My 1st cast rifle rounds. Question?

[MichaelRa]

This is a .30-.30 round with a Saeco 315 bullet. It was chambered in a Marlin. It measures 2.500. Should the bullet be that deep into the rifling???? Thank you.

[bowenrd]

I am guessing the boolit is NOT into the rifling. If it was the action would resist closing or the boolit would be pushed deeper into case.

[Rico1950]

That's OK, If the action closes easily.
Is that SHAVED LEAD at the junction of the case neck & boolit?

[runfiverun]

nothing wrong with the engagement.
you were able to de-chamber the round with no ill affects.
and enough engagement to align the boolit squarely.

[MtGun44]

Very light engraving that does not risk extracting the boolit from the case on extraction of
an unfire round is OK, likely to show good accy since the boolit will get a nice straight start
in the barrel.

Bill

[Maven]

It looks just about perfect to me, but I have a few questions for you. First, are you using the "M' die to bell the case mouths? If not, you may be shaving lead (can't really tell if that's what I see in the photo). Second, what diameter are you sizing the #315's to: .310"? Btw, that was one of the most accurate CB's I fired from my Marlin #336.

[GabbyM]

If you're going to run a tight fit laod like that I'd be on the lookout of0r a section of 1/4" steel or brass rod to carry in my shooting box. That way if you get a round stuck you just drop it down the bore to knock it loose.

[Bret4207]

Most of my rifle rounds show about that amount of engagement. As long as no real force is needed to close the action and a cartridge withdrawn form the chamber isn't "de-boolited" you should be fine.

[NSP64]

Looks good. Fire them up. Are the boolits unsized?. What load are you using? Lead is softer than jackets, so starting them in the rifling shouldn't cause a problem unless your at max load. IIRC the #315 is a tappered boolit with bigger driving bands as you go back. And its supposed to be shot as cast.

[Doc Highwall]

I think that is perfect for accuracy but the crimp might be too much causing it to scrape the bullet as it leaves the case as it is entering the barrel allowing gas blow by. What alloy are you using and what are you sizing the bullets to?

[Marlin Junky]

...you may be shaving lead (can't really tell if that's what I see in the photo).

I'm certain it's lead shaving.

MJ

[MakeMineA10mm]

Tagged, as this is the boolit I cast and I'm starting the foray into cast boolits in rifles...

[geargnasher]

I'm certain it's lead shaving.

MJ

I disagree, I can see very clearly on my monitor that that is boolit lube squished out of the crimp groove by the generous crimp.

I see nice Marlin microgroove engraves on that boolit nose, and like Bret said, it obviously extracted without debulleting, so run with it. based on just the picture I wouldn't change a thing based on looks alone unless the rifle told me I needed to.

Gear

[geargnasher]

Tagged, as this is the boolit I cast and I'm starting the foray into cast boolits in rifles...

My Marlin 30-30 likes .310" minimum boolits, .311" is better, groove is .3087", YMMV.

Gear

[runfiverun]

i thought lube scraped from the sides of the boolit also.
you may not even need a crimp with that much boolit in the neck.
i'd try firing some without it and making up a dummy i could leave in the mag tube for 20 rounds or so.

[geargnasher]

RFR, prolly not a bolt gun. But he may single-load, in that case you're right and I sure wouldn't crimp either.

I don't see it being scraped off so much as hydraulically pushed out when the crimp was applied, but it's hard to say for sure. The crimp groove may have been full of lube.

Gear