Playing w/RD TLC311-165-RF

[Junior1942]

I keep 50 WW 30-30 cases in a plastic flip-top box for exclusive use in my Win 94 30-30 Woods Rifle for deer/hog hunting rounds. The box had 4 empty spaces, so I stole 4 cases from the WW cases used in my Win 94 30-30 target rifle, known throughout the free world as "Ol' Bill." As they perfectly fit Bill's chamber, and not the Woods rifle's chamber, I full length resized them.

Now, they needed refiring in the Woods Rifle's chamber. I used my whack it Lee Classic loader to load them with the Ranch Dog 311-165 and surplus 4895 powder, 2.0cc. It gives ~1800 fps with a 175 or so gr cast bullet. I re-adjusted the seating stem on the Lee loader for perfect seating depth, with trimmed cases, for the RD311-165.

As I've mentioned before, I'll cast and size and lube some of those RD bullets and load them with the Lee Loader, all over and around the campfire in about 12 weeks.

I whack it loaded the 4 rounds. I placed a target at 31 yards out in my front yard. I stood beside a tree. I pretended the target was Ol' Mossy Horns and he had just stepped into view. I quickly raised the ghost ring-sighted rifle to the side of the tree 4 times and fired 4 quick shots. All 4 shots landed inside the 10 ring. 3 went in 1". 4 went in 2 3/4". Mossy Horns ain't got a chance. Thanks, Ranch Dog, for designing and selling such a fine mold!

[JDL]

As I've mentioned before, I'll cast and size and lube some of those RD bullets and load them with the Lee Loader, all over and around the campfire in about 12 weeks.



You recon it'll be cool enough around here for a campfire in 12 weeks?:-D

[Newtire]

Boy Junior, that sounds like about as close to Heaven as it gets! Cast bullets & loading & deer hunting & campfires....not to mention your airconditioned tent. Have a ball.

[Junior1942]

JDL, campfire cool is just down the road. Newtire, there ain't no electrical hookups in the deep woods, so the tent's air conditioner stays home.

My little brother, the general, and I went out to my campsite yesterday morning to do some target practice under actual hunting conditions--from a side-of-a-tree rest in the deep woods. He shot his new H&R 45-70 with factory Rem 300 gr rounds. He could put every shot inside an 8" bull at about 50 yards, so the boy is ready for Ol' Mossy Horns. He can't hit the side of a barn with his Marlin 30-30 for some reason, but he's a decent shot with his H&R 45-70. I suspect a harder hold due to the recoil is making the difference.

I had 7 whack-it loaded rounds with the RD 311-165 and with an increased charge of surplus 4895 from 2.0cc to 2.1cc. After 4 rounds and some sight tweaking, I shot 3 for record. They went in exactly 1" @ 50 yards from the hunting rest. It'd be hard to improve that!

The 50 yard POI was about 1 1/2" high and 1/2" to the left, so I'm leaving it there. That's a 120 yard zero.

The 2.1cc load recoiled noticeably more than the old 2.0cc load. MV must be around 1900 fps or even a little more. Most important, the barrel showed zero leading and even maintained the "black bore" condition I like.

[Newtire]

Hey Junior,

I wondered how you got the 2.0cc & the 2.1cc. I just have a 1.9cc & a 2.2cc in the yellow dippers. I have a set of older red dippers that are numbered. I guess I could just find the difference between 2.2 & 1.9cc, split it into 1/3 & add that much to the 1.9cc weight to get 2.0cc or 2/3 to get 2.1cc. Guess I answered my own question...

[Junior1942]

Hey Junior,

I wondered how you got the 2.0cc & the 2.1cc. I just have a 1.9cc & a 2.2cc in the yellow dippers. I have a set of older red dippers that are numbered. I guess I could just find the difference between 2.2 & 1.9cc, split it into 1/3 & add that much to the 1.9cc weight to get 2.0cc or 2/3 to get 2.1cc. Guess I answered my own question...Heat the bottom of a 1.9cc dipper to the plasticitcy point and use something semi-rounded to push the bottom out to increase the size of the cavity. Or heat a 2.2cc dipper and push in the bottom or an edge to decrease the size of the cavity. I made myself a set of Lee dippers ranging in .1 gr increments from 1.6cc to 3.7cc.

First, compute a powder's actual VMD using the dipper to be modified. For example, let's say we use the 2.2cc dipper and weigh 10 charges of powder X. They weigh 220 grs or AV = 22.0 grs. So 2.2 / 22.0 = .100 = x's VMD = .100.

So if we want to decrease the 2.2cc dipper's capacity to 2.1cc, we divide 2.1 by .100 and get 21 grs. So we decrease the size of the cavity until it throws an average charge of X of 21.0 grs.

File the "2.2" off the dipper's handle and mark it "2.1" some way or other. I use metal numerical punches heated on the stove and melt the new numbers in the handle. Fill in the indentations with a black marker and wipe off the excess--lo and behold a 2.1cc Lee dipper!

[The Dust Collector]

Junior, If there is a will, There is a way! Good idea...........

[Newtire]

Those Lee dippers throw some real consistent charges.

If you mark them well enough, you may be able to sell them on evil-bay as a rare limited edition run.

Thought I'd add a picture for those who never saw this Ranch Dog boolit. Here it is alongside a 311041.

[Junior1942]

I just ran two one-shot-only test rounds of the RD TLC311-165 w/surplus 4895 over my Chrony. Alloy = acww. Lube = LLA, two coats. Size = .309" w/Lee die. Gas Check = Gator. Rounds loaded 100% w/Lee whack it Loader.

2.0cc = 1903 fps
2.1cc = 2064 fps

The velocity was more than I thought.

It's about 9 weeks 'til tent pitchin' time.

PS: Average RTL bullet weight with my alloy and my lube job = 175.7 grs.