Bonjour Messieurs,
your experience in wildcats will be helpful to me: Nowadays in Europe, many old military rifles are rechambered in 30-284
( 7.5 mm French MAS, 7.5 Swiss, 7.62 Russian) thus they become legal for shooters and hunters.
I know that case capacity of the 30-284 and the 30-06 is the same. We have reloading tables with french powders for the 30-06 but not for the 30-284.
My questions: Can we reload safely the 30-284 according to the tables of 30-06 ?
Are the pressures increased by the different shoulder angle and the shorter column of powder ?

30-06 data should work fine, with the usual warnings: start low and work up slowly, etc.
Some of the rifles rechambered for the 30-284 may have been originally designed to handle modest pressure levels with their original cartridges, so I wouldn't try for near magnum performance.

Thank you very much for your advice, Jack.
Faber

Faber,

Nice to have you here. If you have access to a chronograph (measure bullet velocity) then you can easily tell if your loads are about the same as they would be for the .30-06. That is probably the best indication if you are getting similar pressures.

Also, if you can get a fired .30-06 case, then compare the capacity in water to the capacity of a .30-284 case. Same capacity, load data should be the same.

Just a few suggestions to help you load for your wildcat.

Let us know how it goes.

MikeG,
"merci beaucoup" for your reply and your suggestions. I have already compared the case capacities (.30-06 and .30-284) by filling both with ball powder. They are very, very close. I prefer this method instead of water, because it does not wet the scale. Even thought the maximum pressure of the .30-06 and that of the 7.5 mm MAS is the same (3500 bar, 50750 psi), I must be careful because the chamber walls are slightly thinned down by rechambering. I intend to start at 10 % below the given data and work way up little at a time, watching velocities like you suggested to me, and signs of pressure on the primer. I own a Prochrono chronograph (Competition Electronics, Inc. Rockford, IL. 61109) and I'll let you know my future results, in this forum.
FABER

Faber,

Nice to have you here. If you have access to a chronograph (measure bullet velocity) then you can easily tell if your loads are about the same as they would be for the .30-06. That is probably the best indication if you are getting similar pressures.

Also, if you can get a fired .30-06 case, then compare the capacity in water to the capacity of a .30-284 case. Same capacity, load data should be the same.

Just a few suggestions to help you load for your wildcat.

Let us know how it goes.

MikeG,

I have done a few trials. With 51gr of Vectan tubal 5000 (listed in my data at the same burning rate than IMR 4895 or Alliant RL 15) and 150gr pointed boat tail bullets, I get an average 2788 feet/s (850 m/s) with 16 f/s standard deviation (5 m/s). Not so bad from a short barrelled MAS 36 (19 inch). According to my 30-06 data, with 52 gr of the same powder and the same bullet weight, I could get 2936 f/s, with 43500 psi, but from a 24 inch barrel, of course. I must say also that all my speed measurements are done at 20 feet from the bench, since my first chronograph died in a nice tiny smoke cloud 2 years ago, being badly shaked by big magnum muzzle blasts at 10 feet, I guess.

faber

MikeG,

I have done a few trials. With 51gr of Vectan tubal 5000 (listed in my data at the same burning rate than IMR 4895 or Alliant RL 15) and 150gr pointed boat tail bullets, I get an average 2788 feet/s (850 m/s) with 16 f/s standard deviation (5 m/s). Not so bad from a short barrelled MAS 36 (19 inch). According to my 30-06 data, with 52 gr of the same powder and the same bullet weight, I could get 2936 f/s, with 43500 psi, but from a 24 inch barrel, of course. I must say also that all my speed measurements are done at 20 feet from the bench, since my first chronograph died in a nice tiny smoke cloud 2 years ago, being badly shaked by big magnum muzzle blasts at 10 feet, I guess.

faber

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck!

Yup, allowing for barrel loss the figures pretty well shake hands in the velocity department.

Sorry to hear of the chronograph demise - usually, 10 ft is sufficient distance to soften muzzle blast effect. Mine gets set at 15 ft for insurance against such happenings. Had a few qualms this morning when shooting a black powder pistol over the chronograph - could just imagine all sorts of problems with the muzzle blast and unburnt powder. Taped some clear tape over the sensors and never had a bit of a problem..

Yup, allowing for barrel loss the figures pretty well shake hands in the velocity department.

Sorry to hear of the chronograph demise - usually, 10 ft is sufficient distance to soften muzzle blast effect. Mine gets set at 15 ft for insurance against such happenings. Had a few qualms this morning when shooting a black powder pistol over the chronograph - could just imagine all sorts of problems with the muzzle blast and unburnt powder. Taped some clear tape over the sensors and never had a bit of a problem..

Hi Kdub,
I tried the clear tape over both sensor slots. The simplest ideas are often the best. It doesn't prevent from the muzzle blast vibrations of course, but from the unburnt powder and dust on windy days. It works.
Thanks.

Faber