Mold for my 336 clone

[z28z34man]

I am looking into casting for my western field 74c ( store brand marlin 336) I am relatively new to casting and this would be my first rifle mold. I am liking the ranch dog TLC311 165Gr. RF 4 cavity GC but heard that the new design from noe http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=71_75&products_id=520&osCsid=iqs105ngotkbbiatdnj2aa4473 is for the micro grooves and I believe my rifle is older than that. Dose anyone know where I can find a tumble lube design gas check bullet mold that woul work well in my 30-30 and for a reasonable price.

[Mk42gunner]

You can tumble lube a bullet with conventional lube grooves.

How well a tumble lubed bullet will work in a twenty inch barrel may be a different story though.

When I was running cast in my .30-30's it was mainly light plinking loads sized .311". I used an H&R Model 158 for most of the testing I did, but the Marlin Model 30 AW seemed to like that size as well.

Robert

[Lonegun1894]

I have various .30 calibers, including a few .30-30s, with one of them being microgroove, and the rest having standard rifling. With one exception that has a tight throat and won't chamber anything over .309", the rest all do best with a .311". Honestly, I would choose a bullet you like and that is matched for your intended use for this rifle, and make the type of lube grooves a very minor concern. And make sure it casts large enough. I'd go for a mold that casts .311-.312", but that's just me. Actually, measure the inside of the case mouth if a case fired in your specific rifle so you know what the maximum size bullet your rifle will chamber is, and go with that.

[FergusonTO35]

Any of the Lee designs will work, however tumble lubing with LLA may not put enough lube on the boolit for the longer barrel. I dip lube all my rifle and carbine boolits as per Ranch Dog's website, size and crimp gas checks, then dip 'em again and let dry for 48 hours. Works great and is very cheap.

[z28z34man]

I dip lube all my rifle and carbine boolits as per Ranch Dog's website

Do you have a link? On all my hand gun bullets I use Ben's liquid lube. Would BLL work with the added velocity of 30-30.

[Lonegun1894]

For my high velocity (standard .30-30 loads and faster), I size and GC, and then tumble lube twice, and have never had a problem getting enough lube on my bullets. Although I have been playing with dip lubing and it is working just as well at least, so I am expecting it to get better than tumble lubing as I learn more about lubing this way.

[FergusonTO35]

His site should come up if you just google Ranch Dog Molds.

[Wayne Smith]

Ranch Dog molds are now on the NOE site. NOEbulletmolds.com, I believe.

[z28z34man]

His site should come up if you just google Ranch Dog Molds.

It might be because I am looking at it from a phone but I don't see anything about lubeing on this sight
http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com

[z28z34man]

How about this sized to .311
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/562844/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c312-185-1r-303-british-312-diameter-185-grain-1-ogive-radius-gas-check?cm_vc=ProductFinding

[jaysouth]

The C312-185 is a great bullet, but it is hard to gas check with Hornady 30 cal gas checks. You have to expand the gas check with a ball bearing held in a forceps. Lay the bearing on the cup and tap gently with a hammer.

Too time consuming for me. Maybe I could ream off the gas check shank and use it for powder coating. I suspect spending the bucks on a like mold from NOE or Accurate would be easier in the long run.

[z28z34man]

Now I am thinking a 311041 from noe
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=299&osCsid=n3su5400jjsqgeipvepcss80s0

But I also here good things about the seaco 305 but am not seeing on noe

[Boolseye]

Too time consuming for me. Maybe I could ream off the gas check shank and use it for powder coating. I suspect spending the bucks on a like mold from NOE or Accurate would be easier in the long run.I took the shank off of that mold. Now it's a 193 grain PB. However, it's not perfect. Go very slow or have a machinist do it :-)

on the topic of 30-30 molds, the Lee C309–170 FP works great in my marline 336.