Next Mould

[flyingstick]

I guess this is never going to end (as long as there is a lead supply). I want to shoot a light plinking boolit in my 30-30 Marlin. The last two Lee molds I've bought C309-170F & C312-185R have both had to be lapped to shoot good. The C309-170F is now giving me a bullet of 183 gr. in straight WW Which shoots fine after lapping. But I would like to try a lighter Plain Base boolit just for Plinking, It will need a .311 diameter for my micrgroove barrel. Any suggestions? I did'nt find what I was looking for in my searches.

[flyingstick]

I meant to put this in the Mold Section, Sorry bout that.

[Larry Gibson]

Depends on what you mean by "plinking". Plinking to me generally means a light weight bullet in the 800-1100 fps range. I shoot thousands of Lee's TL314-90-SWC in my .30s and .31s. I most often size them .311 for the .30s and .314 for the .31s. In the 30-30, both M94 and TC Carbine I load the .311 sized bullet over 2.7 gr of Bullseye for 820 fps. My bullets are cast of scrap range lead so the bullets are pretty soft but they shoot into 1" at 50 yards all day long. Before you buy the mould get some Hornady .32 swaged lead bullets, size them .311 and try them over the 2.7 gr Bullseye. The Hornady bullet is a ringer for the Lee bullet. I've driven the RSBS 32-098-SWC and the Lee bullet when cast of WWs up to 1100 fps with good accuracy with a little more Bullseye.

For a heavier bullet the Lyman 150 gr PB cowboy bullet shoots very well over 5-6.5 gr of Bullseye. I get the best accuracy when the velocity is right around 1050 fps. With a little slower powder like Unique I get ok accuracy up around 1400 fps but for plinking the much better accuracy of the Bullseye loads is prefered over the increase in velocity.

Larry Gibson

[Buckshot]

..............For a PB you could use the Lyman 311410 which is a 130gr RN. It takes a GC but prolly one of the best is the Lee C309-113F.

...............Buckshot

[Maineboy]

I'll second the Lee "soup can" boolit but having to use a nearly 3 cent gas check seems wrong for a light plinking boolit. Has anyone ever tried that boolit without a gas check?
I once had a bunch of Lyman 311008s given to me, they are a light plain base boolit originally meant for the 32-20. I sized them .311 and tumble lubed them, then tried them in 4-5 different 30 caliber rifles with light charges of Unique. The boolit worked well in all of them and I'm thinking of buying one of those moulds for myself.

[C1PNR]

My drawings show the 311410 as a RN PB and ~ 130 grains. There is also the 311241 in a RN PB and ~ 155 grains, but you don't see many of them around.

Didn't we do a light .30 PB plinker GB recently? Maybe someone has an extra.

[Newtire]

My drawings show the 311410 as a RN PB and ~ 130 grains. There is also the 311241 in a RN PB and ~ 155 grains, but you don't see many of them around.

Didn't we do a light .30 PB plinker GB recently? Maybe someone has an extra.

Hi C1PNR,

Just an opinion here from one who has used different boolits you are talking about. I had absolutely no luck with either the 311410 or the 311041. I had great luck with the RCBS 32-98 sized to .311 and the Lee soup-can. I recently shot the 32 bullet that "Springfield" (on this group) sells. It's a 121 gr. plainbase out of a peestol I was having bad luck with and it shot great. Might give something like that a try. I have had good luck with the ones having more bearing surface I think.