Need a good hunting boolit for 7mm and 308

[Mustangpalmer1911]

I was wounder if anyone had a recommendation on molds for hunting boolit for 7mm-08 and 308? A little info the 7mm is a Remington model 7 and the 308 is a Remington 798.

[Doby45]

I just got this one for my 308..

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=809994&postcount=1

[white eagle]

I have basically the same one for my 7mm but from Mountain Molds

[NHlever]

I've used most of the popular molds to cast bullets for the .308. These days I would look for a mold that has a body sectioin short enough to keep the gas check in the neck, or very close to it. There are lots of molds like that, but few with the wide meplat you want for hunting. Folks have reported shooting completely through deer with the RCBS 308-150 FN gas check bullet, and that might be a good place to start. I just started using the Lyman 311672 160 grain mold, and it shoots fine, but it seems to be too pointed for hunting use. I have no experience with the 7mm-08......yet.

[1Shirt]

I would suggest 287641 160 gr. Lyman for the 7-08, and either Ranch Dogs 165, or 311041 170 gr. Lyman. For the 641, might want to look at nose softening for hunting. The 30's however have big flat noses and will probably be just fine if not to hard.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Von Gruff]

As 1 Shirt said the Lyman 287641 is a good 7mm boolit. I have been using it for a number of years and it is accurate and effective in mt 7x57. have kills from 20yds out to 185yds so far.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/001-7.jpg

Von Gruff.

[Hurricane]

For 30 caliber the Lyman 311041, RCBS 30-180-FN, or the Ranch Dog TLC 311-165 RF will work very well for you. At 150 grains the RCBS 30-150-FN has been another very good bullet for me. The Lyman and the RCBS molds are carried by all the mold sellers like Midway USA, Mid South Shooters Supply, and Cabellas or you can buy directly from Lyman or RCBS. The Ranch Dog mold can be bought directly from Mr. Ranch Dog at www.ranchdogoutdoors.com (his next batch of 6 cavity molds made by Lee are expected on 03/01/2011). Best of luck and enjoy casting.

[NHlever]

As 1 Shirt said the Lyman 287641 is a good 7mm boolit. I have been using it for a number of years and it is accurate and effective in mt 7x57. have kills from 20yds out to 185yds so far.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/001-7.jpg

Von Gruff.

It is interesting that the shape of that 7mm boolit has killed well for you. The Lyman 311672 that I just startedd using is a very similar shape. What alloy / hardness has worked for you?
I have killed deer with the Lyman 311041, and the 311291, and have had very good luck with them. Using wheel weights, or about a 1-16 mix I've gotten exit holes in soft tissue about the size of a half dollar, or a bit larger. ( double lung, no bone hit) Shoulder shots have produced larger exit wounds of course, but I haven't recovered any boolits yet. I have used them in a 30-30, but in both my 308's they both have to be seated with the gas check quite a bit below the shoulder of the case, and I would like to get away with that. I did shoot some Saeco 180 FN boolits yesterday that are very similar to the Lyman flat nose in shape, and body area, and they shot pretty well with a load grabbed out of the air so I may be concerned about nothing.

Sorry if this is a hijack.

[HangFireW8]

A little info the 7mm is a Remington model 7 and the 308 is a Remington 798.

Just curious, how well is the crown cut on that Model 7? Just a few years back I examined one after another coming in with an eccentric cut crown. It looked good (unlike the 700 PSS) until you realized it wasn't symmetric.

-HF

[Von Gruff]

It is interesting that the shape of that 7mm boolit has killed well for you. The Lyman 311672 that I just startedd using is a very similar shape. What alloy / hardness has worked for you?


I have run it with a 65gn 50/50 nose on a lino shank at 2400+fps and in straight 50/50 at 1900fps

This is the only recovery from a 2400+fps soft nosed load

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/008.jpg

Von Gruff.

[NHlever]

I have very little wheel weight material left so I have been casting a lot with a 1-16 alloy, sometimes with a little birdshot mixed in for the antimony. That is impressive boolit performance in the picture, but I doubt that I am coordinated enough to pull that off with any kind of consistancy....... I'll have to try some of my Lyman 311672 boolits in wet newspaper when it warms up a bit. The water gets pretty stiff quickly this time of year around here.

[Bret4207]

IMO for a hunting boolit a FN always works better, a RN better than a SP. The more point the boolit has, that is the more the boolit is shaped like a spire point jacketed bullet, the less chance it will cause the damage we need at cast velocity. The 7MM is tough to find a FN in, but you can alter the nose shape using a simple jig and file.

I've always felt the Lyman 287308 with a FN would be a good game boolit.

[405]

Have wondered about the Lyman 287641 for a long time. Does anyone have the "as cast" specs for this mold using alloy in 10-15 BHN range of say WW up to Lyman # 2?

Specifically: 1) the as-cast drive band diameter 2) the nose diameter 3) length from base to crimp groove. Thanks in advance.