MiHec 308 Hollow point Hunting Boolit

[pipehand]

Loaded up 15 rounds of the new boolit. Casts beautifully once the mold is warmed up. ACWW with just a bit of tin added for ease of fillout.

I used 22.2 grains of IMR 4227 under the HP boolit that weighed 151 grains lubed, checked, and sized at .3105"

The first 5 shots were fired over the chronograph for an average velocity of 2K FPS.

Then I was ready to check it for grouping at 50 yards, no benchrest, just my arms on top of a plastic 55 gallon drum.
I loaded 5 rounds in the magazine, with the muzzle elevated, acquired target and commenced to firing. The first round went low, but just cycling the action with the rifle horizontal, I fired the next 4 rounds for a nice tight group 3 inches above the initial shot.

I fired another group at another target exactly like the first. Load 5 rounds in mag with muzzle skyward, lower muzzle and shoot at target. Exact same thing happened. First shot low, and the following shots tight about 1 inch above the aiming point in a respectable group.

Has anyone had that kind of position sensitivity problem with 4227 before? Do you think it can be fixed with a tuft of dacron, or should I change powders? 2400 hasn't shown that problem for me, but I am using it at 1800 fps with a 30-165 SIL in the same rifle.

BTW, the rifle is a Winchester Stainless Featherweight Classic, with a walnut laminated stock that I glassed myself, with a Sightron 3x9 S1. Rate of twist is 1:12 inches. 4 lands and grooves with a nice lube star of FWFWL.

I've been combing the archives for fast light 308 loads, but most of the serious loads are heavier boolits, and the lighter boolits are mostly shot over Unique. I use 4198 under an RCBS 30-150 FN in my 30-30, so perhaps that might work in the 308.

Since this is the Group Buy Results forum, the group of shots 2 thru 5 on Target 1 measure 3/8" center to center. The boolits, and the mold they came from are awesome. I just need to solve the powder problem.

Its early in testing. I just picked the mold up at the Post Office at 9 this morning. After 16 months of waiting for it, I was determined to use it. Deer beware!

[dragon813gt]

Just replying so I can watch this thread. My mold will be here soon enough

[pipehand]

I couldn't wait to use mine. It's beautiful. I never thought that hollow point boolits could be so easy to make, and from a 4 cavity yet! Perfect venting, perfect fillout, and perfect bases-no flashing. It's also my first brass mold. I had heard there was something magical about them, but now I see it for myself.

[45 2.1]

Its early in testing. I just picked the mold up at the Post Office at 9 this morning.

Not bad results for less than a day....BUT, groups won't stabilize until the alloy does/ Give it two weeks, then you'll see more consistent groups.

[pipehand]

Not bad results for less than a day....BUT, groups won't stabilize until the alloy does/ Give it two weeks, then you'll see more consistent groups.

You really meant to include the chain pulling emoticon, didn't you?

BTW 45 2.1, I've thanked Miha for his work, but I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for yours. This looks to be a great design.

I thought there might be a problem with rounds in the magazine exerting too much pressure upward on the bolt for the first shot. Single loading into the chamber still gave a low and slightly left first impact if the muzzle was elevated first.

Will have to break out the dacron batting, and play with other powders. Have IMR-4895, 2400, IMR-4227, Varget, H-4198, H-4831, H-4350, AA-2230, and Reloader-7 to play with. And beaucoup 7.62 LC Match ready to load.

After I get it running right in the cartridge it was designed for, I have plans for it in the 30-30, and 7.62x39.

[45 2.1]

Unique is an excellent powder with cast. Depending on which manual you look in, regardless of age, this powder is listed from a little over 30K to 55K in pressure levels with no rhyme or reason as to why they vary the top load so much between boolit weights. My testing usually limits cast with Unique in the 308 to the 40K level (that would be about 15 gr., so work up to it). If you follow those lines, you can almost achieve 2,000 fps with this boolit and Unique. I've shot a lot of very nice groups that way.

[pipehand]

I have Unique as well, but didn't list it because I was under the impression that the slower powders would be better for higher velocity loads. Also have Red Dot, Herco , Accurate XMP-5744 and Power Pistol. I'm really leaning toward the 4895 as I have a bunch of it that I was reserving for jacketed .223 loads. Since Jacketed .224 diameter bullets are scarce, I might as well use it in the .308 with cast.

I don't have a self-loader in 308, but I did look through the "Cast in an M-1A" thread. Most of those loads use slower powder and heavier boolits. Since I'm using a bolt gun, anything safe should be fine.

Oh, and I have a pound or two of H-335 and BL(c)-2 around here somewhere.

[45 2.1]

I cast some and water dropped them as an experiment over an open fire outside yesterday (won't do that often again either) and ran them thru the lubrisizer today. I loaded them with about 14.6 gr. of Unique and shot about 16. Expansion tests at 50 and 135 yards indicate they will do just fine on the small game around here. They fed fine in a Ruger Scout rifle and answered the ballisti-plex settings as expected out to 250 yards.

[pipehand]

45 2.1, I'm curious about the water dropping. I didn't because I was afraid it would be to brittle for the HP. Are you cutting WW with pure lead? I imagine you're getting better than 1800 fps with that Unique load.

What did you expansion test with? Did you take pictures?

I loaded up a range of 4895 loads this morning to test for velocity and accuracy. Been holding off shooting as thunder has been rumbling.

[45 2.1]

45 2.1, I'm curious about the water dropping. I didn't because I was afraid it would be to brittle for the HP. Are you cutting WW with pure lead? Yes.... 50%WW & 50% Pb with no additives water dropped into tap water. This is the same alloy I use for handgun hunting with my hollow points. Tough skin that is quite ductile while expanding. I imagine you're getting better than 1800 fps with that Unique load. Probably in that short barrel.....As an aside, I tested them in a Savage Axis 308 just now. My setting (after some poor groups at higher settings) is a B&M number not transferable to weight, but its volume is very close to a #25 RCBS Little Dandy rotor. That light plastic stocked rifle gave me a little under a 1/2" 3 shot group at 100 yards. Wind picked up, but I'll be testing it some more to see if it's consistent.

What did you expansion test with? Glacial till... which is a mottled very damp clay. Naturally occurring here. At 50 yards the boolit expands and sheds material to the crimp groove, at 135 yards it expanded to the base of the hollow point.Did you take pictures? No digital camera.......

[pipehand]

I shot a lot of the 4895 loads this weekend. I started with 26 grains, with dacron and worked up to 30 grains with dacron. 26 grains grouped well, but the groups got worse as I added more powder,with 3&1/2 inches of vertical dispersion with the 30 grain load. 30 grains with dacron was running at 2030 fps.

I dropped the dacron, worked up, and got 3/4" groups at 50 yards with 31.8 grains of IMR 4895 with an average velocity of 2020 fps. The rifle is still "black bore" with a nice lube star, so I'm going to continue adding powder until accuracy falls off or leading starts. It's looking like 30+ grains uses up enough case capacity that I don't need the dacron anyway.

[funshooter]

I never received a brake down invoice from MP molds. I have asked them for an invoice but nothing
I paid paypal $181.58 for the mold and shipping. What did I pay for. My order was not complete with what I asked for and there is no way for me to know If I paid for what I received or what I ordered.

How can I get the info. from MP Molds, can anyone give me any suggestions on how I can.

[crawfobj]

You guys are killing me. Can't wait to get my hands on mine and put it to work!

[dragon813gt]

I never received a brake down invoice from MP molds. I have asked them for an invoice but nothing
I paid paypal $181.58 for the mold and shipping. What did I pay for. My order was not complete with what I asked for and there is no way for me to know If I paid for what I received or what I ordered.

How can I get the info. from MP Molds, can anyone give me any suggestions on how I can.

Did you PM Mihec? He usually responds quickly. I'm wondering what you paid for at that cost. I ordered a four cavity w/ all pins(except blank) and the total was just shy of $160. He will make it right if the order was wrong.

[funshooter]

Thank you for the help. I just PM,ed him

I ordered (1) 4C mold (1) set of handles (1) set of HP pins and (3) sets of Blank pins.

No price on the GB for the handles so I can not Calculate what I paid for.

[dragon813gt]

The mold with one set of pins shipped is $140. Each extra set if pins is $16. And the handles sell for $26 on his site. The total should have been around $214 for your order.

[funshooter]

Then it looks like I just paid for what I received. That is OK with me But I would still like an Invoice.

Thanks again for the help
Everyone on the Forum has been great

[freebullet]

Mine showed up as ordered with hp pins, blank pins, the mold, & handles. I paid 181.15$ it is my understanding that if the pins are not able to be reversed then the blank pins come with it. These pins are not reverseable by design. The exchange rate that PayPal charges changes rapidly.
Can't wait to cast some, its so Purdy.

[2thepoint]

Pipehand - Thanks for a real nice range report! I received mine on Monday and I'm waiting on a .310 lubrisizer die. I should be good to go. Gas checks used?

45 2 .1 - Thank you for all the time and effort you put into the many GB's you honcho! Excellent job of keeping it all together.

[pipehand]

2thepoint. Gas checks were used.