New 30-30 mold, 311041??

[Kylongrifle]

I’m gonna buy a new mold for my wife’s marlin jm 30-30.. I’ve read a lot about the jm micro groove barrels preferring a 311 bullet to 309. What’s your thoughts on the lyman 173 gr out of the 311041 mold? Thanks

[Bazoo]

I bought a new one two years or so ago. It dropped something like .004-.005 out of round and was not .311, more like .310 if I recall correctly. Sold it on ebay and bought a used older one.

[Conditor22]

Like bazzo said Lyman has had some quality control problems and warranty problems in recent years.

Love the OLD Lyman and Ideal stuff.

Lyman 2-Cavity Bullet Mold #311041 30 Caliber (309 Diameter) 173 Grain Flat Nose Gas Check

that mold drops .309 with their alloy unless your coating the boolit you may need a bigger mold or to polish out the mold

[Doughty]

Kylongrifle,
My wife has a Marlin 336 in .30-30. I have an older Lyman 31141, 4 cavity mold. Depending upon alloy, the cavities drop at .313ish. They clean up good to .312. For years I sized to .311 and they shoot good. The last couple of years I have been powder coating them and sizing them at .310. They still shoot good in the 1900 fps range and have killed some whitetail out to a hundred yards or so. If you want, they are easy to hollow point with a Forster type tool. Wives, Marlin .30-30s, and Lyman 31141s; trifecta.

[toallmy]

I gave up on hunting for a older Lyman 311-041 in good shape at a reasonable price a few years ago , so I ordered a 311-180 FN from NOE and have been very happy with my choice .

[trapper9260]

I have the Lyman old mold, I got back in the late 80's and for my mix of alloy I size it to .310 and it shoot good in my Marlin and any other 30 cal I have .

[rockrat]

I would look at NOE, Accurate or Arsenal moulds for what you want.

[MT Gianni]

NOE 165 gr rf or similar.

[rickt300]

Well I picked up a Lyman 311041 mold a couple of years ago and it is still new in it's plastic orange box. I also have a 311291 I have had for a while that I know can be made to shoot just fine though it's nose diameter has been too big in a couple of rifles. I also have a Marlin 336 30-30 made in 1966 that does not have Micro groove rifling oddly enough that I am going to try bullets cast in these molds in. Soon anyway as it is already hunting season.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

The NOE, Accurate or Arsenal molds similar to the RCBS 30-180-FN or Lyman 311041, BUT casting a .311 plus to start for your Marlin. My RCBS and Lyman molds both gave .309 bullets with COWW. An old Lyman 311407 Loverin design worked very well because it threw .311 bullets.

[fatnhappy]

I have a 2C 311041 and it’s stellar. Casts quite easily and is ever so slightly tapered in the correct direction. With ACWW the driving band is .3105”. The next band is .311 and the remaining bands are .312”. Fits the throat of my win 70 featherweight like a glove.

Shoots like garbage in my micro groove 336 though. My waffle top Korean War vintage 336 with traditional rifling loves it. Go figure.

I’ve had much better luck with loverin designs and the 311291 in a couple different micro groove 336s. My hunting solution for my rifle was to Bruce B soft nose cast a 311467. Hollowpointing or using a flat point punch after hollowpointing is probably going to be my long term solution. Too many other projects for now considering I rarely use it hunting. My supply of bruceb soft noses might last 10 years

Ymmv