(I'll start this by saying that I've never seen a 30BR cartridge or case or a 30BR rifle. What follows is the result of an internet search and discussions on several bench rest forums.)

The 30 BR is the most popular cartridge in Cast Bullet Association matches in Heavy and Unrestricted classes. At the 2004 Nationals there were forty competitors, twenty-five shooting in Heavy or Unrestricted. Of these twenty-five, sixteen shot the 30 BR. Three shot the 308 X 1 1/2 Barnes and another shot a 307 X 1 1/2". The 30BR shooters used cast bullets weighing around 200 grains at velocities of 2000 fps or so.

Modern Bench Rest shooters using jacketed bullets (why do they do that?) are using 110-125 grain bullets at 3000 fps and shooting small groups and big scores. If I understand what's going on, the 30BR is taking over from the 6MM PPC in Varmint for Score and Varmint Hunter score benchrest shooting.

In 1961 Frank C. Barnes shortened a 308 Winchester case to 1.5" and gave us the 308 X 1 1/2" Barnes. This case was necked up and down to various calibers including 22, 6MM and 7MM. Remington normalized the 6MM BR with a small primer pocket, and today 6MM BR brass is made by Lapua, Norma and Remington. Remington also produces 7MM BR brass.

The 30BR is a 308 X 1 1/2 Barnes with a small primer pocket. Since the cartridge is a wildcat, dimensions may vary from reamer to reamer and gunsmith to gunsmith.

30BR Case-Forming Procedure by Al Nyhus

The 30BR cartridge is formed by necking-up 6BR or 7BR brass. You can do this in multiple stages or in one pass. Most of the top shooters prefer the single-pass method. You can use either an expander mandrel (like Joe Entrekin does), or a tapered button in a regular dies. Personally, I use a Redding tapered expander button, part number 16307. This expands the necks from 6mm to .30 cal in one pass. It works well as long as you lube the mandrel and the inside of the necks. I've also used the Sinclair expander body with a succession of larger mandrels, but this is a lot more work and the necks stay straighter with the Redding tapered button. This button can be used in any Redding die that has a large enough inside diameter to accept the BR case without any case-to-die contact.

Don't be concerned about how straight the necks are before firing them the first time. When you whap them with around 50,000 psi, they will straighten out just fine! I recommend not seating the bullets into the lands for the first firing, provided there is an adequate light crush-fit of the case in the chamber. The Lapua cases will shorten from approx. 1.550" to around 1.520" after being necked up to 30-caliber I trim to 1.500" with the (suggested) 1.520 length chambers. I don't de-urr the flash holes or uniform the primer pockets until after the first firing. I use a Ron Hoehn flash hole deburring tool that indexes on the primer pocket, not through the case mouth.

Advanced Case Prep, Neck-Turning and Annealing by Joe Entrekin

I do things a little different than Al does. I use a K&M Expandiron, specifically sized to neck up the case in one pass. I recommend you lube the mandrel with Imperial Die Wax or other premium lube. Once the case is expanded, you'll see a bulge or doughnut near the base of the neck. You'll need to turn the cases to remove this bulge. Proper neck-turning is the key to good concentricity. My chambers are .330", so I turn to .328", leaving a .010" neck-wall thickness. I also anneal my cases after expanding and neck-turning.

Component Selection--Brass and Bullets by Al Nyhus

The 30BR cartridge begins as a 6mm BR or 7mm BR parent case. I recommend the Lapua 6BR brass, although the Remington 7BR cases have proven to be excellent as well. The Remington 7BR cases will be smaller .200 ahead of the extractor groove and at the body/shoulder junction than the Lapua and can show a slight bulge after firing. While this does not affect accuracy, it may cause sizing problems in that you are working the brass excessively. I have also had excellent luck with the Norma brand 6BR cases in my 6BR rifle and would expect that they would perform in the 30BR as well. The Remington 6BR cases should be avoided, in my opinion, as they do not exhibit the quality of the Remington 7BR brass. Bottom line--use Lapua brass.

Thanks to Tom Gray, Keith Skjerdal, Dick Groubier, Francis Becigneul, Al Nyhus and Joe Entrekin for their help, advice, writing and pictures.