Seafire,

At one time you indicated accuracy wasn't up to par in the .30-30 when you used Blue Dot. Is that still your impression or have you found accuracy to be better this time?

I don't have as many manuals as Clark, but other than that I agree with him.

I own ~50 load books, but they cost me money.
I got to read this data for free

Hey Seafire, This looks like a good thread to put the accuracy info from my buddy Al's 30-30 with the 147gr FN-FALs and Blue Dot Reduced Loads.

Only one minor problem.....tooooooo many Tornadoes to go to the Range. Had 23 in the "local viewing area" last Thursday as one weatherman mentioned. Just the side effects keeps us busy cleaning up limbs, wet basements and such stuff.

Soooo, it is still on the schedule. Just gotta get Ma Nature to calm down a bit.

These were jacketed bullets ehhhhh?

My apologies to the million guys who don't care.

Here is to the few who do care:

110 grain RN Remington Manufacture.
Case : Rem
Primer: Win LRifle
Firearm: 1966 Production Model 94, 20 inch barrel.

7grs: 1162 fps
8grs: 1266 fps
9 grs: 1358 fps
10grs: 1542 fps
11grs: 1706 fps

12grs: 1720 fps
13grs: 1858 fps
14grs: 1924 fps
15grs: 2087 fps
16grs: 2143 fps

17grs: 2244 fps
18grs: 2322 fps.

This is as far as I got. I estimated the max load being at 18 grains, but I had no problems at all, so one can go higher, but I thought that this was a good place to stop. The focus is on loads for youths, and training them. Or light recoiling loads for range practice or plinking.

These combos from 8 grains on had no trouble penetrating the tree back stop that was about 7 to 8 inches in diameter.



170 grain Hornady FN.

7grs: 1009 fps
8 grs: 1078 fps
9 grs: 1153 fps
10 grs: 1277 fps

11grs: 1389 fps
12 grs: 1473 fps
13 grs: 1555 fps
14 grs; 1597 fps
15 grs: 1685 fps

I stopped at 15 grains spectulating that would be max. It proved not to, but proved a good point to stop. Blue Dot and the 30/30 and 170 grain bullets are an excellent load for first time hunters.

At velocities as low as 1000 fps, the 170 grain Hornady had no problem penetrating the 8 inch tree used as a back stop.

I have found a lot more accuracy out of this particular 30/30 at the 1500 to 1750 fps range with a 170 grain bullet. This bullet combo is definitely a candidate for some of the milk jug water tests that a lot of guys seem to enjoy on line here.

Hope those interested find these tests interesting and useful, also enjoyable.


Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

PS No 150 grain bullets were done as I am currently out of them. sorry. Will update when I get some if the results are requested by enough people.

dang! my printer is outa ink!

Bless you seafire. I used to have some Speer 110 JHP's but still have some 100grn plinkers from Speer and Hornady as well as some 110 RP SP's in .308". Like I said in my email to you, I have had luck with them using 4227 but had never tried using Blue Dot although I've used Unique. BM

Bill

Yes these were with Jacketed bullets.

I don't shoot a 30-30 now but hope to soon. I have my eye on a 94 made in 1950.
Thanks again for all your time and expense.
David

Seafire,
Your too much the gentleman with all these Blue Dot loads. If you asked money for the data no one would pay and they'd rubbish your name for suggesting it could be done, the beauty of the internet is it provides a nice way to get the information out but nothing to stop someone else claiming your hard work. I repeat my first line, your a real gentleman for the work you've done.... and you've given me a reason to buy an old 30/30!!
Thanks again...
Con

"NO applauds,.............. just throw money, lol" Rodney Dangerfield....





cheers and good shooting

seafire

Con,

I was just adding a little humor from when I was in high school. Some comedian use to have a line that something like, don't applaud just throw money. I think it was an early Rodney Dangerfield.

Thanks for the kudos tho. I am really doing most of this for my own reference, but it is great sharing it with some of the gentlemen that I have had the good fortune to meet on AR board here. That makes it worthwhile knowing that I can help out others so far around the world even.

I got an email recently from a 13 yr old in Missouri that is using some of the Blue Dot loads in a 300 Win Mag, and is trying to work up to compete in 1000 yd competition. But he indicated that mild blue dot loads helps him train for trigger control and steadiness at small 100 yd targets, yet is accurate enough to use small coins for a target. That is my biggest focus, youth loads and training new shooters.

But the reduced recoil and the accuracy is a great bonus.

Thanks for the email Mate! Gidday!

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Paul,

Before when I tried accuracy tests, I was using Blue Dot and 165 grain cast bullets and some 150 grain Remington 30/30 bullets.

I still have not been able to get the cast bullets to shoot well.

I also learned the Remington has a bore diameter of .305 instead of .308. Don't ask me why unless Remington is just trying to be different or their 30 Remington was a .305 bore and they were busy being different back then.

I need to test these loads for accuracy still, but they showed promise, especially the 170 grain Hornady. IN shooting the 150 grain Hornady RN in one of my 30/30s and trying out the Hodgdon reduced loads with H 4895 I was quite surprised.

Maybe everyone knows this but me, and it is opposite of what I would naturally think. However, I think bulk bullets in 30/30 might not be a good idea. Using Sierra and Hornady ( this is a very recent thing) I have noticed accuracy that my 30/30 Winchester ( 1966 production) was never capable of, even with factory ammo.

The most accurate load this rifle ever had up until that point was my infamous 220 grain round nose with 35 grains of W 748 for a MV of 2100 fps. Some thought it was cool, and some thought I was going to blow up and kill everyone at my rifle range in the explosion.

Accuracy also was showing up at the 1650 to 1850 fps range also. Faster velocity and the groups opened right up. I have brass in the tumbler right now, that is getting readied to be reloaded and taken to the range to check out for accuracy with another model 94, the Legacy Model I have with a 24 inch barrel and 6x Weaver scope on it.

I posted this as I had received quite a few emails at home asking for some 30/30 data, so I just broke down and tested some of them this morning after loading them last night when I woke up at 2 am with insomnia.

Lifestyles of the NOT so Rich, and definitley not very famous.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire