AnthonyB
08-09-2007, 07:17 PM
Sundog gifted me with one of the Mos 35809 Improved moulds a few years. I have sent samples to a few folks but hadn't managed a roundoit for any testing of my own until yesterday. This mould drops boolits at .358 and 279 grains from my alloy with GC installed. I don't have the OAL with me but they were seated deep enough to feed from the magazine over varying powder charges. The rifle is a Winchester 94 AE customized by Jim Brockman before it came to me and currently wears a Leupold Scout Scope forward of the receiver.
It was very hot and I started with some NEI 200 FPs that left the barrel with a gray wash as far as I could see. I was sighting in and didn't shoot any groups with the NEI boolit but it seemed to shoot pretty well despite what looked like a lube failure given the conditions. I started the 35809 Improved testing with ten rounds of 25 gr. IMR 4198 and the big melt Felix lube at 1655 fps. The gray wash was gone in five rounds but I didn't get any great groups; I'd guess 2 inches at 50 yards was about average.
The next load was 35 gr. IMR 3031 at 1750 fps. My shooting partner gave out on me before I could finish, but groups kept getting better and the final one was a classic cloverleaf with all holes touching. I haven't measured it yet but it is under 1/2 inch. I think the barrel was getting seasoned as I shot and will just run some Ed's Red through it until I can get back to the range.
I have more loads to test and should be able to get another few hundred fps from the rifle if I try, but I may have already found the load for this one.
Corky, thanks again for the mould! This should be a real deer stomper and I hope to give a hunting report this winter. Tony
It was very hot and I started with some NEI 200 FPs that left the barrel with a gray wash as far as I could see. I was sighting in and didn't shoot any groups with the NEI boolit but it seemed to shoot pretty well despite what looked like a lube failure given the conditions. I started the 35809 Improved testing with ten rounds of 25 gr. IMR 4198 and the big melt Felix lube at 1655 fps. The gray wash was gone in five rounds but I didn't get any great groups; I'd guess 2 inches at 50 yards was about average.
The next load was 35 gr. IMR 3031 at 1750 fps. My shooting partner gave out on me before I could finish, but groups kept getting better and the final one was a classic cloverleaf with all holes touching. I haven't measured it yet but it is under 1/2 inch. I think the barrel was getting seasoned as I shot and will just run some Ed's Red through it until I can get back to the range.
I have more loads to test and should be able to get another few hundred fps from the rifle if I try, but I may have already found the load for this one.
Corky, thanks again for the mould! This should be a real deer stomper and I hope to give a hunting report this winter. Tony