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Larry Gibson
02-05-2009, 09:15 PM
Received the GB311291 a few months back and got around to casting a couple hundred of them for initial test. At first I was disappointed because they are more of a 314291 that drops at .315” with a nose at .304” than the 311291 dropping at .312” with a nose of .301” that I was hoping for. I was optimistic though figuring they would still be good for the .31s. Well a couple weeks ago I finally got around to loading some for my Sako M39 in 7.62x54R. This rifle shoots Lee’s C312-185 and Lyman’s 314299 exceptionally well and I thought I’d give the GB314291s a whirl. I didn’t go to the trouble to “work up a load”. I instead went with Joeb33030's idea that “standard loads” loaded with a minimal of, but correct, effort should shoot well. Thus was the case; this is why I love 4895 with a Dacron filler in the “standard” cartridge” cases with medium to heavy cast bullets. It is also why if you keep your load within the RPM threshold accuracy comes quickly with little trouble.

The GB314291s were cast of WW/linotype alloy at 60/40 ratio. This gives an alloy with a BHN of about 18 and is very much like #2 alloy. I did not weigh the bullets but only did a visual inspection as I seated the GC on the Lyman 450. I hade few rejects. The bullets were then pushed GC first through a Lee .314 sizer then lubed in a .314 H die in the Lyman 450. GCs were Hornady’s and the lube was Javelina. The bullets weighed in at 180 gr “fully dressed”. A couple weeks ago I decided to try them in the Finn Sako M39. I NS’d the Norma cases in the altered Redding .284 bushing die to give .002” tension on the bullets. WLR primers were seated in the cases. The bullets were sized to .312 in the Lyman 450 because a .314” bullet seated in the Norma cases will not chamber easily in the Sako. Knowing that 29 gr of 4895 with a ¾ gr Dacron filler is an excellent load with the 185 gr Lee C312-185 at 1850 fps I thought; “what tah hey” and loaded 50 rounds up with that load.

I finally got around to “testing” them today. It was kind of cold but there was no wind at TRRC range today. I used an 8” bullet 50 yard pistol target set up at 100 yards. The benches at TRRC are very good, solid cement benches so I had hopes the bullet would shoot “respectable”. Going off memory I set the rear sight on 400 meters and left the front sight windage at 0. The old eyes aren’t what the used to be and the issue sights were a tudge fuzzy but weren’t all that bad. Settling into a solid bench position the 1st fouler went into the 8 ring at 4:30. The 2nd fouler cut the 10 ring at 4:00. Then the next 3 shots went into a very sweat .9” group at 6:00 in the 9 ring!

Now you all know me, you know I’m not one to call a 3 shot group like that as good or great. You know I’ve been critical of some here who do. One “very sweat .9” three shot group does not accuracy make. However, it can be a good indicator so I said to my self; “self, lets go for the 10 ring!” Pretty ballsy eh? Well sometimes a plan comes together. I slipped the elevation up to 5 meters + 2 notches and the 6th shot cut the 9 ring at 1:00. Too much elevation so I went down to the 500 meter setting even. I also put on 1 notch of windage but went the wrong way….oops!. That shot cut the 9 ring at not quite 3:00. I got engaged in a conversation with another shooter while making the windage correction and over corrected so the 8th shot went left in the 9 ring at 9:30. I then took 2 notches off the windage with it now at left 2 and proceeded to shoot 8 X’s and 1 almost an X at 11:45 in the 10 Ring just about obliterating the top half of the X ring. Then wouldn’t you know it, I looked too long through the spotting scope and couldn’t handle the pressure on the 10th round of that group! I put it low and away at 3:30 just under the “10” in the 10 ring…..the 9 shot group is 1.36” and the total “blown” 10 shot group is 2”. Score was a 100 x 8 X’s.

I then went to the off hand position and started shooting very small spots on the berm behind the 200 yard line. Several of the other guys shooting came over and couldn’t believe a Mosin-Nagant could shoot that good, couldn’t believe cast bullets could shoot that good and couldn’t believe I could shoot that good. I let them try it themselves and they were amazed at how well they did. The remaining 32 rounds went pretty quick! Here at home I just ran a wet patch through the bore and found not a single trace of leading doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve now a hundred + cases in the vibrator cleaning to load up with some more of this load.

Looks like the GB314291 mould is a good one after all and I can’t wait to try it in my M91/28 Sniper and my M91 Argentines.

Larry Gibson

RugerFan
02-05-2009, 11:53 PM
Very interesting. I've only scratched the surface in load testing for my recently purchased M39. IMR 3031 has been my go-to powder for milsurps, but I'll have to give 4895 a try. I guessing you used H4895 (as opposed to surplus 4895. I have both).

Did the bent bolt handle come with yours or did you add that later?

Larry Gibson
02-06-2009, 03:40 AM
Very interesting. I've only scratched the surface in load testing for my recently purchased M39. IMR 3031 has been my go-to powder for milsurps, but I'll have to give 4895 a try. I guessing you used H4895 (as opposed to surplus 4895. I have both).

Did the bent bolt handle come with yours or did you add that later?

Actually that load was milsurp 4895. When I use H4895 I put the "H" in front. My bad, should have mentioned it. I use a lot of both H4895 and milsurp. The current lot of milsurp I have is one of the slowest lots I've used. It is more like 4064 in burning rate. I cases of .308W to '06 in capacity I use 1/2 to 1 gr less of H4895 for pretty much the same results.

Larry Gibson

jonk
02-06-2009, 11:56 AM
Nice shooting. I've never done much with cast in my M39 but as my surplus slowly dries up I sure will at some point.

Out of my 91/59 carbine the Lyman 314299 does very well. Nothing wrong with a Mosin and I'm with you- always fun to make the guys with their expensive Weatherbys eyes pop out that an 'old clunker like that' can shoot so well.

3rptr
02-12-2009, 01:20 PM
That's a great target Larry!

My kid's 91/30 is all over the map with surplus.

Didn't see a current GB for MN boolit molds and I ordered a 312-155-2r locally.
Plan to order a sizer luber die next.

I sure hope I can get close to your results.
Thanks for the post.

I'll watch for GB to participate.
3rptr