Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 7-30 waters?

Was there some-one or talked about a 99 converted to 7-30 waters?
STEVE

I don't recall ever hearing of one, but maybe?

I've thought about re-doing a shot out .22HP barrel to 7-30 Waters but I don't recall putting it in writing, until now. I always thought it neatly filled the niche between the .25-35 and .30-30, but on the other hand does that niche really need filling? Still, it would be a neat cartridge in a little Savage carbine.

The KEN WATERS had a 99 converted to 7-30 Waters by Michigan Gun Smith, Wayne Schwartz. It had a full length for end, straight butt stock, 23" octagon barrel with a vent rib. He used a 22 Hi-power for conversion. Rifled with 1 in 10" twist.

I think it would make a Dandy deer rifle!

Yes Steve, I have all the components collected to do a 7-30 waters on a 1930-ish takedown F chassis...just have had other irons in the fire...prolly this summer.

7-30 Waters is a great little cartridge. I think it would make a great 99 project. Last spring I bought a Contender pistol with a 14" barrel and worked up loads for it in the summer with Nosler 120gr ballistic tips with accuracy that astounded me. I used it last fall to handgun hunt whitetail for the first time and took an 8-pointer at 100 yards with it. Here is a pic of the 5-shot group fired from 100 yards with my reloads.

HOLY SHIZ
Very Nice, and in a Hand Gun to boot.
STEVE

Nice accuracy, and real world 8-pointer results. 2.905" is abit too long in a 99 magazine, But I'd think you'd still have case room to push the bullet deeper. Your velocity seems realistic too. I think Ken Waters was claiming 2700 fps with 120g

around 2600-2700 with 120's is what I recall as well.

Hodgdon is showing a few 120gr loads in the high 2600's, at only 40,000 CUP for a max load.

Now I'm starting to think about a modern Low Wall in the cartridge

The load I used was my most accurate workup, but well below max in the 14" Contender. I had some tests over 2300fps still under max load ... and remember this was with a 14" barrel. 2400fps is obtainable in the 14" barrel. With a 24" 99, I would not be surprised that 2700fps would be a possible.

The Nosler 120 ballistic tip is 1.13" long. The 7-30 case is 2.04" long. So at the 2.905 OAL I used in the Contender, I calculate that the bullet was seated 0.265" into the neck. The neck of a 7-30 is 0.307" long, so you could go another 0.040" deeper and the bullet's base would still be in the neck ... but no idea what pressure would build to, so you'd have look for load data and work up loads very carefully. There certainly are other shorter bullets manufactured.

Federal is the only mfgr that makes and sells a 7-30. It is a 120gr and I think it's flat point; they are hard to come by and not cheap.

Stever,

Years ago I talked to a guy out on the Olympic Peninsula that I bought a barrel and forearm from. He had a 99 in 7-30 and I asked him about it. He told me he could never get it to feed correctly. Don't see why that would be a problem as a 30-30 or 303 carrier should work just fine but that's what he told me.

Wayne Schwartz rebarreled a small Martini with a .30-30 bull barrel for me back in '81. It was my cast bullet offhand rifle for quite a while. He did superb work. He and I also ran the scoring shack at a couple of Cast Bullet Association cast bullet national matches. Heckuva nice guy.

I am the guy that had posted here before. I still have it. I had picked up a .303 Takedown back when .303 brass was just not around, and when 99's were not really a sought after gun. I bought a new 7mm surplus barrel and made a spare for the take down. I kept both barrels with open sights so I would not have to re-sight the scope everytime I changed barrels. Here are some caution notes: The only ready formed brass I know of comes from Federal and it is loaded brass. The only 140 Gr bullets that will fit in the length of the older style rotors WERE F/P made by Hornady specifically for the 7-30 and are no longer available. You can use 120 Gr pointed bullets. I have never had a rotor jam with the original .303 rotor, but the counter will not line up with the hole in the receiver. As you can see, with the problem of getting empty brass, and no 140 gr bullets (I prefer them over 120's), I have now gone full circle and use the .303 barrel more than the 7-30. Life is strange.

Just an FYI, it is quite easy to fire form 7-30 brass from 30-30; Contender owners do it a lot.

So, Gunplummer,...are you thinking of selling the 7-30 barrel?

I could use my 7mm Douglas blank for something else.

What velocity were you getting with the 120s?

Getting a good flat nose 140-ish grain bullet mold would obviate the need for discontinued jacketed bullets.

Never tried molding bullets, but don't you have to lower your loads to use them?

GET Me a Bullet and a Comparison Mold And I CAN MAKE one
EASY Enough to DO

So back to your original question. Did you pick up one in 7-30 or are you thinking on a build? Inquiring minds wants to know?