Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General gauging pressure when reloading lever actions

I load 34.5 grains of IMR4320 and the Speer 170 grain FP. This is over the max from the IMR web site, but under what some manuals say.
I have loaded and shot hundreds of rounds with this load. I use it in two different Marlin 336 rifles, and a Savage 170 pump rifle. I have yet to experience any sign at all of undue pressure.
I started with 30 grains, and worked up until I got the best accuracy and velocity.

You gettin' a little adventurous on us Les? When you fire a rifle every thing should stay in place until YOU work the action. Remember that while you may be able to replace a blown up rifle, missing body parts (eyes and such) are pretty much forever.

I know, I have quite doing that, now I only warm load my bolt actions.

I mic my case heads and on a lever action I want zero case head expansion whereas on a good bolt gun I look for .004 to .005 as good to go.

I'm not sure I really understand the question posed. To me a 30-30 is always and only going to be just what it has been for the past century or so, a blunt bullet levegun shooting 150 and 170 grain bullets at around to slightly more than Mach II. And it has a proven and effective, if no longer sexy reputation.

I have not matched many of the book speeds using book loads. However, when I try a load which does not come close and I think I "need" more, I try a different powder. 100 fps isn't going to be the make or break deal with any load in the 30-30. If one really feels a "need" for more than what the old 30 can do, there are a few premium bullets which can feed the need for redundancy. The Nosler Partition comes to mind, that and the Barnes X. (I think I even recall reading that Nosler felt a Partition was not warranted, but they built it to meet a certain demand. I haven't seen that it really does anything a Core-Lokt of like weight doesn't already do as well.)

This is a good thread..that has been aged-excellent pressure facts. The safest hand loads DUPLICATE FACTORY PRESSURE-in lever actions. The lever action rifles-regardless of manufacturer,
do not handle pressure excursions well.
The Model 1895 Winchester does not spring its lever-and it handles 30-06 pressure.

Part of the answer to the 1894 is a half magazine Model 55 Win in 30 WCF. The other guaranteed answer is a Model 71 in 348 WCF.
The standard 348 and particularly the 348 Ackley Improved will handle anything in North America,
particularly with 270 gr Hawk bullets or 250 gr Woodleigh-250 gr Alaska Bullet Works projectiles.


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