Current Info on 30BR

[Flat Land Shooter]

I've read all the info about 30BR I can find on this site and it appears to be several years old. Is it still pertinent today, or has it changed? I'm looking at building my first custom rifle for short range score, any info, direction or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[fdshuster]

Change? Yes, the cost of the custom 30 cal. bullets is skyrocketing, presently around .45 each & going higher.

Costs me .61 for one 30BR round versus .37 for one 6ppc.

 

[ReedG]

I'm not aware of a lot of "new technology" on the 30 BR. Cases, chambers, etc., are still pretty much as designed. The .330" neck with little if any "free bore". Just request the "Robinett reamer" and enjoy shooting a sure winner. Lots of bullets available, from 110-gr. to 125-gr. with ogives of 7.5 to 10. They are expensive but, compared to other summer sports like camping, RVing, boating, etc. the expense is cheap fun. Just for the record, the price of my neighbor's snowmobile or new two-seater four-wheeler would buy all three of my BR rifles and reloading equipment.

For sure, it is less expensive to shoot the 6 PPC but, in the world of score shooting, the 30 BR is a better choice (IMHO). I love my PPC but I cannot make it shoot with my 30 BR when hunting X's.

I would suggest a good custom action, even used, a 1:17 or 1:18 twist barrel in HV weight, and one of the new design of "straight-line" stocks that ride bags extremely well. Not knowing your financial status, some really fine used BR rifles can be found (can't remember the last time I saw a 30 BR for sale!) with the action of your choice, a good trigger, stock, etc., and will only need a new barrel. Not a bad way to go at all.

Good luck ...

 

[GSPV]

Search for posts by Dave Berg. We recently had a similar thread. Dave posted some good info on new ideas about forming cases and related reamer changes/possibilities.

 

[SmokinJoe]

I haven't competed for 3-4 years now, so I may be a little out of touch with the latest on the 30BR. As far as I know the latest things are: 1) Blowing out cases to form the neck instead of using a mandrel. This gives you up to about 1.550" case OAL, which translates to a tad more powder capacity and a little more seating flexibility with the different ogive bullets. To do this, you really need a special fireforming chambered barrel reamed with a special reamer which has an extra long neck, mine has a neck long enough that the OAL of the chamber is 1.580. If you don't make up a special fireforming barrel with the extra long neck, the brass will be pushed up into the lead, giving you a nasty necked down ring at the mouth of the case which seems bitchy to get rid of. My friend "Humble Henry" Rivers had a reamer named for this chamber I think. IIRC, it has a chamber OAL of 1.550 & brass is trimmed to 1.545. You have to do the fireforming with the COW, or other method with just a wad in the neck. My method is a case full of Bullseye with a 1/4" polyethylene ball seated in the neck. But, hey, I've always liked fireworks!! 2) A little larger neck diameter, say .332 - .334, so there is less turning required, also better neck tension. The newer Lapua blue box brass puts more limitation on this than the previous gold box stuff. 3) There is always some experimentation going on with components & various "improved" 30BR case designs. If I have missed anything important, someone please chime in. Hope this is helpful, Joe

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Change? Yes, the cost of the custom 30 cal. bullets is skyrocketing, presently around .45 each & going higher.

Costs me .61 for one 30BR round versus .37 for one 6ppc.

I'm guessing those numbers don't factor in barrel life though, which brings the total cost back to very near equal, unless of course, you get your hands on a truly great barrel, which is hard to put a value on in either case. Barrels are just as expendable as bullets and powder...unfortunately.

 

[Flat Land Shooter]

More good information - Thanks
Looks like the action is the long lead time item
I'm going to try and have something to shoot next year.

 

[GSPV]

Will the blue box clean up at 332?

 

[GSPV]

In my particular case, I already have a 332 neck 30 Major. The parent case is the 6.5 Grendel. They are completely clean by the 10.2 that I also cut to.

I have an action that currently won't eject the PPC rim case reliably. It is great on 6 BR. To preserve my investment, I am thinking about getting a 30 BR done for it.

Being paranoid by nature, if I could leave my brass turning equipment set one way with no disadvantage, I would.

I know that the original was cut based on a proven 30 x 47 reamer. I was hoping that the 330 was a historical carryover like the 262 in the 6 PPC.

I have had a couple of people tell me that the new stuff wouldn't clean up for a 332. OTOH, there is a guy at the local club that is beating our brains out with a 332 neck. I think that he cut his necks for 3 thou per side, though. That might explain why or it might be a coincidence.