Of course I wasn't satisfied with guesstimating the "5-10% increase in case volume" that's the usual claim for the AI improvements, which is why I was in the shop filling up empty cartridge cases with water and weighing the results as a proxy for case volume.

I figured five ordered pairs were sufficient, for .30-30 Win vs. .30-30 AI. My plain-jane .30-30 cases held an average of 44.98 grains of water, and my AI cases held an average of 47.48 grains. The spread on the values wasn't great... mixed headstamps, you know. The Remington-Peters cases seemed to be the roomiest, and the Federal Cartridge were the most cramped (i.e., the stoutest brass).

The resulting calculations gave me loads predicted to yield 1800 fps while launching my Heavy Thirty out of a .30-30 AI case... 22.0 grains of IMR 4198, or 26.0 grains of IMR 4895. The 4198 load was surprisingly high-pressure at 43,729 psi. The 4895 load was much lower at 32,943 psi. In the interest of safety, the IMR-4895 load will be my load of choice for this application.

Thanks for putting me onto this calculating tool.

-AaronB

I have taken 150lb whitetails with it using 165gr Nosler BTs - limiting myself to easy broadside shots, they work fine.

Gordon's Reloading Tool is a great (and free) modeling tool; in some ways much better than Quickload. Gordon was the German developer but sadly died in 2021 IIRC. No further development since, and this is the downside; it lacks a lot of the various powders that are available in QL. I use them both and compare results often. If anyone is interested, here is where to find information and a download link.

https://www.grtools.de/doku.php?id=grtools:start

There is also a Gordon's Reloading Channel on Youtube - surprised it is still there.

Even if you never fired a shot, the rifle would be so picturesque in that environment... as if you'd stepped right out of a Hemingway story. Worth doing if only for the photo op.

-AaronB

PS: What is that lovely 'Gordon's Reloading Tool'? Presumably it can be downloaded and used, provided one pays the appropriate fee?

In my Sedgley 1903 I am using 168gr Sierra MKs and RE17. Pressure is reasonably low and accuracy with the original Lyman 48 is excellent! Full details on the pics of the targets and screen shot of the model below.

Dropped the rear and fired three more...

Of which, I've got a box of 50 of those (my Heavy Thirty 220-grain FPGC) already loaded in .30-06, not to mention 30 more of a 173-grain Lyman RNGC loaded in .30-30 brass. Both of those loads use 4198, and in both cases I'm attempting to launch the bullets at 1800 fps.

I'm using the .30-30s for plinking, function testing, and for making .30-30 AI brass in my Marlin.

That Marlin 336 with the AI chamber has turned out to be something of a gem. A 1968-era gem, but a gem nonetheless.

-AaronB

Of course I would also file, sand or grind the tip back to the jacket or even farther to get a wide flat.

But that is in Ray's dimension/universe/world where the sky is green and the grass is blue.

Is there any reason for me to look past the classic "fill up the case with 4350" load, say 57.0 grains? Or should I just load that and forget it?

-AaronB