Need help with .30 bullet selection

[Karl]

I am preparing to begin reloading for .30 Luger, and after reading through many posts here I am baffled concerning bullet selection. The gun is a mismatched 1900 AE: chamber neck is .335; bore slugged at .304 // .312. Since the median is .308 I am guessing that .308 would be correct for jacketed bullets, but I am no expert.

I am looking at the .308 Sierra 85 gr. round nose and Hornady 86 gr. round nose. I am also opened to lead bullets of proper size, whatever that is. Also interested in copper plated bullets. There are lots of .32 (.312) choices that could be sized down a bit. Has anyone sized the plated bullets? Advice? Thanks.

[John Sabato]

The bullets yo have picked out should work fine... I will let others who reload for this caliber comment further...

Another option, perhaps on the slightly heavy side would be lighter bullets that were intended for .30 Carbine... I remember back when I loaded that caliber that there were some dandy Round-nosed half-jacket slugs which expanded nicely that I believe were made by Hornady or Nosler... I think they were 110 Grains... as I said, perhaps a little on the heavy side, but if you can load them to the proper overall length (OAL) they will probably perform very well on small game.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Rick W.

In my earlier days, I have tried the 110gr type of the Speer plinker and the Sierra fmj carbine bullets...I felt the carbine type bullets were too long/heavy.

I have not had any problems with the 30 Carbine 110 gr FMJ bullets. The extra length does not seem to affect accuracy or function. As for the weight, I made up a fixture to hold bullets so that they could be drilled. I use a 1/8" drill and adjust my depth to get the weight I want. Fixture & bullets in pic below.

I also made cartridges from .223 Remington [new] brass. The pic shows a stripper clip of 30 Mauser cartridges for my M30 Broomhandle, made from .223 brass and 110 gr bullets drilled out to 93 gr.

There was some speculation when I first tried this (back in the '70's; that's why that stripper clip of cartridges looks so old) that the drilled bullets would expand before passing through the cartridge shoulder, or that the .223 brass would bulge...Neither happened. I used a light target load of 5.0 grs of AL-5 (no longer available, I believe) with the 110 gr FMJ drilled down to 95 (or 93) grs...Same drilled bullet with 5.5 grs of AL-5 was a pretty good shooter...

This was with 30 Mauser in an M30 Broomhandle...I'm still experimenting with the 30 Luger loads/drilled bullets...

[Karl]

Too all,

Great information. Given the bore dimensions above, what would be the ideal size for lead bullets?

Rich, the drilling rig for adjusting bullet weight looks good. My concern would be that the friction created by the longer bearing surface of the bullet might increase pressure to an unsatisfactory level.
KFS

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Karl

Rich, the drilling rig for adjusting bullet weight looks good. My concern would be that the friction created by the longer bearing surface of the bullet might increase pressure to an unsatisfactory level.
KFS

Hi Karl!

The 30 Carbine bullet is ~.130" longer than an 86 gr FMJ...

I started with a light load...And I've experimented with several powders...The M30 has a 5 1/2" barrel...My experience is empirical...

If you have doubts, then disregard...

(Lemme look here...one...two...three...ten...yes, I still have ten fingers...)

[Hugh]

Originally Posted by Karl

Too all,

Great information. Given the bore dimensions above, what would be the ideal size for lead bullets?

Rich, the drilling rig for adjusting bullet weight looks good. My concern would be that the friction created by the longer bearing surface of the bullet might increase pressure to an unsatisfactory level.
KFS

Cast lead bullets for the 30 Luger should be .312 in.
I have new WW 30 Luger brass for $30/100 postage paid.

[CptCurl]

Has anybody tried the Ranier 100 grain bullet? It looks like a great possibility to me:

Reading the Midway reviews leads me to believe the plating on these is rather robust and will stand up to the velocities attained in the 7.65 Luger.

I am a veteran reloader for 45 years and many calibers. My very first caliber to reload was the 9mm Luger using a Lyman 310 tool!

I'm yet to try my hand with the 7.65 Luger. I have dies but have a hard time getting momentum because I think about chasing after those damn little expensive pieces of brass. Reading the various posts on this forum makes me want to give the little bottle neck a try.

Some additional questions:

Does the heavier bullet present a problem with sight regulation?

What's the downside to using the 100 grain bullet?

Does anybody have a "Pet Load" for the 7.65 using 100 grain bullets? I know the drill: Start low and work up. My mileage may vary.

Thanks in advance,
Curl



Rainier LeadSafe Bullets 32 Caliber (312 Diameter) 100 Grain Plated Flat Nose

Midway P/N 889567

[Mauser720]

Would the flat nose on the Midway bullet be a concern as far as reliable feeding in a Luger is concerned?

[CptCurl]

The flat appears to be about 1/2 caliber. I don't think the outside shape is much different from the Hornady XTP. But the shape is one of the questions in my mind too.

How does the Hornady XTP do in the 7.65?

Hornady XTP Bullets 30 Caliber (309 Diameter) 90 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point

Midway Product #: 729749

[CptCurl]

Another possibility I'm considering. Has anybody tried this bullet?

Meister Hard Cast Bullets 32 Caliber (312 Diameter) 94 Grain Lead Flat Nose

Midway Product #: 689363

[rhuff]

I have not tried any of the mentioned bullets, but am very interested in hearing any results that you might achieve. I sent an Email to Handloader Magazine asking for an new article in their magazine on loadings for the 30Luger. I don't know if it will lead to anything, but I had to try.

I have only, so far, loaded my 30 Luger brass with the Hornady 86gr, and the Sierra 86gr jacketed bullets. They seem to work well. I have been using Red Dot, as I believe that a fast powder works well in small cases....others disagree. My ammo will cycle my '21 DWM with a 4in bbl. I keep looking for a good SAFE loading utilizing the 110gr JSP bullet for the M1 Carbine, as I own a "lot" of them. I haven't found anything yet.

Let us know what you find out. I am waiting(3-4 months) for BarSto to make me 2 barrels in 30 Luger for a BHP and Colt Defender. That should be a lot of fun if I can get everything to work like I want it to.

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by CptCurl

Another possibility I'm considering. Has anybody tried this bullet?

Meister Hard Cast Bullets 32 Caliber (312 Diameter) 94 Grain Lead Flat Nose

Midway Product #: 689363

Hi:

I've used these.

The problem with them is the fact that the lube groove extends down into the powder area of the cartridge. Upon firing, much, if not all, of the lube is consumed with the powder charge, rather than "smoking" the barrel to avoid leading.

OAL of 29mm feed perfectly for me. Accuracy was only ok by my standards, though.

If memory serves, these were designed for a .32-20 rifle originally.

Sieger

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by CptCurl

The flat appears to be about 1/2 caliber. I don't think the outside shape is much different from the Hornady XTP. But the shape is one of the questions in my mind too.

How does the Hornady XTP do in the 7.65?

Hornady XTP Bullets 30 Caliber (309 Diameter) 90 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point

Midway Product #: 729749

Hi:

This looks like a good possibility, as the original "flat" on the DWM 9mm truncated cone was 4mm. I can only assume it was the same on the DWM 7.65 truncated cone bullet.

I've measured original DWM bullets at .309 inches, though the barrel grooves on the 7.65s are exactly 7.9mm (.311 inches) per the original drawings.

I've fired up to .312 bullets through the 7.65 with no problems.

Hope this info helps.


Sieger

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by rhuff

I have not tried any of the mentioned bullets, but am very interested in hearing any results that you might achieve. I sent an Email to Handloader Magazine asking for an new article in their magazine on loadings for the 30Luger. I don't know if it will lead to anything, but I had to try.

Hi:

This was a good idea, but frankly, with the current writing staff they have, I don't know of anyone there knowledgeable enough about Luger shooting to even write such an article.

Respectfully

Sieger

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by CptCurl

Has anybody tried the Ranier 100 grain bullet? It looks like a great possibility to me:

Reading the Midway reviews leads me to believe the plating on these is rather robust and will stand up to the velocities attained in the 7.65 Luger.

I am a veteran reloader for 45 years and many calibers. My very first caliber to reload was the 9mm Luger using a Lyman 310 tool!

I'm yet to try my hand with the 7.65 Luger. I have dies but have a hard time getting momentum because I think about chasing after those damn little expensive pieces of brass. Reading the various posts on this forum makes me want to give the little bottle neck a try.

Some additional questions:

Does the heavier bullet present a problem with sight regulation?

What's the downside to using the 100 grain bullet?

Does anybody have a "Pet Load" for the 7.65 using 100 grain bullets? I know the drill: Start low and work up. My mileage may vary.

Thanks in advance,
Curl



Rainier LeadSafe Bullets 32 Caliber (312 Diameter) 100 Grain Plated Flat Nose

Midway P/N 889567

Hi:

Now this little bullet really looks interesting to me!! Good find!!!

One question, how is the weight consistency of these? Are they a quality product?

I don't think a seven grain differential in weight would be material as far as sight regulation goes, as I've never really had a problem between 115 and 125 grain 9mm bullets. Possible down side of 100 grainers vs. 93 grainers, nothing in my book.

If I were loading these, here is where I'd start.

OAL: 29mm

Powder: SR 4756

Charge Development Range: 4.8 grains to about 5.6 grains

I'm going to order some of these, right now, for my own handloading development.

Hope this helps!


Sieger

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by Mauser720

Would the flat nose on the Midway bullet be a concern as far as reliable feeding in a Luger is concerned?

Hi:

Though we don't see a lot of them around now, the original DWM loadings for the 7.65mm offered a truncated cone bullet quite simmilar to their more popular 9mm one.

With proper OAL, the flat pointed Midway should feed like a dream in a 7.65mm Luger with its springs in spec.

Sieger

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by postino

I have not had any problems with the 30 Carbine 110 gr FMJ bullets. The extra length does not seem to affect accuracy or function. As for the weight, I made up a fixture to hold bullets so that they could be drilled. I use a 1/8" drill and adjust my depth to get the weight I want. Fixture & bullets in pic below.

I also made cartridges from .223 Remington [new] brass. The pic shows a stripper clip of 30 Mauser cartridges for my M30 Broomhandle, made from .223 brass and 110 gr bullets drilled out to 93 gr.

There was some speculation when I first tried this (back in the '70's; that's why that stripper clip of cartridges looks so old) that the drilled bullets would expand before passing through the cartridge shoulder, or that the .223 brass would bulge...Neither happened. I used a light target load of 5.0 grs of AL-5 (no longer available, I believe) with the 110 gr FMJ drilled down to 95 (or 93) grs...Same drilled bullet with 5.5 grs of AL-5 was a pretty good shooter...

This was with 30 Mauser in an M30 Broomhandle...I'm still experimenting with the 30 Luger loads/drilled bullets...

Hi:

Brilliant!!

This just proves again that necessity is the mother of invention!

Sieger

[CptCurl]

Originally Posted by Sieger

Hi:

Now this little bullet really looks interesting to me!! Good find!!!

One question, how is the weight consistency of these? Are they a quality product?

I don't think a seven grain differential in weight would be material as far as sight regulation goes, as I've never really had a problem between 115 and 125 grain 9mm bullets. Possible down side of 100 grainers vs. 93 grainers, nothing in my book.

If I were loading these, here is where I'd start.

OAL: 29mm

Powder: SR 4756

Charge Development Range: 4.8 grains to about 5.6 grains

I'm going to order some of these, right now, for my own handloading development.

Hope this helps!


Sieger

I am familiar with Ranier bullets in two other applications. They produce a swaged and plated 230 grain bullet for the .45ACP. It's a round nose design that looks just like hardball. It's very well thought of among the .45ACP crowd - both for the 1911 and also for the Thompson Sub Machinegun. They sell them by thousands. It's a great bullet. There are people who say they will shoot nothing but this bullet in a vintage Colt TSMG.

Another Ranier bullet I use is their .50 cal bullet made for the .500 Lindbaugh and others. It's 335 grains and .500". I use that bullet, and have shot many hundreds, in my Purdey .500 3" BPE. I paper patch them to .515" for the rifle. They are the perfect weight (original bullet was 340 grains) and the perfect diameter for paper patching.

The Ranier bullets are excellent quality. I think this little 100 grain .312 bullet should be a gas in the Parabellum. I plan to order some with my next Midway order. If they don't do well in the Luger I'll run them through my little .32 S&W Long.

As for the Meister bullet I was suspicious for the reason you mentioned about the lube groove being too low. I was also worried that the crimp groove might interfere with feeding. In reading through the posts of others who have loaded the 7.65mm I found one post describing feeding trouble caused by such a bullet with the crimp groove exposed and catching on the feed ramp or something.

There are several loaders who report good success with the Hornady bullet.

For the cost conscious (tightwad) loader like me, the Ranier bullet jumps to the front.

Thank you very much for your experienced reply. Please keep me updated on how the Ranier does for you. I suspect you will be shooting them before I do.

Curl

[SteveM]

I have used this bullet in the past:
http://www.hornady.com/store/30-Cal-...-Short-Jacket/

It worked well on paper and Armadillos..

[CptCurl]

This week I received in hand a box of 500 of the Ranier .312" bullets (100 grains). I loaded up 20 using 5.3 grains SR4756 and a CCI small pistol primer. The bullets are seated out to max overall length, leaving comfortable clearance in the magazine. I'll shoot these in the next few days and report back with results.

Question: I need to find an easy way to flare the case mouth on these little buggers. I have an RCBS 2 die set. I'm chamfering the mouths, but bullets would seat a little easier with a flare. Has anybody come up with a method short of buying a Lyman "M" die?

Curl