Lyman mold311206

[old turtle]

I recently obtained a Lyman boolit mold number 311206 at a gun show.The mold is like new and it throws the 170 gr boolit superbly. This boolit is plain based. I have not shot it as yet, in my 30-06 but I am thinking about using 5744 or SR4759. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this boolit?

[Ben]

No experience with that particular bullet. Don't leave out Unique in the 06' with plain based bullets. You might be real impressed ! Try 8.0 - 10.5 grs. with that plain based bullet.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have this listed in an old Lyman Handbook of Cast Bullets as follows,"This bullet designed by Horace Kephart with a sharp band to scrape dirt and a groove to catch it and carry it from the barrel. With 30-30 and 125 grain bullet use 6 grains of Unique. With the 170 grain bullet use 7 grains of Unique. In the 30-40 with 125 grain bullet use 7 grains of Unique. With 170 grain bullet use 7.5 grains of Unique". The pic of the bullet shows it having not much if a non-bearing nose, but three wide bands and two large, deep lube grooves and a plain base. Its a real old timer. Unique is of course still around, but anything close to it like IMR 7625 would probably work too as well as several other powders. LLS

[Bret4207]

Somewhere in my huge pile of books I read an article on Horace Kephart and his designs. At one time, IIRC, he was a big time gun writer, somewhere around the turn of the 19th century. He apparently put out a few designs at the time when smokeless powder was first coming out and "small bores" like the 303 Savage, 30-30 and the like were brand new. The "dirt scraper" grooves were sort of a hold over from the black powder days. IIRC, his designs were mediocre but they didn't have the knowledge we have now. If it fits, you might be able to get some good shooting. Looking at a pic of the design your biggest problem with be getting the nose to fit and hoping it's perfectly aligned with the body. You might be better off forgetting about the nose and treating like an overgrown SWC.

[excess650]

I've shot a fair amount of 5744 in the '06 and identical capacity 7.5x55. My bullets use a GC in both calibers, but the pet load for the 7.5x55 is 21-22gr with a 175gr bullet.

You might also try working up to 16gr 2400 since its a bit faster burning.

Some of those old designs were pretty interesting. The dirt scraper groove is definitely worthwhile when shooting blackpowder, but likely was as effective with the early "smokeless", semi-smokeless, and "bulk" powders.

[old turtle]

Thanks to all for your input. This board has some of the most knowledgeable shooters around. I had excellent results years ago, with both Unique and 2400. Your input has made me consider that I should use a little faster powder than what I was thinking about. This mold is like new and throws excellent boolits. In addition I like old things, in part because I am old.

Many thanks to everyone for your information. This is the right place to find meaningful opinions and information.

[HORNET]

I believe the old gallery load for the .30-06 was 7.0 grains of Bullseye under the 311413 (or equivalent). 7.5 to 8 grains of Unique should be a good starting point. Remember, this is a plain-based design so keep the speed down a bit. I think your biggest problem might be keeping a lubrisizer full. That design could eat a LOT of lube.

[STP22]

That has plenty of lube capacity...likely too much. Start by filling the first lube groove only and add to the second if testing shows gray wash at the muzzle and poor accuracy after a trial at 100yds. Your alloy`s hardness (BHN) and load velocity will dictate the amount of lube needed. I have no experience with the plain base selections, but it is often said that they are an advanced degree in cast boolit shooting...finding the right mix of alloy and speed to get acceptable accuracy. A chronograph would be your best friend as you progress with it`s load developement.

HTH,

Scott

[Larry Gibson]

+1 on only filling the first lube groove or even TL in LLA. I also would go with the Bullseye gallery load with that bullet. I'd start at 5.5 and work up to 7.5 gr in the '06 looking for accracy at 1150 fps or so. Worked extremely well when a lod was worked up for the 175 gr 311259.

Larry Gibson

[Maven]

Can't disagree with the above advice, but also suggest you not size those CB's and either lube them in an oversize H & I die or tumble lube. I've been using 7 grs. Clays, 8 grs. Unique, and 9 -10 grs. Blue Dot with great success in my '06. I'd save the powders you mentioned for mid-range loads with GC'ed boolits.

[bruce drake]

I've got about 80 of these 170gr bullets that had been pulled at one time in the past (long, long ago as they were still lubed with Lyman's Black Moly lube and I've never used that lube mix which means I inherited them at one point). That rebated nose measures .278" and leaves it basically like a SWC nose profile for the .308" sized body. I'll probably melt them down and recast them into another bullet profile but I figured I'd resurrect this old thread on an old mold with this little tidbit.

http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/Cast_....html#308_mold

[John Boy]

Sure is going to carry A LOT of lube, especially with black powder
Springfield 30-06 ... H-4831 From 56.1 grains to 60.1 grains

[Krag1902]

I wouldn't expect too much from that Kephart design, though he astonished the rifleman of 1900 when he reported four inch groups at a hundred yards with his new bullet. Dr. Hudson tried it out and found it wanting in the accuracy department, and attributed the failure to the lack of a bore riding nose. That dirt scraper nonsense took a long time to die. My experience with it matches his.
Ideal offered that Kephart design in 6 m/m, 30, and 8 mm calibers. I recently found a 317206 for thee 8 mm small bore