7-30 Waters

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Recently got a single shot rifle chambered in this. I now have dies, bought 50 rounds of new Starline brass and ran them through a sizer last night (this is the only Starline .30-30 brass I own hoping to avoid any mistaken identity), even fireformed one case, turned out good.

Not a lot of cast data for this one out there. This will be strictly for paper punching and since it's a single shot, no worries about bullet nose shape. Among the other dies I have a Redding neck sizer die and plan to use that once all brass is fireformed.

A few years ago, I impulse bought and fell in love with a 93 Mauser sporter in 7x57, so have several molds. The one I use the most is that "soup can" one Midsouth sold as a special run, but I have a few others. Seems like bullet weights for this one are all on the light to medium weight for 7mm bullets.

Any suggestions on where to start?
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I have had a couple Contender bbls and like the caliber allot. I still wish H&R single shots where so chambered.

I looked for one myself but wont pay the 400+ $$ for a barrel!!!

I picked up brass and never sold my dies off. ;)

CW
 

Rick H

Well-Known Member
I have a Contender Carbine with 22" Bullberry barrel that I hunt with. I mainly use Speer 130 or Nosler 120gr. spitzers. Loaded over WW748 powder. I use WW 30-30 to form cases.

I used to use Remington bulk Jkt. 140 gr bullets for fireforming but purchased the Lee Soup can mould. The bullets weigh 135gr. checked, powder coated, and BLL'ed. I was pleasantly surprised that the fireforming load made nice round 2" or better groups at 50 yds. with no load development at all.

From my experience with fireforming, case annealing will be your friend. I was annealing after fireforming and losing a case or two during the FF process. I started annealing after sizing down to 7mm and before FF and it seems to have cured the problem. Without annealing I was losing cases to neck splits.
 

Joshua

Taco Aficionado/Salish Sea Pirate/Part-Time Dragon
I don’t have a 7-30 waters. But I just got a 7mm-08 and have picked up a few molds for it. So this thread is of interest to me.

I just screen grabbed this image. Apparently it’s from the 2000 Yellow front Thompson Center Contender manual.
9806AEED-41EE-43A6-A9E7-B21C0367586A.jpeg
 

Ian

Notorious member
Looks pretty close to .30-30 charges with 170-grain bullets.

My general recommendation is use jacketed data for the same weight bullet, but you may not want to push your cast bullets that fast. 9 grains of Unique or 14 grains of 2400 should also be good starting points.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
I have a 7×6.8 SPC . 8.5 twist , 20" barrel , I run it about 40-42kpsi with cast . With a 120 Sierra FBSP . It did about 50 fps more than the 6.8 might have been the rifle or components .

My bug has been getting a good pairing of nose and body to fit the long throat , the 7mm-168 pours an under sized nose for the lands .

I don't work well with the soup can maybe it's technique .........much above mid Unique it falls apart . The 284 130 Lee that is .

I did run a bunch of 27-130 FP to food effect .
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I have a Contender Carbine with 22" Bullberry barrel that I hunt with. I mainly use Speer 130 or Nosler 120gr. spitzers. Loaded over WW748 powder. I use WW 30-30 to form cases.

I used to use Remington bulk Jkt. 140 gr bullets for fireforming but purchased the Lee Soup can mould. The bullets weigh 135gr. checked, powder coated, and BLL'ed. I was pleasantly surprised that the fireforming load made nice round 2" or better groups at 50 yds. with no load development at all.

From my experience with fireforming, case annealing will be your friend. I was annealing after fireforming and losing a case or two during the FF process. I started annealing after sizing down to 7mm and before FF and it seems to have cured the problem. Without annealing I was losing cases to neck splits.
That's interesting. I have a bunch sized but not yet primed, think I'll anneal them before I do anything else. Waiting on scope rings to get here anyway.

I think I'm going to like this cartridge.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I have no experience with the 7-30 Waters in any arm. I was a rapt student of its development by Ken Waters, and watched as the ammo- and gun-makers supported it in rather lukewarm fashion. I did not sell and rifles or barrels in the caliber during my FFL years, in fact I never had anyone ask about it. To me it seemed like an upgrade for leverguns from the 30/30 and 35 Remington, but the locals mostly ran (and still run) leverguns in 30/30 and bolt rifles in 30-06 (and a few 308s). For locals, the 7-30 was too far outside their comfort zone.
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Yes, the whole idea of trying to make '94 Winchesters and such into a plains rifle does seem like an answer looking for a question, but it sure seems like in a single shot, it ought to make a neat cartridge. Any better than .30-30? Probably not, but I do enjoy messing with different things.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
I did tell my Smith that if the 7×6.8 became too much I had the option of 30 Rem or Carcano brass formed to 7-30 rimless . As it turned out the reamer was a little fat and 35 Rem might pass too . It could be loaded to the start end of the 7-08 . I think you would be pleased with a 150 and a case full of I4350 . I'd expect 23-2400 fps if twist doesn't kill it . Paper only though I guess lino isn't a problem . Pressures should be about the as jax owing to the extra bullet length in the case .
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I have a 7×6.8 SPC . 8.5 twist , 20" barrel , I run it about 40-42kpsi with cast . With a 120 Sierra FBSP . It did about 50 fps more than the 6.8 might have been the rifle or components .

My bug has been getting a good pairing of nose and body to fit the long throat , the 7mm-168 pours an under sized nose for the lands .

I don't work well with the soup can maybe it's technique .........much above mid Unique it falls apart . The 284 130 Lee that is .

I did run a bunch of 27-130 FP to food effect .
Interesting caliber!
I want to like the 6.8.... Just never ventured into the .277. But I am well invested in 7mm... ;)
Im kind of loosely, looking for another AR caliber. I happen to have a good quantity of 6.8 brass.
CW
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Well it was a weird thing we had a 6.8SPCII reamer and a 7-30 to finish the neck and throat ...... The 7-30 has a smaller neck OD than that reamer so we ended up with a standard 7mm throat reamer to finish it . It was odd to be sure never had a tight neck , 285 PP , .2855 cast . Just a note a 141 gr PP drops primers at about 2380 fps in LRP RP brass so do be sure to weigh your 27-130 FP to be sure of it's true weight .