relaoding specificly for lever action question

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weasle

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Hello all, I have just purchased a lever action winchester in 30 30 cal. I currently load for my 7mm rifle with no issue but I feel I must ask is there any thing specifically I must do when reloading for a tubular magazine style feed?

thanks

Wes
 
Just make sure you use flat nose or slightly round nose bullets. Get bullets specifically for the 30/30 if you can.

And crimp them. You don't want to clean powder out of your magazine. It sucks.

Oh yes. Welcome the 30/30 club. Not many like us but we do have fun.
 
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Resist any urge to load hot.Try all your cartridges for effortless feeding.You can use pointed bullets if you only have one in the mag, but it probably isn't worth it. Get a bullet mold and really have some fun.
 
Lyman 31141 (or 311041 same bullet just different numbering system) is specifically made for the 30-30 with the correct crimp groove and nose profile and size. If you really want it to do its job get it Hollow Pointed. Use the Lee 30-30 factory crimp die and make sure they feed and extract before hunting with them.

I love my 30-30's and with some handloading and extra care it will do just fine in the bush. The 30-30 has probably accounted for more deer than 30-06 or the .270 combined, nothing beats the quick handling lever in the brush in my books anyway.
 
Ditto with Dogleg; load hot and kiss accuracy goodbye, it ain't fast and flat, so don't try to make it that.
Some seem to like 150gr's better, some 170's.
Cast bullets are cheap like borscht(sp?), and accurate as well. IMR 4198, 3031, 4064, and W748 all work well for us. Her 336 likes 4064 the best(go figure), her cil bolt prefers 4198(again, go figure?)
Also, if you're shooting 4198 we've found a bore mop is a great investment.
Have fun!
 
Full length size every time too, no neck sizing. Hornady FTX bullets are pointed with a flex tip to be safe for levers.
 
Crimp, no pointed bullets, no hot loads and watch your overall length. No getting fancy trying to get the bullets to sit closer to the rifling unless you're chamber loading/one at a time only. Pay attention to this detail BEFORE you put them in the magazine. As you know, once it's in there, you start taking things apart to get them back out if they won't cycle. You won't like what hapens when you throw the lever forward fairly hard and start bending and busting parts in the lifter mechanism.

I'm guessing you've got a model 94 / 1894. They're not exactly what you'd call "field strip friendly"

Welcome to the 7 million strong Winchester 1894/94 club :)
 
To add to the rest of the info, full length resize is a must but if you use a small base dies everything will work a lot better. Lever actions have very weak primary extraction power so I have found that small base dies should be used when reloading for levers and pumps.

Scott
 
This is all great. I will b e using the lee factory cerimp die. You guys are making it sound a little difficult though. What should I. Be looking foe wirth this crimping thing

Wes
 
No it is easy if you just buy bullets designed for the 30-30 like Hornady 3035 which work great. If you want to shoot more for cheaper than cast is the way to go, my 30-30's like the cast bullets very hard at least 20bhn or more. I haven't tried the Hornady Leverevolution bullets yet, don't see the point for the distances I hunt at.

The 30-30 lever action is the best selling rifle of all time and the 30-30 is the best selling cartridge of all time, there has to be something to it that works.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/leverevolution.htm
 
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