Looking for suggestions on molds and loads

[duckey]

So I am putting together a decent Midway order and I'd like to add a few molds to the cart. I have an older (1981 ish) Rem 700 .30-06, a CZ 500 American Safari Magnum in .375 H&H, and a 1960's era Winchester .30-30. I have been reloading for these calibers with J-words and using RL-15 with great results (100 yard target shooting). It has been a goal to cast for these calibers...so here I am...I'd like to NOT buy a different powder(s) (if I can help it) to load with cast boolits. Unless RL-15 is to fast burning for cast. I'll mention that I have a Lyman Cast Boolit Handbook as well as two small guides for casting .30 cal and big bore stuff as well in my Midway shopping cart. I currently have no rifle cast bullet load data on hand other than what I have read on this site and the interweb. I'd like to stick about to about 155-165 Gn cast for the .30-06, prolly the same for the .30-30, and 235 gn for the .375. I say this as these guns shoot well with J-word hand loads using RL-15. I have been looking at Lee molds due to budget....with a gas check and also the sizer dies they sell as well, also plan on lubing with Lee Allox....also due to budget and I have used Allox with .40 cal with great results. I have looked at the Lee Double cavity 379-250-RF, C309-160-1R, Sooo......what are your pet loads (hunting and target)using RL-15 with cast from a Lee mold? My goal is to put a few molds in my Midway cart so I don't have to make an additional order and paying shipping. Thanks in advance.

[Wayne Smith]

Wow! Jumping from condom bullets to cast boolits isn't quite that easy.

First, in rifles generally heavy for caliber boolits do better than light for caliber. That may be because of the velocity limits of the heavy for caliber boolits - but as a generalization it holds.

Second, boolit/powder/primer choice is not so easy with boolits - and experimentation with your gun is the only true way to tell. The positive of this is that you do a lot more shooting! The down side is that either 1) you have molds to sell on shopping and selling or 2) you buy other rifles to see if the molds you have fit them!

Third, and the underlying cause of all this, is that in loading boolits you add a lot more variables to the process - boolit shape and hardness, ductility, and varying the powder impulse for simple, off the head, starters. It is not the cut and paste process of loading bullets.

However if you get lucky ... there are a lot of folks who will tell you exactly what worked in their rifles - and assume it will work in yours. If you are lucky one of the assumptions will work. If not, welcome to the happy, crazy few!

[runfiverun]

welcome aboard.
airc rl-15 is in the area of 4895 and 4064 if so finding loads for it with cast shouldn't be too hard to do.
as far as a mold I use the rcbs 30-150 fngc in both my 30-30's and 30-06's it does rather well in both of them.
the lee 170 is fairly close to the rcbs 30-150 and would be my first choice to give a go.
the lyman 375449 is outstanding in the 375 H&H and the 375 win, but I have heard of some decent success with the lee from a few people.
keep the 30 cal rifles in the 18-1900 fps area and the 375 in the 1700 or so area to get started and then as you figure things out more you can move along.

[Lead Fred]

I shoot the heck out of 30-06 and 30WCF, and have powders and boolits they share.
None of them are on your list [smilie=b:

[gwpercle]

For 30-06 and 30-30 I use the Lee C309-170-F , works well in both and the 30-30 should have a flat pointed boolit for loading in the magazine. I have heard that round nose boolits are OK to use in 30-30 but I'm leery of that practice .... I go with flat point or will single load any other point in the Model 94 lever. My 30-06 is a bolt action (1903-A3 Springfield) the 170-F feeds just fine through it.
Can't help you on the powder selection....sorry
Gary

[duckey]

Thanks for the input. I also have some Red Dot, Bullseye and Clays on hand which I have noted folks use for .30 and .375 on this site. I know It will take some trial to get dialed in, that's what makes it fun. The .375 mold mold from Lee has great reviews however it is not a GC bullet.

[runfiverun]

then keep the velocity's down in the 1300 area.
red-dot should do that easy enough.
you'll duplicate the 38-55.