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Thread: 91/30 Slugged @ .312, mold suggestions?

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    91/30 Slugged @ .312, mold suggestions?

    Hi folks, newbie here. I did some searching and came up short, so if anyone has suggestions it'd be greatly appreciated. Have a 91/30 PU that's nice and tight, newer to the CB stuff and was looking for any quick recommendations for molds. Trying to see how well this thing will group. Thanks for any tips.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    Lyman or NOE 314299 or the Lee C312-185 both shoot extremely well in my original 91/30 sniper with PU scope and out of my Finn M39 with a 6X scope.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  3. #3
    Boolit Bub JedYonkers's Avatar
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    My new lee 312 185 it barely casts at .3105 with cow + 2% tin. As an experiment I added a 1 inch piece of linotype to my little lee pot and got them up to .311 which works for me after 2 coats of tumble powder coat for my .312 mosin sized to .313. Tried to beagle it but got a lot of flashing. I would go with the NOE mold personally I have several and they all cast like a dream.
    Don't tread on anyone.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I am in agreement with Larry Gibson on the two styles.
    I also have the .316 -299 that I size down to what I need for a perticular rifle , especially those with bores that are up around .315 or more.
    I also have a NOE 198 gr Plain Base and Gas Check spire point style that shoots very good in almost all of my M N's as well as my Lee Enfield.
    It also shoots good out of my .30 cal.rifles if it is resized properly.
    All these Boolits shoot very good when powder coated or lubed.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I'm with Larry. If needed "bump up" the bullets, leement the mold, do what you need to do to get up to .314.

    I ordered a Lee .314 sizing die just for installing gas checks on the Lee .312 185 gr cast boolit. If you can add a lttle tin, get them to cast at .313 chances are your golden.

    I have been known to seat my gas checks on a flat steel surface with a rubber mallet. Giving me just a few thousandths extra. Then run them through the .314 die which will hardly make a mark on them, but which should crimp the check nicely.

    As for lube I like Ben's Red in the grooves covered with a light coat of BLL (alox thinned) just to put a nice smooth hard shell on them.

    I need to get my Mosin's out one of these days. Figure out the best mount possible for scope/red dot.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    A Lee 312-155 six cavity mold and a pound of powder coat powder will get you a long way with your .312” barrel. The pc will add a few thousandths. Size to .314” with a Lee push through sizer. Or enlarge a smaller sizer to .313”. As long as they will chamber you will be good.

    I tumble lube most of my stuff with 45/45/10. Recently sold off a mold that cast undersized for one of my rifles with a larger than standard barrel. I then bought another mold, that also casts undersized. So now I’ve jumped on the pc bandwagon. Pc is a tool that allows us to upsize a particularly small bullet.

    JM

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    The Lee TL312-160 2R is another good shooter in the Mosins. Tumble lube with 45-45-10, run through a .314 sizer to apply gas checks and away you go.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I shoot both the Lee 155 and 160 powder Coated or Lubed in my MN's.
    It does shoot accurate out to 100 yards , but I get better accuracy at further distances with longer heavier slugs.
    But that too can depend on the wear on the perticular barrel for each rifle.
    There is not One Universal Boolits or Load that works in all rifles of that style.
    That is why I have so many boxes of Reloads.
    Each rifle gets their own reloads , based on what it likes.
    Then I have a bunch of loads that I use in any rifle just for plinking and blasting.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy res45's Avatar
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    My 1933 HEX receive M91/30 has a .312" groove bore as well, both the Lee .312" 160 gr. TL and 185 gr. RN bullet both shoot great in my M91/30 and M44, powder coated, gas checked and size to .314" in the Lee push through sizer and they shoot as accurate for me as I can hold them. I don't have the Lyman or NOE mold like the #314299 but I'm sure it shoot well in the Mosin rifles but I do have an Accurate #31-215B FN bullet that's a tack drive in my 91/30 using H-4895 which can be reduced https://www.hodgdon.com/wp-content/u...ifle-loads.pdf Still this load is a pretty good thumper.

    Last edited by res45; 06-27-2020 at 06:12 AM.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I use a Lyman 314299 which was originally brought out for the 303 British. Good heavy bullet which helps it buck the wind. I actually bought two 314299's at the same time. Local shooters were bragging as to how well that mould shot. So if I screwed one up I'd have a fallback if something went wrong. Frank

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Eddie1971's Avatar
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    The 314-299 is great. But for my 91-30, an Izhevsk from 1927, I needed something bigger so I use the NOE 316-213 mold.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie1971 View Post
    The 314-299 is great. But for my 91-30, an Izhevsk from 1927, I needed something bigger so I use the NOE 316-213 mold.
    I have two Izhevsks, and they both need .315”. I use the 316299 by NOE as my “big slug” for the Mosins.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    The other mold that a lot of people forget is the little Lee .314 90 gr Truncated cone tumble lubed bullet.

    This has shot very very well in my mosin's above very light loads of Red Dot in the 4-8 gr range. It will hit some inches lower than full power loads.
    But it is reasonably quiet and would work well for plinking or for small game loads.

    I also made a rig for flat pointing bullets for a Win 84 .30-30 and discovered it would squeeze those softer cast 185 gr bullets out to .320-.323. Apply gas check, run through a .314 sizing die and your golden. You'll want good lube on them for sizing. But mine gave me no trouble.
    I truly believe we need to get back to basics.

    Get right with the Lord.
    Get back to the land.
    Get back to thinking like our forefathers thought.


    May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you
    and give you His peace. Let all of the earth – all of His creation – worship and praise His name! Make His
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  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Mine has a 312 groove size also, but it loves that big ol fat nose on the noe 316299

    Bill

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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