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My 35/30-30 got it's first chance to shoot real ammo Friday morning. It was warm and very windy, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get my first impressions of the rifle and break in the barrel a little.

I had the rifle bore sighted before I left the house so I knew it would be on the paper at 25yds. I just didn't know where. I started shooting at the left target in the pictures below. I was using a six o'clock hold on the green squares. The first shot was perfect for elevation and just a smidgen left. On the second shot there were no new holes in the paper. I'll admit I was disappointed. I was shooting plinking loads...140gr JHP pistol bullets at maybe 1750fps. My first thought was it just doesn't like pistol bullets. Then I dialed the scope up to 9x for another look at the target. Dang! There might be two bullets making one big hole. So I fired three more and finished the 5 shot group. The results put a smile back on my face. I moved to the square on the right and fired another 5 shot group.

I'm thinking I am going to like this rifle.

 

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jcw...I am not annealing the brass. It is no thinner than regular 30-30 cases, well maybe a smidgen. After I fire form the brass it needs to be trimmed back several thousand to fit the chamber. The thinnest part of the brass is removed at that time. Since this was the first time actual bullets have gone down range the brass has only been fired once. From my experience with my two 38-55's, which is the same procedure making brass, the cases last quite a while. You just have to be conservative with neck flaring during reloading. Most of them will go 6 to 8 times, but of course I am using mid-power cast bullets. If I lose a few along the way it's not a big issue. Thurdy-thurdy cases are still pretty cheap compared to most rifle brass.

 

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Hunter...yes Jesse did the re-bore on this rifle. I do not know if he will make dies. I am having someone else trim a .35rem die set for me to use on the .35/30-30.

I know Jesse does the .356win conversion. If you go that route you won't need custom dies made they are still available, but maybe only as a seasonal item by Lyman or RCBS.

Edit Add: You could also use .358win dies if you couldn't find any 'real' .356win dies.

 

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You are absolutely right Plumber. I only brought it up because not everyone knows they are the same cartridge with the exception of the rim. I might add it is an excellent round for anybody looking to convert a .30-30 to increase your rifles capabilities. However, with full power loads, your mild mannered .30-30 is no longer mild.

 

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Yes for those reloaders with some experience behind them the .35Rem can really be given a boost. The .35-30, which is almost a straight case, will come in on the heels of the .375Win. if pushed a little.
One of the biggest myths in reloading is the "weak case" argument. The .45colt's case is too weak or the .30-30 case is too thin. The case doesn't hold pressure the firearm does. The cartridge case is simply an envelope to hold the powder and bullet until fired. All of the lower pressure cartridges on the market today are held to those levels in deference to the 100 year old firearms still floating around. The .45colt is the perfect example. Loaded to 36,000cup it will take apart an original 1873 revolver pretty darn quick, but you could shoot it forever in a Ruger BH or Contender no problem. So it is obvious the strength of the action is at fault and not the brass case causing the failure.
I am certainly not suggesting that everyone should start "hot rodding" their .35Rem rifle or any other gun for that matter. But I do know with a little common sense there is room for improvement with the older cartridges in modern firearms.
BTW...I am familiar with Flat Top's 35Rem Safari Grade rifles. We have conversed on that subject and others on several occasions. I gave him the measurements of the 245gr cast bullet I will be using in my .35-30 as the starting point for his heavyweight bullet. He has the tools and experience to make that project a success. I will not be trying to duplicate his velocities in my project.

 

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I don't know what's behind their motives. I guess you would have to ask them that question. I have my theories.

Why does the .45colt get two sections in reloading manuals with two sets of pressure levels and not the .35Rem? The .35Rem is loaded in the Contender, but all the manuals use the same pressure as they use in the Marlin 336. For all the talk about how strong the .35Rem case is and how weak the .45colt cases are wouldn't you think it would be the other way around. The Contender is routinely loaded to 52,000cup. What do you think is holding the factories back from publishing Contender specific data for the .35Rem and .30-30Win??

 

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At least you have a good source of data from one company. I will be extrapolating my loads using info from 35Rem and 375Win data for my 35/30-30. My Hodgdon manual has some data for heavier than normal bullets in the 375Win. This will be very useful because a 245gr gas checked cast bullet is on my agenda.

 

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Thanks for the link Hunter. I have seen his data before. He has the 35-30AI listed, but he only has one bullet weight and one powder shown with no velocity numbers.

I'm not sure who ever said the Contender shouldn't be loaded to 52,000cup with rimmed cases, but nobody ever told that to Speer. My Speer #12 manual has 357max listed at 48,000 and 375win at 52,000...both rimmed cartridges. I owned one 20 years ago chambered in 7-30 Waters. A 30-30 case necked down to 7mm with the shoulder moved forward for those guys who have never heard of it. I would never repeat the loads I was using in that gun on an internet forum, but lets just say they were hot. I never had any negative issues with that pistol, well maybe one...that sucker was too heavy to lug around in a shoulder holster.

As far as your buddy with the 7mm Mag goes, that's really comparing apples to oranges. That accident had nothing to do with case failure, over pressure loads or firearm design. That was simply a matter of poor protocol. I'm just saying....

 

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Sounds like you have been around the block a few times Hunter with all the guns/cartridges you have messed with. Yeah I made a mistake buying that 7-30 Waters in the Contender and not the Winchester rifle. If I'd bought the rifle I would probably still have it today.

You are absolutely correct. If you hot rod any of them for an extended period of time in the wrong action metal fatique will catch up to you. That's when you start losing fingers and eyes.

I don't know the actual powder capacity of the 35-30 compared to the 35Rem and 38-55/375Win. I suppose that is something I should measure. It really won't be critical in my situation. I hate to say I had a rifle built around shooting one bullet, but I sorta did. I wanted to shoot 35cal 250gr cast bullets at 38-55 velocities. To do that in a 35Rem you have to push the bullet into the powder space and the neck doesn't support the entire bullet. The 35-30 solves the biggest issue for me, that is full length support. Powder capacity is secondary because I only want to push the bullets at 1500fps. Modest charges of 2400, 4198, RL7 or 3031 should all be able to reach my goal.

 

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The weather was nice today and I was back at it with the 35/30-30. I increased the speed on the 140gr pistol bullets and added a 180gr full power hunting load to my shooting. Since I boosted the power levels I move the targets out to 75 yards. Both loads performed pretty well considering everything at this point, as far as powder selection, is still guesstimation. I was averaging 1.5" groups. I won't win any medals for that, but I bet a deer might be impressed if I was sitting in the woods.

Next shooting session I will be going with the heavy weight cast bullets. Here's what today's action looked like.