New to the .30 BR

James M.

James M.

New member
Being new to the .30 BR, I seek advice on powder and charges. I have a 18 twist cut-rifled barrel that is 24 inches long and my best loads so far have been with 34.5 gr. of N130 and 34.0 gr. of H4198. Neither of the loads will exceed 3000 fps but they will shoot 3 shots in the "zeroes". My barrel is chambered with a "Robinette" reamer with zero free bore.I haven't tried the new LT-30 yet but plan to do so as soon as I can get some. Also, I am going to try Bart's new .30 caliber bullets. How much N130 should I try and how much H4198 are you .30 BR veterans shooting? Thanks, James Mock PS- I shot the zeroes with 10x 115 gr. bullets but I have some others to try...... Brady's 118gr. and James Eazor's 116gr. All of these are on .925 jackets.
 
James M. said:
mje, is that 35.5 gr. of N130 to which you refer? Thanks, James
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I've had decent luck with 35.5-35.7 of N130 with a 116 Euber. I thought that those loads started to give up on me, since I didn't to squat in the last 2 month's that I shot last year, but it turned out that the ejector set screw loosened up and the ejector was hitting the face of the barrel. My friend Dean Breeden and his GF Hillary use 36.0 grains of N130 with a 10X 115, and those 2 shoot lights out with that load. N130 to me is more temperature sensitive than H4198. N130 seems to work best at higher outdoor temps like in the 80's. Seems doggy at 50 and below. Seems to me that a lot of people that use H4198 are loading somewhere between 34.0-35.0 grains with good results. Your just going to have to play around with the 2 powders, the charge weights, different bullet brands, seating depth, ect, ect. All barrels are as individual as people are. Just going to have to find out what it likes. I called Vihtavuori two months ago and talked to a rep there. He told me that they are going to have N130 available again in the very near future. We will have to see if that's true or not.
 
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30 Br Bullets

James, I have shot just about every Bullet made for the 30Br and they all shoot good using the H4198 between 34.0-35.0. You can't get to much H4198 in the case. I shot Bart's new 112 gr and shot very very good. Check Jackie's Post since he tested them to with very good results. Charlie.
 
You probably realize this already, but a gun that will shoot in the twos for fifty shots is better for score than one that will shoot zeros for three. What impact this has on bullet and powder choice I don't know for sure. Seems like the heavier charges of 4198 are more consistent over lots of shots, but it is possible to overdo it. It does put a premium on scope and ignition reliability. Welcome to the 30BR club!

Cheers,
Keith
 
Thanks. Keith, the bullets are so expensive that I don't allow myself the luxury of shooting 5-shot groups. I did shoot this target on a not-so-great day (weather-wise). James
 

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James, with the possible exception of the anticipated arrival Lt-30, there isn't much new to the 30BR.;)

If ya want to try a sleeper, and have some, H-4227 (about 29.5 Gr.) will shoot some great Aggs. Most people could/can not live with the less than 100% case-fill, or, the [+/-] 2950 FPS of this load (112-118 Gr. bullet weights).
It's very easy to put more H4227 into the BR case, but, usually, pressure becomes excessive and precision drops off rapidly above 29.5 Gr. The IMR version would probably work well, but not meter as nicely.

While only experience will prove/disprove the Lt-30, it may well be the next BIG thing for this case capacity and the thirty caliber expansion ratio. The most negative attribute of both H-4198 and N-130, & thirty caliber barrels, is that max loads are usually dictated by lack of case volume (most powder Lots), as opposed to excessive pressure. :eek:

Lou's Lt-30 experience indicates a very promising potential.:cool: RG
 
I have some bullets that are a tad on the small side, (.3078 on the body, .3083 at the base), and I cannot make them tighten up with my 4198. But, I happen to have 8 pounds of N120. I can make them shoot with It on a given day, but it won't repeat the next day.

I have found that 30BR's just don't like bullets that are not at least .3081 on the body. Small bullets will tease you, that's all.
 
James,
That 180-15X scales to a 250-21X, which would win a lot of matches. So that's a fine target. But looking for how to improve, there are three flyers (10's). The horizontal one may be explained by wind, but the two vertical ones may be caused by the equipment. Eliminating a few flyers out of an entire match is the challenge that distinguishes score from group.

It is a unique problem testing for flyers that occur once every 5-10 shots. Components and barrel life make this an expensive proposition. Keeping good records of match results and analyzing them is another means of honing in on that perfect score.

Cheers,
Keith
 
James, I have never used a 24 inch barrel. Most of mine finish at approx. 22.5". I have seldom gone above 35.2g of H4198 with the majority of loads being from 34.2-34.9. I did have one barrel that would only group at 33.0 gr. using Randy's 118-7 ogive bullet. That load was going around 2950 f/s, but it was oh so good. On another occasion a 34.9 load started to open up so I started varying the load in an attempt to remedy the situation. I don't usually tune while using a chronograph but on this day, I had it out. I went from 34.9 to 35.7 with no luck but I got some interesting data from the chrono. I have found over time that approaching a max. load using H4198 the velocity spread of .3 grains drops from about 20-25 f/s to about 8 or 9 f/s. What I found on this day was that from 35.2 to 35.7 gr. the gain was only 2-3 f/s total. Off the top of my head I don't remember the actual speeds but the bullet was in all likely hood 118 gr, either Randy's or Allie's. Now how or why did this happen. Obviously more powder was not translating into more energy. I assumed that the extra powder was either not burning or that it was burning outside of the barrel. The groups got worse looking as I climbed in powder. My barrels are HV contour and end up at a finished length of about 22.5 inches. I had no extraction or bolt lift problems. I stopped adding powder because I deemed it a waste.

Maine shooters were using N130 in their brs almost exclusively when I started shooting a 30 in 2003 and most were using a 118 grain bullet. At that time, the go to load was generally around 34.7 gr. with some going as high as 34.9 gr. That seemed at the time to be a full case but then again most people were using short drop tubes.

One issue to note is that some people have bumped the shoulder forward but are still listing it as a 30br. Randy J.
 
mks said:
James,
That 180-15X scales to a 250-21X, which would win a lot of matches. So that's a fine target. But looking for how to improve, there are three flyers (10's). The horizontal one may be explained by wind, but the two vertical ones may be caused by the equipment. Eliminating a few flyers out of an entire match is the challenge that distinguishes score from group.

It is a unique problem testing for flyers that occur once every 5-10 shots. Components and barrel life make this an expensive proposition. Keeping good records of match results and analyzing them is another means of honing in on that perfect score.

Cheers,
Keith
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I see these occasional flyers in my 30br if I'm jamming the bullet too hard. Usually backing it off stops these flyers, but it may open the group just slighty. It's a worthwhile tradeoff in score shooting.
 
The target that I shot was soon after receiving the barrel. I used both the H4198 and N130 on that target. The edge in accuracy seemed to go to the N130. Some of the problems may have been my "table manners" since I was a little shocked by the recoil of the .30 compared to my 6 PPC...both shot free recoil. I am going to screw the Hawk Hill .30BR back on my BAT and give it another try ....when this Al Gore weather subsides. Thanks to all for your replies. I am expecting some of Bart's new .30 bullets and plan to try them with the two powders listed. I would love to try some of the new LT-30, but I can't get any as of now. Good shooting, James
 

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JML said:
I see these occasional flyers in my 30br if I'm jamming the bullet too hard. Usually backing it off stops these flyers, but it may open the group just slighty. It's a worthwhile tradeoff in score shooting.
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So where have you decided on- how far off jam or into jam?
 
FWIW
34.7 H4198 behind a 112 Bib with lots of neck tension jammed hard into the lands and a 205m primer has been my only load for several year. When the faster H4198 is around I go to 34.5
Dick
 
Dusty Stevens said:
Didnt they stop making the great n130? What a shame. When i run out im out i guess
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Did a quick check on my components spread sheet and found that I have one unopened 1 lb bottle of VV N130. Guess I might as well try it. According to my calculator I should be able to load 197 rounds at 35.5. Could get one or two matches out of it if I don't shoot a lot of sighters
 
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