Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

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Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by CHX77 »

I want to start casting for my RG3030. I have a nice lead/tin/antimony alloy that is about 11 BHN when air cooled. So far I've only used it in .38 revolver loads. Would this be suitable for use in a gas check 30-30 boolit like the Lee C309-150-F? I have the ability to smelt a different mixture if a harder alloy is needed, but it would be nice to have just one alloy for all my needs.

Also, I have two different powders to choose from. Hodgdon Leverevolution works well for the jacketed bullets I've loaded. Accurate 2230 works too, but yields about 10% slower velocity. 2230 is a faster burning powder than Leverevolution. Would a gas checked cast boolit prefer one powder over the other?
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by Ranch Dog »

CHX77 wrote:I want to start casting for my RG3030. I have a nice lead/tin/antimony alloy that is about 11 BHN when air cooled. So far I've only used it in .38 revolver loads. Would this be suitable for use in a gas check 30-30 boolit like the Lee C309-150-F? I have the ability to smelt a different mixture if a harder alloy is needed, but it would be nice to have just one alloy for all my needs.

Also, I have two different powders to choose from. Hodgdon Leverevolution works well for the jacketed bullets I've loaded. Accurate 2230 works too, but yields about 10% slower velocity. 2230 is a faster burning powder than Leverevolution. Would a gas checked cast boolit prefer one powder over the other?
11 BHN is mighty light for a high pressure cartridge. What do you hope to do with the RG3030 and bullet?

Do you have the ability to measure BHN? If so, you might try water quenching them at the drop and see what your alloy delivers after about 48 hours of curing time.

What diameter is the C309 dropping?
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by CHX77 »

Ranch Dog wrote: 11 BHN is mighty light for a high pressure cartridge. What do you hope to do with the RG3030 and bullet?
I would use this bullet mostly for target shooting.
Do you have the ability to measure BHN? If so, you might try water quenching them at the drop and see what your alloy delivers after about 48 hours of curing time.
I do have the ability to measure hardness and have wondered what water quenching would do to this alloy. It's 96.3% lead, 1.9% tin, and 1.8% antimony.
What diameter is the C309 dropping?
I haven't purchased a mold yet, nor have I slugged the RG3030 barrel. I just used the C309 as an example of what I might use. I've been satisfied with other Lee molds so far.
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by Ranch Dog »

Ranch Dog wrote:11 BHN is mighty light for a high pressure cartridge. What do you hope to do with the RG3030 and bullet?
CHX77 wrote:I would use this bullet mostly for target shooting.
I think I would just match the pressure to the alloy then. In other words, do a little bit of shooting to see at what point the alloy can survive. The alloy is doing well in the 38 Spl, that is a 17.0K PSI cartridge but I really don't suspect that 11 BHN would handle much more pressure that that.

In QuickLoad, I stuck in the specs that I use with my RG3030 and C311-170-RF for a 17.0K PSI charge of A2230. The results were 23.7-grains for 1565 FPS. With a 150-grain bullet, 24.0-grains might be a good target for the load.

QL does not have LVR in the database so I cannot help you with that.
Ranch Dog wrote:Do you have the ability to measure BHN? If so, you might try water quenching them at the drop and see what your alloy delivers after about 48 hours of curing time.
CHX77 wrote:I do have the ability to measure hardness and have wondered what water quenching would do to this alloy. It's 96.3% lead, 1.9% tin, and 1.8% antimony.
I suspect that it would get bring it up to about 14 BHN. I wouldn't fiddle with it if shooting a 17.0K PSI load is good enough for the shooting you intend to do.
Ranch Dog wrote:What diameter is the C309 dropping?
CHX77 wrote:I haven't purchased a mold yet, nor have I slugged the RG3030 barrel. I just used the C309 as an example of what I might use. I've been satisfied with other Lee molds so far.
My experience has been doing a good job with their molds, especially as of late with the new block designs. I also am seeing bullet that are cast at target or .001" over the design rather than under that was common in the past. At the pressure and velocities mentioned here, I bet you could just tumble lube in Alox and shoot the bullet without a gas check or sizing. That is what I would try first.
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by CHX77 »

Thank you so much for your advice and research using your software. I need to get the barrel slugged then order a mold, sizing die, and probably some gas checks too, just in case.
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

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Update:

The barrel slugged .3081, so I ordered the C309-150-F Lee mold. I cast the first batch of bullets this morning and they came out .3115 to .312. I also got a .309 Lee sizer die and will try that size first and tumble them in LLA. I can always enlarge it if needed. It will probably be a week or two before I load them up. I'm looking forward to seeing the results.
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by Maximumbob54 »

If you are just looking for plinking loads then Trail Boss makes a great .30-30 reduced load. I wouldn't hunt with these loads but they are very shoulder friendly and fairly soft shooting and quiet.
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by CHX77 »

I shot 8 of the C309-150-F with gas checks and 24.0gr of Accurate 2230 today. Average velocity was 1808 fps, but the spread from low to high was near 200 fps.

I admit these were not the best loaded cartridges for testing. I did not flare the case mouths, so there was a little lead shaving. The bullet seating die from my Lee 3-die set cut a nice grove in the first bullet I seated. I turned the bullet seating plug around and used the blunt end for the rest of them. I didn't want to use the factory crimp die because the crimp groove on these bullets looks too narrow for the type of crimp it provides. When I went to set up the bullet seating die to crimp I found out it does not crimp. It was not designed to. The only crimp option I had with these dies was the fcd. I went ahead and used it, trying not to squeeze the lead bullets too much.

I'm considering the RCBS cowboy die set for these bullets. Anyone here have experience with them?

The best part of today's test was: NO LEADING. Not even a little bit.
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by CHX77 »

Update: I got the RCBS cowboy dies. They're nice, and now that I'm no longer shaving lead when seating the bullet, the velocity has been much more consistent. I've worked the powder charge up gradually to 28.0gr AA2230 and getting 2072 fps average. Still no leading and getting decent accuracy. The bullets are punching nice clean round holes at 100 yards. The point of impact is now about 3" lower than jacketed bullets going 2350 fps. I'm starting to wonder if I can push these up to 2350 fps to hopefully get the same point of impact. I know it's not necessary to push them that fast, but my curiosity keeps me wondering if this bullet can handle it. Thoughts?
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Re: Hardness question for 30-30 GC boolit

Post by Ranch Dog »

Nothing to lose but a little time cleaning a leaded bore, I'd push them on up!
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