Eagan MX2-30-H

[madsenshooter]

I thought I'd post a few pics that I have of the Eagan MX2-30-H since many our members seldom see any of the late Mr. Eagans work. Beautiful boolit that I have not shot enough of. Checked and lubed in my alloy, it weighs 185gr. The borerider is .301 tapering to .302 above the first band. Bands drop at .311, so it's a bit small for some of some of my Krag rifles. It seats over magazine length if I want the borerider out into the lands. OK for CBA competition but not for NRA highpower. Seats nice in my Garand though. I have tried to get the fellow who bought the cherry for a .303 version to sell it to me, but I guess he wants to keep it unto perpetuity. Casting with the mold took some fiddling with technique. First I tried pressure casting with a ladle. That gave me bullets that had spines I had to pick off. Then I tried a bottom pour pot, which worked sorta ok, but I didn't like the oxides that one invariably gets when the alloy flows through the air on its way to the mold. So I went back to the ladle, but this time using a bottom pour Rowell. With the big sprue plate hanging at an angle on the edge of the pot, I'd start the pour on it then move the flow up to the fill hole. That gave me some good bullets without spines and a minimum of oxidation. This would be a good one for NOE to duplicate in various sizes (that's a hint Al, would be happy to send samples)! I'd prefer it be nose pour, like the original. I've often wondered why NOE doesn't make some of their flatnose bullets nose pour, but at the same time I've seen that their sprue plate venting comes close to making the base just as consistent as Eagan's. The shot of the 100yd group was out of a Krag that will soon be 120yrs old, and the bullet was going 2175fps. I had mounted a 7x LER scope on my parkerized 92/96. I hope the bullet shoots as good out of my Garand!

[frnkeore]

How long is the bullet, with the GC?

Frank

[Chill Wills]

The lube. Gray 24?

[madsenshooter]

1.235" with the check Frank. Lube shown or lube I shot the target with? Shown is carnauba red, I may have used a mix of LLA and Marvel Mystery Oil to shoot the target with, can't remember exactly, it was about 4yrs ago. I have the front band on that Krag fitting a bit better now, doesn't throw that first shot so wide.

[MT Chambers]

Eagan molds will be shooters most everytime, I'm lucky enough to have a MX-3 for the .30 cals., wish I had some of his others.

[Hamish]

Nice write up and pictures Bob, and an excellent idea about NOE!

[madsenshooter]

Thanks Rich, I've also put up a group buy discussion, see if there is any interest. MT chambers, I also have an Eagan MX3-30-AR, last one made before the dull cherry gave out, and it shoots itty bitty groups out of my K31, likes 2000fps. In addition, I have the cherries for the MX3-30-G and MX3-30-US. I need to get fixtures added to my centering vise to hold a NOE 2 cavity blank. I have a 30G Bernie Rowles of Old West made for me using my cherry, but have a problem with trapped air in it.

[Ben]

WOW, wouldn't it be great if AL at NOE would make this one ?

Ben

[Fishman]

WOW, wouldn't it be great if AL at NOE would make this one ?

Ben

Just go on the NOE site and ask him, or better yet put it up on the buy discussion forum with a link here.

[frnkeore]

Here is the drawing to go with it:

129631

[madsenshooter]

We're already in discussion at the NOE sight, need some interest, come on along! http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,580.0.html

[Fishman]

Well I am late for the party!

[madsenshooter]

No, not at all, Al has put up the group buy for this bullet, in various sizes! I'm excited! http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php?topic=627.0 The bullet should have many applications across the 30 caliber line up.

[JeffinNZ]

Al has done copies of the Eagan .22 moulds albeit base pour.

What was your alloy Madsen?

[madsenshooter]

Yes, made a dandy little 6mm version of that 22 bullet for me too, but alas, I sold my 6x45. I should simply buy a .243 something and forget about this 6mm/30-40 Krag AI I have in mind. The alloy I shot the target with was a straight 23BHN lead based babbitt. A bit high in Sb, it is somewhat brittle and pressure sensitive, gives out around 36,000psi. The driving bands shatter and blow back on the neck. Al will have a .303 version available for you guys down under. I've found his basing to be just as consistent as the base on Eagan's nose pour, even across multiple cavities, whereas Eagan only did singles, as far as I know.

[.30/30 Guy]

I have an Eagan mold that I thought was the same. I got checking and my mold is stamped MX2-30. The length is 1.113" and bands are 0.309" and the nose is 0.300". The bore ridding section is about 0.360" long and the nose has a steeper taper. But is has the same whiskers as yours! Make sure that Al incorporates the whiskers.

[madsenshooter]

It's in the Eagan catalog, nice bullet. I'd guess Mr. Eagan cut his vent lines for someone that didn't like turning up the temp on the pot. Triple lines! Trapped air can be a problem with smaller lines though. I have a 30G than Bernie Rowles cut for me using the cherry. His vent lines are much smaller and when pressure casting with a ladle I often get air trapped in the cavity. Nothing like a banana shaped bullet. You can hit targets two or three away from where you're aiming!

[frnkeore]

.30/30 guy,
Here is the Eagan drawing of your bullet.

Frank
130111

[Echd]

The fat one is tempting for .303.

[madsenshooter]

Here's some bullets from another Eagan mold I have, the MX3-30-G. Well, it isn't an Eagan mold, it's an Old West mold. Bernie made me a mess that I had to go back in with the cherry and straighten out. Finally got it making some round bullets. I'm expecting some good results. The bullet is fully tapered, top band measures .301 at the top, .3025 at the bottom, next band .303 top, .304 rear, next .304 top, .305 rear, etc, until the rearmost band is .3135. Mr. Eagan's solution to lubing the little grooves was a tapered size/lube die that the bullet was pushed into nose first. Lacking one of his dies I simply double dip them in a mix of LLA, Marvel Mystery Oil and mineral spirits. It only has a little MMO, too much and the mess doesn't dry or takes an eternity. In addition to the 30G, I have the cherry for the similar 30US and hope to make a few molds with them someday. Weight of the bullet, naked, in my alloy is 198gr. Interesting little thing I noted, when the bullet is seated out to touch the rifling with the first band, my Krag and Garand come out the same OAL. There just isn't much of the bullet in the Krag case, whereas the 06 neck is full to the neck/shoulder junction.

[MT Chambers]

That Eagan design is starting to draw a crowd over on the NOE site, can't wait to get that mold and shoot them along side my other Eagan designs.

[madsenshooter]

I'm glad, hope it works great for everyone! I noticed the BC went up substantially in Al's drawing. Wonder if that's for real, or just something Al doesn't do. I mean the weight difference between lino and WW surely wouldn't make that big a diff in BC. I could see the little nose radius changing the CP a tad. I've shot enough bullets from NOE molds that I know the basing is just as consistent as Eagan's.

[frnkeore]

The BC is computed by dividing the form factor into the SD and I think that's where the difference will be. The Sd goes up in WW, especially compared to lino..

Frank

[madsenshooter]

Wow, that was a quick answer Frank. Where I hope to read more about the bullet, in time, is in the Fouling Shot. OMG! I just remembered, haven't sent my CBA dues in yet!

[madsenshooter]

I found a hard to see picture of a group I shot with the bullet out of my K31. I had an all Eagan day at the range couple years ago. Eagan MX3-30-AR, MX3-30, and this bullet, MX2-30-H. Out of my K31 at around 2000fps the group from the AR was 5 into .75. At around 2200fps, the group from the MX2-30-H was about the same, slightly larger, and a bit high right. Hard to see, but there are three holes on that thick solid line. The MX3-30 was the same shape as the MX3-30-G pictured above, but had more conventional lube grooves. It had less bearing surface than the other two bullets and shot the worst of the three.
130735

[madsenshooter]

I've found that by using a bump die that Joe Weist, aka smoke em Joe, made for me, I'm able to bump the ogive down to .299", and the front edge of the top driving band to .3055" on this bullet. That allows me to seat it with the gascheck above the neck/shoulder junction and makes OAL right at max magazine length for my K31, 3.125". The check was about mid shoulder before bumping. The die was the prototype for some Joe sold, I think Swede has one, perhaps he'd make some for those of you who want to use the bullet in a K31. Then again, I don't think anyone has a K31 with a throat tighter than mine, the bullet might work fine in those K31s as is. The bullet shot pretty good with the check below the neck, maybe I'll get one hole groups now!

[cs86]

Looks like there hasn't been a post for awhile, but I'm in on the group buy at NOE. I'm wondering if anyone has tried the MX2-30-H in a 300 blackout?