300 H&H & 30-06 NEI results

[Mr Humble]

A long while back I posted on issues I had with my Ballard Hi-Wall in 300 H&H and cast bullets. To make a long story short, I bought the wrong mold from NEI. It has gone along to a fella with a loose throated Krag and shoots like a dream.
Got the new mold and speced it out to match the NEI DD mold reviewed in 10/95 Handloader. It is NEI # 61. As a falling block has little camming power, I speced the DD
(front ring band) to be a "push in fit".
The rifle:
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/pix2288302921.jpg

I also shot it in my 1953 M 1100 Husky 30-06.

26.3 4198, CCI LR, cornmeal filler: 2.2 cc in 06. 3.4 in H&H. SPG lube, base bands sized 309 in SAECO.

The groups are at 50 yards, first is 300 H&H second 06'

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/DSCN3033.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/DSCN3032.jpg

I have also loaded up some to try in my M 70 06' BOSS. Interesting that to chamber with just the right DD engagement, the Husky is 3.312", the M 70 3.215".

NEI makes great molds, here's pic of the #61 30 cal, #167 35 cal (35 Whelen NRA sporter) and #212 that I speced to .411 (40-82 modern high wall, hotter than 400 Whelen, 400 Whelen and 400 H&H) All will shoot 1.5 MOA or better with reasonably warm loads of 1500-1800 fps. Note that all have the DD feature...it works. Cast with regular "Lyman mix" or wheelweight metal. The 35 and 40 are Lyman mix, the 30 wheelweight. I run wheel weight "hot" at about 775 to get good fill out.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/DSCN3034.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/DSCN3035.jpg

Also a 100 yard group with the 40-82 (a rebored Browning Wyoming Centenial from 25-06) It's the top one in picture.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/DSCN1832.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/4082group.jpg

Of interest, and ties in with Mike V's new article in Handloader, all these rifles have been shot a LOT with jacketed bullets, mostly Barnes, and were not cleaned at all before trying the cast loads. Another cast bullet myth buried.

[Mr Humble]

Now the plot thickens. I shot the 300 H&H@100under ideal conditions. The group size was not double 50 yards, it was more like 3". I have not segregated the bullets by weight so that will be the next step. (This is a 1.5" rifle with max loads behind a 168 TSX)

I also, as said,made up 20 loads for the M70 30-06. This rifle is a late Classic BOSS equipped. When I bought it (used), It had a 10 pound trigger pull, the terrible late Winchester hot glue "bedding" and one side of the foreend pressing on the barrel. It would shoot about 4-5" groups at best. After fixing the trigger, free floating the barrel and using the Col.TW Whelen glass bedding method,it became a rifle that would shoot max loads of H4350 behind a 168 TTSX into 1" with the BOSS set at #3.

I tried the cast load at 50 and it made a ragged 3 shot hole. Moved out to 100 and the group went to 5". Reset the BOSS at #5 and the groups went to 7". Reset it at #10 (what the BOSS guide calls for for 200 gr bullets) and the group went to 2.5".
Now I will segregate the bullets by weight to see if I can do better.

Obviously powder choices, weights and filler choices are more options. The eventual goal is to produce a 30-40 Krag level load (210 gr at 1900 or so) that will shootin each rifle as wellas jacketed hunting loads.

[Mr Humble]

Well I am about to throw up my hands.

How can a load that groups so good at 50 just fall apart at 100? Yesterday I used inspected and selected bullets from 209.2-209.4 gr, weighed every charge, tried the 4198 load with cornmeal, Ballistic prod filler and no filler..... 3-6 in groups!

Today I took the load from the 95' Handloader slightly modified for 308 to 30-06. 36 gr 4895 with Ballistic prod filler. Tried the BOSS @ 10...4.5" group. BOSS at 5..... 6" group.

Read some good stuff on Trail Boss heavy loads. Maybe that'll be next.

Suggestions welcomed!

[Mr Humble]

Tried 15 gr of Trail Boss today at 50 yards. NO pressure at all, so will try bumping it 1/2gr at a time.
Wish my Chrony would get back!

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z231/leadloader/DSCN3050.jpg