Newly acquired 94 Win.

[izzyjoe]

My elderly neighbor gifted me his 94 Winchester, cause I've been helping him out. Going by the numbers it's made in '58, it's a pretty nice rifle. I cleaned the bore real good, and I need to break it down and clean the action. I can't wait to shoot cast in it, but the only mold I have in .30 is the Lee 170, and it engraves the lands when I chamber one so I may try a different mold, but I'm not sure which one to try. Any suggestions?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The two traditional bullet weights have always been 150 and 170 gr. A 150 is a bit shorter and might be your answer.

[Outpost75]

Accurate 31-155D is designed for the .30-30 using 6 grains of whatever pistol or shotgun powder you have handy.

[runfiverun]

engraving the nose and still being able to retrieve the round from the chamber sound perfect to me.
watch your roll crimp carefully.
you can always add more soft lead to your alloy to make things a tick smaller to help the diameter.

[izzyjoe]

I'm thinking those boolits are straight ww, if I get time I'll shoot some this weekend. Those are loaded up with 4895, but I'm Gona try some with red dot or unique.

[TXGunNut]

Sounds like you already have the right mould, light engraving is something I get pretty excited about in boolit fit. I have at least a couple 94's made in the 50's, nice looking guns. A very nice gift from your neighbor.

[izzyjoe]

Well that sound good, I would like to try the Rd165, because of the larger meplat. He had a scope installed on it years ago, but I'm taking it off, cause I don't like the offset. I want to mount a peep sight on it, but I want one that looks correct to the rifle. I have a Williams 5d and I held up next to it, and it just don't look right, I may have to use it, cause deer season ain't to far away, and I told him I would use it this year. I want to work up a good load fot it, out to 75yds or so. I would also like to add a sling, but I don't really want to drill the butt stock for a swivel. I have not seen one in years, but I think there's a sling that goes around the but stock, and keep from altering the rifle.

[rintinglen]

http://www.bayougunsling.com/ makes a nifty no-drill leather sling. I have a Williams FP on my 53 Carbine, and Lyman 66's on a couple of rifle length commemoratives.

[Blackwater]

Wow! What a great gift! Wish I had a neighbor like that!

As to the bullet, the only way to really know what will shoot is to try it. Powder charge and velocity to get best accuracy often varies according to your alloy (hard/soft) and the lube you use, but by far the biggest factor is fit to the throat and barrel. Other variables you can try as you shoot, for as long as you can keep shooting it, and sometimes, you can find some neat surprises. Sometimes they don't work out. The Lyman 311241 is a classic, along with the 311291 in the .30/30, and the RCBS 150 gr. FP as well, and there are tons of molds that can be used and are suitable. Shouldn't take long to work it all out and get great accuracy, and good expansion as well. Just vary your alloy and keep noticing how they fit, and vary your powder charges and I'm betting you'll get satisfying results pretty qucikly.

[izzyjoe]

Well I broke it down and the cleaned the action good, these are a bugger to strip down, I found some damage to the hammer and sear, likely it was dropped on the half cock notch a few times, so I'm Gona need to stone the sear, and hammer a little to clean up the trigger. I'm wanting to try 2400 with my Lee 170's, but seems like I remember Larry Gibson recommended using filler on top of the charge, but I've also been told that 2400 will ring the chamber, I have other powders to try, was just thinking about a middle of the road load for it. My favorite is 6grs of unique under said boolit for my Marlins, but I'll have to tinker with this to see what it likes. I removed the scope, and need to get some plug screws to fill the holes, and mount the Williams peep sight and sight it in for hunting purposes, but all in all I'm pleased with it!

[rintinglen]

Try 17.5 grains of 2400, no filler, and a boolit of 150-180 grain nominal weight. Things will be good.

[358 Win]

My medium velocity (1600 fps - 1700 fps) in my 30-30's, 300 Savages, 308 Win, and .32 Win Special is 16.0 grains of Alliant 2400 and a Federal 215 Magnum primer. All of the above rifles place bullets on top of each other with a cast boolit of 170 to 180 grains at 50 yards be it a Lyman, RCBS, Lee, or Ranch Dog. I've never heard of "ringing a chamber" with the above loads and I don't use any filler of any kind. The Fed215 primer ignites that small charge of 2400 without the need for fillers. My only knowledge of ringing a chamber came from using fillers on top of small charges of stick powders. I've stopped using fillers of any kind after articles written by NRA staffers on the subject. Haven't used fillers for over 45 years due to those old write ups by the NRA. I do shoot other caliber cast loads but they require different charges of 2400.

358 Win

[richhodg66]

Well that sound good, I would like to try the Rd165, because of the larger meplat. He had a scope installed on it years ago, but I'm taking it off, cause I don't like the offset. I want to mount a peep sight on it, but I want one that looks correct to the rifle. I have a Williams 5d and I held up next to it, and it just don't look right, I may have to use it, cause deer season ain't to far away, and I told him I would use it this year. I want to work up a good load fot it, out to 75yds or so. I would also like to add a sling, but I don't really want to drill the butt stock for a swivel. I have not seen one in years, but I think there's a sling that goes around the but stock, and keep from altering the rifle.

The Williams is a good sight, strong and repeatable adjustments. I shoot a lot better with a peep sight than with opens and any lever gun I was serious about hunting with (and didn't scope) would have one. You'll probably have to get a taller front sight than the original.

Sounds like you got one good rifle. Enjoy it.

[izzyjoe]

Thanks for the head up 358, I'll give it a shot this week. I already have some Lee 170's cast up, I just need to load up and try them, but this heat is wearing me out, I cant wait till fall! I was also thinking about using some 4198 also.

[Griff]

My favorite .30-30 bullet is out of a Saeco #316 mold. It's a GC, sized to .309. Cast of WW/Lino 6:1, up to 2200fps, no leading. Best group has been out of my octagon bbl'd mdl 94... ¾" @ 100 yards. Capable of nailing the pigs on the silhouette range at will from the little 16" Trapper. Oh yeah, did I mention I LIKE this round?

[stubbicatt]

I may have to try that Saeco bullet Griff. As it is, my 94 shoots into 1 ½ inches at 100 yards using a globe and post sighting arrangement using the RCBS 180 grain sized to .313 propelled by 17 grains of IMR 4227.