reloaded shell afterwards before going to the range.
Looks like I need Dies, shell holder, flat based bullets, 30 cal lee crimp die.
Anyone have a primer preference for the Winchester 94 and Marlin hammer type lever action guns to reduce misfires. (primer snapping) (reason I ask about primer preference is some hammer guns (TC's and H&
R's) seem to prefer softer shell primers to reduce snapping or misfires)0 -
I've been loading 30-30's for some time but only lead bullets for plinking. Be sure to check case length. Lube the neck when sizing. I've never had any problem with pimers not firing in my Winny's or Marlin's. I've been loading 170 gr Oregon laser cast .310 with 7 to 9 grains of Trailboss powder. great plinking round. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by longspur rider
I've been loading 30-30's for some time but only lead bullets for plinking. Be sure to check case length. Lube the neck when sizing. I've never had any problem with pimers not firing in my Winny's or Marlin's. I've been loading 170 gr Oregon laser cast .310 with 7 to 9 grains of Trailboss powder. great plinking round.
I'll check out the plinking round! I used reduced loads in several of the centerfire cal rifles for varmit plinking!
Reason for asking about primers in the hammer type lever actions is I've had to stay away from CCI type Large rifle primers in several hammer type single shot rifles due to snaps. (shell of CCI 200 and BR primer is tougher than for example the brass colored Remington primer) I could use the brass colored Rem primers with no primer snaps.
But I've also experienced the opposite in some Bolt actions rifles, where I had to go to the harder shell CCI when I had intermittent firing pin primer piecering of the Rem brass primers.
Thanks for the info!0
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