Who Makes/Made a 190-ish gr .30 Caliber Bore Rider with conical nose?

[Grump]

My Dad brought a large handful of these home from a match (possibly Camp Perry) in the early '60s and tried a few light loads with them. I always thought it was a SAECO bullet but am not too sure any more. The last 25 or so went through a NM Garand with 20-something or a low 30-something charge of Ball-C that I cooked up and they shot 1.5 MOA with my meager skills and iron sights.

The meplat was maybe .07-09 inch and I remember the included angle of the nose to be a little less than 90 degrees and nowhere close to 45 degrees. This was a few years before we got the chronograph but our educated guess was the load was going maybe 2200 fps.

They cut really clean holes in the paper, even with a load of Unique we figgured was lobbing them out at 1600 fps.

Wondering if anyone ever saw something like that and who really made it.

[9.3X62AL]

Sounds a whole lot like one in my kit--a SAECO #301. 196 grains in 92/6/2, less grease & gas check. Flies right sized at .310" from a 30-06 with snug throat (.309") and .300" x .308" Mauser-form barrel. It threatens 1" at 100 yards, best 5-shotter so far is in the 1-1/8" range, and does this more often than not. I don't scale these bullets. The 30-06 starts pushing back a bit once past 2000 FPS with these and other heavies, but things hold together using Carnauba Red to 2100 FPS (so far).

[texassako]

I agree, sounds like a SAECO #301. I have two, one actually marked #456(?). Mine both cast on the small side with barely .308" drive bands; so beware if you go looking for one and need bigger drive bands.

[Outpost75]

The older Saeco molds of that profile were marked RG4

[9.3X62AL]

I agree, sounds like a SAECO #301. I have two, one actually marked #456(?). Mine both cast on the small side with barely .308" drive bands; so beware if you go looking for one and need bigger drive bands.

My 2-cavity #301 will polish the drive bands completely in a .310" H&I die, but little if any metal gets moved. It is an easy passage, certainly--and mics a couple tenths over the .310" spec. I haven't tried running these through a .311" H&I die, so I don't know if they would fully "clean up". The bore rider portion is .300"+ a few tenths, and is a draggy slip-fit into the lands.

[Grump]

Well that IS the one!!! Looks like the meplat really is closer to 0.1-inch.

I've thought about having the nose of the 311313 machined out to that profile. Would use a bit less alloy and let ya push it past 1400-1600 fps. Guessing it would run about 170 gr if modified that way

[rondog]

This one?

[Grump]

Yup, THAT one! Glad to see it has a good following. Another case of Dad was right, it is a good bullet. If I shot more lead out of something other than the .30 Carbine, I'd think about picking up a double-cavity one.

[9.3X62AL]

There is just SOMETHING about 190-210 grain cast bullets in the 30-06. Run them 1700-2100 FPS in a decent barrel, size them to fit the throat, and they will very likely shoot wonderfully. This isn't restricted to the SAECO #301/RG-4......the Lee bore-rider 200 grain bullet does likewise, as does Lyman #311284. cast as a BruceB Soft Point, I dare say it would make venison or elk steaks handily.

[vzerone]

Might be the 30-06 was designed to shoot a 220 grain bullet, that is throated and rifling twist.

[9.3X62AL]

That is was, Vzerone. Its initial design took the 220 grainer from the 30/40 Krag and imparted 200-225 more FPS from the longer case. I do like the things the 30-06 can do in the field and on the range. These heavier bullets start to push back a bit once you surpass 2000 FPS, too.

[lucifers]

My NEI qualifies. Krag and Springfields love it. Unsized with double powder coating, it even works great in 1891 7.65 Mauser.

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