Group Buy 311407

[Newtire]

I just got back from the range where I gave my most recently acquired .30-06 a workout. It's an FN Mauser that someone thought was ugly because of it's stepped barrel and beat up appearance I figure so got it cheap. It is a real shooter.

I have been using up some of my 4 lb. can of SR4759 loading the same charge weight with lots of different boolits. The one that stood out as being the most accurate was the 311407 group buy. For a 6-cavity mold to show such uniformity is amazing to me. It has performed well in .30-30 as well as .30-30 Ackley and now this .30-06 and it really get along.

I shot up a bunch of older boolits today and cast a new batch up last night to try some Lars Lube & see if it makes any difference. These were lubed with LLA covered with Felix Lube.

I am now a pistol primer convert also judging by a comparison of groups shot with Win Large Rifle primed loads & Win Large Pistol. The pistol primed groups ran noticably smaller. To me, a 50 yd. 5-shot 1/2" group is a very good one. 3-in a row is almost a miracle. I used a 3X9 Bushnell 3200 (my fanciest scope) and was using all LC 67 + 68 brass trimmed uniformly and lightly Lee Factory crimped.

Only problem I have with that mold is that one cavity won't let go of the boolit unless I rap the handles real good.

[grumpy one]

A few easy questions. First, have you had better accuracy with the 311407 than with 311291? Second, are you lubing the grooves that are outside the cartridge case? Third, have you had any feed-ramp issues regarding the flat nose? My FN Mauser 30-06 military will not chamber the RCBS 150 FN - the sharp edge of the meplat digs into the feed ramp and locks up. I can chamber the Lee 170 grain FN, because it has a slightly smaller meplat - the exact dimension seems to be critical.

[Newtire]

Hi Grumpy,

A few easy answers:

I have alot better luck with this bullet than with the 311291. I will give it another chance in this gun but no luck in a Springfield or a M-70 with the 311291. The nose on mine casts too small.

I have lube in all but 2 of the grooves so yes, the exposed part has some lube on it.
Absolutely feeds perfectly. I haven't tried an RCBS 150 grain but have a Saeco 150 gr. flat-nose that feeds perfectly as well. The meplat is pretty small.

So it goes Question #1=Yes, #2=Yes & #3=No.

I feel pretty lucky to have gotten in on that 311407 and also lucky to have found the FN just sitting there for $250.00. If you get a chance to buy one of those, by all means I would recommend it.
Cheers,
Newtire

[grumpy one]

Thanks Newtire,

I would buy the 311407 mould if I had the chance, but that seems unlikely to happen, unless somebody on this list has one to sell. I already have an FN Mauser 30-06. It's ex-Columbian military, made in 1952, and I'm very fond of it. However accuracy with 311291 varies considerably, from just over MOA to 3 MOA, with the same load (20 grains of SR4759) so it seems like time to try another bullet. It is far more consistent with maximum loads behind J bullets.

I'm surprised you have nose-fit problems with 311291 in the FN Mauser. Mine is 0.299" bore, and the nose of my 311291 measures 0.300". The resident Mauser guy at the local range says FN used the same military Mauser barrels for 7.5 mm and 7.62 mm, and they did it by underboring for 7.62 but letting it be a touch loose for 7.5.

[KevMT]

I have been using the “311407 mod” group buy quite a bit lately in my 30-06 too. With felix lube in all grooves and 26.5g of IMR 4759 it will print a 5 shot group at 70 yards that I can cover with my thumbnail. This is achieved by shooting off a bipod and putting sand bags under the butt of the stock.

This past weekend I decided to test this load out at long range. I found that I was able to hit water filed milk jugs at 200 yards quite easily. However, even the slight 5mph breeze at the pit required some wind doping at this distance. Even at 200 yards I was still seeing a pretty good impact effect on the milk jugs.

I DID have to beagle the mold to get the first two bands above .300 for my rifle. But after doing so the results have been great.

Look out deer!:Fire:

[Newtire]

GrumpyOne,

I am going to give the 311291 another chance but since have been having such good success with the 311407, don't want to leave it so soon. A few more loads I woant to try now that KevMt has chimed in with one. My 311291 is small on the nose but like you said, the FN is also small. A model 70 I have & an older Springfield are bigger and didn't work so hot. Maybe the FN will perform. Another 2 bullets I have that shoot great in that FN are the 311332 and a smallish RCBS 130 gr. spire point. 311332 using 22 gr. SR4759 and 130 gr. RCBS using 18 gr of same powder. I also use a Saeco #298316 ahead of 11.5 gr. Unique for a great plinking load.

[KevMT]

GrumpyOne,

I am going to give the 311291 another chance but since have been having such good success with the 311407, don't want to leave it so soon. A few more loads I woant to try now that KevMt has chimed in with one. My 311291 is small on the nose but like you said, the FN is also small. A model 70 I have & an older Springfield are bigger and didn't work so hot. Maybe the FN will perform. Another 2 bullets I have that shoot great in that FN are the 311332 and a smallish RCBS 130 gr. spire point. 311332 using 22 gr. SR4759 and 130 gr. RCBS using 18 gr of same powder. I also use a Saeco #298316 ahead of 11.5 gr. Unique for a great plinking load.

Newtire

I tried to push the limit up to 29g of 4759 but accuracy quickly progresed from fair to dismal. I figured I had exceeded the velocity limit of the load but was happy to get as high as I did. Later I found that ALL my cast loads in this rifle were performing poorly. I gave it a good cleaning and brought the accuracy back. But now I am wondering if I gave up on the higher loadings too soon? For the time being I will just be glad it is working as well as it is.

Jeesh, now I have to go back and try that 14g Unique + soupcan load again that looked promising but kept dropping flyers out of the group.

KevMT

[Newtire]

Jeesh, now I have to go back and try that 14g Unique + soupcan load again that looked promising but kept dropping flyers out of the group.

KevMT

If you are getting fliers still with the soupcan, might try reducing that charge down to 8-10 gr. Unique and see. Anything over 11.5 gr. Unique and that 150 gr. Saeco and things start spreading in my '06.

[garandsrus]

Newtire,

What are you sizing the 311407 to? Mine drops about .313 or .314 (need to check again) and when sizing them down to .310, the lube grooves mostly disappear.

Thanks,
John

[KevMT]

Newtire: Yep I have a plinkin/gopher load for the soup can consisting of 10g 700x. But I was working on something with a little more smackdown for coyotes. The 14g of unique put 5 of 9 shots in to a ragged 5/8" hole @ 50 yards. 7 went into an inch but the other 2 spread things out to 2". Like I mentioned this is right about the time I found that the gun was starting to foul up. So I really want to revisit this load sometime. The book says I would be getting 1800 to 1900 fps.

garandsrus: You probably allready know this, but if you pan lube and THEN size the lube will prevent the grooves from collapsing.

[garandsrus]

KevMT,

Yeah, I know it but I just don't want to do it... :)

John

[bdoyle]

Garandsrus,
Mine also drop at .314 and I was getting spotty accuracy and smeared lube grooves. I started lubing @.314 and then pushing thru a Lee die @ .310. Lube grooves look better and accuracy in my 30US (c sharps) Highwall really improved. I cast a bunch to test in my '06s. This is a work in process.
Brian

ps... or not...

[0802]

I was finishing up some 31141s for my .307 barrelled Ishapore 2A 308, which I was sizing to 308. The lube grooves on those 311407s all but disappeared. What's the smallest anyone has successfully sized it down?

[garandsrus]

0802,

You could go down to at least .310 if you lube before sizing. As was mentioned, lube doesn't compress, which means that the lube grooves won't get close when further sizing is done after lubing.

John

[Newtire]

Newtire,

What are you sizing the 311407 to? Mine drops about .313 or .314 (need to check again) and when sizing them down to .310, the lube grooves mostly disappear.

Thanks,
John

John,
I am sizing mine to .310" for use in the '06 & also same sizing in my .30-30's.

If you shake them in a little LLA before sizing, maybe the grooves will hold up better. I am thinking that mine drops out at about .312". I have a "Fattest .30" that drops out at about .315". I would go look but am involved in a BBQ at the moment.

[Newtire]

Newtire,

What are you sizing the 311407 to? Mine drops about .313 or .314 (need to check again) and when sizing them down to .310, the lube grooves mostly disappear.

Thanks,
John

HI John again,

I searched an earlier post and this is what I measured back then.

This is from the group buy that got shipped towards the end of 2005.

Mine measured .313" at the widest band.