I just got a new lyman 314299 mold for my #1 mk-3 brit. I was hoping for great mold that would put out .314 maybe .315 boolits. Instead I get .312-.313 with the occasional .314 in one spot. Is anyone else having this problem and trying to cure it? First lyman I've had and am disappointed.I am thinking of trying to hone it out, never done it before but the mold is useless the way it is.
I have heard that new Lyman moulds leave a good bit to be desired, kind of like an iron Lee project mould at a custom mould price. I, personally, would try to get a refund. Failing that, the ream, honing trick might work and you have nothing to loose. If you end up having to replace this mould, Accurate, NEI and NOE among others can fix you up quickly with a mould that drops to spec and the price is very competitive.
An alternative solution would be to keep the mould as is and get a push through sizer to size the bulllet to .308-.310 or so depending on your bore and paper patch the result. Patching is not hard to do and very effective in the results department.
To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.
The Lyman 314299 is relegated to sizing the .312+ boolits to .311 and .310 for .30 caliber rifles. The NOE 314299 is used for producing .314 boolits.
"Semper quaerendo plumbum"
If your going to shoot cast in a brit. you might want to go with 316299
Calamity Jake
NRA Life Member
SASS 15704
Shoot straight, keepem in the ten ring.
Larry Gibson will tell you that if you use Lyman #2 Alloy the mould will cast to spec (I am assuming here you did not use Lyman #2 alloy). I can't argue with that but since I usually cast with straight wheelweights and get 0.312"/0.313" mine was useless too.
I lapped mine out and it worked much better but then bought an NOE 316299 which casts to 0.316" with wheelweights! What a concept! I size them to 0.315".
I can't figure out Lyman's logic myself. If the moulds would cast a thou or two large with wheelweights the boolits can be sized down so are suitable for more variations in bore size which is important especially when casting for milsurps. And for those that cast with Lyman #2 alloy then they will be one thou+ larger... so again can be sized down to suit. It seems to make sense to me!
Thankfully we have mould makers like Mihec, NOE and Accurate that will make moulds that cast to spec with wheelweights or at least not Lyman #2 alloy. Nothing wrong with Lyman #2 alloy but I think many (most) here use wheelweights or mixes of wheelweights and lead.
Get yourself an NOE 314299 if you want 0.314" boolits from wheelweight alloy or probably better an MOE 316299 then size it to what suits from 0.312" on up. My Lee Enfields all like a boolit of 0.315" which is tough to get from a Lyman mould that will maybe cast 0.314" with Lyman #2 alloy.
Longbow
It is advertised as being for the 303 caliber on amazon. False advertisement!
Yes I am using wheelweights and probably needed .315 or .316 to start with. I will try for a refund from amazon and check on the NOE 316.
I know that everyone hears this all the time, but here goes - have you slugged your barrel?
There are TWO important dimensions that you can find by doing this. First is the one everyone is always concerned with - the major diameter, or the bottom of the grooves. And the second is the distance across the top of the lands, or the bore. Boolits are cast and sized to fit the major diameter plus .001 or so. But it's also important to know what the true bore size is, or there's the chance that the boolits you produce won't chamber because the NOSE is too big. Been there and done that!
I bring this up because another couple of options are:
Powder coat - this adds 1 or 2 thousandths to the entire boolit in most cases
Beagle the mould - this can also add 1 to several thousandths to the entire boolit
Both processes increase the size of the whole boolit and can make the nose too large - and it doesn't normally get sized when run through a standard sizing die. But if your bore will handle the increase in size of the nose, it's all good!
Just some food for thought.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
- Henry S. Haskins in “Meditations in Wall Street”
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rapidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." ...Unknown
A few years back I purchased a new #314299 mold from Lyman. While cleaning it I noticed that both cavities holes under the sprue plate were oval shaped! I called Lyman and read them the riot act about this mold. They told me to try casting with it and if it did indeed throw oval shaped boolets to send samples and the mold back. About a month later I got my mold back. The holes had been re-bored and were perfect circles this time and they now dropped .3155" every time.Robert
Yes, I have slugged the bore, bore is .303 and groove is .315-.316(5 groove). Powder coating? hadn't thought about it,is it easy or tough? Beagleing to me is a pain so only do that if I have to. I have thought of lapping, but have not done that before. Anyone that has I would like to hear from. Also I will be checking the roundness under the sprue plate, because I am getting close to .314 at the parting line and .312-.313 in the other direction.
lapping is pretty easy.
your other dimension and the more important one is the nose.
a 314299 should make 314 on the body and 304 on the nose.
my older one barely makes those dimensions.
but why should you have to lap a new mold.
[yes I have bought a lyman mold and a jar of lapping compound on the same day]
send it back to them and tell them to keep it and get the 316299 mold from NOE it will make 316+
sizing down to 315-316 for your rifle is a lot easier than trying to become a mold finisher Q/C department for lyman.
Much easier to order a mold from NOE the size you need which casts round bullets to begin with. Lyman molds have always had "issues" for me and I don't own any, anymore...
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
Never got. .314 from a Lyman 314299 WITH Lyman #2 alloy. Sorry.
"Semper quaerendo plumbum"
Yes, your Lyman mould is cut for #2 alloy. I suggest you add 2% tin to your WW alloy. That most often will bring the cast bullets from a new Lyman mould up to or slightly above nominal diameter.
Larry Gibson
+1 for NOE. I just got a 316299 & it drops as advertised both nose & body. Did find I could take the nose down with my RCBS 30 cal collet in my boolit puller, 0.305 to 0.302. Now it will work for all my problem kids,.lol.
Gun control 1ST ROUND ON TARGET.
What is the best source for tin, Larry? If I can get it I will try to cast a few more and see, but the boolits do seem to be .314 at the parting line and smaller at 90 degree around the radius.
This one. Great mold for the enfield.Originally Posted by Calamity Jake
Also the freebore after the neck on mine is .316. Makes a nice tight seal.
I use indoor range lead. Comes out .316 to .317 NOE 316
Apologies for the late response. You should be able to get tin locally at a welding/plumbers supply store. They'll have it as solder. Usually in bars of 40/60 or 50/50 (tin/lead). You can also buy pure tin from venders here or, if you know what to look for, pewter can be found in 2nd hand stores. Pewter will contain a large % of tin.
Adding 2% tin only takes 3.2 ounces of tin for 10 lbs of alloy. It's not rocket science either where an exact amount is required. A 1 lb bar of 50/50 solder will have 8 ounces of tin, enough for 25 lbs of lead.
Larry Gibson
that!
More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"
Last of the original Group Buy Honcho's.
"Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar
Posting Permissions
| 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 |
Reply With Quote
