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collyer
12-24-2011, 12:25 AM
:bigsmyl2:Just bought a weaterby vanguard 30-06. What would be good cast boolit in the 110 grain range and one the 180 grain range. What would be a good load to use. Will be shooting prairie dogs, coyotes and deer along with paper.

x101airborne
12-24-2011, 11:28 AM
I would go with a bore rider for a heavy and something like a soupcan design for the light. I would not waste the time or money on some of the new "off the shelf" lee molds. I just havent been all that impressed with their quality lately. And to tell the truth, I would get the heavy shooting and use it for everything. When you get good enough to wack p-dogs consistently and really know your ranges and drop with that boolit, any deer is an easy shot.

Tatume
12-24-2011, 11:35 AM
The Lee C309-170-F bullet intended for the 30-30 works very well in my 30-06 rifles. Not only does it give excellent accuracy with a good, flat-point bullet, but the mold costs very little.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/574963/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c309-170-f-30-caliber-309-diameter-170-grain-flat-nose-gas-check

Char-Gar
12-24-2011, 12:28 PM
The cast bullet world is full of excellent bullets for your 30-06.

Cast bullet loads are not high velocity and I see no reason to go with a light bullets for small critters and a heavier bullets for larger critter. Why not stick with the same load and get to know it like the back of your hand. The longer and heavier bullet will keep it's velocity better than the shorter and lighter one. A good man with a rifle and a good cast bullet with decent sectional density can reach way out there for the prairie dogs.

A good deer bullet is the RCBS 180 FN. It will cast out at 190 grains and is deadly on deer and no prairie dog will walk away either. At cast bullet velocity recoil is not a factor as it is with jacketed bullets at higher velocity, So a day of PD shooting won't do you in.

runfiverun
12-24-2011, 02:57 PM
no mention of the throat in any of this. i am ashamed.....
just getting any old boolit mold will not work as intended.
there is a reason why there are different profiles.
i have the rcbs 165 silhouette used in the 30-40 krag and in my 308
the rcbs 150 fngc [probably the best all around mold i have for the 30 cals] has less nose length and more bearing surface. used in the 30-30's but is the best shooting in the wifes 0-6, won't chamber in my 308.
a nei loverign design in 165 grs [works best in my 340a and will work in some of the 311 cals pretty decent in my girls 7.7 jap with an alloy and sizing change]
the 311041 ehh [newest of the bunch] it'll find it's nitch but i use it to 300 yds in the 1918 it might do well in one of the 30-30's or the krag won't chamber in either the wifes 0-6 or 308 except the 1918.
and 314299 big nose [.304] longer bodied than the rcbs 165 silh but can be sized to 310 mainly used in the argie.
so asking for a mold recommendation without having a clue to the cut of the throat is like asking which 5 molds should i try first.

leadman
12-24-2011, 03:09 PM
The 113gr Lee boolit is great in the M-1 carbine but is not a good long range boolit. I would not go lighter than 150grs, with the RCBS 150-30-SP bring a great boolit if you can find a used mold. The Lyman 311041 which is designed for the 30-30 does great in all of my 30 cal. guns. This is a flat nosed design so will kill game better then the RCBS 150-30-SP which is a semi spitzer style.

I have used the 311041 in military matches and it shoots great. The Lee molds do have their problems at times but I think the quality has improved recently. The price is right also.

You will need a gas checked design if you are interested in mid to high range velocities.

collyer
12-24-2011, 06:12 PM
Great information . Thanks so much. I would have sure wasted time and money.

Ben
12-24-2011, 06:18 PM
Would be nice if you could get 20 or so bullets from 5 or 6 popular designs and try them out. Do you have anyone close to you that cast .30 cal. cast bullets ?

That would give you the ability to take " sample lots " to the range and actually test them in your own rifle. That should give you an indication of what you rifle likes and doesn't like.

Beats buying molds and finding out that they are near worthless in your particular rifle.

Listen to runfiverun !

Shooter6br
12-24-2011, 06:26 PM
Just got a sporterized M1917 "American Enfield" made June 1918 Eddystone Pa. It was sporterized with a 20 in barrel. Still weighs close to 9 lbs. i use a Lee 160 g TL for 7.62x39mm sized to .311, i use 13 g Unique . Nice at about 1600fps.

richhodg66
12-24-2011, 06:48 PM
The 311284 is teh most accurate bullet in my .30-06. The Lyman recommended load of SR4759 (22 grains if I remember right) shoots as accurately as any jacketed bullet load does.

The 311291 and 311041 are good too and more versatile since they weigh a little less. I used a 31141 on a deer this year and it killed as well as any centerfire rifle I've ever used, granted the range was short, but I think it would be a great all around choice.

LAH
12-24-2011, 06:50 PM
Just got a sporterized M1917 "American Enfield" made June 1918 Eddystone Pa. It was sporterized with a 20 in barrel. Still weighs close to 9 lbs. i use a Lee 160 g TL for 7.62x39mm sized to .311, i use 13 g Unique . Nice at about 1600fps.

Every time you show that rifle I get a little green.

BruceB
12-24-2011, 06:58 PM
I agree 100% with Chargar.

His reasoning is PRECISELY the basis for my obtaining a 4-cavity NOE mould for the 311284 bullet. This design weighs over 200 grains in wheelweight alloy, and when loaded to a tad over 2000 fps it offers a fair duplication of the SERVICE LOAD used in the .30-40 Krag rifle.

I'll say right now that I would hunt anything in North America with a Krag and service-level ammunition. I'd even say that I'd do it with CAST bullets, as long as I could use my cast softpoints for the job.

That 311284 would be my go-to bullet for ANY .30-caliber rifle from .308/7.62 NATO right on up. For similar reasons, my NOE 316299 will provide the standard bullet for .303 loads.....similar weight, similar speed, and similar duplication of the original .303 service load.

Pick one all-round design (in cast circles, that means HEAVY for caliber) load it, learn it, use it. You'll be well-repaid, and also the experience will be rewarding.

Ben
12-24-2011, 11:42 PM
BruceB :

Re: NOE 311284

You speak the truth, I could not agree more..........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0176.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0182.jpg

GabbyM
12-25-2011, 01:31 AM
There's a lot to be said for one load for a rifle. IIRC I've three different rifles in my case at the moment which I’ve no idea what load there scopes are zeroed for. One has an orange sticker on the scope as a reminder what It’s zeroed to. Except I forgot what it means.

obssd1958
12-25-2011, 02:19 AM
... One has an orange sticker on the scope as a reminder what It’s zeroed to. Except I forgot what it means.

I'm right there with 'ya!!!





:drinks:

collyer
12-25-2011, 07:21 PM
Holly smokes, people thank you so much for the information.This is truly the sight that helps people out with information. Again thank you!!!!!!

9.3X62AL
12-25-2011, 07:58 PM
"Heavy for caliber" is good advice, for certain. I'll be exploring the utility of a new-to-me 30-06 in greater depth than was possible last year. I've had decent work from 06s previously (2 Wins and a Rem, all bolters), but the Husq Mauser now being discussed is a bit different. Its dimensions are VERY proper--.3085" throat of shallow depth, .308" grooves, and .300" lands/4 rights about 1/2 groove width. The prior examples were a mite slack in that regard......311" throats in them all, 301"-302" lands, .309"-.310" grooves. I'm starting over, in other words.

On one of the few days I've had at home since October, I was fossicking around out in the Reloader Habitat last weekend and stumbled upon a cache of #311284s I gleaned from a friend's mould a while back, and these will figure highly in the Husqy shakedown cruise. Other participants will include Lymans #311291 and #311041, but the #311284 and a Lee 200 grain bore rider will be first in line. Early work with the Lee 200 showed promise this past summer.

It would be A BUNCH OF FUN to use these castings on varmints this Spring. Just for the sake of factuality......200 grainers running 1800-1900 FPS will push back just a bit.

sundog
12-25-2011, 08:00 PM
Collyer, first, are you related to the family that produced the 'famous?' 'Collyer brothers'? I'm asking because that name spelling is not as common as some others.

Next, you have the right place for cast boolit info for the ought six. I tend to stay heavy for military bolt matches, but the '06 is capable of fine accuracy out a long ways.

My best loads are 180ish-200ish gr boolits over 20-21 gr 4227 for about 1650 fps. Work really good at 100 and 200 yds. Just gotta play with it to get the best loads.

collyer
12-25-2011, 09:02 PM
Sundog,
Actually, Collyer is a town that I lived in for years in northwest Kansas before I moved to Nebraska. I was told it was named after a general by that name, so I was told.

Right know I am thinking about a 180 grain . I am leaning towards a accurate mold since I have had such good luck with his molds. I am sure I will more than one mold as always.

Centaur 1
12-25-2011, 10:13 PM
I bought the Ranch Dog TLC311-165-RF to use in my Marlin 30-30, my boolits weigh 174 grains. I loaded some in 30-06, and I found that using 30 grains of Reloader 7 is really accurate in my Remington 700.

Mk42gunner
12-25-2011, 11:27 PM
In my experience, the advice to go with a heavy boolit is spot on. My Mauser with a 7.62mm Parker hale barrel shoots the Lee 312-185 about twice as accurate as it does a light plinking load with a 120 grain plain based boolit from a group buy ran about six years ago. That may or may not be because of the gas check, but I don't really want to try the Lyman 311316 in it either.

Heavy boolits for the .30-06 that I would try first: depending on throat diameter Lyman 311284, (older molds are marked 308284, but mine drops at .311" anyway). The Lee 312-185 shoots well in my 17 Enfield, but is a round nose. The previously mentioned RCBS 30-180-FN should do everything you want.

I am pretty much a one gun one load person when it comes to rifles, unless a light plinking load will shoot to the sights when set for the real load.

Robert

waksupi
12-26-2011, 02:30 AM
My thoughts on cast boolits, is always heavy for caliber. For a .30-06, that means I would be looking at a 200-220 gr. boolit for the tops in accuracy and long range performance.
Just my dos centavos.

HARRYMPOPE
12-26-2011, 02:46 AM
the ideal 3118 or modern Lyman 311008 will group surprisingly well to 100 yards with 5-6g of bulls-eye.Cheap shooting.

george

Shooter6br
12-26-2011, 10:12 AM
Nice Ed Harris article http://home.comcast.net/~gavinsw/guns/castbulletmilitaryrifle.pdf

MT Gianni
12-26-2011, 01:20 PM
I like the RCBS 180 fp for general shooting. I have had good luck with the Lee 113 fp for rabbits, and general plinking in the 308. It holds up well @ 100 yards and even @ 300 if you can live with an 18" drop.

Throwback
12-26-2011, 07:07 PM
Love the 311284 for all around use and hunting. For hunting, ie. more than 2,000fps, H4895 is a good place to start in some rifles but seems to do best with a filler. I have been using IMR 4831 and 7828 lately with better results.

Love any weight bullet from 175 to 220 grains over 13 gr Unique for target use in the '06. The quoted load with SR4759 above will work nearly as well (and is faster) and so too 25 gr of Accurate 5744. Best target results so far using 13 gr Unique are with an old IDEAL 311413 180 gr, but 311041 is about as good. I have been able to get inch-groups reliably in a few rifles at 100 yards with this load. I don't expect to do as well with heavier loads.

Larry Gibson
12-26-2011, 07:31 PM
I use the lee TL314-90-SWC, tumble lubed then sized .314 then .311 fo ruse in .30 cals including the '06. I load it over 3.2 gr Bullseye for 850 - 900 fps with excellent accuracy for plinking, small game hunting and gallery shooting.

I prefer the RCBS 30-150-FN or the GB 312-160-WFN with Unique at 1500 - 1600 fps for medium game and informal target shooting to 200 yards. However, some good loads for small game can be had with the 311316 and for target shooting with the 311356.

A 311041HP is used for hunting. I load it over medium to slow burning powders to 2000+ fps. While I use and prefer the Lyman bullet I've found the other makes of 170 - 180 gr FN similar bullets do as well. I cast them soft and HP them also. All give excellent accuracy and terminal ballistics to 200 yards.

For formal target work to 500-600 yards I always found the heavier bullets, with Lyman 311299 to be the best bullet, while pushed with slower burning powders to 2100 - 2200 fps. While 311284 is also excellent it does not have the BC to carry well at those distances. The scrape groove is also a weak point in the 311284s design. The 311299 has a good enough BC so that it will stay sonic to 600 yards and it can be pushed a bit faster than the 311284 while maintaining accuracy as it doesn't have the scrape groove. Nothing wrong with the 311284 or similar designs if velocities are kept under 2000 fps, preferably under 1900 fps for best accuracy, for shooting out to 300 - 400 yards.

Larry Gibson

HangFireW8
12-27-2011, 10:44 AM
Just got a sporterized M1917 "American Enfield" made June 1918 Eddystone Pa. It was sporterized with a 20 in barrel. Still weighs close to 9 lbs. i use a Lee 160 g TL for 7.62x39mm sized to .311, i use 13 g Unique . Nice at about 1600fps.

Wow, I did a double-take on those pics. I have a sporterized Springfield 1903a4 that came to me with a stock exactly like the one pictured. I think it was a Bishop stock but can't be sure. The story I got when I picked up the rifle is that it was sporterized in the 1960's by gunsmith Odgen Knight (spelling?). (I would never hack an original a4!)

It now wears new wood, and a new barrel for that matter (though I still have the original, it strings when heated). I may have some pics I can dig up if yer interested.

Anyway, agree on heavy for weight, if worried about throat fit just go for the largest nose boolit you can find.

-HF