For all of you who shoot the 30br have you measured the powder capacity of the different cases - after fire forming. Looking at Norma, Lapua, Peterson, Alpha etc. I am using 33.6 grains of H4198 with an 8 inch drop tube and that is about all I can get into a Lapua case - compressed load. Some people are shooting over 44 grains, what am I missing. I am averaging 3050fps here at approx 4400 in elevation.
6mm br norma cases for making 30br
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I’ve only ever used Lapua brass for my 30br and can get 36.5 maybe 37 grains of h4198 without using a drop tube. Try pouring the powder slowly into the drop tube but even with that I don’t think you’d ever get to 44 grains. Maybe it’s just the batch of 4198 you have? Or maybe your chamber is just a little on the smaller side? I should add I do tap my powder funnel with my finger several times to kinda settle the powder after filling my 30br brass. Doesn’t change much but it does make the powder settle a little deeper in the case.
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Bill Norris
Back in the Day
I've only used Lapua for my 30BR and have been up to 35.6 gr. of H-4198 so far. I could have went to 36 or maybe even more if I had tried.
someone is mis typing or lying..it aint gonna happen. i shoot both h4198 and lt30 nowhere near that case volume...myabe a 30x44/47 short 308 case
Out of curiosity I did a little experiment tonight. I took a piece of 30br brass that has been fired and resized 6 times and I filled it as much as I could without any spilling out of the case and without a drop tube, then measured the amount of powder in the case. Max without a drop tube was 36.6 grains of h4198. Then I used a 12 inch long drop tube while pouring slowly and tapping the side of the case quite a bit to get the absolute most I could fit in that brass and the most powder that’s going to fit in my 30br brass is 38.4 grains. The reamer used for my barrel was a jgs .330 neck reamer. That’s all I remember about the reamer. Jim Borden built the rifle and chambered the barrel so if you’re familiar with what 30br reamer he uses you would know more about the specs of it than me. The most powder I’ve used for a loaded cartridge is 35.9 grains of 4198 and that is too high for my particular setup as it started getting less accurate. No high pressure signs with that 35.9 grains though. My favorite/most accurate load so far is 35.4 grains of h4198 and bib 118gr 10 ogive bullet with a 205m primer. Shoot a lot of mid 1’s and low 2’s with that load.
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Bill Norris
Back in the Day
Just tried my brass as well to see how much H-4198 I might get into it. The absolute most I was able to get in it by pouring slowly, shaking, and tapping the case without a drop tube was 36.5 gr. I will never try to load a bullet on top of that much powder as my accurate load remains at 34.7 gr. with Bart's 112 & Berger 115 gr.
FNSafari
Gold $$ Contributor
What does the reamer print for the reamer used to cut your chamber look like? Is it a short case...less than 1.52 fire formed? Only being able to get 33.6 gr of H4198 in the case is quite unusual. Are you using a long bullet, 1.080" jacket, or even one on a 1" jacket and have to seat the things deep because you don't have enough throat length? Are you using a 6 or 8" drop tube to pack the powder best you can or just throwing it from a powder measure?
I'm loading 34 right now and have room to spare.
I'm loading 34 right now and have room to spare.
If your getting 37 grains of H4198
in a std 30BR case without a droptube then I'm John Holmes. Here is 37 grains in my 1.540 chamber length case using 37 with a 19" droptube. If Jim chambered your barrel he probably used a 1.510 chamber length reamer with zero freebore.Attachments
In my 2nd post on the thread I didn’t guess I took one of my pieces of brass and I measured the max and minimum with and without a drop tube. Max without a drop tube was 36.6. Max I can get in the case with a 12 inch long drop tube was 38.4 grains.
I'm sorry but that's entirely too hard to believe that your getting that much in a std 30BR case. Are you sure that you have a standard chambering? Something doesn't add up.
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That seems to be a pretty common issue when it comes to 30br and the debate on powder capacity tells me there probably no such thing as a standard 30br. Bill Norris made a comment in this thread that he could fit 36.5 of H4198 without a drop tube on his 30br so mine can’t too far off from his. With that said I would have nothing to gain from making up my case capacity and only passed it along from the question at the beginning of the thread. I also want to point out the highest load I’ve ever used for shooting with my 30br was 35.9 grains. So not even close to actual case capacity so it really doesn’t matter that my cases can hold what you say is more than it should. Holds more than enough for my purposes that’s for sure.
Are you talking about loading the case to the top of the neck so that you can't even put a bullet into it?
Yes that’s correct. As much as the case will hold before spilling over
Bill Norris
Back in the Day
Just to be clear my measurement was filling the case completely full WITHOUT a bullet seated.
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