Most universal .30 rifle boolit?

[Dean D.]

I am curious, if you could only pick one boolit in .30 cal for a rifle what would it be?

I shoot 30-40 Krag, 30-06 and 308 and would like to find a target boolit that will shoot well in them all. If you could only afford one mould which would you pick?

I also would like to hear your opinion on an all around .30 hunting boolit if that is possible with the cartridge spread.

I apologize in advance if this subject has been covered but I DID try to search the forum for this and did not find a thread with this question.

Dean D.

[docone31]

I use the 180gn Lee .30cal mold.
It works well in my O3-A3, my .308s. It has a .301 nose and drops about .311. I size it to .308, paper patch, and size to .309.
Extremely accurate and easy on the rifles.

[94Doug]

If you would throw the .30-30 in the mix, I would guess the 311041 Lyman/Ideal.

[Bret4207]

311041 or RCBS 30-180FN. The other possibility is no longer in production- the 311467 Loverin FN.

[Dean D.]

94Doug - The only reason I did not list the 30-30 is because I do not own one. LOL It definitely does need to be added to the list though as I did mean the most universal .30 boolit for rifles of this caliber.

I do like the looks of the Lyman 31141. One added incentive for myself is that it takes the #8 top punch which I use for my 311008 and 311316 32-20 boolits.

Thanks for all your input guys, the only rifles I've ever cast for are the 32-20 and 44-40 so this is new territory for me.

Dean D.

[runfiverun]

for a long time the only 30 cal mold i had was the rcbs 165 silh.
in my 30-30 308 and 7.5x55 30-40 krag and 0-6 it done well in all.
it didn't work in my model 94 unless i single fed them.
for an every day all around fits everything i would pick the rcbs 150 fn.g/c.

[mike in co]

your original question is good as posted. adding a lever gun adds a limit that the other guns are not limited by( blunt nose), so skip the 3030 as a levergun , as a bolt leave it in.

if you do not you have severly skewed your question.

mike in co

[Dean D.]

Mike - You raise a good point. Non-tubular magazine guns only. I do not have any problems with flat point boolits, they shoot amazingly accurate in my Mod. 92, 32-20.

I guess my main question revolved around not being able to invest in multiple moulds and if you had to pick just one for all those calibers which one would it be?

[Larry Gibson]

Dean D.

Sticking to your question; "I shoot 30-40 Krag, 30-06 and 308 and would like to find a target boolit that will shoot well in them all. If you could only afford one mould which would you pick?"

The 311466 would be my pick. Very accurate bullet across a very wide velocity spectrum and it will "fit" the case neck and leades of those cartridges perfectly.

Larry Gibson

[jonk]

311284 is pretty good for me, as is the Lee 200gr pill.

[beagle]

It has to be the Lyman 311291. That thing will shoot in anything and was chosen by Lyman years ago for inclusion in their "Ammunition Maker" kits./beagle

[Maven]

Maybe my bore riding #31141, #311291, #311284, and Lee C309-170-1R are exceptions to the rule, but mine all have undersized noses and shoot miserably in my '06 (Win. Mod. 70) and .30-30Win. (Marlin 336, Microgroove). On the other hand, like Larry, I've had no trouble with Loverin designs, particularly #311466 and Saeco #315 in the same rifles. If you are fortunate to get a bore riding design with a large enough nose; i.e., one that actually rides the bore, the results will be excellent. If not, the Loverins* would be my bullet mold of choice in spite of the inconvenience of having exposed lube [grooves].


*Although I don't own #311467 (have a fat, 195gr. CBE Loverin though), I agree with Bret's assessment of it.

[R.C. Hatter]

I shoot two .3/06 rifles, one a Ruger old model 77 w/tang safety and the other an
as issued Remington 03-A3 with 4 groove barrel. I've fired many hundreds of cast boolits through them using #311316, #311041, and #311291, as well as the old Saeco RG-4. I feel that while all the above bullets will shoot accurately in my rifles, my all
around choice would have to be #311291.

[jdgabbard]

I'd have to cast my vote for the C312-155-2R. Unless it was in a lever gun, then of course the C309-150-F

[Ben]

The 3 that I've always been able to count on are the 311466, 311467 and the SAECO 315.

[Dean D.]

Awesome input everyone, thank you!

So far I am kind of leaning towards the 311466. I like the 311291 & 31141 but I am thinking the lighter 311466 may be more comfortable to shoot for target practice. Am I wrong to think it would have lighter recoil? That C309-150F looks good also especially for a tube magazine rifle.

Sure wish the castpics.net Lyman chart listed the B.C. and had Saeco and Lee moulds.

[JohnH]

Sure wish the castpics.net Lyman chart listed the B.C. and had Saeco and Lee moulds.

Not sure if you mean you don't know where to find these on the net, but they can be viewed at www.midwayusa.com.

I'd have to go with the Lee 312-185. I'm shooting it in a Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R, a Savage 340 30-30 (a bolt gun for those who don't know, not in current production) and a Savage 110 30-06

[Dean D.]

Thanks JohnH, I have Midway bookmarked and should have thought to look there!

[Glen]

Rcbs 30-180-gcfp

[Russel Nash]

I take it all those #311 _ _ _ moulds you guys list off are by Lyman?

I'm kinda new at this so I gotta ask these kinda questions.

[dromia]

For flexibility just pick your Loverin,

I've got to agree with the 311466.

The 311299 and the 314299 bore riders have also been very versatile for me.

[Will]

With the limitations of velocity posed by the cast boolit a heavier slug will give more energy at the same FPS. That's why I like the 311284 for hunting in an 06 but it is too long for my 30-30. The 311291 at 170+gr has worked very well for me in everything other than my 30 carbine. I did try it in the carbine to see what would happen and it turned sideways just out of the tube. I know the Loverins shoot very well but I don't like all those exposed groves.

Will

[Dean D.]

On a side note, I am wondering if I will need a different lube for these rifle boolits?

I currently only cast for cowboy type cartridges for rifle use, i.e. 32-20 and 44-40. All of the other boolits I cast are for revolver use. I use Lyman/Ideal stick lube in a Lyman 45 luber/sizer. Will this lube work for faster GC boolits like we have been discussing or is it too soft?

[pdawg_shooter]

311284 for me. Use it in all my 30s and 303s.

[Kraschenbirn]

I load for .30-30 (Savage 340 bolt action), .308, .30-06, and 7.5x55 and have found the 311291 satisfactory in all four. Perhaps, not the "best" boolit for each but, definitely, providing an acceptable level of performance in all four calibers.

That said, the 311466 (Loverin) design will produce MOA 100M groups in both my .30-30 and .308 but neither my '06 or K31 do anywhere near that well with it. Maybe, I just haven't found the right load combination yet.

So far as lube, if you keep your loads under 1500 fps, Lyman "Ideal" should work just fine for you. Over that, though, I'd recommend one of the harder, paraffin-based lubes like Jake's or Carnuba Red.

Bill

[atr]

Lyman #311291,,,,works in my 308, 30-06 and 30-30......very accurate boolit

[BillDan]

I asked a similar question on another forum and when the dust settled, the SAECO 315 and Lyman 311299/314299 ran neck and neck as the favorites. The Loverin design 311466 is also a reliable bullet.

[Char-Gar]

The problem with the original question is there just is no answer other than "it depends". Accuracy is a balancing act between many factors ( throat size, groove size, land size, alloy temper, etc. etc. etc.) and what might work for me, might not work for you. If you have that magic fit between bullet and barrel many bullets will do well in the calibers you mention.

The below is a list of outstanding 30 caliber molds that have worked well for me in the calibers you mentioned:

The three Loverin designs (311466, 311467 and 311407) have all done very well for me and must be on any great bullet list.

The two Barlow designs (311291 and 311284) go back over one hundred years and have produced outstanding results in many of my rifles.

RCBS 165 SIL is a modern bore rider, but has done well in my rifles if the fit is correct. It is one of the best for the .308 winchester as the short body fits in the short case neck. It has also been a barn burner in all of my 30-06s. Results in the Krags have been spotty due to the funky groove diameters of those old rifles. But in rifles with normal specs (.300 X .308) this is a top notch bullet in the accuracy department.

I am certain there are other designs that work as well, but the above five have proven reliable accuracy in scores of 30 caliber rifles from 30-30 to 30-06 with everything in between.

In 30 caliber hunting bullets, think large meplat or hollow point.

Sorry to say, the days of good $15.00 molds on ebay are long gone. I am glad I bought them like mad when they were affordable and abundant. A good mold is a lifetime investment if treated with care.

[Dean D.]

Decisions, decisions... LOL. I have narrowed my personal choice to the 311466. I am going with the lighter boolit as my main focus at this time is target rather than hunting.

I will be buying one of these molds soon. I am not so broke that I cannot afford to buy more, my purpose of this thread was to try to narrow the choices down to the most universal across a broad range of .30 cal weapons. I DO understand that every weapon shoots differently and one bullet will not be a "fit-all".

When I do decide to buy a mold for a hunting boolit I'll definitely be looking at the Lee offerings, Saeco 315, 311284 or the 311299.

Thank you all for the incredible input! You've all helped me wade through understanding the many pro's and con's of offered choices.

[pls1911]

BRET4207 HIT THE BULLS-EYE..
311041 or RCBS 30-180FN.
If you have either of these molds, you need no other unless you develop very special .30 Cal. requirements.
ONE other consideration would be the Ranch dog TL in .30 cal...it's great too.... BIG meplat, great splat factor, hell on pigs from a lever gun.
Pablo

[Ricochet]

I'd vote for the 311291 design, but I'm using the 6 hole group buy version. It came out a bit too fat in the nose for my K-31 but works great in the 1911 and 1896/11 Swiss rifles. Works well in the older Swiss rifles, in .30-06 and .300 Weatherby bolt guns, is fat enough for the Mosins, and I wouldn't be afraid to use it in a tubular mag .30-30, though recent loading manuals have recommended against round nosed boolits in tubular mags. Millions of factory loaded round nosed .30-30s have been sold and fired.

[Marlin Junky]

Decisions, decisions... LOL. I have narrowed my personal choice to the 311466. I am going with the lighter boolit as my main focus at this time is target rather than hunting.

I will be buying one of these molds soon.

Who do you plan on purchasing 311466 from? It's no longer in the Lyman catalog. Currently all the online retailers have 311291 back ordered so if I wanted a Lyman mold in that weight range, I'd snap up a 311041 before they all disappear.

MJ

[Dean D.]

Marlin, good point. I'm in no hurry and will sit back and see what comes available. Who knows, maybe there might be enough interest to start a GB? I'm new here and have never participated in a GB so I don't know how all that works.

[RayinNH]

To answer Russel Nash's question, yes the molds #311--- are Lyman mold designs...Ray

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Another vote for RCBS 180 GC Fn. Have shot it for years. The only caliber .30 rifle I have that will NOT shoot it is my old ugly M1 Carbine.

[bobk]

Ya know what might be nice? If we could get a group buy on a DC mold, with 311466 and 31467, or I'd really like to have a 311407 with either of the previous boolits. I have a SC 466, and a 291, and have ordered a SAECO #315. Wow, this stuff is sure addictive!

Bob K

[Dean D.]

Bobk, I really like your idea of a 466 AND 467 mold. That gives you both weights! How about a 4 banger with 2 each?

Should I post this idea over on the GB threads to see if there would be any interest or anyone interested in Honcho'ing it? Whatcha think?

[bobk]

Dean,
Sounds like a plan! I'd pop for any combination, except maybe a 466 and 291, since I have both. I'm partial to GCs, but it's certainly not a dealbreaker. I want to hunt with these things, so 1400 FPS is not my cuppa.

Bob K

[Dean D.]

Bob,
I'll see about posting something in the GB section later when I get more time.

On further reflection I was thinking maybe a 6 banger with all three Loverin designs i.e. 311466, 311467 and 311407 (2 cavities each in a 6 banger mold). That would give you 150gr, 170gr and 180gr if I read the chart right.

It sure would be a very versatile mold for anyone who enjoys those designs. I don't know if it is possible to have it made though.

[Marlin Junky]

What's the possibility of one of the experienced group buy honchos contacting Lyman about the possibility of a 2 or 4 cavity 311407? I've never owned a 4-C Lyman mold so don't know if this is even physically possible. I'd be in for a good Lyman mold if there's a satisfaction guarantee, but not for a Lee.

MJ

[rbstern]

I'd have to cast my vote for the C312-155-2R. Unless it was in a lever gun, then of course the C309-150-F

Exactly my answer as well.