I have been working on a cast bullet load for my T/C Super 14 in 30-30 Winchester caliber. I have always used CCI-200 primers. Last night I mistakenly primed 15 cases using CCI-300 primers. Well, I thought to myself, that Contender is a �large pistol� so maybe they will work anyhow! I had been getting mediocre accuracy with the �soup can�, the 311041, and the C309-150F bullets. Today, I shot some C309�s using AA-2520 powder and the CCI-300�s. I shot two 3-shot groups at 50 yards using 26 and 27 grains of powder. Accuracy was like nothing I have ever achieved with cast and the CCI-200 primers. The 26 grain load shot a 0.35� (center to center) group and the 27 grain load shot a 0.19� (center to center) group!!! Since I print my targets from my computer, I was able to overlay the two groups and held them against a window for good light. I measured the 6-shot group and it measured and amazing 0.37� (center to center)!!! If this darn mistake produces groups that are proportional, or even 3 times bigger, at 100 yards, my mistake was a gift from the reloading gods!!! We shall see tomorrow if the weather here in Western PA doesn�t get too windy�BCB

At one time Hornady or Accurate Arms ( I forget which now) acutally recomended the use of Large Pistol primers in the 30 Herrett for increased accuracy. If one thinks that 30-30 and like cartridges are something like 42K rated. Sometimes a gentle fire under the powder seems to work better, not worse, That pressure is not all that much above "heavy" 44 Mag loadings listed in manuals and some (NOT MY RECOMMENDATION and all that legal stuff) exceed those limits in some revolvers and single shots!

I use LPP in my 7.&X58 loads with the soup cans for the best load I have found for it so far! !

Never argue with success! Most short powder columns work best (more uniformily) using a soft ignition. A soft ignition (proportionally for a specific powder) can be found from any primer type, but most always from pistol primers. Keep in mind pistols in general have soft hammer strikes, and about all pistol primer cups are commensurate. So, if the gun has a weak hammer, then indeed these primers are the reason for the cheap accuracy bonus. On the other hand, if the gun has a strong hammer, then the powder column was more properly ignited because of the primer's timing. But, who cares, as long as a combo works. ... felix

I'm really not trying to rain on your parade but I've experienced some pierced pistol primers in one of my Ruger #3s.This does not occurr when I use rifle primers--same gun same load and no sign of high pressure. roger

Yes, it happens. The firing pin needs "fixin", and that's far to expensive for anyone other than a diehard. If hard cupped primers are required, so be it. ... felix

Yep, primer piercing was one of my thoughts before I decided to go ahead and load the primed cases. But, I had to fire a few of them before I would know if it was going to be a problem...So far it hasn't been observed...BCB

Tried a few of those loads using CCI-300 primers, 27.0 grains of AA-2520, and the Lee C309-150F bullet at 100 yards. I shot three 3-shot groups at 100 yards. The groups ranged in size from just a �tad� over 1.0� to `1.15� when measured center to center. In all honesty, it wasn�t the best shooting weather�10-15 mph winds with the temperature at 28�F. I brought the Contender home and gave it a thorough cleaning (it had approximately 60 cast bullets fired through it). Maybe tomorrow I will try a few fouling shots and try for some better groups. I think the weather may be a bit better. Still, ain�t a bad shooter for the conditions presented�BCB

aladin--that is an interesting thought. Might just give that a try if I finalize this load as a "keeper". Might take the chrony with me tomorrow if the weather is a bit better just to see what velocity they are flying at...BCB

It would be interesting to know how the velocity of the pistol-primed loads compares with the rifle-primed ones, and how the extreme spread matches up. Those numbers don't always correlate so well with what you see on the paper, though, and you've sure got that part down!

Well, I couldn�t resist trying the 27.0 grain AA-2520 load using CCI-200�s and CCI-300�s and chronographing them. I didn�t get close the 1800� fps that the Accurate Arms 2nd Manual indicates I should get�But it was in the high 20�s to low 30�s temperature-wise, so maybe that was part of the discrepancy in the numbers. Anyhow the 200�s gave an average velocity of 1673 fps and the 300�s gave an average velocity of 1546 fps�a difference of 127 fps. Actually, the 200�s gave 1.5�-1.75� groups at 100 yards. The 300�s opened up a bit from previous greatness to 1.3��. This is most typical of Contenders�Shoot like wildfire one day and the next day, not so great. It has always been my opinion that if Contender barrels weren�t so easily changed and interchangeable, this handgun would have gone by the wayside in its early years. Accuracy can be iffy at best with any new barrel purchase. Jacketed bullets will shoot always better than cast�PERIOD. (Sorry about the soapbox!!!) I have never been able to get consistency with Contenders and cast--WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 7-30 WATERS AND THE 287346 BULLET. It is most impressive no matter what the conditions. Regardless, the 300�s did give much slower velocities. I cast a couple hundred on the C309-150F�s up this afternoon and I am going to get a few ready to try some more loads tomorrow. The weather is most cooperative here for the next couple of days so I must take advantage. And so the �Contenders and Cast� goes�BCB