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View Full Version : Where's the 338 Molds?



BABore
07-18-2005, 01:10 PM
Now that I have been bitten by the casting bug I'm starting to check out molds for my other rifles. My 375 H&H doesn't seem to be a problem, but I noticed a severe lack of molds for the 338's. How come? I know that Lee offers a mold, but that seems to be it from Lee, Lyman, RCBS, and Saeco. Now I know that I can order a custom mold from Mnt. Molds or such, but would like a decent stocker to just try out.

I don't really care for the Lee design, or Lee in general. I'm looking for a 250-300 gr GC design with a flat point or metaplat. Want to use it for a plinker and possibily an ocassional deer. Lyman shows some older designs in their cast bullet book, but they're no longer offered. Any suggestions other than custom or Ebay?

Buckshot
07-18-2005, 07:00 PM
.............Well your only options ARE custom or E-Bone. Mountain moulds could do one to your design, using his program. I know it's a popular hunting caliber so there are lots of them around, but getting 25 together for a Lee custom would no doubt be problematic.

Wish I had a better answer.

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

9.3X62AL
07-18-2005, 07:06 PM
I did a little work some years back with the RCBS 200 FNGC in 338 Win Mag, and overall the 33 WCF did better work with the boolit. A heavier (longer) boolit might do better work in the 1-10" twist these rifles come with.

I suspect the reason so few 338 molds exist is that most buyers of the rifle don't shoot them a lot--and when they do, it's with full-bore hunting ammo. I've owned 3 different 338's over the years, all bought used and in very fine shape. I think a lot of buyers get them as elk medicine, and after the first range trip they decide that the 30-06 with 180's wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Your plan with the 338 is a sound one--to expand its usage beyond the usual high-end applications. A few guys here have 338 molds, and might be prompted to send you some samples for test-drives. My mold is gone. The good work done with both cast and jacketed bullets in my CZ in 9.3 x 62 makes it unlikely that I will try the 338 WM again.

bdoyle
07-18-2005, 10:12 PM
NEI has a few designs in 338. I didn't go out looking for a 338 but when I came across a older Ruger #1 sporter I decided a .338 might not be so bad. NEI starts at 200gr up to 283 grs. The 245gr looks interesting but these are all bore riders. I'm not looking for hyperspeed so a borerider might work.

Brian

waksupi
07-18-2005, 10:40 PM
I hunted with a .338 Win Mag for about fifteen years. Then I got into these durned cast bullets pretty seriously. I tried the Lee mold, and couldn't get squat for accuracy, at anything but the slowest of speeds, say 1200 fps or so. I suspect the twist was the culprit. Regardless, since it didn't shoot cast, down the road it went.
I think BruceB is the only one here who has had any good luck with .338's, and I believe some of them have him scratching his head, too. No reason I can see they shouldn't shoot cast well, given the proper twist.

NVcurmudgeon
07-19-2005, 12:38 AM
Ammohead also uses cast in a .338/'06, and I have seen some fine shooting from his rifle at NCBS. Believe he has filled several deer tags with it, too.

Doughty
07-20-2005, 11:15 AM
BABore

I shoot a 30-40 Krag that is blown out to .338. I call it a .33 Krag. I shoot a 220 grain GC bullet from a mold that I made. If you want, I could send you some to try. If you like them, I could make another mold, since I have the cherry. I shoot these out of my Ruger #1 at 2400 fps. I have taken several deer and antelope with it. I started out with soft points, but realized I was wasting too much meat, so now I just use heat treated WW "solids."

waksupi
07-20-2005, 06:14 PM
Old Vic, that .33 Krag sounds interesting! Another project for the future.

I see you're in Plains. You may be interested to know, that there is a gun show the weekend of July 29-31, at the Outlaw Inn, in Kalispell. New show, so I don't know if it will be any good or not.

BruceB
07-20-2005, 06:46 PM
BA, pard;

I'm sorta working with two .338 rifles right now, but what with HOT weather and overtime, not much seems to be getting done.

The older Lyman designs show up once in a while on Ebay, where I bought both 338320 and 33887. The first is just over 200 grains, and the second is 247 in WW. I've been disappointed with both of these so far, but I haven't really had very much experience with them as yet.

My Lee .338-220 actually shoots very well indeed in some loads, even going under one inch for TEN rounds at 100 yards on a couple of highly memorable (and RARE) occasions. My latest .338 mould is an LBT 4-cavity I bought from Anachronism here at Cast Boolits, and it throws 234-grain bullets.

All these are on the light side of 250 grains, and I'd REALLY like to find (or design) a .338 boolit of around 280-300 grains, with a moderate flat point....sorta like a 311041 on steroids, is my idea. That would likely make a rather good bullet in this diameter, I think.

If you'd like some samples of the four designs I have, let me know and I'll get some on the stagecoach.

Doughty
07-20-2005, 09:08 PM
Waksupi, I didn't know about it. Do you have a contact number for tables?

ammohead
07-20-2005, 11:05 PM
Ammohead also uses cast in a .338/'06, and I have seen some fine shooting from his rifle at NCBS. Believe he has filled several deer tags with it, too.

Why, thank you Mr Lose, you are too kind. Truth be known, the last couple of years at Winnemucca have been a bit of a bust for me and the old girl. I guess I have moved on to too many new rifles and calibres and she is a tad bit jealous. Need to give her the proper attention she deserves.

BA, I just may have a copy of what you are looking for. I cannot part with the mould, but I can send you a hunert if you give me an address.

LBT WLN 250 339 After sizing with a lapped out die they measure .340 and a little bit. With FWFL and gas check they weigh 247 gr. They are 1.135" long with a .250 meplat. So far they have taken one mule deer doe. At 1950 fps they went clean through the chest cavity and left an exit wound the size of a 50 cent piece.

Post your addy or send to me at "castnut at msn dot com". With the short neck on the 338wm they will probably stick into the powder space some but any 250 gr boolit will. Steve Zihn did the chamber cast ala Veral and in my 338-06 they kiss the lands and the check is just past the base of the neck.

ammohead

waksupi
07-21-2005, 08:16 AM
Vic, try Scott Cloninger, at the Cycle Haus. 755-0917

TCLouis
07-22-2005, 10:49 PM
My plain-jane Mod 70 shoots the Lee 220 RN (Hornady 200 FN 33 Winnie bullet too) into very small groups with 39.0 grains of M-9 or 3031. 1925 fps as I remember.
I have tried 2 different cast flat nosed bullets in the 200 grain range and NEITHER shot worth a flip!

So much for cast boolit hunter from that gun!!

Lee S. Forsberg
07-24-2005, 12:28 PM
Now that I have been bitten by the casting bug I'm starting to check out molds for my other rifles. My 375 H&H doesn't seem to be a problem, but I noticed a severe lack of molds for the 338's. How come? I know that Lee offers a mold, but that seems to be it from Lee, Lyman, RCBS, and Saeco. Now I know that I can order a custom mold from Mnt. Molds or such, but would like a decent stocker to just try out.

I don't really care for the Lee design, or Lee in general. I'm looking for a 250-300 gr GC design with a flat point or metaplat. Want to use it for a plinker and possibily an ocassional deer. Lyman shows some older designs in their cast bullet book, but they're no longer offered. Any suggestions other than custom or Ebay?

I understand the problem, .338 is not a big seller so the mold makers don't offer 338 caliber. Trying to find a good mold for a 338 caliber unlimited handgun project some years ago was a waste of time. I went to Veral Smith for a 250gr. Gas Checked bullet and it has done very well. Custom might be the only way to get the bullet you need.

Linstrum
07-25-2005, 02:14 AM
Hi BABore: I use the Lee .338 220 grain with pretty good accuracy in my Browning autoloader, but not as you would expect. I get somewhere around 1.5" five shot groups at 100 yards. My first loads with the Lee 220-grainer were the absolute pits even though the Browning uses a 1-12" twist. Then I turned the boolits around backwards. There were some logistics problems to pull it off, though, I had to crimp down the case mouth very slightly with the Lee .338 collet crimper to get the boolit to stay put because the boolit nose is a few thousandths smaller than the base. Then I could only use the autoloader as a single shot because they won't feed at all, and if I'm lucky the bolt cycles just enough to shuck the empty out on top of my right foot. In a bolt rifle of course that won't apply. I seem to recall that I used 70-grains of WC860 (70-grains of H870, AA8700, WC870, WC872 will also work as well), which gave a velocity somewwhere around 1900 fps. Give it a try, I have had pretty amazing results with two or three other boolits loaded backwards as well. But the rest I tried that way were as one would expect - - - !dab nmad ytterP

Good luck!