30-30 load data

[scratcherky]

I have 30 caliber 158 grain cast gas check powder coated bullets that I would like to load for my 30-30 Contender rifle but have not had much luck finding load data. I have a number of different powders but have an excess of BL-C2 I would like to use. Appreciate any help.

[Barry54]

Somewhere in all the chapters before the load data, Richard Lee says it’s okay to substitute a slightly lighter bullet in place of a heavier one. Modern Reloading Second Edition by Richard Lee.

So use data for a 170 grain lead/cast bullet with the powder you have.

Being used in a Contender, chances are favorable that you can seat the bullets long and ensure the gas check doesn’t go below the neck.

[Bird]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvCrmM9HeUM

[Hick]

Somewhere in all the chapters before the load data, Richard Lee says it’s okay to substitute a slightly lighter bullet in place of a heavier one. Modern Reloading Second Edition by Richard Lee.

So use data for a 170 grain lead/cast bullet with the powder you have.

Being used in a Contender, chances are favorable that you can seat the bullets long and ensure the gas check doesn’t go below the neck.

This

[jaysouth]

I have 30 caliber 158 grain cast gas check powder coated bullets that I would like to load for my 30-30 Contender rifle but have not had much luck finding load data. I have a number of different powders but have an excess of BL-C2 I would like to use. Appreciate any help.

What will you use the load for? Hunting, small game or just killing cans? What velocities are you looking for?

[P Flados]

Post #3 has load data for a 170 at 35.8 gr BL-C2.

Quickload prediction for a 158 & 16" barrel with the bullet seated 0.404" deep is as follows:

Cartridge          : .30-30 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .309, 158 Custom
Barrel Length      : 16.0 inch = 406.4 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon BL-C2

CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms
-06.1   85    31.00   1803    1141   24426   7187     80.5    1.310
-04.5   86    31.50   1838    1185   25693   7375     81.7    1.279
-03.0   87    32.00   1873    1231   27027   7561     82.9    1.249
-01.5   89    32.50   1909    1278   28430   7744     84.0    1.219
+00.0   90    33.00   1944    1326   29909   7924     85.1    1.191
+01.5   91    33.50   1980    1375   31467   8102     86.2    1.163
+03.0   93    34.00   2016    1425   33109   8276     87.2    1.136
+04.5   94    34.50   2052    1477   34841   8446     88.2    1.110
+06.1   96    35.00   2088    1529   36670   8612     89.2    1.084  ! Near Maximum !
+07.6   97    35.50   2124    1582   38600   8773     90.1    1.059  ! Near Maximum !

[scratcherky]

What will you use the load for? Hunting, small game or just killing cans? What velocities are you looking for?

Mostly shooting targets and to fireform cases for the 30-30 AI contender barrel. Looking for velocities in the 1900 FPS range.

[405grain]

BLC-2 is an excellent powder for a variety of cast loads. Because it's a ball powder it can be hard to ignite in some conditions (like larger cases where there isn't complete fill). In smaller cases like 7.62x39 I use it with standard primers. With larger capacity cases I use magnum primers. The 30-30 has a case capacity where I could use either type of primer. If you are seeing vertical stringing in your target groups it could indicate variations in velocity caused by non uniform ignition. If that's the case, try using magnum primers with that load. However, if everything's working fine - then don't change things.

Edit for post below: I use Gordon's Reloading tool. 1. Sometimes it gives low burn rate warnings on loads that are either published, or are known to be good. 2. It lists a lot of powders, but there are some that are missing. I can think of Red Dot and AA4100 off the top of my head, but there are others. 3. GRT is buggy about seating depth, and may calculate for a different seating depth than the one that's listed for the bullets in it's inventory. Always double check the load seating depth to make sure that GRT is displaying that correctly. GRT is a great program that's very useful, but the guy who wrote it passed away before it was perfected.

[archeryrob]

Download GRT (Gordon's reloading tool) and learn to use it. If you are going to vary powders, bullets, seating depth you need to know what you are looking for.

It tells me a 158 grain bullet with BL-c2 is a low burn rate unless using 37 grains and then 2300 fps. Not getting the warning with larger bullets and moving slower. It will probably work fine, just maybe not as good as it should.