Boolits Engaging Rifling

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Catpop

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Question: How much, if any, lead boolit rifling engagement is acceptable when reloading.
I’m using a 30-30 Marlin 336 micro groove and 170gr brn 11 boolits over 8.0 grains Unique.
Thanks in advance!
Yes, boolit sent out to touch lands.
 
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Not quite sure what you mean. Are you asking about the bullet seated out to touch the lands?
 
If they chamber fine with the lever action's weaker closing system (as compared to a bolt action) and are worked up to be of acceptable pressure, there should be no reason being seated in the lands should be of any detriment.

The problem comes when they are worked up first, then a die adjustment or mistake puts them long into the lands. This can raise pressures significantly.
It can also stick a bullet in the throat and pull it out of the case if it's not fired.

I seat my target bolt action rifle five thousandths INTO the lands, My AR is ten thousandths OUT.
 
Question: How much, if any, lead boolit rifling engagement is acceptable when reloading.
I’m using a 30-30 Marlin 336 micro groove and 170gr brn 11 boolits over 8.0 grains Unique.
Thanks in advance!

I loaded for the same rifle, same charge of Unique, cept with a Lee 150 grain FN. For your application, I would, and did not not have any engagement at all... Can't see any upside, but can see downside issues. I think you will find the rifle will be very accurate with reasonable bullet 'jump', and I'd focus mostly on proper sizing, then playing around with other hardness, lubes, etc.

In my experience with any cast bullet I have ever used, in any rifle/pistol/revolver, any reasonable hardness, is having the largest diameter bullet that will allow chambering, and best fit for a revolver throats/throats and barrel. FWIW too, you do not have to apply much if any crimp, having your rifle dictate what it will/won't feed. Good luck.
 
Seated to max oal of 2.550, which is what I like to do, the boolit crimped into the second groove as shown below.
I thought it looked rather nice. D2E7A077-7400-4989-BD92-8601D1394AB4.jpeg
 
CC1CC621-6C35-42C4-BC27-01BD031BE4C4.jpeg
However, this is what the first chambering test revealed.
So I guess I’ll have to shorten coal and crimp in first groove.
 
Generally cast bullets for the 30-30 are sized to .309. For the lever action it's probably best to stay at COAL length to prevent feed issues rather than try to determine a unique CBTO reference with a comparator. Use the published COAL data for the specific bullet rather than the COAL on the picture in your book.

You could always slug your barrel to find the most correct diameter for your particular rifle. "How to slug a rifle barrel" Video #117 Iraqveteran8888 - YouTube

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How much, if any, lead boolit rifling engagement is acceptable when reloading
I would not want any engagement of a .310" diameter cast bullet on a lever action. Why stress the action parts.

I loaded a Lyman 173 gr round nose in M94 30 WCF. (30-30)

A bore riding type bullet is smaller in diameter, where it contacts the top of the lands. More for bolt actions that have more caming action.

I used a Lyman "M" die and no crimp. The neck tension is high, as is, with the long neck and large diameter bullets.

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I wouldn't load the bullet out like that. Your over thinking this for a lever action. Just load to COAL. I've got 5, 30-30s. 2 Win, 2 Marlin MG and a Stevens 325 b/a. I've loaded the Lee 150gn FPGC to 1800fps or so for 30+ years. I use straight WWs heat treated, lubed with Lee liquid Alox. No problem or leading. 1-2" groups at 50yds. Minute of clay pigeon at 100yds.

Oh and the 'Boolit" spelling seems to be from the BP and lead bullet crowd. I often use it just to show a lead bullets being used vs a reg'lar jacketed one. Ya see.:D
 
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Any traditional design cast bullet in the 170 grs range will sit not far off the lands when loaded to COAL. You don't need to seat them into the lands. Sized .310 - .311 and kept under 1800 fps, as your load, should be a shooter.
 
2011redrider and others are here to defend this old blind squirrel’s feelings again!!!
Thanks guys!
Now I won’t need to go to the shrink, eat a brownie, pet a dog or wear a pin!!!!!
(By the way I did not have a “failure to launch”) problem!

Anyway here’s my second try
2B34C182-48FB-481F-9C36-8EC5383F8E0A.jpeg DE8CB42D-0665-43F9-A04D-791E378E5291.jpeg Opps sorry first one was my redneck lunch today!!!!!!
These work better!
 
2011redrider and others are here to defend this old blind squirrel’s feelings again!!!
Thanks guys!
Now I won’t need to go to the shrink, eat a brownie, pet a dog or wear a pin!!!!!
(By the way I did not have a “failure to launch”) problem!

Anyway here’s my second try
View attachment 824751 View attachment 824752 Opps sorry first one was my redneck lunch today!!!!!!
These work better!
Beanie weenies explains why you call them boolits ; )
I prefer pork and beans myself.
 
I load cast for a number of lever-actions, including a 336. As someone mentioned, if you work the load up with that deep of bullet engagement, it'll probably shoot... but I'd be curious to see what accuracy you would get. A number of things... seating the bullet out that far also increases the powder capacity, which would change the velocity; a bigger concern I would have would be sticking a bullet with that lighter load. There is also the danger of pulling the bullet if you happen to eject a loaded round. The fact that you were able to chamber that long round... with the poor leverage of the action... probably means that you need to go .001" bigger on the cast bullet, unless you strong-armed that round in.

Galil suggested you would need to 'apply little if any crimp'... I don't subscribe to that at all. Granted, that Unique load isn't a heavy recoiler, but not crimping cartridges intended for the tubular magazine of a lever-action isn't a habit I would want to get into, unless you intend to single load them specifically.
 
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