TL grooves vs. Conventional Grooves?

[PBSmith]

I am considering the Lee CTL312-160-2R mold vs. the Lee C312-155-2R. This is the E. Harris spire design for 7.62x39 caliber, though I will be using them in over-bored .30 caliber rifles.

The first Lee bullet is a tumble-lube version, the second appears to be the same bullet with one conventional lube groove.

Does experience among shooters here suggest one bullet might be more accurate than the other, or is this one of those "Every Rifle Unto Itself," Try-It-and-See propositions?


Thanks,
PBSmith

[Ben]

Bores, throats , etc vary a lot from one rifle to the other.

You're right, "Every Rifle Unto Itself," Try-It-and-See propositions?

Ben

[Smk SHoe]

If you are going to tumble lube them (Alox), you answered your own question. If you are going to use regular lube, PC, or Hi-tec, get the regular lube grove design. I would assume both bullets will function reasonably the same. The regular lube groove design may give you a thicker area for the PC to stick to, to build up diameter for the overbore 30's.

[PBSmith]

Thanks Ben and Smk.

I can lube either TL or conventional groove, but haven't yet tried PC.

My thinking - right or wrong - was that the conventional groove mold might produce a more consistent, uniform surface or depository for the lube, as opposed to those tiny TL grooves which don't always fill out perfectly in casting. I've actually gotten some decent targets with the TL bullet (purchased from a member here) but the results are not consistent. Of course, the inconsistency could be the result of other factors besides lube.

Smk, yes, it might at first sound like the two bullets should shoot the same. And that could prove to be the case. However, as a novice who has experimented with a few of the many variables in this CB game, I'm not so sure I want to assume anything.

[runfiverun]

I think the T/L version is a better design.
I don't like how LEE placed the drive bands on the lube groove version.

[RogerDat]

The nice thing about those two Lee molds is their price makes it fairly inexpensive to try them. The TL grooves are not really a problem to cast, good heat and a touch of tin. I can't tell any difference in how PC sticks. Lots of grooves to grip vs. fewer groove edges.

[Forrest r]

I've used the tl-160gr version of that bullet for a couple years now with excellent results. It doesn't seem to matter how I lube them they seem to all preform the same.

I've used 45/45/10 tl on them, used traditional lube + 45/45/10 (yes used a lyman 450 and lubed the small tl lube rings) & I've pc'd them.

The tl design is a lot stronger than the traditional design and is excellent for pc'ing.

I use nothing more than 3 parts range scrap to 1 part lino-type and water drop them as cast/traditional lubes or pc them and then water drop them. The 6-cavity mold makes a pile of them in a hurry.

[Boolseye]

Yes, that TL 160 boolit is one of the good ones. Good for big bore 30s as well as 300 AAC BLK. I know the non-TL 155 was the go-to boolit for the Blackout when it first broke, but I've never tried it.