30-30 load not chambering...

[gmerkt]

You will note 30-30 bullets are advertised for 30-30 where the rest of the bullets in 30 cal are for conventional chambers like 30.06 and 308.

The Speer No. 10 reloading manual that first lists the 110 gr. Varminter bullet includes it as an application for .30-30. With no notes about any peculiarities that might've been helpful - or known to Speer at the time. However, the Speer No. 14 book has "lab notes" at the bottom of page 431 that address the specific problem that started this entire thread.

Same thing on 35 Remington. I found it when I wanted to load 180 gr. 357 Mag bullets in the 35 Remington.

In my Remington 760, I have this issue with Hornady .358 bullets with the tangent ogive. No issue with heavy .357 Mag/Max bullets like Hornady 180 gr. XTP. Maybe in part because the .357 bullets are .001 smaller in diameter. My example of the Rem. 760 has a fairly short throat and I'd thought of having the leade throated. But I don't want to entrust it to a gunsmith so i just load what it likes. Unfortunately, the Remington 200 gr. .358 spire point bullet is no longer made.

 

[gmerkt]

Getting the Hornady OAL and headspace comparators will help with stuff like this.

So will reading the manual, where available, for specific bullets being loaded. Like loading bullets of non-traditional weights and designs in a given cartridge. Which shouldn't be taken as a criticism, as I have experimented plenty with under-weight bullets. The books don't have all the answers but they are a good place to start.

 

[Legion489]

Looks like the bullet ogive is different, that is wider than the other bullets and hitting the rifling, not letting the rifle chamber.

OK, just read the entire thread instead of the first couple pages and it looks like others agree. Had a friend who had some .223 that wouldn't chamber and he was bent out of shape about it. I looked at his loads and said seat the bullet another couple thousands and that will cure it. Naturally he got bent out of shape but finally did that, problem solved.

 

[arakboss]

All other things being equal the only difference would seem to be the bullet. Pull the bullet and see if the cartridge chambers without a bullet.
This is one of my favorites too with no problems.

Please let us know what you discover if you pull the bullet and test chamber.

~Whitney

Have you tried this advice yet?

 

[shibbershabber]

I picked up some standard 110gr fmj bullets this week.... going to load some tonight and see how they fit.

 

[shibbershabber]

and again its a no-go

Looks like its 150/170gr for me now.

 

[RVTECH]

and again its a no-go

Can you please explain what you mean by a 'no-go'?
I load and shoot these routinely out of my .30-30s with no problems and great results.

 

[Stomper]

If Henry added an AR15 forward assist, and included a wooden mallet, people wouldn't be having these issues... duh!

 

[Hummer]

OK if you have FL sized the brass as it goes in and closes chances are good the ogive is binding he throat. Measure the bullet diameters 1/8" above the cannelure and the 3/16 above the cannelure. I think you will find the 110 gr bullet is larger diameter and 30-30 don't generally have throats like other 30 cal.

Reduce your load two full grains and seat the bullet deeper where the cannelure is not showing above the case mouth. The bullet company did not make the rifle and you have to have the same diameter as a real 150 gr/170gr bullet designed specifically for 30-30 bullets.

You have a ogive interference fit problem.

 

[cookie]

The shoulder seems to be different.

 

[Hummer]

I believe he said a FL sized empty case went right in?

30-30 shoulders jump a huge amount on firing and they are over worked sizing back down to original shoulder which shortens case life. Lever guns have strange chambers.

For instance I have a Marlin lever gun in 35 Remington and I wanted to load 180 Sierra Flat nose 357 Mag ammo to cut back on reloading costs of buying 200 gr bullets. I loaded it to correct OAL and it would not chamber until I bumped bullet back and it chambered just fine. Only problem was it tended to let two bullets out of the feed tube at same time so the only thing to do was get a 35 cal throating reamer and cut a throat like a normal bolt rifle and now I can load all the pistol bullets I want as long as the OAL is maintained.

I have a chamber gage made up so I can adjust my FL die to just bump the shoulder back .002" and everything chambers fine. In short I now headspace (so to speak) on the shoulder and not the just the rim.

 

[shibbershabber]

Can you please explain what you mean by a 'no-go'?
I load and shoot these routinely out of my .30-30s with no problems and great results.
View attachment 682181

Action wont close.

 

[RVTECH]

Action wont close.

Got it.

I didn't realize at the wee hour of 2 am when I posted this was a continuation of an ongoing thread.

Have you tried to simply put a bullet in a fired case (that chambers ok) and trying to close the action to see how deep it 'seats' the bullet?

 

[shibbershabber]

It seats it more than Im comfortable firing.

 

[RVTECH]

It seats it more than Im comfortable firing.

I take it yours are seating deeper than say mine in the pic in my post?

Mine are just a few thou short of the rifling and all seat (and shoot) well out of my three 94s.

 

[homeuser6]

see the saami chamber drawings and compare the nonexistent 30-30 throat to almost any other 30 cal throat. this means no bearing surface outside the case. saami specs are available in a 10MB downloadable pdf at their website and this document is important for all reloaders.

 

[Spitpatch]

and again its a no-go

Looks like its 150/170gr for me now.

Sierra 125g FP HP. Turned my 1948 Marlin 336 into a benchrest gun (almost). Kills deer fast too!

 

[RVTECH]

Sierra 125g FP HP. Turned my 1948 Marlin 336 into a benchrest gun

This bullet transformed the .30-30 into a whole new gun!

I used to shoot them exclusively but for pine cone killin' they are a bit spendy!

Might get another box however and see what they do for my 1899 'Klondike' Sporting Rifle!

I want to get out and do some varmint hunting this spring/summer and my .30-30s will be my gun of choice!

 

[Mark W.]

Also a huge fan of the Sierra 125gr FPHP I use it in my 30-30 rifles (I have 5 of them 4 winchesters from 1925 to 1968 and one 336C Marlin) all love this bullet as does my M1 Carbine and Ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine Scary accurate in this gun.

 

[Hummer]

That gives me a idea to use the 125FPHP loaded in 30.06. Should work quite well. Never even considered them. I have a 9X56 Steyr Mannlicher I might try the 180 grain Sierra pistols bullets in as well.