Looking for the right 30 cal mold

[Sendaro]

Before I buy a bullet mold I'd like to hear some suggestions. I have two rifles that I would be using the bullet in and they both are .308 dia. One is a 308 Winchester with a 1 in 12" twist, and the other is a custom Winchester high wall in 30-30 improved also with a 1 in 12" twist. Shooting will be done at longer ranges out to 500 yards or so. I do not plan to try driving the bullet as fast as possible but rather at speed from 1400 to 1800 fps. Not looking to set world records but want to have an accurate bullet design in a quality mold. Please advise.

Also has anyone used one of the gas check making tool and what do you think of them?

Thanks, Sendaro

[rattletrap1970]

I have found that my GC'd 311284 shoots pretty darn well in anything I've used it in. I wish I had a High Wall in .30-30 Love the cartridge, but its a pain in my Marlin 336 (shoot great though). In my FN-1950 Mauser .30-06 it shoots very well. And it it very good in my 7.62x54r Mosin.

[cbrick]

I think you would be quite pleased with the RCBS 180 SP or RCBS 180 FP, either shoots very well in my 308 and 30-30 and I shoot both at about 1900 fps with air cooled COWW +2% Sn. 60% of boolit length is driving band bearing surface. Plus the RCBS molds are the best quality off the shelf mold you can buy.

Rick

[Larry Gibson]

Either the RCBS 30-180-SP or the 311299 or the MP 311-180 are my choices for 12" twist .308W for long range shooting. Since the 30-30 is a SS either of the 180 gr bullets will do nicely though I wouldn't count the 311299 out in that one either. If you could find (good luck) a 311334 that also would be excellent in either for long range shooting.

Larry Gibson

[Sendaro]

Thanks Guys, I have a few RCBS molds and like them. Are you any of you shooting the RCBS 30- 180SP without the GC? Are any of you making your own GCs?

Thanks, Sendaro

[runfiverun]

I'd go with the rcbs 180gr flat point. [I use their 150 fngc and it is one of the best shooting non custom molds I have in several rifles]

the check makers out there do work quite well, [qualifier here] if you find the right material,
i.e. copper or aluminum of the correct thickness.

if you are gonna shoot a plain based boolit I'd just get a plain based boolit mold and work with that.
you can generally get higher velocity's and better accuracy with the plain base mold over a gas check mold without the gas check.

[Sendaro]

Why the flat nose and not the SP bullet? I will not be using any rifle with a tube feed.

Sendaro

[lotech]

RCBS 30-180 FN is a fine, accurate choice for many .30 caliber cartridges but the flat nose design is probably not the best for long range shooting. The SP is just as accurate in many rifles and would shoot much flatter than the FN. Having never done any 500 yard (or even 300 ) shooting with cast bullets, I can only imagine the bullet drop using the most streamlined cast bullets when the muzzle velocity is below 2,000 fps.

[masscaster]

Lyman #311291 (Ideal #308291) is the only .30 Cal. boolit i cast.
Sized .308 - .311, 185 gr. RN - GC.

Jeff

[runfiverun]

the flat point will shoot just fine from non gas checked speeds up through jacketed velocity's in the 30-30.
the pointy ones won't take the set-back at the higher acceleration rate and will not be accurate.
you might also want to hunt with the boolit, or knock down a steel plate, or feed them through the magazine tube at some point.

[Sendaro]

Runfiverun, I understand! that makes good logic. Thank you, Sendaro

[runfiverun]

lotech my testing with several cast boolits at 300 yds shows them to drop 5 moa from 100 to 200 yds and another scope adjustment of 5 moa from 200 to 300 yds.
this is with loads in the 1900-1950 fps area.
strangely the 30 cal and 7mm both show the same scope adjustments, and the nose shape didn't seem to matter quite as much as boolit weight finally did at distance.
however a 145-150 and 168gr cast boolit had the same poi at the same distances in the 7mm
until I got to the 300 yd line then the 168 did have a slightly higher impact point.
and my 150-165/170 gr boolits of different styles showed the same tendencies within an inch or so over the same distances.
now the difference between 1900 fps and 2400 fps was really noticeable in impact heights at all distances.
the 2400 fps boolits showed about 6"s of difference in impact height [higher] at 100 yds [over the 1900 fps loads] and much more at 300 yds.
with 18"s of drop from 100 to 300, instead of 15 from 200 to 300 like the slower boolits do.

side note here.
using jaxketed bullets and adding more speed [350-400 fps more] lowered the impact at 100 yds back towards the 1900 fps loads.

[lotech]

Runfiverun- that's interesting; I would have guessed the drop at 200 and 300 would be greater. I've been using the 180 FN and 180 SP for twenty-five years or so in several .30 cal. cartridges. If I was limited to one .30 cal. cast bullet, I could probably get by fine with the 180 FN.

[runfiverun]

I feel the same about the rcbs 30-150 fngc.
if I could only have one 30 cal mold for everything [300 savage through the 0-6] that would be it the 180 is just a bit more of the same.

I'd sure miss the 165 gr mold I had tom cut for my 308 an awful lot though, and my walt melander 4 cavity loverign design I had made for my savage 30-30 bolt gun.

[gon2shoot]

I agree with the RCBS 30-180 fn, it's my first choice when building a new load. I keep several lever guns so I always keep some cast up.
It may not be the optimal design for everything, but I most always get a usefull load with it.

[Horace]

NOE has some great 30 cal moulds in stock such as the 311 195 a rcbs clone 311180 fn.It casts at .311

Horace

[Sendaro]

Took a look at the NOE molds on their web site. Looks like nice equipment. Would like to hear from those interested who have used NOE molds. They offer brass, and alum. molds. What's the big diff. between these two when it comes to casting? Who's mold handle will fit their double cavity molds?

Sendaro

[cbrick]

The biggest difference will be how long to get properly heated and how well it holds that heat. I love brass molds but all of my NOE are aluminum and they are excellent, all of my MP molds are brass.

LEE handles fit the NOE blocks.

Rick

[masscaster]

I feel the same about the rcbs 30-150 fngc.
if I could only have one 30 cal mold for everything [300 savage through the 0-6] that would be it the 180 is just a bit more of the same.

I'd sure miss the 165 gr mold I had tom cut for my 308 an awful lot though, and my walt melander 4 cavity loverign design I had made for my savage 30-30 bolt gun.

The Lyman #311291 is still the best boolit for overall use.
It is after all the Military .30 Cal. 180 gr. Ball of old, plus being a Top Performer @ Camp Perry in years past.
Also, it was used widely in the Winchester 30-30 Sherriff's Model.

Another prod, lol!
Jeff

[detox]

The RCBS 30-150-CM part #82302 is their plain base Cowboy Mould. I cast these using linotype for verygood mould fillout. I then size in RCBS Lubamatic using .310" Lyman sizer die that has concave pin. The concave pin stamps bullet base edge more uniform at bottom of sizing stroke. Bullet is a no gas check design. It is my most accurate bullet in my 30-30 Winchester. Bullet measures .3105 at bands and .3002 bore ride nose

Lyman H&I sizing dies have a concave sizing pin that will eather seat a GC square or stamp bases square. This concave feature also prevents lube migration under bullet. The RCBS sizing dies do not have this concave feature.

Bullets must be concentric and fit well to work good.

[Sendaro]

Ordered a mold from Midway yesterday. Have a Lyman 311332 180 grain GC DC on the way. The price was right and the design of the bullet looks like it will work out. Guess the only way to tell is to cast it and shoot it. Have two rifles to test fire it in. One a custon Rem 700 VS 308 with Hart barrel at 1 in 12" twist, and a Winchester HW in 30-30 Ackley Imp also a 1 in12" twist. Testing these two should prove to be interesting. Also a frien has a mold that I can try that he tells me he picked up at a gun show. Said it is an older Lyman 311466 GC. I looked it up and it is a Loverin design at about 150 grains. Again it will have to be cast and shot to know if it has any worth.
Any thoughts on these two molds?
Sendaro