Does anybody an idea how many times 30/30 brass can be used? I've heard varying reports, since it does have to be full length resized.

I have a 1940 Winchester 94 that I'd like to load develop/practice with using Remington 170gr., 160 gr. FTX, and Hornady 150s.

My current die set is the Lee Ultimate, which will full-length size. Can you get away with neck-sizing somehow, or should I just be content with full-length and shorter case life?

I currently have 50 Winchester brand, but PPU brass looks annealed and the same price, so maybe that holds up better(?)

I have some reclaimed Winchester brass that has been reloaded 20 time or more. I FL resize and keep my loads a couple grains under max. I have never had any problems with function and feed. I anneal every 4 or 5th. time I reload

They last forever; I started loading for my 94 in 1966 on a Lee Loader; of course that is neck size only and I loaded 2000 rounds that I actually counted. I counted them by the bricks of primers I got from Herters that cost $4 a thousand.
Have since FL resized brass; still lasts many rounds. You will know.
Working up loads for a Winchester 94 with iron sights is a definite waste of time. You won't be able to tell any difference.
Do not over think this; just shoot it. It is for fun.

I have Reloader 15 and H335, but tried Reloader 15 first. Just a 30gr. load with the 170 gr. Core-Lokt bullets.

Didn't bring my chrony, but I doubt it's pushing std factory velocity. Thanks for the suggestions. I might play around a bit with charges and try H335, too.

I'd maybe like these groups to be at 50 yds, but the fun is getting them sighted. The other rifle is a Savage 340, so I'll split the brass between the two...

dpcd, I started reloading in 2001 in college because I bought a 300 H&H Remington 721 and the only ammo I could find was Federal Premium Safari with 180 grain Nosler Partitions for $30/box, so found this site.

I thank this site for getting me into it, and I used to do way more reloading but haven't done it regularly for the last 17 years, so I'm trying to start up again.

While I don't think prices on some reloading stuff is too extreme, I did save all my old, empty primer boxes, but they were still $2.50-2.99/100. I've had to come to terms with my diminished supply of large rifle primers now as when I can find them they're $8/100!

Case life depends on the chambers they are used in.

If the chamber is as tight as the resizing die, they will last a long time.

If the chamber is a bit generous, they won't.

like all reloading it depends on how much powder you poke in the hole..actually one wonders if its cheaper to buy factory ammo at sales for $6,00 a box, Ive done that a number of times in that caiber..

Ray, this is 2023, not 1993. Even on sale, you won't be finding 30-30 ammo on sale for $6 a box ever again.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
like all reloading it depends on how much powder you poke in the hole..actually one wonders if its cheaper to buy factory ammo at sales for $6,00 a box, Ive done that a number of times in that caiber..

I was gunna say "the brass will last longer if Ray isn't loading it!! "

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Case life depends on the chambers they are used in.

If the chamber is as tight as the resizing die, they will last a long time.

If the chamber is a bit generous, they won't.

The brass after firing is basically the same size as the chamber!

Simple solution-----Don't make the brass TOO undersized before reloading the powder and primer.

Hip

Lot of BS about the accuracy of the 30-30 and iron sightsby those who been read,en dem damn gun books and passen judgment on a fine caliber..

I got several that shoot under 2 inches at 100 and a couple of 25-35 shoot an inch, yall welcome to stop by and shoot a couple of them. If they are inaccurate its the iron sights as a rule, use a peep sight to get yourself an inch or better than the irons..My most accruate 30-30 is a 3 digit Trapper 94 that puts 3 shots under an inch or a tad over an inch every time..

For the know it alls, this trailer came by about two years ago and parked behind Simmerleys and I bought 12 boxes for HP flat nose 150s of some off brand monolithic for $6.50 per box disbursal and the ranch store in Twins sold Rem corelokts for hunting season special for $6.oo one per customer some time ago..Went by and bought a box a day for 5 days. I have about 50 boxes on hand so not shopping these days..I bought 25 boxes of Win and Rem 250-3000s at some junky Hardware store in Utah at $5,00 per box take all, brushed the dust off and hit the road, still have about 20 boxes of clean old ammo..that was a year ago, but Im always looking at pawn shops and old small town hdwe stores or lumber yards..It is what it is, if you dont your missing out, and I find several guns a year btw...

you can neck size for the 340 4-5 times then anneal and re-size.
if you keep the loads realistic, the 340 is a bolt gun but it ain't no Mauser, the extractors will let you down if your trying to swell the cases up.

the lever rifle will let you get away with it once or twice if your not trying to make the gun anything it isn't as well.

take your cases, split them up one brand for each rifle and do a little load development.
the 340 especially will reward your efforts, and as a bonus it will take pointy bullets.

a good 130gr spire point pushed along to a fine clip of about 2450fps. is a good place to start.

I shoot the win lever guns below book max and my bolt guns above book max as a rule..The 92 and 94 and the 71 all have tapered locking lugs and the bolts allow the levers drop a tad or "more" if you push em too much, when you feel the drop its time to back of a grain or two..The Savage 99 also btw.

The 86 does not do this as it has squared bolts, but its said to be a weaker action, but that has not been my experience!