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View Full Version : Lee TL430-240-SWC - To lap larger or donate to a "friend" ?



Indybear
04-16-2014, 07:31 PM
I bought a TL430-240-SWC 6 banger years and years ago after I had such good luck with a TL358-158-SWC but this mold did not see much action until very recently when I acquired a new SRH. I've tried everything from straight COWWs, up and down the hardness range with BE, HP38, AA#5, Unique, Universal and 2400, lubed with LLA, 45/45/10 or JPW but still no joy in my SRH.

If I'm careful with the alloy and temps I can sometimes get it to drop as large as .431 and if I do not push them much past 1100, accuracy at over 25yards is just okay but not close to other boolits. My SRH seems to like .4305 or larger so .431 should be large enough.

What gives? Should I try to lap it out a little larger or is it likely never going to perform well in my big Ruger? I have a number of other molds that shoot great but they are all 2 bangers.

Wally
04-16-2014, 08:01 PM
I had the DC and I never was impressed with it in my S & Ws or my Ruger Superblackhawk....I sold it. The Lee C429-240-SWC shoots very well for me, but it takes a GC. I have a Freechex tool to make my own. The Lee 429-214-SWC is also very good in my pistols, but not in my USRA carbine....

Indybear
04-16-2014, 08:24 PM
I had the DC and I never was impressed with it in my S & Ws or my Ruger Superblackhawk....I sold it. The Lee C429-240-SWC shoots very well for me, but it takes a GC. I have a Freechex tool to make my own. The Lee 429-214-SWC is also very good in my pistols, but not in my USRA carbine....

My LEE 200 RNFP, 250-KTs and Lee 310-GC all have carbine like accuracy out my 9.5 SRH but these will not work worth a darn.

I may throw some of these made of 50/50 COWW + 1% tin in special brass and send them to my friend to test in his 44 special Taurus.

How fat do your 214-SWCs drop? I'm thinking about a 6 banger in that mold.

runfiverun
04-16-2014, 09:42 PM
the 240 swc does right well in special brass with 4 grs of [your hp-38] 231.
I use this combo for lever gun silhouette shoots.
when I run out of the 2-k boolits I got stupid cheap, I might break down and actually buy the mold.

Larry Gibson
04-16-2014, 10:38 PM
Agree with R5R; the TL 240 gr SWC is a great 44 SPL and 44 SPL +P bullet but not a "magnum" 44 bullet. I load and shoot lots of them Mine, from my 6 holer, drop .431 - .432 with COWW + 2% tin but I mostly cast them softer by adding 50% tin to that and they drop .430 - .431. They shoot just fine sized .430 and lubed with BAC over 8.5 gr Unique in magnum cases out of my FTBH, Colt Anaconda, Hawes SSA and Contender. However I mostly shoot them in 44 SPL cases over 5 gr Bullseye.

Larry Gibson

Indybear
04-18-2014, 05:28 PM
I loaded up 40 unsized, 50/50 COWW + 1%, 45/45/10, CCI 300s, in special brass (all I had) with little over a starting load of BE, HP38 and Unique and sent them to my friend to run in his 44SPL Taurus. He said they all were very accurate out past 25 yards, shot great groups and he wanted more. He said they were even slightly better than the RCBS 250Ks. As soon as I get my brass back (plus a little bonus) I may give them a run in my SRH.

When crimped in the top grove in mag brass these set pretty deep. I wonder if I'm damaging the base slightly and don't know it. I have looked. They are more accurate in my very old and much reloaded thin walled Rem cases.

Indybear
04-20-2014, 09:35 AM
Made one minor change in 44 Mag brass which made a large difference and I have finally gotten some good results with this bullet in SRH. I'm setting them a little longer with the second groove to compensate for the extra long cylinder jump. They look ugly but now I'm getting 1 1/2" groups @ 25 yards with a Ultra dot, 8.5 of Unique, unsized, CCI 300s and JPW. If I push them much harder or slower groups really open up. When I used the upper groove it was hard to hold it on the paper regardless of load.

mdi
04-20-2014, 01:29 PM
My very first mold was the Lee T/L 240 SWC, and I tried it in all my .44s, Special and Magnum. I have found that an alloy fairly soft, with a lot of lead (90%+) and cast with a warm mold and the melt just above liquid, I can get bullets of .431" to .432". I rarely size them (only when I PC them) and shoot them in my Ruger SBH, S&W 629, Contender, and Dan Wesson 44H. And if I load them "long" in Special brass, they will feed in my Puma...

Indybear
04-26-2014, 08:19 PM
mdi - I'm not sure why but with this bullet I'm finding .432 or larger and really soft alloy is required in my SRH. Normally .4305 or larger and 50/50 COWW runs great.

How fast have you gotten these to run? 1,050 is about max for me.

I'm slowly getting better results but nothing close to my 250KT or LEE 310 GC.

I sure love the TL158 SWC in 38/357 but so far no go with this mold for anything but short range high volume plinking.

Boolseye
04-27-2014, 10:43 PM
You can certainly lap it. I lapped a Lee 6-cav once, the TL452-230 RN. They were all dropping just under or right at .452 and I brought them all out about .001. Made a difference. I felt like that mold and profile was worth the effort. What's the general consensus on this mold? If it's so-so, I might hesitate.

If you do decide to lap, I've found that NAPA valve grinding compound worked well for me, lapping bullets turned slowly by hand with sheetrock screws drilled in their bases. Finishing lap was with paste made with comet and water.

I went slow and took careful notes of my progress, and it turned out great. Not something to rush,
-BE