win 94 loves Lee TL314-90-swc and trail boss

[sthwestvictoria]

After reading about Larry Gibson's enthusiasm for the Lee TL314-90-swc in .30 calibre rifles I have been trialling various combinations.

See also this thread:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?144131-30-30-Trailboss/page3

Out at my little range today with the Winchester 1894 rather than the Marlin 336 and the Win 94 loved the TL314-90-swc. This rifle is a pre-64 with Lyman aperture sights. The boolit is lubed with LLA/mineral spirits, sized to .311 and re-lubed. The only annoying part is that the Lee boolit seating die will not dial down far enough to seat the boolit - I have been seating them with a Lee Loader kit. Pat303 stated that he ground down a die to get the little 90grain SWC to seat.

54670

So very happy with this for a light boolit. There is little recoil, it feels like a 22 magnum, just a slight more recoil than a 22LR. Will be great for new shooters. As per the image the Marlin spreads this a bit more at 50metres. The lower group is the Lee 309-150-F. It is shot without a GC as a plinking load. I have some GC coming so will retest with the GC and expect the group to tighten.

[kbstenberg]

Could you direct me to Larrys post

[blixen]

Wow. I'll be looking into this load/boolit.

[sthwestvictoria]

Could you direct me to Larrys post

This is one of them:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?87261-Just-for-giggles-anyone-ever-try-this-little-Lee-boolit-in-their-Mosin-Nagant&highlight=TL314-90-swc+gibson


Here's another:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?148578-Old-article-not-a-post&highlight=TL314-90-swc+gibson+30-30

[popper]

Marlin looks like vertical stringing, could that be due to the shooter? I shoot a lot more at the target before I decide a load isn't good.

[northmn]

Bullet works very well in a 32-20. Also shows that a 30-30 is a more versatile rifle.

DP

[sthwestvictoria]

Marlin looks like vertical stringing, could that be due to the shooter? I shoot a lot more at the target before I decide a load isn't good.

Could be, i have shot that load from the marlin at 25metres with a smallish group, but certainly not all touching as the Winchester has done at 50metres with the same load.
55071

[blixen]

....The only annoying part is that the Lee boolit seating die will not dial down far enough to seat the boolit....

I had that problem when I tried some .32 auto j-bullets in my Argy. I unscrewed the lid on my seating die (Lee) and dropped one of the slugs on top of the rod to give the threading more travel. It worked like a charm! I assume a piece of aluminum or brass rod would work as well. (btw, the groups with the .32 j's were mediocre.)

BTW--What is the sized diameter of those 150g Lee flat noses you are using? I'm assuming the mold throws about .309-.310.

[sthwestvictoria]

I had that problem when I tried some .32 auto j-bullets in my Argy. I unscrewed the lid on my seating die (Lee) and dropped one of the slugs on top of the rod to give the threading more travel. It worked like a charm! I assume a piece of aluminum or brass rod would work as well.

That is a great trick, I'll try it tonight.

The Lee C309-150-F drops .310 using ACWW with 2%tin. I have just taken possession of a C309-170-F so will be trialling this as well.

[w30wcf]

sthwestvictoria,

Glad to see that you are getting good results with the Lee 90 SWC. I use a similar bullet - the Hornady 90 gr SWC .314" dia resizing them with a Lee .311" push through sizer. for my 30-30's......

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/w30wcf/Hornady90grswc.jpg

What fun!

w30wcf

[blixen]

Thanks, w30wcf, I think i'll try the hornadys before I invest in a 90gr mold.

[Larry Gibson]

....The only annoying part is that the Lee boolit seating die will not dial down far enough to seat the boolit....

I had that problem when I tried some .32 auto j-bullets in my Argy. I unscrewed the lid on my seating die (Lee) and dropped one of the slugs on top of the rod to give the threading more travel. It worked like a charm! I assume a piece of aluminum or brass rod would work as well. (btw, the groups with the .32 j's were mediocre.)

BTW--What is the sized diameter of those 150g Lee flat noses you are using? I'm assuming the mold throws about .309-.310.

Another trick is to simply reverse the seating plug of the Lee seater and use the flat end. I use a .31 M die so the 90 gr bullet (I TL as cast and then size in a .311 Lee sizer for my 30-30 loads)is already started sot th flat end on the flat tip still seats them squarely.

Larry Gibson

[sthwestvictoria]

Great, another good tip for seating these little boolits. Thanks Larry

[FergusonTO35]

I've been shooting the Ranch Dog 115 grain .32-20 slug out of my 336 with Micro Groove for awhile with good success. Making a load that shoots to the same POI as the 150 is very easy. Accuracy is the same also.

[blixen]

Resurrecting this thread. I got the Lee TL314-90-swc, but haven't had much luck--accuracy at 50 yards is so-so. (3"-4" groups -- too ugly to post photos). I tried both Trail Boss (5gr) and Red Dot (8gr)--R.D. did a bit better. I'm sizing to .311 because anything bigger expands my case necks making chambering iffy in my Winny 94 and my Marlin 336 micro-groove (both of which are very accurate with heavier CBs.)

I'm wondering if I need to reduce the loads even more to reduce the velocity on that tiny non-gas checked boolit? It really shoots high and must be travelling a lot faster than my 185gr boolits. I could be having gas blow-by issues. I've got data for 32-20 CBs around here somewhere.

It was only a first attempt and I realize there's a lot of room for tweaking.

If I could get good accuracy, this would be a perfect cheap plinking load for me.

Any guidance/speculation appreciated.

[sthwestvictoria]

As above I am using 7.5grains Trail Boss without any problems. I have found Trail Boss quite fussy - one charge weight will throw them and only .5grain above or below that will tighten the group significantly. I don't have a chronograph currently however one is on order, I'll report back on velocity. Were the boolits stabilising for you with nice neat holes? Was the accuracy poor in the 1894 or marlin or both?

Edit - my accuracy load is actually 7.0 grains of Trail Boss

[sthwestvictoria]

I have just purchased a chronograph. This load is doing 1480fps. I was quite surprised at this velocity, I thought it was supersonic but I thought down in the mid 1000fps range.

[blixen]

Swvic,
Sorry to take so long. My testing was in the win. 94. Haven't had a chance to try them in my marlin or my sav. Bolt.