Lee .300 BLK mold question (309-230)

[JayT]

Hey guys,

I’ve searched all over this board and googled the heck out of this mold, and got a lot of mixed responses. Thinking about getting into casting for the 300 BLK, specifically heavy (220 gr+) bullets for subsonic use. I’m trying to get some opinions from the experienced casters on here as to their thoughts on the Lee/Midway mold. It seems like a cost-effective alternative to some of the better-accepted, and significantly more expensive, NOE and Accurate molds. Trying to keep costs down, since I don’t know if I’ll enjoy casting or not, hence the appeal of the Lee/Midway mold. The rifle I’m interested in shooting through is a 8.5” 1:7 twist SBR with a Silencerco Hybrid can. I plan on powdercoating and not lubing. It’s just a plinking gun for fun, so high accuracy is not at the top of my list. I’d be happy with a 3” group at 25 yards.

I guess my main concern revolves around bullet stabilization. The biggest complaint I’ve seen with this mold is that it drops small and the bullet ends up keyholing through paper at short distances. Keyholing out of a regular barrel is not so much a concern, but baffle-striking the suppressor with an unstable projectile is.

So, anyone have any opinions on the matter?

Thanks in advance!

[dimaprok]

Hey guys,

I’ve searched all over this board and googled the heck out of this mold, and got a lot of mixed responses. Thinking about getting into casting for the 300 BLK, specifically heavy (220 gr+) bullets for subsonic use. I’m trying to get some opinions from the experienced casters on here as to their thoughts on the Lee/Midway mold. It seems like a cost-effective alternative to some of the better-accepted, and significantly more expensive, NOE and Accurate molds. Trying to keep costs down, since I don’t know if I’ll enjoy casting or not, hence the appeal of the Lee/Midway mold. The rifle I’m interested in shooting through is a 8.5” 1:7 twist SBR with a Silencerco Hybrid can. I plan on powdercoating and not lubing. It’s just a plinking gun for fun, so high accuracy is not at the top of my list. I’d be happy with a 3” group at 25 yards.

I guess my main concern revolves around bullet stabilization. The biggest complaint I’ve seen with this mold is that it drops small and the bullet ends up keyholing through paper at short distances. Keyholing out of a regular barrel is not so much a concern, but baffle-striking the suppressor with an unstable projectile is.

So, anyone have any opinions on the matter?

Thanks in advance!

It doesn't have to be 230 grain, you can go with 200 or or even 180. Are you going to be hunting or paper punching?

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[JayT]

It doesn't have to be 230 grain, you can go with 200 or or even 180. Are you going to be hunting or paper punching?

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Strictly target shooting and plinking. The reason I chose the higher gr weight was the success I’ve had in other subsonic applications using a heavier bullet. It’s always been easier to keep a round reliably subsonic for me when the bullet was heavier. If a smaller projectile can be kept subsonic easily in this platform (AR), I’m certainly not dead-set on 230gr. Any recommendations for budget molds that people have had good results with?

[Grmps]

I've had good results with the Le 230 grn over 2400
and I'm doing ladder tests with the Lee 200 over 1680 and 296
113 over Trailboss is fun also

I have a 300 AAC quest going
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Subsonic-Loads

You'll find that you will change your statement to being happy with a 3" group @ 100 yards

[JayT]

I've had good results with the Le 230 grn over 2400
and I'm doing ladder tests with the Lee 200 over 1680 and 296
113 over Trailboss is fun also

I have a 300 AAC quest going
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Subsonic-Loads

Are you powdercoating?

[jimb16]

If you powder coat then load and shoot it unsized. that should take care of any undersize problem. With a 1:7.5 twist rate stability should not be an issue.

[roharmon]

I could never get the Lee mold to drop anywhere close to .309, even with powder coat. I switched to the NOE mold and having better results.

[curator]

The Lee 309/230 slug may work fine for what you want it to do. Powder coating may make it a bit too large to chamber. This boolit (I call it the Lee Phonograph needle) has relatively long "bore-ride" section that needs to be the correct size to work well. Mine measure right at .301"X .310" as cast with WD COWW. Its boat-tail base design precludes shooting at high pressures unless cast very hard. On the plus side, you can squeeze a gas check on it and if seated square helps some with accuracy. Heavy slugs at subsonic velocities are more likely to cycle in a semi auto. I have had good accuracy (better then the 309/230) using 180 grain gas checked boolits and AA1680 powder. Cycling is good at 1250 fps, not exactly subsonic, but targets don't know.

[JayT]

I could never get the Lee mold to drop anywhere close to .309, even with powder coat. I switched to the NOE mold and having better results.

That’s one of the negatives that I heard about that mold. What alloy were you using that dropped the undersize bullets.

[JayT]

The Lee 309/230 slug may work fine for what you want it to do. Powder coating may make it a bit too large to chamber. This boolit (I call it the Lee Phonograph needle) has relatively long "bore-ride" section that needs to be the correct size to work well. Mine measure right at .301"X .310" as cast with WD COWW. Its boat-tail base design precludes shooting at high pressures unless cast very hard. On the plus side, you can squeeze a gas check on it and if seated square helps some with accuracy. Heavy slugs at subsonic velocities are more likely to cycle in a semi auto. I have had good accuracy (better then the 309/230) using 180 grain gas checked boolits and AA1680 powder. Cycling is good at 1250 fps, not exactly subsonic, but targets don't know.

If the powder coat made it too large to chamber reliably, couldn’t I size it down with a 309 sizer after powdercoat?

[Boolit_Head]

Quite the opposite, they usually drop undersized.

[roharmon]

I tried 3:1 lead to Linotype and a 50/50 mix, but I did not try straight wheel weights. The NOE drops .310 with the 50/50 mix, I size .309, powdercoat, load and shoot.

That’s one of the negatives that I heard about that mold. What alloy were you using that dropped the undersize bullets.

[Boolseye]

I have a 1/9 and it stabilizes that boolit, though barely. Your 1/7 should do fine. I get excellent accuracy using RL 7 or W296, just enough to cycle the action.
Good luck.

[JayT]

I guess I will give the lee mold a shot, and if it doesn’t work out, but I enjoy casting, I’ll step up to an NOE mold.

Thank you very much for all for the responses and input.

[bigolsmokebomb]

I guess I will give the lee mold a shot, and if it doesn’t work out, but I enjoy casting, I’ll step up to an NOE mold.

Thank you very much for all for the responses and input.

Ive had hit and miss success with the lee molds. I picked up a custom 240gr mold from accurate and had great sucess. You always want to size after pc because you will rarely get a consistent thickness on all of the boolits when you do any type of coating. Ive had great success with 1680 and cfe blk. 10.5gr of each has worked well in my 16 in carbine gas ar with a 300 blk buffer spring and car buffer

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[gunoholic]

I had some troubles with the lee 309 230, it cast too small at only just .308 with wheel weights.
powder coated it shot with no leading, but accuracy wasn't that good. It was also a bit of an act standing them up for baking the powder coating.
gas checked they shot OK, both powder coated or lubed.
I gave up on it after getting a Noe 228gn hollow point mold.

[Grmps]

I had some troubles with the lee 309 230, it cast too small at only just .308 with wheel weights.
powder coated it shot with no leading, but accuracy wasn't that good. It was also a bit of an act standing them up for baking the powder coating. gas checked they shot OK, both powder coated or lubed.
I gave up on it after getting a Noe 228gn hollow point mold.

It's a misconception that you have to stand up your boolits for powdercoating.
If you knock off all the excess powder the following works well
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ange-PC-method

[Boolseye]

I musta got lucky-got that mold when they first came out and the boolits drop right around .310”

[Photog]

You can always enlarge the mold a bit by "beagaling" or spinning a cast boolit with a bit of rubbing compound inside the closed mold. I did that on my .401 TL mold for my polygonal barreled Tanfoglio, and my 112 gr 309 lee M1 carbine mold. They now drop .0015 larger than original. If you go too far, get a .310 or .309 sizer (cheap Lee one is fine) to get it just the right size.

[dimaprok]

You can always enlarge the mold a bit by "beagaling" or spinning a cast boolit with a bit of rubbing compound inside the closed mold. I did that on my .401 TL mold for my polygonal barreled Tanfoglio, and my 112 gr 309 lee M1 carbine mold. They now drop .0015 larger than original. If you go too far, get a .310 or .309 sizer (cheap Lee one is fine) to get it just the right size.

lee doesn't make 310 sizer, i wish they did.

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