Paper patching .30 cal.

I have been getting fantastic results paper patching for my .303 Enfield. It is a very comfortable accurate rifle now. I did bed the barrel, that does help a lot!!!!
Now for the .30s.
I have been using the Lee C312/185R mold for the .303. I am having a die modified to load .314 patched boolitts.
Can I use this in my .30s. I have been sizing to .308 for the .304 bore of my Enfield.
I suspect, I am engraveing lead before the patch. I am trying to visualize whether the paper remains intact during the full engraveing.
I have some .304 sized castings, and .301 sized castings. Frank was good enough to do some for me. I might just send one to Lee and have them make me a mold using one for a reference.
I could also just get a sizer die made in .301. Don't really know as I have never done patching for .30. Or a sizer made in .304. That seems likely as the Enfield loves .308 casting sizing, wrapped .314.
Dang, this has been very satisfying! I mean, we are talking really up there.
I have played with paper thickness, sizing. I have watched my Enfield go from a wall hanger to a shooter. People at the range are noticing my patches, accuracy, and the rifle in general. Everyone says they would not do it, even the antique rifle lovers. I have no idea why. Paper patching, at least through this forum has been an genuine good experience. I cannot believe it!
It works.
Opinions? Experience? Advice?
Lay it on me.

I size .301 for my 30cals. Two wraps of 16# paper, a little BAC and a pass through a .309 die gives me .310 finish diameter. I load these same as a jacketed bullet of the same weight.

Hmmm.
I could get the Lee C309-180R, a .304 sizer, and .301 sizer.
I have been getting really good results with jacketed loads with my Enfield.
Dang, I have been having fun!
I would use two sizers, as that much sizing might deform the casting. I use the Lee Push Thru System. I like it.
I can punch paper ok with boolitts, I just don't like the wimp factor. I want to be able to hunt, if the need ever came.
Have you tried flat nose castings as well as round nose castings?
Now, if I could find a way to make primers......

Depending an cal. and weight, I use pure lead (2% tin added) for my .45 cal hunting loads. A alloy of 75% WW and 25% LT in my 30cal up to 2600 fps. In my 06 and 300 RUM I use a 50/50 mix. The only jacked bullets I use are for a 25-06 and a .223. I used to patch 25 cal but it is too hard on my old hands anymore. A 430gr 45 cal at about 1950 is just about the perfect game bullet, IMHO.

pdawg, let me tell you about messed up hands!!
I have not hand rolled a patch yet. I use a cigarette roller. Amazingly simple.
I have a 25-06.
I bet with a roller, it would be simple!
Any specs on that one?
I have a Ruger M77 Target.
The speeds of the 25-06 with a 120gn, might make it reliable with a patch.
I wonder if paper patching can use zinc in the blend.

I used to patch a 100gr FP, sized to .251 and patched with 16#. The load was 55 gr H4831. The rifle is a FN400 action with a heave Douglas barrel and a T15 Weaver. It would hold around .75 if I DID MY PART.

pdawg, you da man!
Hey, try a cigarette roller. I have not had one wasted patch. I am not sure how it would work on the larger calibers.
They look like the roller slot can be elongated though.
Thanks for the info.
It gives me a good start place.

If I could find one I would. No smoke shops in Dodge City!!!!!

Pdawg!!!!
I just cast 250 180gn .30cal Lee castings.
I sized them to .308, then two wraps of Meade Tracing paper. No biggee. I actually only wrapped 50 as that was all my tray would hold. They came out to .3135. Same as the wraps I first tried for my Smelly.
The nose is .301, good bore riding. I have four .30cals, one of them a 30-06.
Well, being impatient as I am, I sized one.
First sizing was to .311. I could barely feel the patch going through the sizer. I use the Lee Push Thru Sizing system. Without Alox. I use JPW.
Second sizing was to .309. Again I barely felt the sizing. The patch is intact!
I had been concerned about neck sizing. I was afraid I could only size to .311. The .308 is waaaay to short to run through my .303 British die for neck sizing.
I just plain could not believe it!
Easy.
I do not know what the result would have been if I had gone straight to .309. It doesn't matter. I do not mind sizing twice.
This is with water quenched wheel weight with lots of tin. I even found a gas check in the pot from the last time. I had thought they had been digested.
We will see how they fire. I will load for my wife's Ishy. Good stout rifle with deep rifleing. My A&B heavy barrel I will try once I work out the bugs with her Ishy.
I did a bedding job on my Smelly. It even feels stronger.
The bedding is a three point bedding. It makes sense, the reciever, mid point, and muzzle with 7lbs upward pressure.
Now we will see how my Smelly shoots!
And the Ishy.
Yeah, I really like MilSurp Enfields. I love the feel, the look, and the way they carry. They can even shoot with some work. A couple of triggers and we got targets.

I have been following along on these threads waiting to get some time freed up to do some experimenting. I have a 1896 Krag carbine that is to rough for good cast bullet loads (leads heavily) and I'm not a big fan of $20.00 + a box for jacketed bullets.
I have 2, 30 cal molds 31141 and 311284. I'm thinking of using the 311284 sized to .308. The throat on this rifle is .311 and its .310 at the muzzle. .312 cast bullets shoot well ( the first 3 and then it's chore boy time) does this sound like a good target dia. to start with PP?
I'm sure there will be more questions to come.

Krag, .312 is where you want to end up I think. I run my boolits through a sizer for final sizing, I have tested some that I have sized to .308 first, wrapped, and then final sized. I have also tested some that I wrapped as cast and then final sized. I haven't found any difference in the two if your as cast is not really big. Give it a couple of wraps of tracing paper and then size it to .312. Sounds like this rifle is a prime candidate for some PP boolits without the lube to see if you could polish that rough bore up a little. Maybe even a tad of J-B paste. Even if you don't clean up the bore any, I think PP boolits may be just the trick for this particular rifle.

Good luck with it.

Keith