Any Lee TL314-90 SWC users would like some info

[melloairman]

It looks to be a bevel base correct me if I am wrong . What is it really dropping at and weather it is the new design mold or not ? As well as the type of lead used . Can it take a size down to .3115 - .312 and still have lube grooves left or the depth of the grooves would be useful .Thanks Marvin

[frankenfab]

It is not a bevel base. Great little boolit for 32 handguns. I use it in the .327. Low velocity with Titegroup powder. Can't remember offhand what I am sizing to. I was thinking .314. I know I couldn't chamber it unsized like I wanted to. I would buy a 6 cavity if they would make one.

[rintinglen]

If it came in 6 cavity, I'd jump on it like a kangaroo. I've used it at .314 and .312 for my 32-20s.

[MarkP]

I bought a spare TL314-90 in March / April 2013 and it was the new style with the (2) locate pins & bushings. I bought some spare 379-250's Lee molds at the same time and these were the new style as well. The 379-250's were in stock when everythings else was out so I thought they may still be the old style. I would guess the old stock at larger resellers has been flushed out by now.

I have an old S&W M&P in 32-20; I think my old mold is dropping close to .316" w/ magnum shot.

[Larry Gibson]

I've been using the TL314-90-SWC for years in my .32 handguns (S&W, Ruger and Contender) and all my .30 and .31 cal rifles from 7.62x39 to '06 case capacity. I have a 6 cavity mould and have used thousands of the. I cast them of scrap (culls and odds n ends of left over other cast that I won't shoot) and range lead (2% tin added + 20-30% lead with the RL I have). Mine run fairly consistent at 90 gr and only a very slight BB which is gone when sized at .314. Mine drop at .314 - .315. I lube them as cast and then size in a Lee push through .314 sizer. I push them through base first which keeps the bases square on all sizings. I regularly size them down again to .312 for use in the Ruger and Contender .32 H&Rs but leave at .314 for use in the S&W 32S&WL. I size them at .311 for use in my .30 cal rifles but most often leave at .314 for use in my .31 cal rifles. If the lube grooves are full of lube (I generally TL with straight LLA as per Lee's instructions but have also use the Lyman 450 for sizing to .312) they will not be "wiped off" when sizing down. However, depending on the alloy used you may want to size down to .311 in stages as if sizing from as cast of .314+ to .311 with too soft an alloy can easily result in squished bullets.

I load them over 2.9 gr BE in the 32 S&WL, and 3.2 gr in the 32 H&R. In rifle cartridges I use 2.9 gr BE in cartridges of 7.62x9 - 300 Savage capacity. In .308W to '06 capacity cartridges I use 3.2 gr BE. Accuracy is always excellent with these loads, they are very low in noise, deadly of small game, tin cans, pine cones, etc. and more fun to shoot than we should be allowed..........

Larry Gibson

[RobsTV]

It looks to be a bevel base correct me if I am wrong . What is it really dropping at and weather it is the new design mold or not ? As well as the type of lead used . Can it take a size down to .3115 - .312 and still have lube grooves left or the depth of the grooves would be useful .Thanks Marvin

New design mold. Not BB.
Drop at .314 top, .314 base, .3135 mid
Lee push through 312 sized boolit = .3115
90.5gr.

Alloy 1.7sn 3.2sb 95.1pb = 12 BHN

Use unsized, as cast, in .311 slugged 32 H&R Magnum with 6" barrel
Used sized in .310 slugged 32 H&R Magnum with 3" barrel
Liquid X-Lox~45-45-10
These work fine with zero leading in either.

[NoZombies]

Once upon a time, they did make a 6 cavity version of that mold. I've got one, and I like it alright.

Mine drop about .315 with my alloy. I'm not a huge fan of tumble lube, but it does the trick on these just fine. I've got a .313 sizing die I use.

I size my .32 handgun bullet .313 for all of my revolvers. Thankfully all of my revolvers accept a .313 bullet, so I don't have to change that.

In a .32 S&W long case over a standard primer and 2.0 grains of bullseye the bullet is very accurate in my S&W mod.16,631 and 30-1. It's not bad in the other guns either, though the single six doesn't seem to like them as well as it does heavier bullets.

[melloairman]

Thanks for the info . Been using the .312 100 grain Lee RN . Another accurate bullet . Kind of wanted to try a bevel base . Marvin

[Mohillbilly]

I too have a six cavity of this boolit .It works well and with a little sizing I load a whole lot of calibers from .308 to .315 as cast . I use the lee push thru dies on a aloxed slug. TL is the way to go . I wish it were still in production I would get another .