311041 HP clones & general .30 cal boolits

[sukivel]

I want a HP .30 cal mould, and I really like the 311041 clones, and am looking at the NOE SC311-171-RF-I3 RG2 GC. Could/would this double as a hunting/plinking boolit for various .30 cal's like .308, 30-06, maybe 300 blackout even?

If not, what is a good general boolit for the 30 cal in 170ish grain with a hollowpoint...that's available and not in a long waiting group buy?

[Mk42gunner]

I've only used the Lyman pull the pin style HP molds, not something you want to waste while plinking.

Another way to go would be to buy the solid nose mold, then get the Forrester HP drilling tool kit. This would make almost any cast boolit a HP whenever desired.

There is also the cast softnose as described by past member BruceB (RIP). I have done this, it is not hard, nor as meticulous as casting hollow points.

Robert

[Larry Gibson]

I've used the 311041 as a Hollow point and solid for many years in all my 30 cals from 30-30 and the 7.62x39 up through the 30-06 and even a couple "tight" 31 cal rifles such as a .303 Brit and a 7.65 Argentine. I've killed a lot of game and other critters with that bullet. I've always found if cast of an appropriate alloy and driven to 1950 - 2300 fps it with suffice quite nicely out to 200 yards if I did my part. I consider the 311041 to be the best "all around" 30 caliber hunting bullet.

[sukivel]

Thanks Larry that was the information I was looking for, and wanting to hear!

[ShooterAZ]

I agree with Larry, it's one of the very best 30 cal hunting boolits out there. I have the NOE clone of the 311041 in a brass mold, and it casts wonderfully. Mine isn't a HP model though, but I use the Forster HP tool to HP the few boolits I need for hunting. The Forster tool is very under-rated in my opinion, I use it in many different calibers with excellent results. Another great hunting boolit is the Lee C-30-170FP, not a HP either though.

[lotech]

Erik Ohlen at Hollow Point Bullet Mold Service hollowpointed a Lyman #314299 mould for me some years ago. I've done no hunting with such bullets, but I don't see why they wouldn't work well if cast of the right alloy. The bullets are quite accurate at 200 grains, ww alloy, and sized to .311" for use in .30-40 Krag, .308, and .30-06.

[Forrest r]

There's a lot of good hp designs out there in this day and age of quality mold makers. Myself I look to the past and have 2 different cramer molds for my 30cal hp needs. The cramer #50 for lite hp's & the #43 for heavy hp's.

https://i.imgur.com/yl6sLkT.jpg?1

That #43 hp isn't picky about loads, burning up some rl-19 I had laying around for years/plinking loads.
https://i.imgur.com/uLdIPcZ.jpg