I'm saving this because the repository the LASC hosted was quite large. Thankfully the Archive machine has a copy from 2024. I posted a link to the articles below. That page has been hugely helpful.
https://web.archive.org/web/20240506131345/http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm
Well once again, my Winchester 94 in .30-30 is the victim of the chronic disease of "I can't leave well enough alone" syndrome as I have made some changes. This is part 3 of this series. If you haven't read Part 1 and Part 2, I would recommend that you do.
The rifle started in my life intended for hunting. It was in need of much help when purchased from a local pawn shop. It was first built in to a scout style rifle for the purposes of hunting whitetail deer in the Georgia area. After several years, it was returned to a more factory condition with replacement parts that it needed. While the rifle shoots, it still has mechanical issues making it unreliable. In it's current iteration, the magazine is plugged in such as way as you can't have more than three rounds in the gun. One round is in the chamber, one is on the elevator/lifter and there's one in the magazine. Anything more than that, there is a high probability of a jam caused by the cartridge stop. This setup should be fine enough for hunting as I usually never fire more than one round but have fired two. The repair of the cartridge stop may come later as I would like to have the rifle back to a reliable state.
In 2024, I sourced a used replacement rear sight base along with a Marbles gold bead front sight which have since been drifted into place. In late June of 2024, I was able to zero the windage at 50 yards confirming that on the lowest rear notch, with 170 grain Winchester and 170 grain Federal jacketed soft points, a 6 o'clock hold will put those bullets into three inch or so group. I haven't tested at 100 yards yet but as long as I don't take long range shots, I should be able to land a bullet into the vital zone of a whitetail.
While the iron sights have worked out well enough so far, I want my rifle to be easy to understand and for anyone to be able to use. To simplify usage, a red dot can make a big difference. All I would have to say to a person I handed the rifle to is "This is zeroed for 100 yards. Use the ammunition in the cuff and put the dot on the vital zone." It is a very simple solution that a novice shooter or someone who never used that rifle can understand. The red dot tends to be an easier and more precise aiming system compared to the traditional buckhorn sights.
As an early Father's Day present to myself, I had ordered a Turnbull Restoration receiver red dot mount that uses the Doctor/Noblex footprint. Again, I have found consistently a small red dot gives a more precise point of aim over the traditional iron sights. This would let me use something such as a Burris Fastfire or a Vortex Venom, both of which I have. I also was able to purchase a Amazon cheap-ola sight with a combination of Amazon gift cards and electronic coupons. While that dot is now on my Chiappa LA322 lever action, I did use it briefly for test fitting and taking pictures. I was able to later on, purchase a Crimson Trace unit. More on that in due time.
The mount uses the Lyman 2-hole footprint for attaching receiver mounted peep sights. I did have a William's 94/36 rear sight on the rifle for a while and I can always go back as I wish.
I had the Turnbull mount on the rifle without the red dot when I was zeroing the iron sights. The mount is low enough that I'm able to remove the red dot if desired and simply use the irons. Most dots today seem to be sturdy enough for light use that you shouldn't need to worry much. The option is nice to have if needed. If you wanted to do it in the field, you'd need to keep a Torx T10 or T15 wrench handy if the dot did break. That is assuming that you are worried which I am not.
While the dot I test fitted isn't great, the position of the reticle compared to the cheek weld is comfortable and in the correct location. It wouldn't be very difficult to use this rifle comfortably. Once I switched over to the CR RAD Pro I found that I am very happy with how large the window is.
Using a laser bore sighter, I slaved the laser to the approximate point of impact on the iron sights then attached the CT red dot. I carefully zeroed the dot to the laser to give me a better chance when I got to the range. We will find out how well I did if I can ever get to the range.
So far, I have been very impressed with the Turnbull mount and how the Crimson Trace dot works. I appreciate that it has a large window but also the auto-on feature is fantastic. After about 2 minutes or so, the dot turns itself off. The buttons on the side are good but the mount on the left gets in the way a bit. You shouldn't need to make too many adjustments as the dot has a light sensor out front that will increase or decrease the intensity based on input lights. I disabled that feature and just picked a good brightness level.
All in all, I think this is the best marriage of modern technology with traditional aesthetics. When I can, I will do a part 4 with this setup and see how everything goes. Stay tuned for that.
In my quest to look for a .45 Colt handload that I can use for target shooting with my Pietta 1873 SA with a 4 3/4 inch barrel, I would like to keep track of what I come up with. All of the loads are trying to stay within or close to the 14,000 PSI standard given that this revolver is a SAA clone and is not expected to survive loads that one would put through a Ruger Blackhawk or Winchester 92. A Ruger Blackhawk or a Rossi R92 are not in my possession so if you are wondering why I don't use that, that's why. The Pietta is what I have for now so that's what we're starting with.
The project starts with gauging the chamber throats of the Pietta for uniformity. A lack of uniformity will negatively impact accuracy as each chamber being different may widen the group. I've heard of some guns shooting 5 inch groups being reduced to 1 inch groups with corrections to the chamber throats. I ordered three pin gauges starting at 0.451 to 0.453 inch to test the Pietta's chamber throats. We're looking for 0.4525 inch for cast bullets meaning the 0.452 pin should pass but the 0.453 pin should not. That's exactly what ended up being the case. A pleasant surprise from an inexpensive revolver. Now that the gun checks out, let's look at the loads.
As usual, if you try to duplicate these loads, that's on you and I am NOT responsible for your actions.
I am using data found here.
https://hodgdonreloading.com/rldc/
I'm starting with GT Bullet's 225 grain cast lead semi wad cutters sized to .452 inch but I will also try to tinker with the Laser Cast 200 gr .452 RNFP I have for target. They have a 15 BHN which is too hard for use in hunting at these velocities. I will only use them for target shooting. I've ordered 200 of the bullets are waiting for them to be cast, shipped and delivered. There is currently a 21 week backorder so it will be a while before I can get started.
Unlike the .357 Magnum post, I will be focusing on powder selection instead of trying a bunch of different bullets. I'll be starting with HS-6 because I have close to 2 lbs of it at this time but if I can't get a satisfactory load from it, then I will move on to other powders. I am very interested in CFE Pistol as the Hodgdon reloading data shows the highest velocities. I have some alternative powders I would like to look at in the future depending on local availability such as Universal, 2400 or Unique. Universal actually has the highest velocity data according to the Hodgdon website but I can't get it easily without online ordering. I don't want to pay HAZMAT fees if I don't have to.
Update Feb 2024: The below data is specific to keeping the chamber pressures below 14,000 PSI. However, there is speculation that the newer SAA clones can handle as much as 23,000 PSI. I'm not trying to Elmer Keith my gun but there's only one way to know. Well, two or more actually, but I don't have QuickLoad. That's $155 software package that gives you probable pressure curves. There are other calculators but PMAX doesn't have HS-6.
Update 2 Feb 2024: Looking at the math, the 225 grain bullets I ordered are likely to show up around June. I ordered a bullet mold from MP Molds. It's a 4 cavity hollow point version of the H&G #68 mold from a long time ago. Apparently, that mold was great for target loads which fits right in line with what I'm trying to do here. It's also a hollow point mold so I can use it for other things latter on. These are 185 grain bullets according to the site but we'll need to see what weight they actually cast at. I'm seeing some data that says the bullets will drop out closer to 195 grain. I'll start adding this bullet to the list when I have loading data. Apparently, Hodgdon only has 1 load for 185 grain bullets for .45 Colt and that's using Accurate Number 5. I can get #5 from Bas Pro if needed. I'll have to check my Lyman book for more but what I am able to find in forums has that this bullet will do nicely for what I have in mind. That bullet should also work for my .45 ACP guns as needed. Seems like a good choice. Looking further, Hodgdon does have a load for a 180 grain bullet using CFE Pistol which just reinforces the notion I should get a bottle. I pulled several points of data for the 180 grain bullet and each are noted as such.
Update 3 FEB 2024: I loaded up some 200 grain cast using both HS-6 and Triple Seven. I wanted to see if 777 was usable in this instance. It turns out to have done pretty well with the 200 grain. I also now have a 185 grain mold from MP Molds to make hollow points. During the testing, the Pietta show very low. I don't know that I could file enough front sight to fix how low the drop is at 25 yards. I need to do more testing but I didn't hit the paper target once when shooting over the chronograph and aiming directly at the paper IDPA target. A different firearm is likely needed. The data collected is below.
Update 4 JUL 2024: The GT Bullets 225 grain hollow points are in. I also have a bottle of WinClean 244. Instead of Titegroup (for now) I will be testing with the Winchester 244.
Update AUG 2024: After spending some time thinking about it, I wanted to see about using .45 Colt for hunting from a revolver. I know I can get enough velocity from a rifle but from a revolver, what sort of velocity would I need to load something such as a 250 gr XTP and be able to hit a deer at 100 yards and still get that bullet to expand. A video I watched had an XTP hitting water jugs around 1188 fps at the target and getting great expansion. I don't know if those XTP bullets will still expand at 1000 fps but let's pretend that they do. After fiddling around with a ballistic calculator, I would need the cartridge to push that XTP at a minimum velocity of 1220 fps. Mr Joey Hunt reports the Lyman Reloader book has 26.5 gr of H110 could do 1400 from a Ruger Blackhawk but from the 5.5 inch barrel I had been interested in only got around 1150 fps. I have ordered a book of my own to see what the range would be and if I can get to 1220 fps. I do have a bottle of H110. That's likely going to be a tall order with lots of recoil. It's got me thinking about .41 Magnum again.
Update 2025: I slugged the barrel of the Pietta SAA with some Hornady muzzleloader round balls. While my micrometer isn't high dollar, I did get around .450. I have seen where there are .45 ACP/.45 Colt versions of my gun and I wonder if they just use the same barrel. I'll be sizing my bullets to .452 until I think I should otherwise change. I also updated the WinClean 244 load as I realized the bullets used in the RLDC data are very different. Adjusted to closer to the 230 grain cast. The double ended wadcutter has much more friction as the bearing surface is the entire length of the bullet. The cast bullets I am using have much smaller bearing surfaces. The end point for the 225 gr DEWC was 7.2 for 244 where the heavier LSWC ends at 7.7 grains with the same pressure. It didn't make sense until I realized what was going on with the bullet styles. Once I figured that out, I switched the data over to the higher charge weights. Thankfully, I hadn't loaded anything just yet and only did case prep. The data for HS-6 and WinClean 244 has been adjusted. That said, the end data just doesn't exist for the bullet and powder I'm using so I'm having to extrapolate from existing data.
Triple Seven (777)
Triple Seven is a black powder substitute and needs to be treated like BP. Be extra careful.
200 grain RNFP from Oregon Trail (Target Only) - I have a bunch of these from before
Staring data: 35 grains by volume
Ending Data: 40 grains by volume (this is not a full case load and has mild compression)
Velocities:
35 grain - 946 FPS Avg - ES 34 FPS
40 grain - 999 FPR Avg - ES 21 FPS (There was one reading that was much lower than the rest so I tossed it)
Shot Groups: No group data at this time as I didn't have enough loads to test velocity and accuracy. The Pietta's point of impact is very low and very left even from a rested position.
Notes: The Triple Seven loads with these bullets were fun. They were very smoky and the plume as entertaining. The 40 grain by volume load was very close to the 1000 FPS I'm looking for and I would bet that a 185 grain bullet would hit that. I don't know how these would do for hunting but I know how to find out.
WinClean 244
While I was looking for alternatives for Unique for bunnyfart/light loads, the burn chart had Universal and Winchester or WinClean 244. I didn't see Universal around but did find 244 at Bass Pro. I got a bottle on the way back from our 4th of July vacation. It was originally intended for the 105 grain 38 Special subsonic rounds for my Marlin CST but there are all the common pistol calibers including magnums. I figured I would try it out in .45 Colt to see if the SAA would fair any better.
225 grain LSWC HP from GT Bullets
The load data I selected from the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center for a cast 225 bullet turns out to be for a double ended wadcutter cast bullet. The cast 230 grain bullet actually uses a higher charge weight which isn't surprising given how much lead is in contact with the barrel in the DEWC bullet. I'll be adjusting the load data upwards on the high end. I'm hoping to get around 1000 fps from my 4 inch barrel with a near-max load.
Staring data: 5.2 grains (738 fps)
Ending Data: 7.2 grains (972 fps)
Adjusted Data: 7.7 grains (No projection listed)
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)
Staring data: 6.8 grains (914 fps)
Ending Data: 9.1 grains (9.1 fps)
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
HS-6
200 grain RNFP from Oregon Trail (Target Only) - I have a bunch of these from before
I bypassed the lowest starting level and went straight to 12.0 grains and making 5 rounds each level for testing. I increased grain weight by .2 grains for each group.
Staring Data: 11.7 grains
Ending Data: 13.0 grains
Velocities:
12.0 gr - 905 FPS Avg - ES 30 FPS
12.2 gr - 927 FPS Avg - ES 142 FPS
12.4 gr - 942 FPS Avg - ES 61 FPS
12.6 gr - 952 FPS Avg - ES 57 FPS
12.8 gr - 1002 FPS Avg - ES 43 FPS
13.0 gr - 1007 FPS Avg - ES 80 FPS
Shot Groups: No group data at this time as I didn't have enough loads to test velocity and accuracy.
Notes: Some of extreme spreads where okay and others not so great. I have heard that HS-6 prefers a near max load and that 12.8 did pretty okay. I may stick with that one. I'd like to see how the 185 grain cast loads do.
225 grain LSWC
This data was also updated as I had the wrong bullet data. The Hornady FTX load is in the 10 grain range with the 250 grain cast LRNFP being the same. I upped the charge weight to 10.5 grains based on the 250 grain cast. I suppose I could extrapolate a slightly higher charge around 10.6 or 10.5 with the lighter weight bullet based on the FTX load ending at 10.8 grains.
Staring data: 7.0 grains (684 fps)
Ending Data: 9.3 grains (919 fps)
Adjusted Data: 10.5 grains (No projection)
Velocities: (When I have it, I'll update)
Shot Groups:
185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112
All the data I have for this is from forums and most everyone is using Unique. I'm having to extrapolate data from my Lyman book and from Hodgdon's website. The Lyman book's data for a 200 grain bullet is 11.2 grains of HS-6. The book tends to step down in powder charge dropping to 10.5 grains for max charge with a 250 grain bullet. I suspect that operating in the same charge range with the lighter bullet than the 200 grain load will work. I will start with the Lyman Cast Handbook data for a 200 grain bullet and end with the Hodgdon data. I suspect that those 13 grain charges are going to be pretty fast moving. I'm currently looking for 1000 fps from the 4 5/8 inch barrel.
Staring data: 11.2 grains
Ending Data: 13.0 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
CFE Pistol
CFE Pistol is highly interesting as the Hodgdon website shows the highest velocities for .45 Colt with a 225 grain. Not that we are using it. I also found load data for .38 Special and 105 gr bullets meaning I can load subsonic plinking loads for the Marlin 1894 but I think this would specialize for 45 Colt.
225 grain LSWC
Staring data: 6.4 grains
Ending Data: 8.0 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)
Staring data: 8.5 grains
Ending Data: 10.2 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
Titegroup
225 grain LSWC
Staring data: 4.4 grains
Ending Data: 6.0 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)
Staring data: 6.0 grains
Ending Data: 6.9 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
HP-38
225 grain LSWC
Starting Data: 5.1 grains
Ending Data: 6.9 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)
Staring data: 6.0 grains
Ending Data: 8.2 grains
Velocities:
Shot Groups:
I wanted to find old publications and magazine articles talking about .30-30 from around when the cartridge came out in 1895. While doing this, I started to wonder when did we start calling the cartridge .30-30 from its original name.
The earliest naming of .30-30 I initially found was in Shooting and Fishing (early American Rifleman) magazine from April 1901 where the author of the piece, I think a Mr. Venada, chastises a previous author, B. C. Morse, about .30 cal cartridges. Mr. Morse said .30 cal is insufficient while Mr. Venada says .30-30 works just fine on deer. People arguing about the usefulness of cartridges for deer? Some things never change. That said, there are earlier publications as S&F started in 1885 under a different name then changed in 1888. There should be an article somewhere between 1895 when Winchester releases .30 WCF and our 1901 article. Since I hadn't been able to find anything for that magazine before 1901, I looked elsewhere.
Eventually I found a magazine called Forest and Stream. The available volumes went back long before 1895 so I started pouring over those volumes.
To help narrow down my search, I looked for what month Winchester released .30-30. According to Leverguns.com, the Winchester catalog has it available for August of 1895. I first came across a column in Forest and Steam from 1896 in September written by none other than Teddy Roosevelt himself about the .30-30. He used the nomenclature of .30-30-160 to denote the exceptional capabilities of the new cartridge. It's very interesting to see that as early as 1896, Winchester's .30 Winchester Smokeless was being called .30-30. I still wasn't satisfied but was very exited to see something from the President.
Next up, I went back to the F&S June to December volume for 1895 and reran searches for Winchester in case I had missed something. Indeed I had. I found a small piece about the new loadings in the Winchester catalog. The same catalog number 55 LeverGuns references. .30 Winchester Smokeless. Interestingly, the old 6mm Navy cartridge is also listed.
At this point, it's safe to say that as soon as 1896, the cartridge is being called .30-30.
The links are below.
Forest and Steam - page 147 under The 30-Caliber on Game by Teddy Roosevelt.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/180080#page/257/mode/1up
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015006947264&seq=259&q1=roosevelt
Shooting and Fishing 1901
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924089863199&seq=25
LeverGuns.com History of the .30-30
https://www.leverguns.com/articles/3030history.htm
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/serials.html
Once again, I'm covering the things that I think are the most interesting from SHOT Show from the comfort of my computer chair. Through the magic of YouTube videos and other sources, I get a chance to see some of the products at SHOT Show 2025. Honestly, as much as I want to go, if someone had offered to send me for free, I would have turned it down. I'm so sick of being sick, and I would have gotten sick from SHOT as I hear everyone gets sick.
Beretta 80X in .32 ACP and the New 20X
This has no utility or impact on anything that is actually useful in the real world, but I genuinely have wanted a .32 ACP Beretta for a while. I know that the 3032 Tomcat had been out. I have the Bobcat Covert and was very aware of it's bigger sister but the Cheetah when it was updated to the 80X version, I wanted in .32 ACP. I have no use for it. I just wanted it. Well Beretta is doing it. I don't know that I can even find a way to buy one but I want one and I want to put a suppressor on it. Apparently, you can get either the .380 or the .32 version and buy barrels and magazines to swap calibers. Fascinating.
In addition, Beretta updated the 21a into a 20X series which does basically the same things as the other series but to their tiny .22 LR version. It allows for a red dot sight which I can confirm is a big help with the shoot-ability to the platform as I have a 21a Covert and love it. The new 20X would be just that much better and a pleasure to shoot.
Henry Arms' SPD and the Supreme
Henry says they have some new group inside their structure. No idea what they actually do but it looks like they are making Cool Guy versions of their line up.
What makes the first gun in the lineup interesting is they have implemented lightweight materials such as a carbon fiber barrel to reduce weight when using a suppressor. They based the build on the Big Boy rifle. I think I will be interesting to see what other things they think up next.
On a side note, Henry does say that the Supreme that recently came out is just the beginning and they are planning on additional versions. I think a .350 Legend version could be amazing for those Straight-Wall states.
Smith and Wesson Removes ILS Plus More
Smith and Wesson have been listening and are finally removing the ILS from the Classic line of revolvers. They started with the Ultimate Carry versions which aren't Classics but it was a start. The first of the line are the Model 36, 10 and 19. I wish they had done this a few years ago when I got my Model 17. Personally, I think this is a big deal as the ILS hole on the side plate is ugly and ruins the classic looks of the Classic line up. They also are changing some of the barrel profiles for the Classic line up to be more of the traditional profile instead of the bull barrel.
Lipsey's is also working with S&W to bring the Mountain Gun line back up. They are starting with an improved 686 in .357 then a nice 629 in .44 Mag. None of these will have the ILS either. I would love to see a 627 Mountain Gun with a 5 inch barrel.
There are also titanium versions of the Ultimate Carry J-frames that S&W and Lipsey's worked together on from last year.
KEL-TEC RP57
KEL-TEC's new semi auto 5.7 pistol is funny, quirky and bold. If you haven't seen it, its goofy and I appreciate it. A stripper clip feed pistol. No removable magazine.
Primary Arms
I'm very interested in their new PLxC 1-8x scope. They are adding a new, brighter center dot that's illuminated. While that's not a new idea, the dot is supposed to be substantially brighter than the normal dot which means it should be visible during the day. Many illuminated LPVO's aren't daylight bright. This one should be. The only downside from me will be cost. I expect these will be $1400+ and way outside my budget. I would like to replace my aging Gen 3 1-6x PA LPVO.
Daewoo (SNT Motiv)
SNT Motiv is South Korea's primary arms manufacturer and are opening a plant here in the U&S for domestic sales. The DP51, which is very similar to the Smith and Wesson 59, along with copies of their armed forces weapons will be available for us here. There is quite the following for these arms. For me, the DP51 is interesting and I had missed out on the Lionhart guns back in the day.
WOOX Starting to support lever actions with the Bravado
WOOX is the company making gorgeous wood furniture for longguns that blends metal into the stocks. It allows for support for things like mlok slots and QD sling cups but keeps the beautiful wood furniture. They released their Bravado stock that works with Henry lever actions. It's stunning, making for a perfectly mixed concoction of modern and traditional aesthetics that has been missing from the lever action world.
You either have the traditional design or you get a Mad Pig style modern rifle. There has been no middle ground. If you wanted to add something like a weapon light, you needed a special picatinny mount for the magazine tube but with their handguard, you can now mount a scout light using an mlok slot. I'm hoping they start supporting Rossi and Marlin designs.
.338 ARC Support
I have become a big fan of .300 Blackout. I still want to see if I can find a great bullet for subsonic hunting on the Little Farm and build a dedicated subsonic hunting rifle. As I go, I'm wondering if stepping up in diameter. 8.6 BLK was interesting but it's a short action sized cartridge which means stepping up to a new rifle. The new .338 ARC fits nicely in the ubiquitous AR-15 ecosystem. If I fail to find something that works for the .300 BLK, then it may be best to start looking at .338 ARC. It makes me feel better knowing that all I need is an upper.
Marlin Firearms
As always, I always keep an eye on what Marlin is doing as I am holding my breath for a 336 Classic threaded version. Usually, things are pretty conservative. They did "announce" the Guide Gun versions of the 1894 which I already covered. I don't know what else Marlin will be doing. I know what they COULD do but it may be a while before new calibers come online such as .45 Colt, 360 Buckhammer or even .41 Magnum. Don't forget people clamoring for a new 39a. At this point, it's likely that I will have to get a Rossi R95 to build the wood stocked, blued steel level action .30-30 of my dreams. Too bad the SBL isn't blued.
Hodgdon Trail Boss
According to the Hodgdon spokesman at SHOT, they are pushing to have Trail Boss back in stock this year. If the cost is under $40 a bottle, it should still be one of the cheapest plinking loads I have.
Conclusion
If I had to pick any ONE gun from SHOT Show 2025, I think I would walk away with the new Smith and Wesson 629 Mountain Gun. I don't do anything in .44 but I like what it represents. The runner up is the Beretta 80X in .32 ACP with a hope of a threaded barrel for it. As for what would I actually spend my money on knowing that I'll actually use it? The Beretta 20X.
