Lyman and their undersized 314299 molds

[truckjohn]

Hey all,

What's going on with Lyman.... I have read several posts now about their molds running on the small size....

Well... I got one too..... Got a 314299 to feed my Mosin Nagant from Midway last week.... I would really like it to run at least 0.314".... Nope - runs a 0.312 - 0.313".... Nose is 0.301"....

Did they sell me a 311299 by mistake?

Unfortunately, I don't really want to get rid of it - as it will still be a really good mold for something that has a 0.311 bore... but I just don't have any rifles right now with 0.311" bores.... :(

I suppose this means I gotta jump on the 314299 NOE GB mold going on....

Thanks

[Larry Gibson]

What alloy?

What casting temp?

Bottom feed or ladle?

Larry Gibson

[RobS]

Hey all,

What's going on with Lyman.... I have read several posts now about their molds running on the small size....

Did they sell me a 311299 by mistake?

Thanks

More than likely your mold is another "Lyman Fantastic". Back when loading for a 30 cal rifle I needed a boolit diameter of .310 so I ordered up the 311299 as that sounds about right I thought. It cast small at .309 and went back to midway. Fortunately Lyman's poor quality control worked well for my needs as I purchased the 314299 big brother and the mold also cast small about the same as yours .3115 from WW alloy. I was able to make Lyman's shortcomings work; however you may not be so luck it appears.

[truckjohn]

This was the results of 2-separate runs...

Alloy
1st run was Straight wheel weight
2nd run was Wheel weight + 2% tin + 6 oz of #9 Magnum shot for the arsenic... I was hoping it would make them cast a smidge bigger.... All I got was a smidge - like 0.0002" larger....

Temp - 8 on the lee pot dial. Don't have actual thermometer temp.

Ladle pour both times through an RCBS casting ladle with a drilled out hole for faster pour. Didn't feel like fooling around with my bottom pour pot right now.... I suppose I could break it out if it was predicted to cast a bit bigger....

During the 2nd run - I also water dropped about 30 of them... They seem to run about 0.0002" larger.

I beagled the mold on the first 5 or 6 shots out of the 2nd run - they ran 0.316".... Should have kept the shims in there.....

Thanks

[BulletFactory]

Mine were oval. Im going with accurate from now on.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Hey TruckJohn and BulletFactory. I also got a new #314299 from Lyman that cast oval undersize boolets. I contacted Lyman customer assistance about this problem. I was told to repack it and to include 3 - 4 bullets as samples of what it casts. I sent 3 samples of 3 alloys (Lyman #2, WW, 50/50) and included both sized at .314 and unsized. In 4 weeks I recieved my mold back with a note of what work was done to it plus sample bullets it now casts. The work done was they re-bored both cavities. It now drops .314" bullets from each cavity that are round. Address the package being returned to "REPAIR DEPARTMENT".Robert

[Jack Stanley]

Of the five new molds I bought from Lyman the only one I kept was the 314299 . Not because it made bullets for my .314" rifle , but because it made a pretty good .312" bullet that I could use in milsurp '06 rifles .

It's probably the last Lyman I'll ever buy new , it's just not worth the chance to me .

Jack

[Ia.redneck]

Got an undersize 314299 last fall. Its RCBS or Lee from now on.

[truckjohn]

Well... I beagled it last night, and used my bottom pour pot.... Just what the doctor ordered.... 0.315" bands and o.305" nose.... 11lbs of boolits were born last night.

Now, all I need is a few suggestions for Mosin Nagant loads....

Thanks.

[Bret4207]

Start with 13.0 Red Dot or 16.0 2400. Classic "go to" loads for rifle cartridges of 7x57 capacity or larger.

[Larry Gibson]

Well... I beagled it last night, and used my bottom pour pot.... Just what the doctor ordered.... 0.315" bands and o.305" nose.... 11lbs of boolits were born last night.

Now, all I need is a few suggestions for Mosin Nagant loads....

Thanks.

Start with 28 gr 4895 with a 3/4 gr dacron filler. Work up in 1/2 gr increments to 32 gr.

Larry Gibson