A Savage 340 in 30-30 followed me home today

[waco]

Out buying a new refrigerator today and swung into my LGS next door to Lowes. Not really looking to buy anything. On the used rack I saw a well used rifle that just earlier today I was reading a bit about in the CB site. A Savage 340 in 30-30. Some bluing is gone in spots, the stock has more than a few nicks and dings but the action locks up tight and after an hour or so of scrubbing, the bore, to my delight, is in mint condition. Bright and shiny with deep rifling. This rifle has receiver sights. The maker I'm not sure of??? I don't see any markings. I thought a bolt gun in 30-30 screams cast bullets. The two guys working the counter both gave me the deer in the headlights look when I attempted to tell them my plan for my new rifle. Oh well. The price was right and it was actually MRS. Waco's idea to bring it home. I really don't know anything about these rifles if anyone wants to enlighten me. But for $159 out the door, I was pretty excited about my purchase. The gun was filthy inside and out. I got most of the junk off of her. She has been neglected but is in a good home now. So. Time for a little reloading. I have lots of molds to choose from fo this one. Here are some pics.
Waco

 

[Ben]

Rifle looks great.
I'd be tempted to remove the two screws holding the
rec. sight and spin then in a drill and " clean up " the heads and re-blue.

Wouldn't take long and would really help the looks.

Great looking rifle.
The 30/30 in my opinion is a fantastic .30 cal. cast bullet cartridge.
You want your $$$ back ?
I once owned a 340 that would take the Lyman 31141
and shoot a 5 shot group measuring 1.5 " at 100 yards on any day.

Ben

 

[waco]

Thanks for the input Ben. I'm loading up some rounds now. Prepping brass actually. I have a Lyman 311041 mold. Maybe I'll start there.

 

[RicinYakima]

The rear sight is a Lyman #55 specific to the Savage / Springfield 325/340 series with the odd angled screw holes. That is a premium Dorkenhoff front sight, by the way. Good buy, try 14.0 grains of 2400 with Ben's choice of bullet for a great plinking load.

 

[waco]

The rear sight is a Lyman #55 specific to the Savage / Springfield 325/340 series with the odd angled screw holes. That is a premium Dorkenhoff front sight, by the way. Good buy, try 14.0 grains of 2400 with Ben's choice of bullet for a great plinking load.

Ric. Thanks for the input! I'll try the 2400 load. I see a screw for windage.I assume the cam lever just gets loosened to adjust for elevation?

 

[waco]

I'll try the Lyman 311041 and the Lee 312-155-2R
Both sized to .311" lubed with a mix of BAC and 2500
I'll also roll them in BLL

 

[Ian]

My memory is a little fuzzy, but I think you can tell the era of production by the Chicopee Falls place of manufacture, which was the location of Stevens when Savage acquired them. Did the dealer find a serial number? I have two Savage 219s in the same caliber, one made in Utica, NY and one in Chicopee Falls, and are both outstanding shooters. If the bore near the muzzle and the crown are good, you'll have a great shooter. You might want to cast that chamber and throat because most of the Savage chambers I've seen have virtually no throat whatsoever, just a faint bevel at the end of the abruply-ending chamber which leaves the lands so sharp that they will literally carve out the engravings on the bullet.

 

[waco]

No serial number....

 

[Ian]

Probably made in the decade of 1950-60. Funny how that was a "cheap" rifle then, and a treasure today.

Did you find a good refrigerator too?

 

[freebullet]

Nice find at a price you can't ignore. Hope it shoots well.

 

[waco]

Got the fridge....at almost six times the cost.....

 

[JWFilips]

Man, What a find! I want one

 

[KHornet]

I have had 3 of them. One drowned in the Chena River in Alaska, (I almost drowned with it). The second a guy offered me way more than it was worth, and I sold it (and wish I haden't). The third was in 222, and I killed a deer in Wash state with it, over 40 years ago, and forget where it went. the 30-30's shot the 150 gr lee better than any other bullet if I remember right.

 

[35 shooter]

That was quite a deal at 159.00 with the peep sight on it too!
My brother has an old savage bolt in 222. with the barrel band.

I would love to find one like yours in 30/30. His shoots cast 1" and less at 100 yds. Usually much less than an inch.

 

[fiver]

the peep sight is worth almost the price you paid for the rifle.
good luck finding a load the rifle won't shoot.
I use a nei loverign design and the rcbs 30-150 fngc [surprise]
I have only had good luck with the 311041 in 2 applications, one is the 03A3 and the other is in my model 94 on top of 34grs of milsurp 4831.
24.5grs of aa-2230 has been a favorite do all load for shooting everything from bunnies to bucks in the 30-30's.
I have gone up to 27 just for the fun of it but settled on the 24.5 so I could keep the powder dump set in the same place and just swap it over to the other Dillon 550 for my jacketed 223 AR rifle load.

yes I load my cast 30-30 loads on the Dillon, I load my 308 cast boolit loads on the same machine.

 

[Ranch Dog]

My first deer rifle in the early to mid-sixties! We didn't buy new rifles when I was young, and mine was a beater that shot well. I used it in trade on a Mossberg 800A chambered in 308 Win when they came out. A new rifle!

Bought another about a decade ago but let it go when someone wanted it worse than I.

Very good find at a great price. Love the Lyman #55!

 

[Brad]

Hey Waco, is it just me or are a few of the checks on you Lee bullets a bit crooked? Lube band above checks look a bit longer on one side than the other.

That rifle has some great potential. Nice find and what a great price too.

 

[Ranch Dog]

Hey Waco, is it just me or are a few of the checks on you Lee bullets a bit crooked? Lube band above checks look a bit longer on one side than the other.

That rifle has some great potential. Nice find and what a great price too.

Sure enough. What brand of check are they or did you punch them yourself? The cup walls don't look quite even.

 

[waco]

I think they are Gator checks. I didn't catch that.

 

[KHornet]

Keep us up dated on your results of shooting your little jewel.