98k and a few loads tried. Think I found my Camp Perry load

[jonk]

I have one of the group buy 6 cavity molds that is essentially the Lee 175gr RN .324 but with a flat nose. So this weekend I tried it in my 98k that I'm thinking of shooting at Perry in a bit.

Here's what I tried:
30 gr surplus 4895- no filler- nothing great
30 gr of the same- PSB filler- no real change
32 gr- no filler- awful
32 gr PSB filler- a little better but still awful
27 gr IMR 4198- ok, 5" group
18 gr surplus 4759 (my 'go to' load for my M48A)- eh, 4"
21 gr Alliant 2400- happiness. 3 shots touching, the other 2 within 1 1/2 inches.

All reasonable powder charges, proven in other guns... you never know what will work.

I was using old fashioned 50/50 lube FWIW.

I might play with the 2400 load a bit yet to see if there is a sweeter spot at 20, 22, whatever, but otherwise I will test it out to 200 and take it to Perry.

Should that fail, I'll be shooting 1938 dated German surplus. Great stuff, I just hate to burn through it.

[Bob S]

Jon:

It's hard to beat a moderate charge of 2400 for a 200 yard load (V~1600 fps or less) with a minimum of fuss and tuning. You might try decreasing the charge, rather than increasing. My best with the 323471 is with 18 grains, used in a Persian and Yugo 24/47.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[jonk]

Bob,

Thanks for the tip. I just went with 21 as it is what drops from the Lee 1.6cc dipper and I was reloading on the road with minimal stuff. I'm thinking 5 shot strings with 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 might be the way to go. Then re-test the best of those at 200. Gonna cast up a few hundred this weekend and then test.

[Bob S]

Good luck! I'll be cheering for you!

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[GrizzLeeBear]

+1 what Bob S said.

I found that 19 gr. of 2400 with the Lee 175 gr. boolit shoots very nicely in my 24/47 and shoots to the sights at 200 yds using the 600 yd sight setting. If you didn't see my post a couple weeks ago, I shot a 98-4X slow fire prone (200 yds) at our local CMP military bolt gun match a few weeks ago. I bet you will find hapiness somewhere between 18 and 21 grains.

Good luck at Perry! I would love to see a fellow Cast Boolit member at the top of the winner board!

[MtGun44]

OK, I'm a dummy. What is PSB?

Bill

[725]

Pabst Blue Ribbon beer --------------- no wait a minute, that's PBR. I don't know what PSB is either.

[felix]

Plastic shot buffer, which is polyethylene balls. ... felix

[jonk]

What Felix said. The modernly available equivalent to GREX for those of you who have used that.

Actually it is marketed under the name precision shot buffer but plastic is indeed what it is.

[Char-Gar]

What is the "as cast" diameter from that GB mold. I bought a regular SC Lee on closeout, but had to Beagle it to get a usable .324 bullet. Without the tape it was .320.

[jonk]

.326 or so.

[Hardcast416taylor]

My LEE 8mm single cavity was a first year model as it casts a .325 out of the mould. Straight WW is used with Saeco Green lube and GC.Robert

[Char-Gar]

I would like to get my mits on one of those 6 hole group buy 8mm molds, if anybody has one for sale.

[45 2.1]

I would like to get my mits on one of those 6 hole group buy 8mm molds, if anybody has one for sale.

There were three of them actually. One was a copy of the Lee boolit that was modified bigger to fit, the second one was a comprimise to fit 8mm and 32 special with a bigger meplat and the third was a 8mm Sil. The first and third are shooters. The third one is listed by BRP molds.