30-06 311466 Herc. 2400 at 2000 fps!

[GrizzLeeBear]

Got out to the range today with some loads for the Rem. 700 30-06. I'm planning on trying some rifle silhouettes with cast boolits this summer. Working with the load data from the Lyman Cast Bullet manual, the 311466 at 2000 fps should stay supersonic out to the turkeys so thats my goal. Boolits are ACWW and drop from the mold at .311. I run them through a .311 sizer in my 450 to lube and gas check them, then through a .309 Lee push through. .309 is the largest the gun will chamber and bore slugs .308.
I have almost 3 lb. of Hecules 2400 so I thought I would start out with it. Lyman lists a starting load of 20 gr. of 2400 for 1723 fps and a Max. of 30.5 gr. for 2446 fps. I interpolated the loads between and loaded 10 rounds of each of the following. I don't have a chronograph, so these velocities are based on my interpolations.

20 gr. of 2400 = 1723 fps.
22 gr. of 2400 = 1868 fps.
24 gr. of 2400 = 2012 fps.

It was cold, but not much wind. All of the loads shot well, 1 1/2" or less for 10 rounds. There is only a slight amount of light leading near the muzzle. I noted before I left for the range that there was a little copper fouling near the muzzle, so I am guessing that contributed to the little bit of leading, but there really isn't much and it will clean out pretty easy. Then I will do some more cleaning with some Sweets 7.62 to get rid of the copper. Gonna do some more work with the 24 gr. load, and if the accuracy continues, I've got my chicken, pig, turkey load!
Next I am going to work on a ram load using the Lee C309-200-RN after I get some cast (just got the mold). I have a lot of RE-15, so I'm going to work with it. According to my ballistics program I should be able to stay supersonic out to the rams if I start this heavier boolit out at (again) 2000 fps. I don't have any cast data with RE-15, but based on jacketed data it looks like I will need about 36 - 38 gr. to reach 2000 fps. Anyone use RE-15 in the 06 with cast?

[Buckshot]

................Is this "Full On" 500 meter type silhuette? "There is only a slight amount of light leading near the muzzle." I know you mentioned seeing some copper there too, and as you said it could be the reason for seeing the gray. Just curious as to what kind of lube are you using?

.................Buckshot

[GrizzLeeBear]

Yeah, the full 500m sillywets, thats why I'm trying keep velocity up. Trying to keep out of the transonic speeds as the boolit slows down. Knock down usually isn't a problem out to the turkeys, but of course the rams need a good push to knock over.
Using Lars BAC lube. Larry Gibson gave me the tip on lubing/seating checks in the lubesizer at "as cast" size and then push thru sizing to final size to maintain the lube grooves and deform the boolit less. Seems to have worked.

[Throwback]

2,000 is a little fast for 2400 so don't be surprised if you need to change to slower buring powders for best accuracy at that distance. Also, I think you are going to find straight WW too soft resulting in excessive leading in any kind of extended shooting. Most Remington 700s in this caliber have 22 inch barrels. Your velocities may be a bit lower than your interpolation by 50 to 100 fps.

[mpmarty]

I just loaded up a bunch of Lee 312 7.62X39 pointed boolits cast w/ straight WW and loaded in my 7.5X55 Swiss Norma cases with 20 grains of 2400 and a large pistol primer. These boolits weigh 177 grains w/ Hornady 30cal gas checks. I'm setting up the chrono today and I'll see what they do. Test fired three of them yesterday and primers are still showing radius curves so even with soft LP primers the pressure is not too bad yet. I'll try moving up gradually to 21, 22, 23 and finally 25 grains a bit at a time and watch for leading and loss of accuracy. I wish I could find the mold number but the box is missing and the mold has no lettering. Mold was given to me by a friend who never used it, looked new. I too have a huge supply of old H 2400 on hand and am pleased to find a use for it.

[mpmarty]

Now I'm really confused. I went online with LEE and cannot find this boolit anywhere. I found a number on the side of the two cavity mold and it is 90371 which shows a flat nose one radius ogive bullet for the 303 (british I presume). Here is a photo of this bullet. I'd really like to find out how to get another mold for the same bullet or even a six cavity for it. It shoots great and has the proper nose profile to fit in my K31 and works in my 7.62 NATO AK as well as my Savage bolt gun.
This is one of the "rejects I put a gascheck on to get an approximate weight.

[GrizzLeeBear]

Marty, that looks to me like a Lyman 311413. You sure its a Lee mold? Is it aluminum? Was there a group buy for a copy of the 311413 done by Lee?

Throwback, my 700 has a 24" barrel from a CDL, the Lyman book says they used a 26" barrel. So my velocity might be slightly slower, but with a fast powder like 2400 should be pretty close. I was concerned about the leading and accuracy also, but from what I see so far it looks good. I'm wondering if it would help to give them a coat of LLA over the BAC lube after push thru sizing them? I'll have to give it a try with my future expiraments.

[mpmarty]

Yup, it's a two hole aluminum Lee mold. 90371 is the number stamped on it but obviously that's not what comes out of it. Love the boolit. Going out to the range this weekend and try it at a hundred yards after chronographing loads before then. I've only got a 50 to 60 yard range at home even with a quarter of a mile by a quarter of a mile piece of property. Damn mountains. If it was flat it would tripple in size.

[Throwback]

I agree with GrizzLeeBear. That looks exactly like the 311413.

Grizz, I am completely ignorant regarding your abreviations (LLA & BAC) so I will probably have a "well duh" moment upon your answer. I will also confess that I have fooled around very little with various lubricants. 50/50 worked well for me so I stopped there. I know little enough to keep an open mind about what will or will not result in leading. As to accuracy in the '06 I have only my experience as a guide with the 2400. It worked very well for me at velocities of 1,600 to perhaps as much as 1800 fps but I use H4895 almost exclusivley if I need to exceed that. I tried many different loads and powders to get to that point in a worn-out pre-64 Model 70 barrel. This same load worked so well in my other '06 rifles that I have not played with other combinations. I suspect that 2400 distorts the bullet in faster/higher pressure loads and that this is why slower powders shoot more accurately at higher velocities. As many others have, I have also discovered that a very mooth barrel will give you more "fudge factor" and allow you to get away with things a rougher tube will not.

Keep us posted on your results!