Henry Rifle Forums

I've found that some shells are physically easier to reload than others .... for me, the easiest are straight wall pistol calibers (examples : 38 special, 357 mag, 44 mag) .... hardest by a wide margin is 300 WBY Mag .... even when properly lubed, the 300 WBY case is a bear to resize

I would think the 50 BMG would be a contender

snell wrote:I would think the 50 BMG would be a contender

I don't doubt that at all ..

The 300 Win Mag was the most physical effort to size I've tried. I could imagine a big belted WBY would be even worse! A 50 cal might not be too bad with a big a** press.

Any case that isnt a straight wall Sorry guys couldnt resisit

I shoot a lot of .30-06. Full length sizing .30-06 cases is a breeze, but neck sizing .30-06 cases with a Redding neck sizing die is very difficult, even with generous lubing. I have tried a Lee neck sizing die, and it works easily. However, the re-sized cases have insufficient neck tension.

I agree that F/l sizing straight walled handgun cases with a carbide die is pretty easy.

I get insufficient neck tension in 30-06 with my RCBS dies. A lee collet style factory crimp die takes care of that.

Pitchman1968 wrote:I shoot a lot of .30-06. Full length sizing .30-06 cases is a breeze, but neck sizing .30-06 cases with a Redding neck sizing die is very difficult, even with generous lubing. I have tried a Lee neck sizing die, and it works easily. However, the re-sized cases have insufficient neck tension.

we use RCBS dies and have no issues with neck tension with any of the 30 calibers we load ===> 30-30, 30-06, 308, 300 WBY .... yesterday (literally) I went to our local Cabela's and purchased a LEE factory crimp die for our 30-30 and 100 rounds of new brass .... our Model 94 was passed down from my Grandfather, I'd bet I haven't fired 10 rounds through it in the last 30 - 40 years .... one of our sons wants to be the 3rd generation to take a deer with it so I dug out the dies and have ordered some Nosler 150 gr Ballistic Silvertips .... I'm looking forward to getting serious about building a load for the 94, that's something I should have done many years ago .... as a side note, because most 30-30's have a magazine tube I figured LEE would have a factory crimp die .... while trying to find it, I came across one for 30-06 .... that came as somewhat of a surprise

Hi JEBAr, Thanks for your reply. I hope you are successful in developing an outstanding hand load for your Grandfather's Model 94 in .30-30. We have a similar heirloom rifle in our family. it is a Savage Model 99 in .303 Savage. It was manufactured in 1903, and was one of my paternal grandfather's rifles. He was a deputy sheriff, and a hunting/fishing guide in Warren County, New York which is about 225 miles due north of New York City in the Adirondack mountains. He guided from 1895 up through 1935. His clients were the "Robber Baron" wealthy industrialists from the New City area.

My Dad told me that one of my Grandfather's wealthy clients gave him the Savage 99 in 1909 as a "tip" following a very successful deer and bear hunt. My Dad got the rifle in 1937 after my grandfather died. My older brother got the rifle in 1976 following my dad's death. My brother gave it to me in 1991. None of my 3 son's are into the shooting sports, although they have all fired the rifle. However, my 3 grandsons are riflemen, and all have fired the Model 99 on many occasions. The oldest of them, who is now 18 years of age, will acquire the rifle within a couple of years.

I shot an 8 point deer using that rifle just 3 years ago in the "black belt" region of Alabama. My most accurate hand load for that rifle is a 180 gr. Hornady RN, Interlock bullet over 29 grs. of Accurate 2520 powder. (Spitzer bullets will not cycle in a model 99.) The round is on the slow side with a velocity of 2,000 FPS, but is accurate. From the bench, I shoot 2" groups at 100 yards.

As far as crimping goes, I do not have to crimp on Model 99 rounds because the Model 99 has an internal, rotary magazine. I do crimp for my Henry BB in .44 Mag because of the tubular magazine. When reloading for my .30-06 rifles, I F/L resize and crimp for the M1 Garand, but for the 4 bolt action rifles, I neck size and do not crimp.