312-155-2R or 312-160-2R

[newton]

Can anyone give some in depth knowledge into these two boolits? Lee 312-155-2R or 312-160-2R

I am looking to get a nice light weight mold for my sons new 308 Win. I've been researching each one and I am torn. I will most likely be powder coating them either way I go. They will be for just target shooting up to 200 yards. I have a heavier mold I will use for hunting and such.

I hear the good and the bad about each one. One thing that makes me lean toward the 160 is that it seems like(and it may not be) it has a longer bearing surface on the nose. This may be important because the rifle is a Rossi and they are known to have very deep throats. The other Rossi I load for, a .243, has a deep throat and shoots great only when I seat out to nearly touching the lands.

But if there is no difference I think I would rather go with the 155 one.

Does anyone have both molds and can give a side by side comparison?

[ukrifleman]

I have both these moulds that were originally for 7.62x39.

I use the 160gn in my 7.62 Nato No.4 Enfield and also for my 7.5x54 MAS 36, gas checked to .309 and coated with 2 coats of LLA.
This bullet works well in both rifles out to 300 yards.

I use the 155gn bullet gas checked to .309 in my 7.5x55 Swiss K31, as the spire point bullet suits the short throat of this rifle and this also works well out to 300 yards.

Both work well for me but my first inclination in your case, would be to go for the 160gn to best accommodate the deep throat of your rifle.

Hope this helps.

ukrifleman

[RogerDat]

PM me your address and I can send you some as cast of the 312-160-2R for you to try out.
I powder coated a batch and found the gas check shank was a real tight fit with the PC on it. As in had to bang that sucker on.

Even without PC it was tight fit but that could also be the GC's

[newton]

Thanks for the quick responses. My first inclination was the 160 also, but then I found a lot of people saying the non TL version seemed to shoot better.

What kind of groups are you getting at 300 yards? I don't have the room to shoot that far, but will be out to 200 yards. I think my boy is going to have fun popping stuff at that range with this gun.

Roger, thanks for the offer but the molds are cheap enough that if for some reason it just does not work then no harm done. I always appreciate people willing to help like this though. The cost of shipping these days is a third of what a Lee mold costs.

I just didn't want to buy both then have to decide between the two. lol. They probably would have shot the same for me in the long run, but if the 160 will let me seat out further in case I have a deep throated chamber, then that will be the ticket. If the boolits had the same amount of bearing surface, then I would most likely go with the 155.

ukrifleman, could you post a picture showing the two next to each other with their bases even? No worries if its too much trouble.

[ukrifleman]

There you go, the 160gn is to the left.

I shoot at fig 11's at 300 yards on military ranges (see photo) and they just fall down when hit, so I am unable to give you grouping- sorry!

[bruce drake]

I saw you pasted a note to me on my inbox asking for data on reloading the 155gr in 308Win. I see you are asking for a Rossi with a deep throat. I own two 308Wins currently. Both are Mausers that I chambered with a 7.62x51 Match Reamer so I can't advise you on your Rossi.
http://www.reamerrentals.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=90
This reamer puts a short throat on the chamber which requires me to actually seat the 155gr bullet base below the beginning of the neck in order to allow the cartridge to chamber fully and with minimal space from the bullet and the rifling.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?245769-IMR-4064-308-Win-loads

Since you are talking about plastic-coating them, I'll let someone else talk about their processing since I don't PC at this time.

Bruce

[newton]

Thanks Bruce. Any experience with the 155's twin, the 160 grain version?

[bruce drake]

I have used the 160gr in my rifles and its as good as the 155gr model that I also don't worry about the difference in weight between the two. I size both to .311"

[newton]

There you go, the 160gn is to the left.

I shoot at fig 11's at 300 yards on military ranges (see photo) and they just fall down when hit, so I am unable to give you grouping- sorry!

I thought I had already replied to this, but just saw it did not post....weird.....

Anyways - this was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you VERY much ukrifleman for the picture. This hands down tells me I will want to go with the 160. I may wind up finding out that the Rossi has some serious short throat....but that is pretty doubtful. I see now why the different BC's for the two though. I doubt that I will miss that for the 200 yard and under shooting we will be doing.

[RogerDat]

Your welcome. I picked it up as a light load for a 303 or a heavy load for 7.62x39 but have not gotten out to test them so afraid I can't speak to that.

What you said about shipping is true, almost makes it cheaper to buy both with one shipping cost rather than buy either one alone. Of course that is the same logic applied to hazmat fee that causes a whole lot of powder to be purchased. :-)

I noticed that NOE has good prices on gas checks.

[newton]

Yes, I am trying to hold myself back from a powder purchase right now........

Most of my loads will be light ones, so gas checks are not going to be needed.

Now I have to dig up some info to see if the Unique plinking loads will do, or if I will need to push these harder.

[bruce drake]

If you use the mold without a gas check you will need to keep the velocity down or modify the mold to become a plainbase mold.

[ukrifleman]

I thought I had already replied to this, but just saw it did not post....weird.....

Anyways - this was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you VERY much ukrifleman for the picture. This hands down tells me I will want to go with the 160. I may wind up finding out that the Rossi has some serious short throat....but that is pretty doubtful. I see now why the different BC's for the two though. I doubt that I will miss that for the 200 yard and under shooting we will be doing.

Glad to be of help, good luck with your load development.

ukrifleman.

[Yodogsandman]

Sorry, not that much experience with the Lee 312-155-2R and none with the TL312-160-2R.

I'd suggest using Ben's Liquid Lube to start with, over the use of powder coating. It's so much easier and faster. See Ben's thread on how to make it and apply it. Basically 60% Lee Liquid Alox mixed with 40% Johnsons Liquid Floor Wax, applied lightly and the boolits allowed to dry on a non stick surface.

Just foolin around this summer, I loaded the Lee 312-155-2R, heat treated, sized to .312" and coated with three coats of BLL. I seated the boolit bases to the junction of the neck and shoulder. I shot twenty full power loads at 100 yards as fast as I could because it was getting too dark with my Mauser FR-8, 7.62x51 (308 Win) for a group of about 2 1/4". The barrel was sizzling! I've got to go back and play some more with those!

I've been using BLL since and have had just great results with no fuss or bother. 3 coats of BLL for rifle and 1 coat for pistols.

[2wheelDuke]

I have the 155 and use it in several loadings.

It's my main boolit in .300 blackout. I also run a whole bunch of them in my .308, and as a light boolit for the .30-06. I haven't got around to actually using them in 7.62x39 just yet.

In the .300 and .308 I've started to mess with Hi-Tek and powdercoat. I started off with Tac 1 lube and Gator gas checks. Most of the time, I run them over a standard charge of Red Dot for .308 plinking. I seem to be around 2-4 MOA with them at 100 yards. I don't think I've had as good of accuracy with PC as I have with the standard lube.

I just got a 6 cavity version, but haven't had time to break it in yet.

[waco]

I shoot the 155's in my Rem 700 308 sized to .311" and lubed with BAC over 19gr of SR4759

10 rounds into one ragged hole at 50 yards, 5 rounds into 1.25" at 100

[Win94ae]

What kind of groups are you getting at 300 yards? I don't have the room to shoot that far, but will be out to 200 yards. I think my boy is going to have fun popping stuff at that range with this gun.

This is with my AK and the 160gr at 250 yards.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDi-3QwPqwM

They regularly shoot just above MOA.
I don't use them in any of my .308 bores, they engage the rifling with them all.

I never saw the 155s before, they look pretty good too!

[turtlezx]

And who said AKs aren't accurate!!

[NYBushBro]

This is with my AK and the 160gr at 250 yards.

A couple of questions: what powder/charge were you using, and did you full-length size? (The reason I ask is that the cartridge you show in your video looks a bit different than a typical AK round - little to no body taper.)

Inquiring minds want to know...

[2wheelDuke]

Win94ae, I'm curious about your AK mods. I'm assuming the powder bottle on the side is a brass catcher?