Been awhile with some .30 cal

wisconsinteacher

Handloader
Dec 2, 2010
1,972
280
It has been a while since I've posted. Life has been busy. I want to share my next to reloading adventure with the group.

The first rifle is my dad's Rem 700 Mnt Rifle. He has had it for a number of years and has shot Fushion ammo with good luck. In the past few years, he has been using his 25-06 and told me to use his 30-06. I think it is his way of saying, "I would like you to take this and use it as a gift from me."

Today I shot some light loads just to get a feel for the rifle and to shoot some virgin brass. The trigger is heavy and rough and I would like to replace it. The barrel is not free floated so that is also in the plans. My goal is to load some 180 Partitions because it likes the 180 Fusions and I have them on hand. Nosler says RL22 is the most accurate but I know 4350s are also good with the 180. My goal is to get it ready for deer season next year and hunt with it then.

My other project is going to be a new one for me. It is a Winchester 94 chambered in 30-30. I fired some factory Rem ammo and at 25 yards I could kill a deer with ease. My goal is to load up some 160 FTX ammo and take this rifle on a big hunt next winter that I have planned. The rifle was my great-grandfathers and from what I know, he won it in a bar raffle or card tournament. I don't think the gun has ever been hunted before so I'm excited to get it up and running. I have some Varget on hand to try with this one.

One thing I have learned about this gun is that when I load the tube and cycle the first round, it does not slide back onto the feed ramp to be lifted up. I think it is getting caught on the feed port that hindges into the gun as the tube is loaded.

If yoiu have any tips or ideas for working with Rem 700s and Winchester 94s please let me know.

Anyway, it is good to be back on the page and to see if I can get these two family rifles ready for the woods.
 
W.T. If the Rem 700 is the newer kind of trigger with an external adjustment screw in the trigger itself, you are kind of stuck with what you have if you run that adjustment all the way out. Your best bet is a replacement. I don't like them.

If it's the older kind with no visible adjustment externally, I like them and you can make them pretty nice.

If it's the older style, you can let me know and I'd gladly explain how they work. They can be made nice and still safe. I've done plenty of them.
 
Sounds like a couple of fun projects.
In the 30-06, it's really tough to beat H/IMR 4350 for both velocity and accuracy. As for the trigger, I'd replace it with a Trigger Tech.
For the 30-30, Varget is a good powder. IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are other good choices. The 150 gr BST would be excellent for deer hunting.

JD338
 
I have a couple of Remington 700sin 30-06, a BDL and a Classic. I just run 57.0 gr. of H4350 and the 180 gr. Hornady SP Interlocks. Groups have run right around MOA I've just never gotten around to taking one on a hunt. The BDL has gone a few times as the back up rifle but never shot at it game.

If it were me, I'd w the hunt load with the rifle as is. You may not need to free float the barrel. All that has been dome to my three M700 is having the triggers properly adjusted to a nice three pounds. Oh! That third M700 is a Classic in .35 Whelen. Nice rifle.
Paul B.
 
The 30-30 might just need some cycling WT. I'd lube it down good and cycle dummies through it a few dozen times.

The 700.... I was going to say something smart, but it's your pops rifle, so I refrain. :mrgreen:

Trigger Tech it, shoot it, might not need anything else. At worst it might need a little floating, but you can use a plastic bread tie behind the recoil lug first to see if it responds to that.
 
I have a TriggerTech and bullets on the way.

I grabbed some 165 Hot Cor bullets to try as well.

The 30-30 is ready to go with 160 Hornady bullets. That was an easy rifle to get set up.
 
wisconsinteacher":2lv0rcpm said:
I have a TriggerTech and bullets on the way.

I grabbed some 165 Hot Cor bullets to try as well.

The 30-30 is ready to go with 160 Hornady bullets. That was an easy rifle to get set up.

The 165 gr. Hot Core is an excellent bullet that I use in the .308 Win. almost exclusively. I've taken well over a dozen deer with that bullet.

For the 30-06 though, I prefer the Nosler 165 gr. AccuBond. Only one big game animal so far, a fat juicy cow elk at a bit over 100 yards. Bullet hit on the right flank and lodged in her left lung turning it into liquid jello. No exit that I could tell and I think the bullet may still have been in the mess that was her left lung. The rifle was a custom Mauser with a 1 in 12" twist barrel. So far, It won't shoot bullets heavier than 165 grains. At least I haven't found a load that works with 180 gr. bullets. Maybe with a 180 gr. round nose, but then again I would have to find some.
Paul B.
 
I shot some 180gr Ballistic Tips recently out of my 28" barrel 30-06.
63.5grs of Reloader 26,Win brass,WLRM primer 3021fps
62.0grs of Reloader 22,Win brass,WLRM primer 2997fps
You can probably subtract 25fps per inch from my velocities.
 
I shot some 180gr Ballistic Tips recently out of my 28" barrel 30-06.
63.5grs of Reloader 26,Win brass,WLRM primer 3021fps
62.0grs of Reloader 22,Win brass,WLRM primer 2997fps
You can probably subtract 25fps per inch from my velocities.
That's some incredible "odd six" velocities there
 
I shot some 180gr Ballistic Tips recently out of my 28" barrel 30-06.
63.5grs of Reloader 26,Win brass,WLRM primer 3021fps
62.0grs of Reloader 22,Win brass,WLRM primer 2997fps
You can probably subtract 25fps per inch from my velocities.
That's stepping out, I was happy with those speeds in a 23" 300 WSM. Is your rifle a Browning B78?
 
That's stepping out, I was happy with those speeds in a 23" 300 WSM. Is your rifle a Browning B78?
No,it's a Remington 700 that I sent to Pacnor for rebarreling.I was going to have it done in a 26" barrel.The owner Chris said he would do a 28" for the same price.I figured why not,I could always cut it down if I wanted it shorter.So I went with the Super Match Grade stainless barrel,1-10 twist 5R rifling and had them install it.I ran just under $700 with return shipping.It certainly rivals my 300WSM with a 26" barrel.I really have to kick my 300WSM in the butt to keep up with it and it does it with less powder and cheaper brass too.
 
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Never tried RL26 in the 30-06 , but RL22 did make heavies move out of my old 30-06 barrel.
 
Reloader 26 is great with the heavier weight bullets in the 30-06.I called it good enough with this load.61.0grs of Reloader 26 with a 200gr AccuBond @ 2815fps is some serious medicine out of a 30-06.View attachment 19815
Good shooting right there. RL 26 is awesome fast, last month I tried RL-26 for the first time with the 200 ELD-X in the 300 Win Mag, the speeds was insane.
 
No,it's a Remington 700 that I sent to Pacnor for rebarreling.I was going to have it done in a 26" barrel.The owner Chris said he would do a 28" for the same price.I figured why not,I could always cut it down if I wanted it shorter.So I went with the Super Match Grade stainless barrel,1-10 twist 5R rifling and had them install it.I ran just under $700 with return shipping.It certainly rivals my 300WSM with a 26" barrel.I really have to kick my 300WSM in the butt to keep up with it and it does it with less powder and cheaper brass too.
I can comfortably hit 3050 with 180's in my WSM's
24" bbl's
One particular 300 WSM rifle and a 180 gr bullet nearing the pressure wall I can see 3208 fps

To each their own but I'd never run a 28" bbl on anything but possibly a 30 kong. Even then it would be a 26" and 2" muzzle brake.
 
I can comfortably hit 3050 with 180's in my WSM's
24" bbl's
One particular 300 WSM rifle and a 180 gr bullet nearing the pressure wall I can see 3208 fps

To each their own but I'd never run a 28" bbl on anything but possibly a 30 kong. Even then it would be a 26" and 2" muzzle brake.
The only powder that really gave me a good jump in velocity in my 300WSM was Reloader 17,but I could never get the accuracy I was looking for with it.I mostly shot 165gr bullets in mine in the 3050 -3150fps range.With 180gr bullets,I'm happy if I can get into the 3000 fps range.As for long barrels,I remember when I bought my first 7mag.It had a 26" barrel.That extra 2" took some getting used to.Prior to that rifle everything I had was 24" or less.Now some 30yrs later,26" barrels are no problem to me.I don't even notice the 28" barrel as a problem unless I'm in a confined space like a small hunting blind.If you are concerned about weight were every ounce makes a difference,I can see that too.But then you have people that screw a 6" suppressor on the end of a 24" barrel and not have a problem with that either.But like you said,to each their own,whatever works for you.The biggest problem I have with the longer barrels is getting them arranged in my safe.
 
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