Took the 30/30 last spring and filled the case to halfway up the neck with some Goex 3F, sat a 212 PB spitzer on top and sent them over the Oehler. Couldn't believe the numbers but they went 1590's to over 1700 FPS! Large ES's and accuracy was very mid-lund at 4"+. But that bore looked about mirror bright after that run. Surprised the H otta me...

Anyone else mess with BLK in the 'modern' calibers?

If my memory serves me right the 30-30, when it came out in 1895, it was set to be bought loaded with smokeless powder from the factory and reloaded with all the black powder everybody had laying around. I guess back in those days you couldn't get on the internet and order a caddy of smokeless too easily.<G>

Ed
The 32 Win. Special was meant to use factory smokeless ammo and reloaded with BP. That's why the rifling is shallower then the 30-30. People often ask why the 32 with it's almost an identical twin to the 30-30 cept for the diameter.
Joe

Thanks for jogging my memory.

Ed B

Aladin, pardner. I don't know which way the ammo came. I wasn't much interested in either of the two when I got interested in firearms. I forgot to add to the post while most 30-30's have either a 1 in 10 and 1 in 12 twist, 32 spcl has a 1 in 14 and a 1 in 16 twist also to handle the BP better. To tell you the truth that old story about shooting the rifling out in the 32's because they were shallow still would take a hell of a lot of shooting especially out of a low pressure slow round even if condoms were used. I have a few friends that have 32's and love them.
Joe

The 32 Win Spl rocks.... I seem to remember a discussion awhile back about the Marlins being under sized. The Mdl 94s I play with have good rifling (never measured it) and a 16 twist. They shoost the RCBS 32-170-FN VERY well -- with 'that new fangled' nitro powder. sundog

Gee Ed,
Didn't yer Gramma have Windows 95?

Aladin,

Interesting! I have tried b.p.in the .30-30 in the past and, in fact, have some loaded right now with some SWISS grade sporting black powder for trial when the weather gets better.

In a previous test, I loaded 45 grs. of Goex FFG, setteled it in the case and tried two different bullets... Lymans 155 gr. Loverin which holds plenth of lube and the RCBS 180 flat nose (189 grs. in wheelweights). Lube was SPG and primers were WLP.

Powder compression was .27" and the velocities were pretty consistant.

155 gr. 1,543 f.p.s. avg low 1,516 high 1,586
189 gr. 1,447 f.p.s. avg low 1,408 high 1,467

These were taken in a 336A with a 24" microgroove barrel.
Accuracy was on the order of 2" @ 50 yards.

As you mentioned, in the 1897 and 1906 Marlin catalogs, they give info on reloading the .30-30 with b.p.

Sincerely,
w30wcf

w30wcf I likewise am gonna revisit those tests doing some shooten with Swiss 3F. I'll shooten the HBC prototype which is that gun's favorite slug and add varying degrees of lube. But the bore in the first run was mirror bright after that run.