311041 GC first loads

[DAFzipper]

Cast and loaded with 12gr of unique, no filler. Had some time after work and I went to the range to try them out. Clouds came over so Chronograph would not read. Shot 6 rounds at 50 yards. Group measured 1 3/8 outside. I was happy for my first attempt at a cast bullet for a rifle. I shot it with my Weatherby 30/06. And used homemade gas check out of two layers of pop cans.

[Blammer]

nice shooting!

[JeffinNZ]

Positive start.

[ra_balke]

Give that bullet a try with 18 gr of 2400, and a lyman slip on gas check.
Hand lube it with NRA formula, and see what happens

[Patrick L]

I cast up about 100 or so, just to get the mold broken in. Initial inspection shows the bullet to be just a bit stubbier that my early 1990s vintage Lyman version. They weigh in about 4 grains lighter too, about 168.5 - 169 grains.

Here are two of them next to the genuine Lyman (Lyman on right)
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/30-30/GunStuff039.jpg


And here are two sized .311, LBT Blue Soft and Gator checked
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/30-30/GunStuff042.jpg


I hope to get some loaded and head to the range this week. I'll post results.

[Patrick L]

Well, I got to the range today with the old .30-30. In spite of the slight dimensional and weight differences between our bullet and a "real" Lyman 311041 I mentioned in the last post, things look promising to say the least. With my normal plinking load of 8.1 grains Green Dot, I took 5 shots at 50 yds and 5 at 100 yds. Here are the groups:

50 yds
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/30-30/GunStuff043.jpg

100 yds
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/30-30/GunStuff044.jpg

I didn't measure them, so I threw in a quarter for size reference.

These were shot from the bench, with iron sights(my old Marlin is not drilled & tapped for scope mounts.) In each case, the flyer is most certainly my poor old eyes' fault. Two other things to consider; I didn't weigh the bullets and segregate them, as I typically do for serious accuracy testing. Also, these were from the initial casting session with the new mold. In my experience, I need to work with a mold a bit before it is dropping its best bullets.

I think we got a winner here. I'm looking forward to the plainbase version!

[Junior1942]

That's good shooting with iron hunting sights! +1 on the looking forward to the 311041 PB mold!

[Patrick L]

Looking back at my own last post with the target pictures, I just noticed something peculiar. Look at the shape of the groups; the shot dispersal is almost identical!! Even the fliers are high at 11 o'clock.

Wow! What are the odds?