My new .22 LR (equivalent)

[jaysouth]

Dismayed with the ammo situation with .22 rf, I decided to go another direction for an equivalent round in my Marlin 336.

I loaded up some .30-30 brass with 6-9 grains of Green Dot. Bullets were cast 150 Lee flat nose and 165 Ranch Dog flat nose. After posting targets at 50 yards, I started my testing. Recoil and report were mild to say the least. I did not set up a chrony, but I estimate the velocity at 700 fps. This was my best group of the day, and my future small game, pest control, and plinking load.



The scope was a V-3 Weaver set on 3X. I will install either a receiver peep or red dot on the gun.

Powder, primer and lead for this load run right around a dime each.

Now to develop a load as accurate to shoot in my single shot Topper 30-30.

Edited October 3, 2013 by jaysouth

[musicman]

Very cool. :-)

I kinda' been doing that for years with my 38 loads, but didn't really know it! Plated 148gr hbwc over the lightest charge of Titegroup I can stomach... so far, every one has made it all the way out of the barrel. Every now and then one tumbles a bit and leaves a cool oval on the target. Hm... guess I should bump it up a bit, now that I think about it. :-D

[jaysouth]

For several years I hunted small game with a .357 H&R Handi-rifle. I used factory equivalent 148 wadcutter loads at 6-700 fps. The trajectory was a rainbow, but a squirrel hit with that load dropped DRT. Much better killer than a .22 and the maximum range of the fat slow wadcutter was much shorter than the .22. I felt better shooting it at a squirrel up in a tree than a .22.

[Mdunntn]

I also have a new squirrel hunting alternative

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[Dolomite_supafly]

I do the same with my 300 Blackout. I have some 100 grain cast bullets and when loaded with about 6 grains of Lil'Gun the gun barely moves from the recoil. It still has enough to dispatch most animals I might have to shoot too.

[jaysouth]

I also have a 'backyard' load. In the subdivision where I live, there is 20 feet between me and adjacent houses. I have good neighbors but I go out of my way to not alarm them. I have a single shot H&R 223 that I load 4 grs. of clays under a 45 gr HP bullet. No neighbor has complained and it is deadly accurate to 50 feet. It is my urban stealth load and makes about the same amount of noise as a pellet gun.

[jaysouth]

I also have a new squirrel hunting alternative

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My hat is off to you if you can HIT a squirrel with a bow and arrow.

[Mdunntn]

My hat is off to you if you can HIT a squirrel with a bow and arrow.

lol thanks been shooting a bow for 4 months or so.

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[R_Bert]

Remember to not let TWRA catch you using center-fire, or larger that .25 caliber on small game such as tree rats and other "non-furbearers & crow". 

 

Not that it makes any sense, It is not legal in Tennessee to hunt with those.  Dispatch of nuisance wildlife on your property may be a different matter. 

 

 

 

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Edited October 3, 2013 by R_Bert

[jaysouth]

Remember to not let TWRA catch you using center-fire, or larger that .25 caliber on small game such as tree rats and other "non-furbearers & crow". 
 
Not that it makes any sense, It is not legal in Tennessee to hunt with those.  Dispatch of nuisance wildlife on your property may be a different matter. 
 
 
 

Thanks for the sharp eye. You are quite right about centerfire rifle in TN. However, the state where I have roaming rights on a large tract of land is on the other side of the river.

[79troublehead]

I used to use a Sako .375 H&H with a .375 lead round ball over a small load of Unique with cotton ball filler to thin Jack Rabbits in west Texas. Never had to stop a charge, however.

[jeff43]

I tried that with a few 120 and 134 grain lead cast bullets I traded for a while back.I used some Uniqiue with about 8 grains(have to look at my records to be sure).I got about 5" groups at 25 yards,not too good.Thought it my be the Micro groove barrel that didn't like the cast bullets.I have some Bulls eye,PowerPistol, and IMR 7625 I could try.any ideas?

[jaysouth]

I tried that with a few 120 and 134 grain lead cast bullets I traded for a while back.I used some Uniqiue with about 8 grains(have to look at my records to be sure).I got about 5" groups at 25 yards,not too good.Thought it my be the Micro groove barrel that didn't like the cast bullets.I have some Bulls eye,PowerPistol, and IMR 7625 I could try.any ideas?

Jeff,

A lot of folks try to make a big deal out of shooting cast bullets in Microgroove barrels. You are OK as long as you use hard alloy or use soft alloy with a gas check and an oversized bullet. I slugged my barrel and it was .3087. The 309 sized bullets did not do well with any powder load/combination. When I got into the loads with .311 bullets, things began to tighten up. The magic sweet spot on this gun in this pressure range/velocity is 7.2 grs. of Green Dot. Go to this site:

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

Go to the left side and click on 170rnfpb under 30-30, you will find lots of loads for Unique and Bullesye. It may take several tries but you will find a combo that your rifle likes. Edited October 3, 2013 by jaysouth

[pcrc11]

My hat is off to you if you can HIT a squirrel with a bow and arrow.

Nice shot on the squirrel. What most people who do not shoot a bow realize, is that with practice it is ten times more accurate at a fixed distance than a rifle when shooting off hand. At least that is my experience.

[Mdunntn]

Nice shot on the squirrel. What most people who do not shoot a bow realize, is that with practice it is ten times more accurate at a fixed distance than a rifle when shooting off hand. At least that is my experience.

I don't have much experience but I'd somewhat agree with this. Very confident with my bow inside 50 yards. Can still hit in a pie plate at 70

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[rlowery78]

I did something similiar with my 336 but use Speer 100gr Plinkers (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/618190/speer-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-100-grain-plinker-round-nose-soft-point-box-of-100). I however do not load them as light as you all... (Can't remember my load data right now, but will look when I get home from work)

[rlowery78]

Hmmm, looking back at that losd, it wasn't as light as I remember... 34 grains of 3031. I did shoot extremely tight groups at 100 yards with it. slthough they were not cast bullets (wish I had trued those) the 336 was an older one, pre microgroove. It had developed a headspace issues and went to live somewhere else.

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