311299 or Lee 309-200?

[selmerfan]

I want a heavier mold for my .30-06 than the RCBS 30-150-SP that I currently have. I have some 311299s that I traded for that shot pretty well from my .30-06. Does anyone have experience with the Lee 200 gr. offering? Pros, cons, other than being inexpensive? I've had good success with Lee molds from Ranch Dog designs, so you won't scare me off from using Lee, I'm more interested in the benefits of the bullet design. Is the Lee a bore-rider like the Lyman? Thanks!

[excess650]

My Lee 200gr casts with a .3005-.301" nose, and .311" on the driving bands. OTOH, my 311299 casts .299" on the nose and .309" on the driving bands. My 311299 is a bit smaller than I would like in my 30-06 barrels, but a good fit for my 7.5x55s. The Lee bullet would be a better fit in my 30-06s, but is a single cavity and I don't cast with it. My 30-06s generally get either the tapered 175gr Saeco #315 or the 200gr #301 bore rider.

[GP100man]

get a 314299 !!!

I got 1 for my mosins & it`s very nice to have a "FAT" boolit to work with !!

I found my 700 will swallow a 313 boolit comfortably & seems I can`t make it shoot bad , well almost LOL !!!

[Jack Stanley]

If you are looking at new molds to purchase , I'm not sure Lyman can make bullet molds that will cast either round or large enough . The LEE molds I've had experience with at least were predictable for size and were reasonably round . They were the 150 and 170 "F" and they did OK though they were painfully slow to make a couple thousand bullets .

In the last few years I bought a 314299 thinking that it would fit my oversize Mosin . No ......... the biggest it would cast was .312" with a nose of .301" or a touch larger . Oddly enough they slugs were round and I found they worked great in my thirty caliber rifles . About a year later I found and older Lyman 311299 made about thirty years ago , imagine how happy I was when I found out it cast at .315" with a nose about the same as the other .

You could try a new mold from Lyman but I think their service depatrment is worlds behind what LEE has already done for you .

Jack

[405]

Third vote for the Lyman 314299 for 30 cals- especially the 30-06.
With any so-called normal 30 cal mold whether it is Lee or not or if it is bore rider or not no certainty that it will drop large enough for +001" over groove diameter or with a nose +.001" over bore diameter at the leade or just in front of the leade. It's an almost for sure bet the 314299 will do both in most normal 30 cal leades and bores including those with slightly worn leades and bores.

[selmerfan]

I have a .309" bore in the .30-06, so I size to .310 and need at least that for my boolits. Thanks for the heads up on the 314299 - now I have to make another decision!

[selmerfan]

Will I have trouble sizing the 314299 down to .310" for my .30-06? It shouldn't have worn leades or bore, it has a relatively low round count.

[pdawg_shooter]

Will I have trouble sizing the 314299 down to .310" for my .30-06? It shouldn't have worn leades or bore, it has a relatively low round count.

Should be no problem at all. I take .311 down to .3015 for paper patching all the time. You might try leaving them as large as will fit the chamber and let the bore size them down. I get some of my most accurate loads that way.

[Jack Stanley]

Plus one what Pdawg said , In my 1903 I feed it .311" bullets because they fit the chamber OK . The groove diameter is a bit less than that but the targets seem to favor the bigger bullets .

Jack

[870TC]

I like the Saeco RG4, now called a #301, 196 grain works great in my 30-06

[selmerfan]

I'm in contact with SwedeNelson also, as NOE would be able to provide the bullet I want with specs I want, plus HP it in shop. By the time I've paid for shipping a Lyman, shipping it to Buckshot and paying him to HP it, then shipping it back, I've paid for the NOE mold.