Mould questions for noob

[fiberoptik]

I'm seeking all of your expert opinions on a number of moulds.
Lyman #287346 7mm. 135 gr. RN in a 7x57 mauser.
SAECO #301GOJ? Dunno what this one is.
LBT #309-160gr. SP A1 mould. Not sure on this one either.
I've got a Win94 30-30, a Krag 30-40, and a Swiss k-31. I'd like to find moulds that will please them all.
Any input appreciated.
Also, I've got a nice Swede that needs a CB for it. What works? Wish I'd have found you guys before the 6.5mm. group mould order went out.

[Bass Ackward]

I'm seeking all of your expert opinions on a number of moulds.
Lyman #287346 7mm. 135 gr. RN in a 7x57 mauser.
SAECO #301GOJ? Dunno what this one is.
LBT #309-160gr. SP A1 mould. Not sure on this one either.
I've got a Win94 30-30, a Krag 30-40, and a Swiss k-31. I'd like to find moulds that will please them all.
Any input appreciated.
Also, I've got a nice Swede that needs a CB for it. What works? Wish I'd have found you guys before the 6.5mm. group mould order went out.


Fiberoptic,

The reason that so many mold designs exist is that they manage to work for someone in something. And usually they are designed for something in particular. There are enough guys here that you can always solicit a few examples to see how they fit in your gun and how they have to be seated in the case .... BEFORE you buy. But that is up to you.

I have the LBT, 160 gr SP. It is probably the longest, one diameter bullet that will fit a SAAMI cut throat without intruding into powder space on new rifles. It does on some 308s. Veral modeled this off of his Rem 700, 30-06 throat. It is virtually identical to his 170 LFN, where the nose carries the weight difference. It would probably be short for the Krag and maybe too long for the 30/30 in which it would have to be loaded one at a time. I don't know about the K31.

Superbly accurate, longer range bullet because of the ballistic coefficient.

Think .... bullet fit.

[Buckshot]

I'm seeking all of your expert opinions on a number of moulds.
Lyman #287346 7mm. 135 gr. RN in a 7x57 mauser.
SAECO #301GOJ? Dunno what this one is.
LBT #309-160gr. SP A1 mould. Not sure on this one either.
I've got a Win94 30-30, a Krag 30-40, and a Swiss k-31. I'd like to find moulds that will please them all.
Any input appreciated.
Also, I've got a nice Swede that needs a CB for it. What works? Wish I'd have found you guys before the 6.5mm. group mould order went out.

..........Well lessee. This will be kind of a generic response! For that Lyman 287346 7mm you're gonna need a 7mm. Don't see one listed amongst your listed rifles. You can beat the bushes for a surplus 7x57, but be warned they have LOOOOOOONG throats/leades for the original 172gr slugs. How's about a nice new 7mm-08?

I don't recognize any of the other moulds, so for your listed rifles I'd suggest the Lee C309-150F or the Lyman 311041 for the 30-30.

For the Krag if you can come across a Ly 311406 Loverin you're in like Flynn. Long throat for the 220gr RN they used so you want a full diameter body way out there. Mine won't engrave the 311284, yours might and that mould was designed for the Krag in 1905. Possibly the Lyman 311466?

I have no experience with the K31 yet, but lots of guys around here have had excellent results using several of the Lee 30 cal designs.

For the 6.5 Swede, there's the Jumptrap Lee 140gr custom. Oops, NLA. Okay how about the Lyman 268645? Bummer, NLA darn! Maybe the Oldfeller 172gr Cruise Missle? Well drat, no more of those either :-). Heck, I guess you're just going to have to get the Saeco or current Lyman and tell us how they do!

..............Buckshot

[Maven]

fiberop, Finding a "fit-all" mold is going to be a problem since some brands cast too small in one dimension, namely the nose. Lee's & some Lyman's fit this category. Be that as it may, if you can find Ly. #31141 (aka 311041), you can size it to fit the .30-30, which is what it was designed for; the K-31 (@ .309") and possibly the Krag. As for the 6.5 x 55mm, you're going to find slim pickings: Lyman's 143gr. Loverin may fill the bill, but I found it too small for my M 96. As Buckshot mentioned, Ly. #268645 is a keeper, but no longer in production. EBay is a place to look, but that particular mold rarely appears. While there, check for a Lee 6.5 custom run single cavity mold that looks like a miniature version of #31141 and which appears from time to time: It is extremely accurate in my M 96.

[Oldfeller]

..... and so does Midsouth. Defense of America requires both armaments to be made available on a steady, rotating supply basis. They don't build either missile each and every week, but you can bet your bippy if you lay down your 14 million (or your $14 to Midsouth) they'll get you your long flying ground hugger within 3-4 months or so.

Buckshot is pulling my chain again .... he knows you can always get your hands on stuff designed by the odd uncles, cheap too -- we're odd that way.

go here and poke around some -- there are some larger ballistic missles too

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/department.asp?dept=%52%45%4C%4F%41%44%49%4E%47&dept2=%4C%45%41%44%20%42%55%4C%4C%45%54%20%43%41%5 3%54%49%4E%47&dept3=%53%50%45%43%49%41%4C%20%4F%52%44%45%52%20%4 D%4F%55%4C%44%53

Now how's that for a odd address? You could just go to Midsouth's web page, hit reloading on the left side bar, hit lead casting supplies next, then custom cut molds but that would be too easy -- just cut and paste that big sucker into your GO TO bar on your browser (iffen you can't just click on it) and then go poke around at all the links on the page. It's our old Shooters custom mold page, done back when men were manly men (and sheep wuz afraid of them).

Oddfeller

[Char-Gar]

In the 30-40 I have had very good results (4 rifles) with Lyman 311291 and 311467 (discontinued). There are other good molds (311284, 311334), but these two have floated to the top. The fly in the 30-40 ointment is the wide varience in the groove diamters of the barrels. they run from .308 to .314. My two Krags run. .3095 and .3100. Bullets sized .311 - 312 work well in both of these.

In the 30-30 (6 rifles) you can do no better than Lyman 311291 although the RCBS 180 FN is also very good. Most 30-30 levergun will allow bullets sized .311. Go larger than that and some rifles (both Winchester and Marlin) with choke.

Lyman 311291 molds have been made for about 100 years and over the years the specs have been all over this place. This is good as most of us accumulate three to five of these and we can fit almost any 30 caliber barrel with one of these. They are frequent items on Ebay and well worth building a small collection.

[StarMetal]

Charger,

Maybe they aren't as inconsistant in bore dimensions as we think. You said you have two that are .3095 well I have one that is .3095 and bought one for a friend of mine that is also .3905. That's four! Now I know that's just a drop out of the thousands of them built, but just interesting I think.

Joe

[fiberoptik]

[QUOTE=Buckshot]..........Well lessee. This will be kind of a generic response! For that Lyman 287346 7mm you're gonna need a 7mm. Don't see one listed amongst your listed rifles. You can beat the bushes for a surplus 7x57, but be warned they have LOOOOOOONG throats/leades for the original 172gr slugs. How's about a nice new 7mm-08?

The 7x57 is an Argentine mauser with a really dark bore. :-|

[Buckshot]

.............."The 7x57 is an Argentine mauser with a really dark bore. "

If it's an Argentine it won't be a 7x57. A Brazilian or Venezualen maybe?

...............Buckshot

[BlueMoon]

Buckshot,

I have a old Rem. 788 in 7-08 and the Ly.287346 mold. When I loaded up some they were pushed back to 2.586" instead of the 2.610". I was trying to keep gas check in the neck. I know this is off-subject, but is this common, do you think, for a old rifle to have a short throat? Lyman shows a 2.600" OAL with that bullet. Or is there anyway to alter the cast bullets to allow more OAL without any special tools?

Bill