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Thread: C-309-200-R Diameter

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    C-309-200-R Diameter

    At what diameters does your Lee C309-200-R cast driving bands and nose?

    Thanks in advance,

    Mark

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Has anyone purchased and used this mold?

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    The diameter will depend on the alloy you use and the temperature at which you cast.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    What is your issue? Is yours casting too large or too small? What rifle are you loading for?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Tatume asked: What is your issue? Is yours casting too large or too small? What rifle are you loading for?



    I primarily cast for Krags. If the mold throws a boolit at .309 with #2 alloy it will not serve in all but one or 2 of my rifles.

    The mold looks interesting to me, I would like to try it, but I want intel before purchasing.

    I am hoping the mold will cast fat enough for me to size down to what I need.

    Thanks,

    Mark

  6. #6
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    mac60's Avatar
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    Mark - I have all of their .30 cal. moulds, except that one. They all drop boolits bigger than .309". Have you looked at the .312-185-1R?
    So many guns, so little time
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  7. #7
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    Kraschenbirn's Avatar
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    That Lee mold is the 'go-to' for my '98 Krag carbine. Don't recall exactly what size it drops from my home-brewed #2 alloy because I powder coat 'as cast' then size the drive bands to .311 and the nose to .301. Accuracy is better than I can hold with iron sights; last time out, shooting prone without a sling, I went 10 for 10 on a 12" round plate @ 200 and 8 for 10 on a 16" square @ 300.

    Bill
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    I have one that I purchased new 2011, this is the old style blocks and to my knowledge, Lee's actual dimensions varied greatly, batch to batch, back then. When they upgraded the design of their 2 cavity molds (in 2013), they also went to CNC cutting and since have greatly improved their dimension variations. I would expect a new Lee C309-200-R mold to be much closer to .309 than mine is.

    Mine drops fat...quite fat:
    while only 189gr, the driving bands are a "out of round" .312/.313 and Nose is .301/.302

    I posted about all the lee 30 cal molds back in the day.
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...sed&highlight=
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    A lot of people here use this bullet for 30-40 Krag. Do a search on "C309-200-R" and you'll find them.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Thanks, All.

    I have 311299, 311284, 314299 Lee C312-185-R Lee 309-170-f and Lee C309-180-R, use them all, they all shoot very well. Do I need another 30 Cal, mold? Not really. Do I want to try another? Yes indeedy. I was simply hoping to find a preponderance of users reporting that the C309-200-R would indeed, cast at greater than 309 with No.2 Alloy.

    I't casting time here at the Daiute house, I'm trying to mold large quantities of everything I use. I think I'll spring for this mold and let you all know what it rolls out of the mold as.

    Thanks and happy shooting to you all,

    Mark

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Update: The mold arrived and started raining bullets with absolutely no prep, I just heated it up and started casting, the bullets drop with no effort just a gentle "tap" on the hinge. Sometimes they drop out of their own accord.

    The best part is that in all cases the driving bands exceed .311 and the nose exceeds .301 Truth is, the bands run from .311 to .314 and the nose runs from .301 to .304.

    I'll load some up and give a report on Monday if all goes well.

    Thanks,

    Mark

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I bought such a mould years ago when I first began casting for a Ruger carbine in .30-40 Krag. I damaged the mould eventually and discarded it, but bullets had a large enough nose and body to wok well in .30-40 and .30-06, maybe others. I've since found #314299 bullets are at least as accurate as bullets cast from the Lee mould and this is the bullet design I've used in a variety of .30 caliber rifles for quite a while.

  13. #13
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    The mold sounds good, but unless the cavities are different sizes, that's a lot of size variation. You may need to work on your casting technique and consistency, especially closing the mold halves and handle tension.

    Melt temp variation or pressure casting differences can also make for size differences.
    I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
    My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
    The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
    How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
    Do you trust your casting thermometer?
    A few musings.

  14. #14
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Daiute View Post
    SNIP...

    Truth is, the bands run from .311 to .314 and the nose runs from .301 to .304.
    This would concern me. There shouldn't be that much variation in 30 cal boolits.
    If I had that much diameter variation, I would also be checking for weight variation.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  15. #15
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    cwlongshot's Avatar
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    I have used it with success, Once I powder coated and sized to 311. (In black out)


    CW
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  16. #16
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe View Post
    This would concern me. There shouldn't be that much variation in 30 cal boolits.
    If I had that much diameter variation, I would also be checking for weight variation.
    JonB, to be clear the boolits are out of round by about .002 t0 about .003 and this could be a reslut of some lead on the face of the mold blocks.

    HangFireW8, my lead pot holds about 40lbs of alloy and at the time I cast these boolits there was about 30lbs in the pot. Temps seem stable, I think I may have mislead everyone, the boolits don't differ that much from boolit to boolit by they are out of round that much.

    Thanks everyone!

    Mark

  17. #17
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    Well OK lead flakes on the mold faces would explain it. More consistent technique will prevent that from happening. As long as the mold is fully closed when you pour, and the lead fully hard when you open it, then you won't get flakes there.
    I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
    My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
    The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
    How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
    Do you trust your casting thermometer?
    A few musings.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HangFireW8 View Post
    Well OK lead flakes on the mold faces would explain it. More consistent technique will prevent that from happening. As long as the mold is fully closed when you pour, and the lead fully hard when you open it, then you won't get flakes there.
    The flakes were my fault entirely, the result of putting the mold n the lead to heat it up and not holding it closed. Took a while to work them off, still the mold seems to be out of round by a couple thousandths.

    17 grains of 2400 and these boolits and it was no problem putting them into groups under 2 inches at 100 yards. I think I have a winner that may rival my 311299. That with a Krag with the 1902 rear sight.

    I pour slowly, leave a big sprue and wait for it to freeze, wait a little more and then cut the sprue off. I'll cast some more and let you know if they are any "rounder".

    Be well all,

    Mark

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


    HangFireW8's Avatar
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    Thanks for the follow-up, sounds like you're on the right track!
    I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
    My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
    The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
    How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
    Do you trust your casting thermometer?
    A few musings.

  20. #20
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    OK yes, I did mis-understand.
    Good to hear the boolit to boolit is fairly consistent.
    Let us know if the mold produces a less out-of-round boolit after you clean up the mold faces.

    FYI, My own personal guideline is, that I won't accept a mold that produces a boolit that is clearly more than .001 out-of-round...especially a rifle boolit.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

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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