Question on Lyman 311041

[Hickok]

What diameter would the Lyman #311041 be likely to cast with COWW and a little tin?

Also, the RCBS 30-180 FN in COWW plus a little tin. I realize the as cast diameter can be hard to predict, but I read about Lyman and RCBS mold throwing boolits undersize.

Anyone cast with COWW plus tin from these molds?

[Blammer]

That is a $64,000 question.

It's going to be entirely dependant on the mould.

You HOPE it will be about .310 dia.

[Ben]

I can tell you that MY MOLD, cast at .312" with a .3015 " nose with straight air cooled wheel weights .

My mold is well over 30 yrs. old.

What dia another one would cast at is truly a $64,000 question, like Blammer says.

Could range anywhere from .309 " - .314" on the bands ? ? ?

Ben

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0010-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0009-1.jpg

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[Hardcast416taylor]

I always like the inventiveness of the H.P. spike wood handle Buckshot comes up with. On my 3 H.P. jobs he did for me I think he raided a cupboard door knob factory. On yours here it came from somebodys sewing box. It doesn`t really matter a hoot to me where the handle comes from as long as they work as well as the H.P. job Buckshot does to the molds.Robert

[Hickok]

That is a $64,000 question.

It's going to be entirely dependant on the mould.

You HOPE it will be about .310 dia.Blammer you read my mind, it would be great IF they cast at .310 or .311." That is a big "if", and I realize the variations in alloy, casting temps, and casting technique can cause variations.

I guess the only sure way to get known cast size with a given ally is order from NOE, LBT, etc.

[Doc Highwall]

If I recall correctly NOE made them in both a gas check and plain base versions. If you can get a 6 cavity from NOE with three of GC and three PB you will have a great mould. About 7 grains of Unique under a plain base 311041 is like shooting a big 22lr.

[Guesser]

My older Lyman 311041 drops at a consistent .312 with BHN ranging from 8 to 15, doesn't seem to vary as much as a couple other rifle mold I use.

[Larry Gibson]

You should get a minimum size of .311 with COWW + 2% tin and Lyman #2 alloy (what the mould is designed for). My own 311041 is also 45+ years old. It drops those 2 alloys at .312+. A much softer alloy of COWW + 2 % tin and then mixed 50/50 with pure lead (my hunting alloy) at .3115. Since I size them at .311 that is perfect.

The GB 311041 I got a few years back drops them at .315 on the bands with a .303 nose. Makes them good for .31 cals but they really suck for the .30 cals I wanted it for.

Larry Gibson

[Shuz]

If I recall correctly NOE made them in both a gas check and plain base versions. If you can get a 6 cavity from NOE with three of GC and three PB you will have a great mould. About 7 grains of Unique under a plain base 311041 is like shooting a big 22lr.

I have the NOE 30-165RF which is the Ranch dog clone, and quite similar to the 311041. 7g of Unique and the 30-165RF shot a 5 group at 50 meters that measured .408" out of my Marlin 336 .30-30. The Marlin has a 4X Leupold on it. Doc has it right, just like a big .22lr. Velocity was 1145 fps and the SD was 5! My mould has 4C that are gc, an 1 that is PB. The plain based version also shot well previously with 7g of Unique.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have a Lachmiller 311041 mould that I got from somewhere a few years back. I drops at about .3105 with plain WW. as cast the boolits aren't perfectly round but are close enough to size up to .310 most of the time. They will be perfect at .309 but I need them bigger so I have other moulds that drop larger boolits. I am about to start adding Tin to my Wheel Weights per Larry Gibson, and that should enlarge the boolits slightly. ( I think?)

By the same token, these boolits are just fine for any use I would put them to. You don't need sub MOA accuracy to shoot at metal silhouettes with Iron Sights in any .30 cal gun that I have. I use these boolits mostly in my .30-30 any way and it gets shot about 80 times in one year when it is together. It is currently NOT together and resides in pieces on my workbench, and some day I may miraculously get the fore end and butt stock to match colors so I can finish the restoration.

Randy

[geargnasher]

The last .311 Lyman mould I bought cast .308x.3085" with WW alloy +2% tin at the fattest-casting pot and mould temperature I could muster. When I ran it like most of my other moulds (including Pre-2007 Lymans where I normally get at least the advertised diameter) and only used 1% tin it casts around .307". Good luck with yours. Have Tom at Accurate make you one for not a lot more $ and have a guarantee of what it will cast with what alloy you choose.

Gear