Hunting with Mosin Nagant, which mold???

[mikeyman]

Hi all, I picked up a pristine mosin that slugs at .312. I would like to use it for deer and black bear and moose within 200 yards. I was wondering if anyone has actual experience hunting with a mosin using a lyman 314299? I want a heavy boolit that I can size around .314 but I would rather have a boolit with a meplat on it. Is there a mold you like specifically for hunting using a mosin? I did see a post where a member used a hp drill? to turn the 314299 into a hp but I don't understand how that is done. Thanks for any input.

Mike

[Noffsinger]

I use this bullet for feral pig, mule deer, and elk. The lack of meplat has not hindered the performance in any way.
My alloy throws a .3132" bullet and I size to .312" with RCBS gas checks and Lyman Super Molly and Lyman Alox lube, ( melted and mixed at a 1:1 ratio then poured into my Lyman #45 ).
My load gives me 2175 fps over the chrono, and has not failed to produce clean one shot kills with good shot placement.
98983 This is my rig.
98984 Loaded and fired rounds.

[runfiverun]

he used a forster that holds the round in alignment and drilled the tip of the boolit.
if you could find an oversized 311041 it would be a good option.
you are looking for something that makes 314 on the body and 304-305 on the nose.
if you have an idea of the throats shape that would narrow down your search quite a bit.
if it's long and tapered I'd look at this.
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-200H-D.png
and change the diameters to suit your needs.
if it's cut more square with a slight leade in [like a factory hunting type rifle]
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-200R-D.png
this is more like what I'd go with and double check the major diameters to suit my rifle.
you'll also want to make sure the mold is cut to your alloy, this will insure minimal sizing when seating the gas check.

[fatnhappy]

What the heck is a pristine Mosin? I've never seen such a beast.
In all seriousness my first and last load ever tried in my "uglier than a fat chick at closing time" mosin was the 314299 which casts an honest .314" I size through a Lee .314 die just to bump the outside a tiny scooch. I lube and check in an oversized lyman die. In neck sized brass with the harris load it'll shoot 1" groups at 50 yards. That's pretty fine shooting for a $69 lump of ugly. The 7.62 x 54 isn't a bad cast caliber at all. The .303 brit, nagant and .30-40 we're all designed about the same time, with the same purpose and same results. Someday I wouldn't mind trying any of the three in a top shelf single shot.

As for hollow pointing, there's a couple methods and some stickies here that can help you. I may suggest you leave the nose unadultered. I've tried hollow points on deer with heavy weight .30s. They're really not necessary. I'm not at all adverse to a flat meplat of reasonable diameter. Altering cast boolits for a flat isn't particualrly difficult either.

[mikeyman]

Thanks for the information guys I think I'll stick with that Lyman mold and leave it unaltered for my first tests.