Does anyone make an M80 .308 7.62x51 style mold ?

[juatMatt]

Just wondering if anyone makes a mold in that style ? 147gr M80 FMJ for 7.62x51?

318466

[Maven]

Years ago one of our members designed a gas checked ~175 -180gr. copy of a Speer BTSP bullet that Lee Precision produced. I had one, but found accuracy was lacking until you increased velocity to near jacketed levels.

[Ford SD]

If you spend some reading

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?3558-7-62x51-NATO-(-308-WCF)-in-the-Springfield-M1A

Bruce B spent lots of time shooting Cast in the 308 in a full functioning semi (with the correct powder/ bullet combo)

there are other bullets that will work as well

heaver bullets work better ( as long as you can chamber and then extract a live round

Hints
Use a dacron filler ( not mandatory but a dacron filler will reduce the varations in your load and make them better.

if you believe in the RPM theory ( if you do the math every load that BruceB shot where he states " groups opens up" exceed the rpm threshold

Not sure if it was a 11 twist or a 12 twist M1a

some bullets will work better in some barrels

For instance I have had best results with a rcbs 180g sp mould as the nose on my mould is.0005 smaller than some of my other moulds and I do not get any nose contact

I have a old 3006 barrel and I can use the 314299 200g but only in that barrel as it will not chamber in any of my other 308/3006 barrels

[M-Tecs]

If you look at the designs of the tried and proven successful cast bullet molds the provide more support to the bullet nose. The lead alloys have less resistance to bullet slumping than jacketed.

I am not aware of anyone that has been able to get consistently good results with an M80 style cast bullet. Personal I have never tried a cast copy of the M80 bullet but I have given up of several spitzer styled bullets that have a bore ride design that provides way more support than the 147 FMJ. Just because I can doesn't mean others don't have better success, but the lack of that style mold is telling. Same for the long-range cast bullet competitor's selection of bullet designs.

Occasionally you will see a fly by night makers offer them, but they tend not to be in business very long. Is it bad designs or bad quality control that put them out of business? My guess is its both.

[RayinNH]

This isn't a boattail design, but it's a great .308 bullet. I'm not sure you'll find a boattail style mold unless you have one special made. https://www.titanreloading.com/product/lee-6-cav-mold-c3121552r/

[Wolfdog91]

Maybe not exactly what you want but NOE has these
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/1a6c28872cba980e1708ddbbe9727bcf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/760d44da2dad33235ed16a6530514ac3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/1f9f497ef6204bc1766616db1e373e57.jpg

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[M-Tecs]

Maybe not exactly what you want but NOE has these
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/1a6c28872cba980e1708ddbbe9727bcf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/760d44da2dad33235ed16a6530514ac3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/1f9f497ef6204bc1766616db1e373e57.jpg

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

I was not aware of those. Hopefully someone that has them will share their results and what they are doing to get them to work.

[juatMatt]

i have that exact mold (312-155-2R), it's a great bullet. i was looking for more of a "Fine Spitzer point" design, thinner and longer... maybe a 312-155-5R.. i guess there's a reason there aren't any available..

[Winger Ed.]

Just a guess,
but it might be an issue for the long thin points to get dinged up in handling/sizing you aren't real careful.

I've thinned the herd down to 3 in .30 cal. Also, several molds are gone and back in circulation too.
I like having a mold that casts a boolit that does a good job with at least two of them.

[Bigslug]

i have that exact mold (312-155-2R), it's a great bullet. i was looking for more of a "Fine Spitzer point" design, thinner and longer... maybe a 312-155-5R.. i guess there's a reason there aren't any available..

The reason there aren't many needle-point cast bullets is nose-slump of the softer (unjacketed) material under acceleration. Damage under handling or feeding from magazines would be another.

You might do some searches for the .30 XCB, which I believe NOE is currently listing as the 310-165-FN. This has a following among those going looking to maintain accuracy at jacketed or near-jacketed velocities, though you're going to need a slower twist to pull that off.

[Forrest r]

Nose slump does happen. Awhile back I cast up a 20# pot of 14bhn alloy using a cramer 2 cavity mold, #43. 1 cavity is a sp bullet, the other cavity is a hp of the same bullet.
https://i.imgur.com/yl6sLkT.jpg?1

I was using a 1 in 14 twist 308w puma rifle. No matter what powder I tried with those bullets pictured above. I kept getting results like these when doing ladder tests/10-shot groups @ 100yds.
https://i.imgur.com/uLdIPcZ.jpg

The sp bullet's groups always opened up first.

[waksupi]

Just wondering if anyone makes a mold in that style ? 147gr M80 FMJ for 7.62x51?

318466

You are in the jacketed bullet mindset, that you need to lose for cast bullets. Your best results will be from a heavy for caliber, flat base Loverin style bullet.

I have found that a long unsupported nose is very difficult to make work well at longer ranges.

[juatMatt]

Maybe not exactly what you want but NOE has these
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/1a6c28872cba980e1708ddbbe9727bcf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/760d44da2dad33235ed16a6530514ac3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230930/1f9f497ef6204bc1766616db1e373e57.jpg

I was looking at the HTC310-135-RN-BY3 but i think they might be too short... i guess i'll just stick with the Lee C312-155-2R and 160-2R for now.. they both shoot well, just seated short.