Need mold advice

[TopHat]

I am looking at a Lee 90366 mold for 30 cal flat nose 150gr boolets. I want to use this mold for my 30-30 Win, 308, and possibly 7.62X54R.

Is there a better 150gr flat nose mold for this purpose?

First, is it possible to cast for all 3 of those with this mold?
Second, This is supposed to be a "gas check" mold. Are the gas checks totally necessary?

I will be casting mostly used wheel weight material, with possibly a bit of pewter if I can find it.

Hope I put this in the right section.

TopHat

[I'll Make Mine]

Have you slugged your bores? Most 7.62x54r rifles have .311 groove size or larger (occasionally MUCH larger -- mine is .313, and I've heard of them going as big as .316), while few .30-30 run that large (Marlins, perhaps), and almost no .308 rifles. If you cast large enough for your Mosin (.314 to .316), you'll be sizing off a lot to get to .309-.310 for your .308 groove rifles. There's a good likelihood you can cover two rifles with one mold and a sizer, but unless your Mosin has an unusually tight bore, you probably should plan on at least two molds.

A gas check mold will work fine without the checks, providing the bullet fits the barrel correctly and you don't try to drive it too fast for the alloy. Wheel weights without a gas check should be good for 1500 ft/s or so in the .30-30, maybe a bit less in the .308 and Mosin due to the faster twist. Beyond that, you need something to prevent gas cutting (primary cause of leading) and slipping the rifling (causing poor accuracy).

Where I'm headed with my own Mosin Nagant is plain base for low power loads (light bullets, small charges of fast powder, along the lines of "cat sneeze" or "mouse fart" loads, for rabbits and squirrels and dangerous tin cans), and paper patch for full power hunting and target loads. There's a lot more information around about gas checks, but paper patch can do things a gas check bullet simply can't (and lets you use a small bullet in a bigger bore). For your assortment, barring finding your .30-30 is oversize, I'd suggest getting a .309 or .310 mold to accommodate the .30 cals, and consider sizing that bullet down to .301 (or so, .001 over bore size) for paper patching in the Mosin. That's the only practical way, IMO, to use one mold for all three rifles.

[TopHat]

Thank you for your response. No, I have not slugged my bores yet. Casting for the 30-30 and 308 are my main concern at this time.

Casting for the Mosin with the same mold would be nice, but is not a requirement.

I think I will go with that mold since I could use it now, and later as funds allow, look in to a gas check maker.

Thanks again.

TopHat

[MtGun44]

.310 or .311 likely for .30-30 and .308. Look at 311041 (early molds marked 311 41, possible
but unlikely to find a tight bored M-N that would be happy with .310 or .311.

Bill

[runfiverun]

you are in all reality looking for three molds.
the one mold that does well in my 30-30 and in my 30-06 won't even chamber in my 308.
well it will if i have about 65% of the boolit in the neck and case.
and the mold that does super good in my 30-30 bolt gun won't chamber in either my 0-6 or 308 or shoot well in my levergun.
i never count on a mold being multi gun capable ever.

[Ben]

Are the gas checks totally necessary?


Have you read this yet ?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=48857

[Greg B.]

Keep in mind that if you are trying to get by with one mold you don't want the bullet point up against the primer of the next cartridge in a tube magazine. For the 30/30 one in the chamber and only one in the magazine would be fine.