.308 hunting boolit mold

[Planeguy]

Greetings, I'm new to this game and I am seeking suggestions for a cast boolit to use for feral hog hunting in a .308. I have 2 grandsons down in Lousiana I'm trying to make hunters out of. I think they would get a kick out of helping to load their own ammo. They like to make things and their parents ( both USAF) have been raising them the old way, doing for yourself, not joined at the hip to a smart phone so I have hope for them. Longest shot would be around 50 yards. We hunt from tree stands primarily.

[Planeguy]

I have started having some success casting boolits for other calibers. Dont own a .308 mold yet so any ideas are appreciated. Thanks
Planeguy

[Thumbcocker]

Mrs. Thumbcocker used a 165 fp to take this hog. Bang flop. Mold and data on the target.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230121/9a6978bd41d6842b4880f85a3d6a4696.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230121/e5f1559ec0f03dd952e64379fd389659.jpg

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[Larry Gibson]

Lot's of choices. I have tried numerous .30 cal cast bullets over the years in various 30 caliber cartridges including several .308Ws. I found it is pretty hard to come up with a better .30 cast bullet than the old tried and true Lyman 311041. Cast of a proper alloy, GC'd and lubed it will suffice very well indeed when pushed along at 1900 - 2350 fps depending on barrel twist. Even with the faster 10" twist barrel practical hunting accuracy can be had upwards of 2300 fps.

[versa-06]

The Lyman 311040 & RCBS 30-180 are my two favorite, more partial to the 35-180. It drops frpm the mold heavy & has a good wide meplat (nose). But the Lyman 311041 is also very popular. Good Luck with those G-Kids. Good to see someone spending time with the youth. It's our future.

[Misery-Whip]

Ranch dog clone. It has a large metplat, and pleanty accurate to 200 yards. Noe and Arsenal molds make designs. I hunt Blacktail deer with it and smacks them hard at 50. I have this version as a plain base. I cast them soft at 20-1 and powdercoat them.

309539

[Planeguy]

Thanks fellas, there's a lot of choices in 30 cal molds. Never hunted with cast boolits before. Do they feed ok in an AR? Getting a single shot Henry for the kids. That should be a perfect cast boolit launcher.

[quilbilly]

It is hard to go wrong with the Lyman 311041 but the Lee 170gr flat point has also shot well in my 308's if the Lyman mold is hard to find or you have a more limited budget.

[RickinTN]

One of my favorites is from a Saeco mold. I think the number is 315. It is a Louverin style 175 or so flat point bullet and easy to get accuracy with. The short neck of the 308 makes it sort of a challenge but the Saeco bullet works well in my rifles.
Good Luck to you!
Rick

[versa-06]

Quilbilly is right. I've used the lee 170 FN bullet many times & performs well. Alloy is going to be important. Usually 49%/49% Wheel Weight/ Pure lead,& 2% tin makes a good all around hunting bullet. Your mileage may vary. Powder coating is not mandatory but It works better for me on non-bore riding boolits. Gets me quite a bit better velocity with the softer alloys. I'm going to leave the AR platform alone.

[stubshaft]

One of my favorites for the 30 caliber is an old NEI 170 gr. FP bullet. It has accounted for a number of hogs, goats and feral sheep in everything from a 30 Herrett to 300 Win. Mag. with the majority of animals being shot by the lowly 30/30.

https://i.imgur.com/Kh7K91Fm.jpg

[versa-06]

P.S -Should have said non-bore riding Nose boolits.

[popper]

I have a slick sided (PC) 31-165C accurate 2 hole mold I don't use anymore - got rid of the AR10 as it is too heavy for me anymore. Did about MOA @ 200 with decent alloy running ~ 2400 fps. PM if interested.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I've had good luck with the Lee 170 gr RNFP with GC. I have Ranch Dog molds and maybe another dozen other .30 cal rifle molds. The Lee is just what I started with and have not had time over the last 20 years to do serious work with the others. If it ain't broke ....

[Good Cheer]

.308 is a dinky smallbore cartridge so I'm starting out blunt and heavy.

https://i.imgur.com/ccW5Dts.jpg

[RugerFan]

I had great luck with the Lyman 311291 in a .308. Great accuracy with IMR 3031 and deadly on hogs and deer.


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[gordie]

i have the Henry SS... recoil can become a factor , & mines in 30-30.

[Harter66]

The 312-165 RD from NOE once the RanchDog mould should be just the ticket .

[pworley1]

Another vote for the Lyman 311041.

[Good Cheer]

I've had good luck with the Lee 170 gr RNFP with GC. I have Ranch Dog molds and maybe another dozen other .30 cal rifle molds. The Lee is just what I started with and have not had time over the last 20 years to do serious work with the others. If it ain't broke ....

Definitely Lee's best nose design. Can't imagine why they didn't put flat noses on their seven and eight millimeter molds.

[Markopolo]

.308 is a dinky smallbore cartridge so I'm starting out blunt and heavy.

https://i.imgur.com/ccW5Dts.jpg

Eh????? What the Heck am I looking at? Upside down bullets?

[Good Cheer]

It's a conventional lube groove configuration heavy blunt nose gas check boolit designed to stay out of the 7.62x52 powder space. Tumble lube corrugations are there on the bore riding surface to ease seating into the rifling and give a belt and suspenders approach to lubrication. Looking forwards to seeing how much I can push them.
https://i.imgur.com/qiZgnw8.jpg

[versa-06]

Is that bullet prone to YAW at any distance?

[Good Cheer]

We'll find out.

[725]

That's alot of bullet, but I love the idea.

[versa-06]

Good Cheer ; What does that boolit weigh? -06

[LenH]

I have had good luck with accuracy with the NOE 310-167-FN-AK3 Lubed with White label's Caranuba Blue gas checked. Using 95-2.5-2.5 alloy
and pushing it with 17.5 gr 2400. The rifle is A ReM700 with a 1-12 barrel.

[Texas by God]

Definitely Lee's best nose design. Can't imagine why they didn't put flat noses on their seven and eight millimeter molds.

Add the 277 to that list. See how the 55 gr has a larger meplat? Funny stuff, Lee.


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[Good Cheer]

Good Cheer ; What does that boolit weigh? -06

220 grains with the gas check; weight weights, lead and a little #2 Babbitt.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

It's a conventional lube groove configuration heavy blunt nose gas check boolit designed to stay out of the 7.62x52 powder space. Tumble lube corrugations are there on the bore riding surface to ease seating into the rifling and give a belt and suspenders approach to lubrication. Looking forwards to seeing how much I can push them.
https://i.imgur.com/qiZgnw8.jpg

Looking forward to this!

[Planeguy]

Is that Lyman 311041 still in production? Otherwise I'm thinking the RCBS 150 gr. RNFP. Keep the weight and recoil moderate for a 11 year old kid to shoot.

[Larry Gibson]

Is that Lyman 311041 still in production? Otherwise I'm thinking the RCBS 150 gr. RNFP. Keep the weight and recoil moderate for a 11 year old kid to shoot.

Yes, the 311041 is still in production. There are also clones available from NOE, Lee and several other mould makers.

[missionary5155]

Another RCBS 180 FNGC. Has been excellent in all our caliber .30 rifles to include Garands, M1A's, Kel-Tech Bullpup, 308 Israely 308 Mauser, and all our other bolt rifles.

But Planeguy.... your AR has those feed ramps that are going to teach you what will feed... Large FN types could be a real issue. I would call the factory and ask them.

[Planeguy]

I'm not using it in the AR to start with. Getting the GS an entry level .308, either a Ruger American or a single shot Henry if I can find one. For myself, I thought about the AR and decided there's too many liabilities trying to use traditional cast boolits in it, at least while I'm starting out.

[93Bandit]

I'm going to follow this thread. I'm getting into 308 casting myself, mostly for plinking, but I've been thinking about casting some white tail hunting rounds as well.

[725]

+1 for the 311041

[fatnhappy]

I've tried the 311041, saeco 305 and rcbs 180 in my .308s and there isn't any real world difference between them. My preference has been for the saeco merely because it casts perfect boolits effortlessly.
No hogs here but at .30-30 speeds they're pretty decisive on deer with ACWW

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52198525645_cd235efe64_z.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52198028951_fbc7dedaf0_z.jpg



Miha makes a .30 180 grain with a larger meplat. I haven't had any deer cooperate yet.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50922633247_6d8642ec89_z.jpg


I don't believe there's any bad choices here.

[Bigslug]

The Ranch Dog 178 grainer is sculpted around the neck length and SAAMI throat spec for the .308: https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/bullet-moulds/308-311/tl310-178-rf-ao5/tl310-178-rf-ao5-4-cavity-gc-rd/

It's my 100 yard practice bullet for my Ruger Scout (can't hunt with lead here). Accurate and detonates milk jugs with authority.

[BandeauRouge]

It's a conventional lube groove configuration heavy blunt nose gas check boolit designed to stay out of the 7.62x52 powder space. Tumble lube corrugations are there on the bore riding surface to ease seating into the rifling and give a belt and suspenders approach to lubrication. Looking forwards to seeing how much I can push them.
https://i.imgur.com/qiZgnw8.jpg

Would that bullet work in a ruger american predator?

[Good Cheer]

Would that bullet work in a ruger american predator?

The dimensions on that mold are made for an odd duck of a 7.62x52 bolt action with a .303 bore and .310 groove diameter. I think the Israelis are responsible for having done that but I'm not certain.
So any how...
I'm pretty certain the mold could be ordered from Accurate with diameters suited to a standard .300 bore and .308 groove. Or, for .303's. Tom is really good to work with on tweaking diameters.
But, that said, the length is also suited to how cartridges feed in my rifle. When they come up out of the magazine the nose of the bullet skids off of the 20 degree shoulder in the chamber, centers itself up and is inserted into the bore with a very slight engraving on the tumble lube ribs. Seems to me that it should work that way in just about any bolt gun but there are differences in bolt heads and maybe there're some it wouldn't. I just don't know.
Another passing thought, surely it couldn't be very difficult to program the machine to reduce the number of tumble lube ribs and thereby the overall length.

[BandeauRouge]

i tried to use a commercial 170 gas check bullet for my rifle, but it just jammed and jammed and never fed if i used the crimp groove.

[rockrat]

Arsenal makes a 175gr ish 30 cal with a really decent sized meplat

[Rapier]

The RCBS Silhouette series, 150, 165, 180 are the 30 cals I use in competition. All have a flat nose with the 150 having the largest meplat of the three. They are also good for deer and hogs. All have GC, and are bore riders, they are designed for distance accuracy but very capable of 1/2" at 100. They can be cast hard, water dropped, heat treated, or powder coated.
I used the Lyman for decades but switched to the RCBS as they were superior in accuracy at 200 meters and further. Many folks double size, the RCBS, nose and base to obtain a perfect land diameter and groove diameter fit.
I use the LBT hard, heater applied, red lube or powder coating. Hornady gas checks, if I use a GC.

[Larry Gibson]

i tried to use a commercial 170 gas check bullet for my rifle, but it just jammed and jammed and never fed if i used the crimp groove.

A very common but unreported problem. Feeding with flat nosed bullets, especially with a large meplat, can be very problematic with staggered magazine rifles. The round, most often from the left side, comes up and jams into the right side of the back of the barrel w/o entering the chamber before the base of the cartridge is released from the action feed rails or lips on a stamped magazine box. This particularly a situation with Mauser actions having staggered box magazines. It can be fixed by judicious adjustment of the feed rails to release the base of the cartridge earlier.

Rifles with single stack magazines often do not have this problem. there are several newer commercial actions that are with single stack magazines. Being a fan of Mauser actions over the years I appreciate the M91's single stack magazine. Some years ago I got a couple 3 round single stack detachable magazines from Gibbs Rifle Co. that fit a M98 magazine well w/o modification. The floor plate, spring and follower ar removed and the Gibbs magazine fits right in. I use it on my bfy M98 with the 14" twist Palma Shultz & Larson barrel. Both magazines feed just about any shaped bullet w/o jamming as the bullet goes straight from the magazine into the chamber.

Many CRF rifles, especially Mauser types, M70s, etc., will feed a flat nose bullet reliably from the top right side of the magazine. It is when two or more rounds are put in the jamming happens. Thus, if you really want to use that rifle and that flat nosed bullet for hunting and don't want to alter the action feed rails, you can put a single round in the magazine the put the second round in and hand feed so the bullet enters the chamber. That gives you a "two shooter' which hopefully will be sufficient for hunting.

Push feeds are a whole 'nother Pandora's box. Adjustment of the feed lips/rails can be effective. Also try working the bolt briskly. Sometimes the brisk (as in very fast) operation of the bolt allows the bullet nose to enter the chamber instead of going off to the side to jam against the back of the barrel.

[Planeguy]

I have feed problems even with my .416 Ruger Alaskan. I'm getting decent accuracy but my NOE flat nose mold casts boolits that jam into the chamber at an angle whereby they refuse to feed...period. Upon inspection the meplat will have deformation showing where its making contact. Different mold required? I don't see a method of fixing this.
Planeguy

[Planeguy]

This works ok if you don't mind single loading, but I'm going hog hunting in 4 weeks and was hoping to use my own boolits for the first time. I dont see a single shot .416 as an ideal pig shooter!
Planeguy

[Good Cheer]

And not even a bayonet.
Well, with a .416 how many could you get to line up? :)

[popper]

fixed by judicious adjustment of the mag lips. :D

[Planeguy]

I know the elephant gun is on the heavy side for hogs,but when my whole family goes hunting I run out of more appropriate guns! I used the .416 last year with jacketed Swifts and needless to say they don't go far. I reeealy want to anchor a big boar with my own boolits this time. I live 1000+ miles away from feral hog country so I don't get many opportunities. I will take a look at altering the feed lips/angle on the Ruger. I have a mold on order from Accurate with a bit less melatonin, but I dont know if it will arrive on time.

[Planeguy]

Wow melatonin instead of meplat ? That spell checker is a wonderful thing.

[popper]

Heard of sleeping bullets before, guess melatonin does the job. :killingpc

[facetious]

.308 is a dinky smallbore cartridge so I'm starting out blunt and heavy.

https://i.imgur.com/ccW5Dts.jpg

Are these the those full power wad-cutters I keep hearing about ? :bigsmyl2: