Thanks to All (FR-8 Load)

[Monkymate]

First I wanted to thank everyone here for all of the info. I have been lurking for a year now gathering knowledge and tools. I am now loading MY cast boolits for my 44's, 308's, and 7.62x39.

I have a Spanish FR-8 in .308 that I just found a sweet load for it. I worked up the load using information from here on casting, Leementing Lee molds, gas checks, lead hardness testing with Lee tester, Lee's advice on BHN and pressure, 45/45/10 lube, making soft points that shoot the same as my hard cast boolits, and much much more.

Using this information and practicing it all I now have a load that I shot .56" (clover) at 25 yards and 1.56" at 50 yards with the FR-8 using iron sights. The soft points also shot the same point of aim and great groups. It can do better but with my 46 yr old eyes this is all I can do. Here is the load and as always your mileage my vary

188 grain GC Lee C312-185-1R Water Dropped Wheel Weight 20+ BHN after 1 week, sized to .309 with Lee Sizing die and GC with both Aluminum and Copper gas checks (no real difference in them at my ranges.) Using 45/45/10 lube in two light coats.
IMR 4350 Powder worked up to 36 grains and that gave the best groups
Brass Full length sized and trimmed with Lee Zip Trim and 308 trimmer. Then flared (1/2 turn in after touching mouth with Lee expander die).
CCI Large Rifle Primers
COAL was 2.675 wich is just behind the first driving band.
Very light crimp just to get rid of the flare and add a little bit of tension.

This load engages the lands as the bolt is closed. It shoots over the Chrono at about 2010 - 2020 fps. I am using the 200 meter peep hole for my sight picture. it is zeroed for 25 yards and 100 yards with this load according to ballistics and real world tests. Good for MOD (minute of deer) out to about 175 yards.

The Lee pressure/hardness info and tables were dead on. I used 34/35/36/37 grains of 4350 and expected 36 to be the best and it was. At 25 yards it went 1.5"(34) .9" (35) .56"(36) 1.8" (37).

Leementing the molds made it so no smoking was needed and boolits just dropped out!

45/45/10 makes a nice light film that isn't sticky and I had no leading with 70 shots fired. I cleaned before the session using chore boy copper pad material wrapped on the brush and then Sweets to get rid of any copper. Bore looked great and only needed a patch or two after the session and it was bright and shiny again.

The Lee expander die worked great and the boolits slid right in the cases with no lead shavings. I now use it on my 44's too.

Again to all that contribute here I thank you for what you do.

[mroliver77]

Sounds like you got the knack! Little has given me the satisfaction of casting and shooting my own!
Jay

[swheeler]

First I wanted to thank everyone here for all of the info. I have been lurking for a year now gathering knowledge and tools. I am now loading MY cast boolits for my 44's, 308's, and 7.62x39.

I have a Spanish FR-8 in .308 that I just found a sweet load for it. I worked up the load using information from here on casting, beagling Lee molds, gas checks, lead hardness testing with Lee tester, Lee's advice on BHN and pressure, 45/45/10 lube, making soft points that shoot the same as my hard cast boolits, and much much more.

Using this information and practicing it all I now have a load that I shot .56" (clover) at 25 yards and 1.56" at 50 yards with the FR-8 using iron sights. The soft points also shot the same point of aim and great groups. It can do better but with my 46 yr old eyes this is all I can do. Here is the load and as always your mileage my vary

188 grain GC Lee C312-185-1R Water Dropped Wheel Weight 20+ BHN after 1 week, sized to .309 with Lee Sizing die and GC with both Aluminum and Copper gas checks (no real difference in them at my ranges.) Using 45/45/10 lube in two light coats.
IMR 4350 Powder worked up to 36 grains and that gave the best groups
Brass Full length sized and trimmed with Lee Zip Trim and 308 trimmer. Then flared (1/2 turn in after touching mouth with Lee expander die).
CCI Large Rifle Primers
COAL was 2.675 wich is just behind the first driving band.
Very light crimp just to get rid of the flare and add a little bit of tension.

This load engages the lands as the bolt is closed. It shoots over the Chrono at about 2010 - 2020 fps. I am using the 200 meter peep hole for my sight picture. it is zeroed for 25 yards and 100 yards with this load according to ballistics and real world tests. Good for MOD (minute of deer) out to about 175 yards.

The Lee pressure/hardness info and tables were dead on. I used 34/35/36/37 grains of 4350 and expected 36 to be the best and it was. At 25 yards it went 1.5"(34) .9" (35) .56"(36) 1.8" (37).

Beagling the molds made it so no smoking was needed and boolits just dropped out!
45/45/10 makes a nice light film that isn't sticky and I had no leading with 70 shots fired. I cleaned before the session using chore boy copper pad material wrapped on the brush and then Sweets to get rid of any copper. Bore looked great and only needed a patch or two after the session and it was bright and shiny again.

The Lee expander die worked great and the boolits slid right in the cases with no lead shavings. I now use it on my 44's too.

Again to all that contribute here I thank you for what you do.

Good for you, quite satisfying to roll your own, huh? I think you meant Leementing instead of Beagling though, that C312-185R should drop plenty big right from Lee

[Monkymate]

Good for you, quite satisfying to roll your own, huh? I think you meant Leementing instead of Beagling though, that C312-185R should drop plenty big right from Lee

Yes my terminology was incorrect. LOL. I may need to beagle my 155 grain Lee mold for my SKS though. It slugged out at .314 and the mold is .313.

For the Leementing I used a cast bullet. Left it in the mold and carefully used a spring loaded center punch to place a mark in the center. Then I drilled it and used a drywall screw for a shaft. A little bit of original Crest Toothpaste as a polishing compound and a few good spins with a cordless drill and the molds all drop boolits like a dream.

[Dutch4122]

Glad to hear you're having success with the FR-8. Mine likes the NOE 316299 (210grn) sized to .314" over 45 grains of IMR-4007ssc.

[Doble Troble]

My load for the FR-8 is the Lee C309-160-1R sized to 310 - which is about what it drops at - with 21.0 gr of 4198. It's amazingly accurate at 100 yds. I haven't shot it in a while - I think I need to...I love my FR-8!

[arjacobson]

I miss my fr-8....great rifle

[Monkymate]

Yep. I let one go a few years ago and just got this as a replacement.

Working on a cast load for my FAL now.