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Thread: Paper Patched 308

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Paper Patched 308

    Eager to start paper patching bullets for my 308. I have a Lee .309 mold that throws 200 grain WW boolits. What would be the proper method to paper patch these bullets and start shooting? Di i need a custom mold to throw .301 or .302 diameter bullets to allow fir the paper patch?
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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    No, some folks cast soft and and patch then run through the push through sizer of correct diameter (patch to fill the throat not to bore dia)

    I've never done that but ordered a custom push through sizer at .301 from Lee...that works well but alloy must be soft.

    Lots of great info here, I'd recommend getting some casting alloy and doing a chamber cast to see what your throat diameter is. Hey happy hunting and good luck!

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  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I shot paper patched cast bullets out of a 308 Win barrel on a H&R Handi-Rifle.
    I size the bullets to .300 before paper patching. The patched bullets are lubed with Lee lube before being sized to .309 thru a Lee push thru sizing die.
    The loaded ammo shoots well in the Handi-Rifle.

  4. #4
    Boolit Mold
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    Ok, thanks guys. So I've found molds that drop boolits at .301, should i get one with or without a gas check?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Butterbean View Post
    Ok, thanks guys. So I've found molds that drop boolits at .301, should i get one with or without a gas check?
    Some guns don't like some bullets...I'm all for buying molds, got a closet full of em. But. I'd look into a .301 sizing die first and use the mold you have....and you can try other bullet profiles for the price of the mold that will fit both patched and unpatched.

    Now all that to say I have been tempted to get a .301 mold made for paper patching...but just throwing out my .02 dont want you to get stuck with a mold thst drops only for paper patching in your rifle and your gun just doesn't work well with it

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  6. #6
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    A gas check isn't needed for PP. I have this mold from Accurate, and it does quite well in the 30-06. I think it would probably work well in the 308W too. My mold casts at .3025 with the very soft alloys I use, and I size it to .301 in a push through sizer. I then wrap and size again to .310. "Slower" powders seem to work the best for me, if you have any W760 you might try that one in the 308W. Hope this helps.

    http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=30-190P-D.png

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
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    I have a .301 sizer that Buckshot made for me . Ammohead has part of Buckshot's tooling and has been working out to bugs .

    I also purchased the NOE 301-172 version of the Lyman/NRA 301618 . Mine drops my pistol alloy and rifle alloy at .301&.3015 .
    The pistol alloy is good in 30-30 and 308 , I used the rifle alloy in the 06' for several reasons .

    The matrix printer chain paper aka green bar paper is an excellent choice .

    For in depth paper information see the paper sticky in BP paper patching section .
    Twist doesn't seem make as big a difference with paper as naked cast . I shot some in a 264 WM for why not .
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  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy andrew375's Avatar
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    I've just started experimenting with that same bullet in my. 308 match rifle. I left the bullets unsized at. 309 and I am using two and a half thou' thick grease proof paper for patching. I seized through a .314 size. Last night was first time out and I tried 4 variations; patching to the crimp groove and to the end of the nose, wrapping clockwise and anti-clockwise. Patching to the end of the nose was the only one that worked and then only in one direction of wrap. So it pays to experiment. Holes in the target were round and the barrel clean.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I patch for 30 wcf & 300 sav.
    Having a .301_.302_.303 push-thru's. I purposely wrap the .301 a 8-BHN cast to .314 dia with three wraps of paper. Shoot that .314 in my .30 wcf carbine. Who's annealed (first fire) Federal brass has been fire formed to chamber only.
    A little fat in dia. >.314 is for a pre 64_94. No matter the P-P cast group well enough for my needs with no crimp what-so-ever. A duplex charge of W-860 and IMR 4227 for quick heat get that cast down range in a hurry.
    I wish I had .3005 push-thru so to wrap up to .312 without any additional re-sizing. Maybe someday?

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    What paper are you using, Overmax? I was using printer paper (the cheap kind) and that had enough give to compress on seating and hold a boolit real tight, meaning I did not need to size after wrapping.
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I got usable results without any extra stuff. I just cast my normal boolits pretty soft and wraped with tracer paper, dried, put a bit of liquid alox on and put through my normal sizer, shoot

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Green bar.
    I tried all types of papers during my search for a year long search.
    I than posted here if some other having was willing to share a bit of what they have. A generous gentleman located in Florida sent me some. I offered to buy. He would not accept. He suggested I give that offered amount to a local clarity. I hurriedly sent the generous Floridan a Cashiers check for the Green Bar postage. That following Christmas Season I dropped that Purchasing mount he refused earlier ~ into a Salvation Army Collection Pot. I'm over joyed how the business arrangement turned out.
    I can only hope the other fellow feels the same he also receiving a BLESSING for his charitable thoughts.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    I gotta get me some green bar! And thanks for the heads up on three wraps. I'm planning on getting back into loading, casting and paper patching. I now live quite close to a range (two ranges actually). Still busy setting up my new home.
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    If you have a caliper or mic available? I could measure my Green Bar thickness which would hasten you're paper search?
    Green bar is quite thin and strong but it has a uniqueness to swell after its wrapping as much as 12 thousands and a tad more in my observance. I wrap three turns around a .301 cast by morning the cast wrap have swelled to .314 to .316 dia depending on how much saliva applied.
    No doubt I could resize those dry wrapped cast without RCBS lubing to .310~ .311 for my 94s liking but likely will incur the cast losing some brass side wall pressure and seated cast OAL height because I do not resize my brass.. Especially so when levered from the front of a compression type spring magazine.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    I do have a mic. My papers range from around 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm. I have 0.05, .068, 0.073, 0.082 and 0.1. Now let me convert those. .002, .0027, .0029, .0032, .0039.

    It's porous printer paper that compresses down so nicely , making it quite diameter forgiving and holds so securely. I would say ideal for tubular magazines. When using it I like to pre-size the casting so as not to lose that compressibility. The downside is it's really not a strong paper but then it does hold a fair amount of lube while still staying dry on the surface.
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    That may do well, test it out and work one variable at a time to see what kind of results you get

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  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by John McCorkle View Post
    That may do well, test it out and work one variable at a time to see what kind of results you get

    Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
    That of course is very good advice. What's important here in my opinion is to have fun testing all the variables.

    I have a rifle that should not have been able to shoot with anything. The barrel was loose in the action, the bolt was set back and it was over a hundred years old (still is, mostly). So I sort of measured the throat, found a patched boolit that fit rather well, found a load that just disintegrated the patch, loaded up and went shooting. It produced MOA groups at 110 yds! Now considering that the barrel was off a Martini Enfield carbine and loosely fitted to an Lee Enfield action with those original iron sights, I think I did Ok. The only thing that stopped the barrel from unwinding was a little pressure point in the fore-end and then not reliably. I used a soft but fairly tough alloy of unknown composition.

    That barrel now sits fairly firmly screwed (threads are tight) into a later Lee Enfield action with decent headspace and correctly clocked to mate the added extractor cutout, waiting to be taken out again.

    Oh yes, the bore is VERY worn and the rifling gets fainter toward the muzzle.
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Something like .003 thick Green Bar is according to my stainless caliper. Sorry I wish I had a mic for this paper as it would be a more precise measure.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Just measure 100 or 500 pages.
    Be pretty well spot on.

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