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idahoron
03-07-2009, 01:02 PM
When I was growing up there was an "old guy" that would come to my family's farm every year to hunt. As the years went by he had no family so he moved here to live closer to me and my family. While he was here he met a woman and got married. Well when he passed away she gave me all of his rifles, shotguns, and pistols, 14 guns all together.
Well Yesterday when I was at her house I was talking to her and she said she found a bag with some stuff in it I should look at. There were four bullet moulds in the bag. One was a Lee 7mm mould, an Ideal 311291 4 bullet mould, a Hensley & gibbs # 50 plain base 4 bullet mould, and a Hensley & gibbs #51 4 bullet mould, and a set of handles.
I know the #50 is a plain base because I found a jar with about 500 bullets in it sized and lubed. I have several hundred bullets from the 311291 that are sized and the gas check is on them. But I don't know if the #51 is a plain base or what. From looking at the mould the base looks the same size as the rest of the bullet. now for some Questions.

#1 is the bullet form the #50 an accurate bullet?

#2 How can I tell if the #51 is a plain without pouring some and measuring them?

His wife gave me her fathers Marlin 336 RC 30-30. It had a little rust in the barrel when i cleaned it. I shot some jacketed bullets in it and it shot good, but I only shot it out to 75 yards that day. I know the bullets I have that he made with the 311291 mould were sized to .309, and lubed, and have gas checks. These bullets were for his savage 340, 30-30. So that leads me to the next question.

#3 will the bullets from the 311291 work in a Marlin 336 with a microgroove barrel?

I have read that cast bullets don't shoot that great in those guns.

#4 If the bullets he made do not shoot good. What size should I size them to?

Thanks for the help. Ron

Bullshop
03-07-2009, 01:11 PM
If the base is smaller in diameter than the driving bands it is likely a gas check design. If the base is the same diameter it is a plain base.

Echo
03-07-2009, 01:25 PM
The H&G 50 was (and probably still is) THE boolit for .38 Special target work. It is a classic.

Cast boolits will shoot accurately n a microgrove barrel, or so I'm told - I have no experience in this subject, so will leave it to others to elucidate.

Cast boolits should be sized .001 to .002 over the groove diameter. Then they should exhibit no leading.

idahoron
03-07-2009, 04:56 PM
Well after writing my first post I decided to give the 311291’s I had a try. I tested them for hardness and they are 12.5 BHN so I am guessing they are Wheel weights. They have the GC’s on them and they are sized to .309 and lubed but I don’t know the lube. I loaded some with 21 & 22 gr of IMR 3031. I roll crimped them at the crimp grove. The overall length was 2.520
The wind was blowing and cold so I decided to shoot at 50 yards. My first group was 1.5” with 21gr of 3031. The second group was .941 so I was very happy with the results. I will try it again when the weather is better and I can get out to 100 yards. Ron