30 cal mold - a blast from the past

[bangerjim]

I have had this 32cal hand-held steel mold for years - my Dad had it B4 I did. It casts a 32cal roundball and a 32cal boolit with no lube grooves.

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I got to thinking, after using my 9mm NLG mold with great success, why would this not make some cool little NLG projectiles for my 30 cal guns?

Well, after casting a bunch up, squeeeeeeeezing them thru my .309 Lee sizing die and powder coating them, I end up with perfectly smooth shiny sides and boolits that weigh in at 98gr (±.1gr) repeatedly. I checked with the Lyman #2 book and found there is load data for a 30-30 115gn lead slug, so I will play around with a few loads of 700X to see what I get in my 30-30.

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The round ball cavity, when pushed thru, forms a round nosed little pill that weight in at 57gn. Should be nice for light RB sneeze loads. Have no idea on accuracy on a round-nose wad cutter.

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Now for some load playing!

After all these many decades, that little old mold is finally getting some use! But those little handles sure get HOT after a while!!!!!!!!! I can just imagine someone sitting around a campfire casting with that little thing back "in the day".

bangerjim

[Eddie2002]

Put those little squeezed down round balls over 3-4 grains of Bullseye and have a ball out to about 30 yds. Been shooting a 100 grain round nose .32 caliber as a plinker in my 30-06 over 5-6 grains of Bullseye and been having a lot of fun with it. It's a lot like shooting a .22 on steroids out to 50 yds.
Real cool mould you have there, any idea how old it is?

[Scharfschuetze]

I wonder if that mould was originally made for a .31 calibre cap and ball revolver?

[bangerjim]

I wonder if that mould was originally made for a .31 calibre cap and ball revolver?

I believe it was, as my Dad came home one day when I was in 4th grade with that mold and a cap & ball revolver! I have never shot it. But the mold has came in handy swaging them down to 30 cal.


banger

[Bullwolf]

Nice looking boolits, and a good job re purposing your fathers old mould.

I'm sure your dad would be proud of your results.


- Bullwolf