Recommendations for a .303 Savage?

[Hinnerk]

What are your recommendations for a cast bullet mould for the .303 Savage? I have checked my bore and found a groove diameter of .309". I have tried the NOE 308-180-FN with questionable results sized to .310. I understand this design is not meant to be sized and that may be the issue.

With 45:45:10 lube I am getting leading with #2 Lyman from that mould using Unique below 1400 fps. Also, some cartridge necks show splotches of lead. What causes that?

[Outpost75]

Below 1400 fps you do not need an alloy as hard as #2 Lyman. Try cutting the #2 you have with equal parts of plumber's lead, continue sizing bullets .310, maybe even try .311 if they will chamber in your rifle, and the 45-45-10 lube should be OK. I presume you have a Savage 1899 or 99, it would be beneficial to do a chamber cast and if the chamber has a longer throat than a typical .30-30, with some freebore, you might try another bullet with tapered forepart which actually "fits" your throat and origin of rifling. But in my experience a design similar to the RCBS 30-180FN, which I believe the NOE bullet is a copy of, shoudl work OK as long as the forepart of the bullet casts large enough to firmly engage the rifling if the nose is poked into the muzzle. Easy to check. If the forepart of the bullet enters the muzzle up to the first driving band with little resistance you have little hope for an accurate load. You need a bigger nose diameter.

[Hinnerk]

It is actually a remake of the 308403 (see https://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2017/11/124/the-lyman-pope-308403). So only the rear band actually gets sized with a .310 die. It is meant to be finger seated into the case as cast but in that use I would not be able to use the magazine. In any case, it is not easy to chamber in that manner. Probably better suited to a bolt action.

Yes, the rifle is a 1913 vintage model 1899 Savage.

[Outpost75]

While that bullet may work single-loaded, I never had great success with the Ideal version.

My designs for the .30-30 which have worked well in most .30 cal. rifles are:

270572270573

If you want a heavier 190ish-grain bullet as a close match for original bullets in the .303 Savage order my 31-171D and ask Tom Ellis to increase bullet OAL to one inch by increasing the width of the base band and widening the lube groove slightly, to fit the length of the .303 Savage neck.

That should do exactly what you want.

[webfoot10]

Use the Lyman 31141 bullet sized .311, Gas Checked. Use any 30/30 load data
you will have no problem.

[rintinglen]

Mine has shown excellent accuracy with the NOE 312-440 sized .310 and crimped in the groove. 30 grains of WW-748 or 17.5 grains of 2400 have been the charges that produced best results. Mine is an 1899, a 1906 gun. It is my favorite deer rifle for brushy, woodlot conditions.270734