Need Boolit for .308 Sav 10 sniper.

[Depreacher]

My 311291's nose is .301 and it's a tiny bit loose in the muzzle. Tried a Lee 180 with a .304 nose and it's too beeg, and a dummy round with the Lee won't chamber. This rifle must have a very short throat, because when I try to close the bolt she no go. It would have to go another 1/2" to close. How can I make the nose come out to maybe .302 or so. I am casting 5 to 1 WW/lino. Maybe 1 to 1 would shrink it a little??? Love this rifle , and it's 1/2" 100 yd groups with 155gr. Pagan MKs from the sinful bullet co. This is, as you know, the way a real boolit man describes bullets!!! Anyhoo, I hope someone here has a similar rifle and is shooting real boolits in it. Any advice??? Do I need to size the nose somehow? Wish I could just cast 'em, size/lube 'em, and shoot 'em! Any and all help appreciated. Depreacher

[Larry Gibson]

My 311291's nose is .301 and it's a tiny bit loose in the muzzle. Tried a Lee 180 with a .304 nose and it's too beeg, and a dummy round with the Lee won't chamber. This rifle must have a very short throat, because when I try to close the bolt she no go. It would have to go another 1/2" to close. How can I make the nose come out to maybe .302 or so. I am casting 5 to 1 WW/lino. Maybe 1 to 1 would shrink it a little??? Love this rifle , and it's 1/2" 100 yd groups with 155gr. Pagan MKs from the sinful bullet co. This is, as you know, the way a real boolit man describes bullets!!! Anyhoo, I hope someone here has a similar rifle and is shooting real boolits in it. Any advice??? Do I need to size the nose somehow? Wish I could just cast 'em, size/lube 'em, and shoot 'em! Any and all help appreciated. Depreacher

Try the 311291's. They might surprise you. Also suggest a 6 to 4 mix of the WW to Linotype.

I size bullet noses using a Redding bushing die. Remove the decapping stem and use another bushing .001" larger on top of the size you're sizing the nose to. This allows for the length of the nose. Adjust die body in or out as needed. Very easy to do.

Larry Gibson

[docone31]

I built my wife, and UberMauser .308. It is specifically for offhand target shooting. It is tight chambered.
My reccomendation for that rig.
Lee's C309/180. That .30cal is my sweet spot in her G63, Ishy, and her Mauser. I am not going to proclaim from most high on its merits, as if you take this route, you will know what I mean.
In my experience, I am lousey at shooting cast boolitts with gas checks. Period. I like too much powder.
I would use the Lee mold I described, and paper patch it. I just got back from the range today. I directly compared identical weight jacketed and paper patched. Same charge, same primers, same headstamp. Paper patching so far outshot jacketed, I had to elevate to hit the same POI. I am also iron sight attached. My reciever sight, and front globe with paper does the trick.
I use the Lee mold, size it to .308, then wrap two wraps of standard printer paper. I size that to .309. Wonderful grouping. I use 44gns of Surplus 4895. I set my OAL to factory specs.
My alloy is WW, plus a little zinc. Real hard.
I went to paper as I had purchased these molds and I couldn't hit the berm! Mostly sizing issues. Now, paper is second nature to me.
No key holes, good clean bores, feels like an healthy load when fired. I neck size, and do not crimp.
With a rile like you have, and it was one of my choices before the Mauser, I would go this route.
The nose is .301, the patched casting does expand slightly once patched. Measures .3095 when left sit.
I do not even like jacketeds in this rifle anymore. Patched does much better. My 30-06 does this all day! Barrel heat is less, recoil is less.
That is what I would do.
I do not use gas checks when wrapping.

[runfiverun]

i have tried a few different boolits in my wifes savage 30-06.
the rcbs 165 silh fit nicely engraved the nose and would un-chamber.
but wouldn't shoot worth a crap. an nei i have in a loverign design was even worse.
i finally tried the rcbs 150 fn for a 30-30 just cause they were on the bench. and she can get 1" 10 shot groups from that rifle now.
sometimes what works best ,isn't the one you would think would.

[Depreacher]

Duh, I just now realised that my 1 to 1 ww/lino mixture would cast bigger than my standard 5 to 1. As to the 3 replies, thanks guys. Lots of good info. Always wanted to get into paper patching. With MKs at $31.00 per 100 plus shipping I REALLY want to get into it now. HEY, maybe straight wheel weights and paper patch. Size to .311 and shoot! The chamber throat will take a .3105 base but nose still too beeg. Maybe I will nose size also. THANKS ALL, Depreacher

[Depreacher]

THANKS Larry, I will try the 311291s.

[docone31]

If you size it to .311, you will defeat the advantage of paper patching. I tried it. With what I do, miserable.
You final size to .309. The jacketeds are .308, paper is .309. No lube, just a touch of auto wax to final size with.
I patch pretty far up the nose.
I tried .301 body patching. With smokeless, I did not get good results. Throwing rocks was better.

[Larry Gibson]

THANKS Larry, I will try the 311291s.

A couple other things; with the apparent short throat the base of the bullets will be below the case neck. With such I most often use a medium or slow powder and a dacron filler. This protects the base of the bullet and prevents powder contamination from the bullet lube. It also increases ignition efficiency. If your Savage has a 10" twist I sugest you start with velocities in the 1700 fps arange and work up to 2000 fps. If the Savage has a 12' twist you can work up to 2200 fps or so. The best consistent accuracy will be found within those ranges. Also, my .308Ws always seem to shoot better with a bullet that is sized .310 or .311".

Larry Gibson

[docone31]

My patched loads are identical to jacketeds. The base is inside the case, below the neck. I cannot do that with castings.

[Depreacher]

It may be 2 or 3 weeks from now, but I plan on trying both ways outlined by docone31 and Larry Gibson. Surely, one will work if not both. I,m always thankful for the years of knowledge available on this website. I've got to have some more casting sessions before summer. 175 MKs were $30.50 + shipping from Midsouth. I can't afford that for my weekly shoots. That's why I love BOOLITS. BTW they do have a small shipment of Sierras in. Sorry for the blasphemy.