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Thread: Lee/Midway TL309-230-5R

  1. #41
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    I poured 50 last night out of straight Lino and tumbled them in 45/45/10. I plan to shoot this first test batch unsized.
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  2. #42
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    It works for me!
    I tried 11.4g A1680 behind a tumble lubed,unsized, air cooled W/W and got 1.2" at 50 yards with iron sights. I had two groups of two touching, and one that was pulled. No leading at all after 89 rounds. The target was one that I was using to sight in the lee 112-155, and wasn't expecting much out of this bullet so I tried it on the same target to compare impact sites. Very impressed with the results, and this was just a first loading of this design for me. I am sure I could put these in a tighter group with some work, and a scope. I tried to get crony data, but I had a loose mount on some quick release scope rings, and it caused my impact to drift down. Anyone want a crony with a clean .308 hole through it? I do have some pictures of the target, and crony I will post if anyone is interested.
    xacex
    Last edited by xacex; 06-14-2012 at 08:30 PM.

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by xacex View Post
    It works for me!
    I tried 11.4g A1680 behind a tumble lubed,unsized, air cooled W/W and got 1.2" at 50 yards with iron sights. I had two groups of two touching, and one that was pulled. No leading at all after 89 rounds. The target was one that I was using to sight in the lee 112-155, and wasn't expecting much out of this bullet so I tried it on the same target to compare impact sites. Very impressed with the results, and this was just a first loading of this design for me. I am sure I could put these in a tighter group with some work, and a scope. I tried to get crony data, but I had a loose mount on some quick release scope rings, and it caused my impact to drift down. Anyone want a crony with a clean .308 hole through it? I do have some pictures of the target, and crony I will post if anyone is interested.
    xacex
    What rifle were you shooting it out of?

  4. #44
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    This was out of a AR-15 with a stainless steel 300 blk barrel from AR-Stoner. The barrel is a 1-8 twist. This was the heaviest bullet I have tried in this rifle, and it seems to prefer the heavier weight. It could just be the lower recoil is easier to get groups, but whatever it is I like it.

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by xacex View Post
    This was out of a AR-15 with a stainless steel 300 blk barrel from AR-Stoner. The barrel is a 1-8 twist. This was the heaviest bullet I have tried in this rifle, and it seems to prefer the heavier weight. It could just be the lower recoil is easier to get groups, but whatever it is I like it.
    Bummer... I keep hoping I'll find someone who tries it out in an M1A and gets good results from it...

  6. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by xacex View Post
    This was out of a AR-15 with a stainless steel 300 blk barrel from AR-Stoner. The barrel is a 1-8 twist. This was the heaviest bullet I have tried in this rifle, and it seems to prefer the heavier weight. It could just be the lower recoil is easier to get groups, but whatever it is I like it.
    How do you like that AR-Stoner barrel?

  7. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jailer View Post
    How do you like that AR-Stoner barrel?
    It works well with my hand-loads. I have never put a factory round through it yet so I cannot compare the accuracy with that regard. the 230 grain lee aac mold has worked well. I tried to bump it up to 11.8 grains, and the accuracy went out the window so it appears it only likes to be driven subsonic. I have tried the 120 lee 309 with dismal results along with the 312-160 lee. The 312-155 has done well, and 110 grain hornady v-max also has performed well in this barrel. I may try the pistol barrel next to see how that one does, but for the money I think the Stoner barrel is a good buy. Much more accurate than an sks if that is a comparison that quantifies its purchase.
    xacex

  8. #48
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    I loaded some more GC boolits for the 300 Whisper and worked up higher on the powder charge. Also loaded some plain base starting at 9.6grs of WC680 and working up to 11grs.

    I also loaded some GC in my Savage 30-06 with SR4759. Started at 15grs and stopped at 18grs. this is a very well polished barrel but is a 1 in 10 twist. This is why I am going with a little more velocity.
    Probably be Wed. before I can shoot these.

  9. #49
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    Been playing with this mould, get flashing around the base of the cavity furthest away from the sprue plate screw. Works a little better with the plate loose....casts nice bullets though, using straight WW. I HAVE TWO TEST LOADS, ONE WITH BULLETS LUBED WITH ROOSTER JACKET AND THE OTHER LUBED WITH THINNED LIQUID ALOX. BOTH LUBES APPLIED ONLY THE BEARING SURFACES WITH A PAINTBRUSH. EACH LOAD USES 12.4 grains of 1680 powder. Ooooops for cap lock..... Might test tomorrow. The NOE whisper bullet works great with this load, both PB and checked. My gun is a DPMS lower with a DSArms 300AAC UPPER. I'm hoping these work in Pmags without having to file the rib. The NOE bullets requires magazine modification. Couldn't resist a 23$ mould.....

  10. #50
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    Need more work. After firing these two loads with rooster jacket and LLA (all feed fine...) I also fired 100 rounds of the Lee 30-155-AK with gas checks and discovered leading at the final 4inches of the barrel. It scrubbed out easily but would rather avoid. The new LEE style has great potential. May also need to seat deeper as unmodified magazines were not perfect.

  11. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tonto View Post
    Need more work. After firing these two loads with rooster jacket and LLA (all feed fine...) I also fired 100 rounds of the Lee 30-155-AK with gas checks and discovered leading at the final 4inches of the barrel. It scrubbed out easily but would rather avoid. The new LEE style has great potential. May also need to seat deeper as unmodified magazines were not perfect.
    I didn't have any luck with this bullet fitting unmodified magazines. Feeds well through P-mags with the ribs filed, and shot well subsonic. The lee 112-155 has been working well for me for supersonic once sized to 309. I have been using Recluse lube, and my home-made aluminum gas check, and haven't got any leading up to 2000fps with that boolit. As soon as I hit above 2050fps I had primers falling out of my brass so I have been keeping it around 1950fps with decent grouping for home baked boolits.
    My problem with the lee molds is the aluminium around where the alignment pins fit into the other half of the mold. I get an rib that start to form around that cavity after 500 or so casts that will not let the mold halves close perfect, and causes fins on my boolits. If I shave it off it works fine again, but it is annoying that the mold is so soft that I get this deformation from the alignment pins. Maybe I am tapping my mold in the wrong place, or to hard.
    xacex

  12. #52
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    Here's a quick pic in comparison with the NOE "Bison Boolit" .. I loaded up some this evening that I'll try tomorrow evening. Maybe I can get my Chrony figured out this time! (Both have been through the sizer.)

    I might attempt copper plating - that may be the ticket to this one.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails DSC01009.jpg  

  13. #53
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    I fired the loads in my last post. The boolits are still yawing and leaving ovals in the targets.
    The gas checked in the Whisper had groups around 2 1/2" to 4" at 100 yards. The plain base had groups from 5" to 18"!!
    The best group was with my 30-06 Savage with a group of about 2 1/4". Doesn't sound too bad until I shot my normal cast load and they went into an 1" group. I pushed it to about 1,700 fps and it grouped better than slower.

    I did notice when casting some more of these boolits that if the mold was opened too soon the nose would bend so I'm going to use my RCBS dila indicator gizmo to check for bent noses. If this doesn't make any difference I will lap out the front driving band to .310" from the current .307" and see if this helps.
    I also wonder if lapping the nose out so the taper is not so quick if this would help?
    The 314299 still seems to shoot better than this boolit. Only 30grs more with the new Lee so I am not going to do alot more with it.

  14. #54
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    xacex, the Lee molds are soft and need to be handles gently. Are you lubing the alignment pins and grooves? Also setting the mold on a flat surface before closing it helps a bunch.
    Do not strike the mold itself, just the bolt that holds the handles together.

    I have developed a habit of checking the mold mating surfaces for lead flakes before closing them. I keep a popsicle stick with the end whittled on and angle for removing these pieces of lead on the mold faces.

  15. #55
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    Leadman, I had a better casting session with the lee molds this week after cleaning them with a wood stick, and whacking on the hinge instead of the block. It seems I just need to be more gentile with these molds, and pay more attention to lead filling the vent lines. The vent lines are so shallow that I may need to scratch them with an awl to open them up a little more. I haven't tried lubing the pins n grooves. I have stayed away from lube on the mold blocks except for the sprue hinge. loaded some more up with the lower charge to see if that was the key. Without a chrony I have to imagine I went transonic with the last load, and blew out any accuracy I may have had at subsonic. On a good note I found out I can trade my shot chrony in for a new one. I like company's that work with consumers like that. I did fix the scope rings with blue locktite this time around. The order for the NOE whisper should be coming soon so I can compare accuracy between the two.

  16. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by xacex View Post
    On a good note I found out I can trade my shot chrony in for a new one. I like company's that work with consumers like that.
    So you were caller #2? I was caller #1. She laughed and said it happens a LOT more often than you think!!

    Had my Chrony for 3 or 4 years, didn't have a chance to shoot through it - about 30 shots then BLAM! That was an expensive mistake! Thankfully it was only $69 for the new base unit.

    BTW, I've found that since I shoot near/under trees sometimes I get a lot of errors; supposedly lights will fix that. Found this article on using some of these cheap "puck" LED lights to fix it:

    Chrony Lights

  17. #57
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    Lube on the pins and recesses is very important on a Lee mold. Do not use alot, just a dab otherwise it will run into the cavities.

  18. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by leadman View Post
    I fired the loads in my last post. The boolits are still yawing and leaving ovals in the targets.
    The gas checked in the Whisper had groups around 2 1/2" to 4" at 100 yards. The plain base had groups from 5" to 18"!!
    The best group was with my 30-06 Savage with a group of about 2 1/4". Doesn't sound too bad until I shot my normal cast load and they went into an 1" group. I pushed it to about 1,700 fps and it grouped better than slower.

    I did notice when casting some more of these boolits that if the mold was opened too soon the nose would bend so I'm going to use my RCBS dila indicator gizmo to check for bent noses. If this doesn't make any difference I will lap out the front driving band to .310" from the current .307" and see if this helps.
    I also wonder if lapping the nose out so the taper is not so quick if this would help?
    The 314299 still seems to shoot better than this boolit. Only 30grs more with the new Lee so I am not going to do alot more with it.
    Savage has 1:12 twist as I recall so it won't do subsonic well and you'll have to push up the velocity until it gyro's up to stability.

  19. #59
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    My Savage is from around 1967 so it is a 1 in 10 twist. I think the 308 win had the 1 in 12.
    I can shoot the 314299 sized .310" cast out of lino or heat treated to over 2,500 fps and around 1" at 100 yards. Good for about 5 shots then have to brush the bore.

    I'm going to check some of the Lee boolits on my RCBS dial indicator thing to make sure the aren't bent then push them progressively faster to see what happens.

  20. #60
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    I finally got a chance to do some shooting today. It was cast from pure lino and shot unsized w/ 45/45/10 lube. This is 15 shots at 100 yards:



    The bad news is that this was a cautious starting load and it didn't have enough gas pressure to cycle the action. The other bad news is that I wasn't aiming at that target square. I was aiming at the one 12" directly above it. This is on a rifle where for some unknown reason it has taken almost all of the vertical travel of the scope to get it sighted in.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check