Just gotta try it?

[crackshotsdad]

I'm not sure where this thread belongs.... Lever guns or CB loads.
I have a Marlin 1894(S) purchased new in 2010. As I only recently started casting my own, I've been using Hornady 240 gr. XTP's over 24 gr of H110 as my 'go-to' load for this handy little rifle. My dad has a SW M29 and I wanted to be able to cast for him so I bought the Lee 240 gr tumble lube mold. As it turns out, this mold drop boolits at .4315" Its my understanding that the .44 mag. Marlin rifles tend to like the 'fatter' bullets. I believe mine is no exception as it won't group well with .429" 'j' bullets, but puts the .430" Hornady bullets into a 2" group at 100 yards- good scope+good rest.

Curiosity has gotten the best of me. I've read that lever guns don't like to feed swc style boolits. A few minutes ago I loaded up a dummy round with this .4315" dia. 240 gr tl boolit at an oal of 1.595" and slipped it into the feeding tube. IT FEEDS....SMOOTHLY

This boolit was poured from lino and should be more than hard enough for .44 mag rifle velocity. Before anyone asks, I haven't slugged my bore, but I strongly suspect that this boolit will be a good fit.

My question(s): Has anyone tried this particular boolit in their lever guns? Have you shot them at 'magnum' levels or just at lower 'cowboy' velocities? If you've tried 'em, got any load data/suggestions for me? Am I crazy for wanting to try this boolit in that gun? All input gratefully accepted and appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Maximumbob54]

I have tried that exact boolit in my Rossi M92 .44 magnum sized at .430" but pushed with 7.5gr of Unique and it was lubed with White Label Lube's 45/45/10. I had mild leading in the last few inches I guess telling me to use more lube. The alloy was Lyman #2 and they were water dropped. I haven't tried another batch since then yet. I don't know that you will need lino but I would like to know if it works out for you. And I can shoot any bullet profile I want so far as long as it's not too long in the nose for feeding. I was warned years ago that the Lee tumble lube designs can't be pushed all that hard and fast due to there not being a thick enough driving band at the front. I know I leaded the heck out of my 629 until I slowed them down switching from 2400 to Unique. I no longer care much for that design. If you want a screamer of a boolit then get a Mihec 432640 and cast up a messy pile of them. That is an outstanding boolit.

[stocker]

I'm shooting a plain base SWC boolit in my 357 Marlin at nearly 1700. I am using metal that tests at BHN 11-12. I think lino is in the 22-25 BHN range. I use Lars' C-red lube and size .002 above bore size. You may be better served with an alloy that uses only a small percentage of lino to increase the tin/antimony slightly mixed with common wheel weight metal or pure lead in varying proportions.. I get virtually zero leading and I just tested a run of 1370 rounds expended over several months before cleaning the bore for a look-see. Accuracy remained stellar and other than cleaning lube residue and powder fouling it really was not necessary. I have heard of shooters who have had increased levels of lead fouling from shooting boolits that were too hard from revolver class cartridges but have no personal experience to confirm it. I haven't shot pure lino for about 40 years and no longer even have a source. Lino did work well at velocity well above 2000 in several bolt guns when I could obtain it easily.

However with regard to feeding semi-wadcutters mine does it with several different boolit weights.
There may be some rifle specific factors that can arise so the thing is you just have to try them out and see. It is nice to get those nice sharply cut holes on the target that the SWC provides. A round nose flat point mould that I use a lot does not cut the paper so cleanly but the groups are just as good.

[crackshotsdad]

stocker: A link for you. http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm?gclid=CKDo0aH55bYCFWhxQgodz1QARg
I've ordered alloys from these folk several times now. Their service seems to be quite good and delivery has always been fast. I don't order lino specifically, rather I'll order a quantity of their "Super Hard" (70%Pb/30%Sb) and a quantity of pure Sn to mix with the pure lead I get from a local source. If you have a pile of range scrap, ww, or other, where the alloy isn't known, the products from Rotometals can help.

Your experience with swc in your Marlin gives me hope. I'll be loading up a latter test tomorrow in preparation for this weekend. Unique will definitely be on the menu and I'm gonna' try some 296 and Acc#9 as well. I'll let you all know what happens- wish me luck.

Maximumbob54: Mihec 432640? Sounds interesting! I'm looking that one up right now!

[stocker]

csdad: I'm a long ways from Rotometals and don't know if they would even ship here. I get along just fine with W/W's, pure and added tin which I can get easily. If I want to push boolits really hard I paper patch. Thanks for the info all the same.

[crackshotsdad]

Ok, so here is the report.
Test#1: Starline cases, Federal large pistol standard primers, 8.6, 8.8, 9.0 grains of Unique, tl-430-240-swc(lino/.4315) @ 1.605 oal.
8.6 and 8.8 had two key hole (each) @ 50 yards with a group of about 5"
9.0 had a single key hole with a 4" group. (All 'Unique' groups were 3 shots each)
No detectable leading after the 9 shots.

Test#2: Starline cases, Federal large pistol magnum primers, 23.2 grains of 296, tl-430-240-swc(lino/.4315) @ 1.605 oal.
0 key holes and a 3.5" group @ 50 yards (5 shot group).
Unfortunately, as I have recently killed my chronograph (I can't be the only one!), I have no velocity to give.

It seems to me that both the Unique and 296 loads would be worth a bit more work-up, but it appears at this point that the 296 version shows more promise. However, I may be misinterpreting the signs.

Any one care to offer any input? (PLEASE!)

[Shuz]

In my experience with several guns shooting cast boolits, I've often found that I have to fire at least 5 shots from a given load before any groups formed. If I change anything major, like powder charge or boolit design, I fire 5 shots before any testing for accuracy. YMMV.

[Keyston44]

I have that mold and my Marlin 1894 doesn't like it at all. It doesn't cast big enough and I haven't taken the time to lap or begal it. I use it for my plinking bullet for my Blackhawk now.

I moved on to a Ranch Dog mold for my hunting bullets. It has gas checked and plain base cavities. I size them to .433. Dip lube them in 45-45-10 and push them as fast as I can. Sizing them to .433 still works great out of my Blackhawk also.

Key