Sighting In Day, finally!

[andrewtheelder38]

Well, between work, my kids soccer games and trying to get 5 cords of firewood into the cellar I have not had much chance to get the old handi rifles sighted in for this year's deer season.

I loaded up some 30-30 loads with 150 grain winchester round nosed soft points and 38.0 grains of IMR 3031 last year and made another batch a few days ago.

I also loaded up some 45-70 loads with 52 grains of IMR 3031 and some remington 300 grain jacketed hollow points .

Both rifles have high rings and el cheapo Tasco 1.5-4.5 circle reticle scopes and both shot well last year

The 30-30 was dead on first shot through the tenth.

45-70 took a little adjusting but although the load proved a little less accurate it was accurate enough as it covered about a 4 inch circle at 75 yards. Powerful too.

[quickdtoo]

Sounds like the 30-30 is all set, but I'd work on the 45-70 load if you get time, a little more powder should prove rewarding, it can do a LOT better than that, 51.7gr is Hodgdon's trapdoor start load. 

Tim

[andrewtheelder38]

hey Quick: thanks for the advice....I will admit that I was shaking like an old woman today and I could only shoot from a seated position and with a sling I did not have a table or bench available......

and, the more I shot, the sorer I got the worse I shot too.

I plan to practice in a nice gravel pit with a bench and stuff at least one more time with a friend from work and see if it was the loadings or me.

I have had a 45-70 handi rifle for about 10 years now and they seem to shoot darn near anything you feed them well enough to hit a paper plate reliably at 100 yards no matter what......that is good enough for me as that is about as far as I am ever going to have to shoot a deer in these thick new england woods of southern maine.......but I do try to get as accurate as I can and the 30-30 handi seems to be a very good shooter.....and it is not too punishing to shoot all afternoon.....much like my swedish mausers versus the 8mm mausers...........

I have the shotguns because a few towns around here are shotgun only due to many new housing developments going in over the last 20 or so years.

andy

[quickdtoo]

Having a nice stable shooting platform makes a great deal of difference, that alone will probably cut your group size in half!! I made some portable tables to throw in the back of the SUV to make quick shooting benches, it's good enough to shoot nice tight groups, the legs are removable so it doesn't take up much room, I can haul both of em and a bunch of guns and stuff in the back of my Rav4. 

Tim

[rickt300]

Well, between work, my kids soccer games and trying to get 5 cords of firewood into the cellar I have not had much chance to get the old handi rifles sighted in for this year's deer season.

I loaded up some 30-30 loads with 150 grain winchester round nosed soft points and 38.0 grains of IMR 3031 last year and made another batch a few days ago.

I also loaded up some 45-70 loads with 52 grains of IMR 3031 and some remington 300 grain jacketed hollow points .

Both rifles have high rings and el cheapo Tasco 1.5-4.5 circle reticle scopes and both shot well last year

The 30-30 was dead on first shot through the tenth.

45-70 took a little adjusting but although the load proved a little less accurate it was accurate enough as it covered about a 4 inch circle at 75 yards. Powerful too.

While you 45-70 load is within reason 38.0 grains of 3031 under a 150 grain bullet is well beyond loadbook maximums. My favorite load is 32.5 grains under a 150 grain bullet.

[andrewtheelder38]

Hey rickt:  you are right, it is a "little bit" past suggested max loads.....Lee lists 38.0 grains as Max with cast bullets and 35.5 as max with jacketed.

but these manuals have been downgrading their max loads for years every year now because of liability

I am experiencing NO signs of too much pressure and the load is accurate as heck.

[dpe.ahoy]

In the Handi, you should have no problems with that load.  DP

[quickdtoo]

Yup, in a Handi it shouldn't be a problem, if you're loading to a longer COL, pressures may not even be near SAAMI max pressure. Marlin Big Bore owners use 30-30 brass in their 375 Wins with no problems and better case life than 375Win brass.

Tim

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=2137&highlight=.375+win