Which 30 cal chambering?

juanvaldez

juanvaldez

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Got a couple bbls I was gonna use on an ftr rifle, ones a Douglas and the the other a McGowen, both 10 twist chambered in .308. Was thinking of taking one and rechambering it in something to play with. I've always wanted a a 300 Whisper or 30-221 or 30-223 as the case may be. Anyone have one..or other ideas?

Also can anyone tell me if the 30-221 is safe for formed .223 brass or is only the 30-223? I read that the original 300 whisper chambering would have a tight neck if 223 brass was used instead of 221. The article said the 30-221 knockoffs were designed to be safe with .223 brass, but while looking for a reamer I saw the 30-223 chambering. One article I read mentioned the 30-223 as being a longer cartridge.

Cheers
 
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I've been playing with a Whisper for a while now and like it very much, it has a Gaillard barrel on it, I used .222Rem. brass to give it a slightly thicker neck and a good fit, it does not require neck turning. My Whisper is more accurate at higher speeds then it is subsonic. IMHO the .30 BR is a much more accurate cart. to play with and I would recommend it over the Whisper.
 
The Whispers claim to fame is allowing an AR to run subsonic ammo and hit hard at short distances. For this, works just fine.

If you go with 223 brass, you will need to do the full brass prep - size, trim, turn, anneal, form. Easier to just use 221 brass.

A Whisper using 223 brass should have less volume then a 221 especially if using brass with LE/NATO history.

For accuracy, definitely look at the 30BR. It is typically a tack driver.

Some have used the 30PPC or just made the 7.62X39 a true 308 cal.

All of these would be great fun inside 300yds.

Let us know what you decide on.

Jerry
 
If your idea with the Whisper is to experiment with sub sonic loads, you might want to consider a faster twist and use heavier than normal bullets. Using the 7.62X39 case might prove interesting as well. With a standard twist barrel however, I think I would opt for the "boring" .308 myself.
 
Also can anyone tell me if the 30-221 is safe for formed .223 brass or is only the 30-223? I read that the original 300 whisper chambering would have a tight neck if 223 brass was used instead of 221. The article said the 30-221 knockoffs were designed to be safe with .223 brass, but while looking for a reamer I saw the 30-223 chambering. One article I read mentioned the 30-223 as being a longer cartridge.
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There is a HUGE thread in Black Rifles on the 300 Whisper (300 Fireball) complete with brass forming instructions for using 223 brass. It is a neat little cartridge for medium to short range use. It is MUCH quieter than conventional large cases, even when running full power supersonic loads.

FWIW Alberta Tactical has a 30-221 reamer that works fine with formed 223 brass.

If your idea with the Whisper is to experiment with sub sonic loads, you might want to consider a faster twist and use heavier than normal bullets. Using the 7.62X39 case might prove interesting as well
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1:10 will work fine with subsonics. It can easily stabilize up to 180gr round nose and some speciality 200gr bullets. However the easiest and probably best subsonic bullet to use is 147 - 150 gr pulled military FMJ bullets. They are cheap and easy to get and stabilize well in 1:10.

I did a lot of work with subsonic 7.62x39 and for some reason it just doesn't work as well as the smaller Whisper case.
 
mysticplayer said:
The Whispers claim to fame is allowing an AR to run subsonic ammo and hit hard at short distances. For this, works just fine.

If you go with 223 brass, you will need to do the full brass prep - size, trim, turn, anneal, form. Easier to just use 221 brass.

A Whisper using 223 brass should have less volume then a 221 especially if using brass with LE/NATO history.

For accuracy, definitely look at the 30BR. It is typically a tack driver.

Some have used the 30PPC or just made the 7.62X39 a true 308 cal.

All of these would be great fun inside 300yds.



Let us know what you decide on.

Jerry
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As usual, best to consult with CGN before doing a project. 30 BR is where I'm gonna go after doing some research, what a great cartridge.

- Easily formed with standard dies from 6BR brass
- 6000 + bbl life
- Accurate, winning BR matches everywhere
- Can hunt medium game or varmints
- Can use subsonic loads
- Relatively short bbl, 20-24" seems common
- Loads of good bullet available
- Wide "nodes" to load too
- No brainer to find a good load, and not condition sensitive



So I turned my 24" douglas in .308 down to a small shank bbl and rethreaded it yesterday. Since I don't need a long bbl for this project I will be using it for the 30 br. Ordering dies from sinclair today and a reamer from PTG on Monday.
 
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Anyone see a problem with modifying my Lee .308 FL sizing die to form brass? I cut off the decaping pin and a small portion of the tapered expanding ball so the long tapered expander will go completely through the 6BR neck without bottoming out.

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You are making the right decision with the .30 BR.....I use a single die, A Redding bushing neck die and an already existing RCBS Comp. seater that I use for all my .30 cal. bullet seating. My .30 Br. barrel is a Shilen and does req. neck turning, and I also use the Redding Tapered expander to open the necks of both the whisper and the .30 Br., in the case of the .30 Br. I am using new 6BR. cases from lapua.
 
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