8MM Cast Boolit Questions

[SharpsShooter]

OK

I have loaded cast boolits into straight wall cases for many years and J word boolits into several different bottle neck calibers. I have a K98 of 1943 vintage with a very good bore. I recently picked up the Lee 8MM Max to give the old girl a whirl with cast. Slugging the bore gives me .323 on the dot. I will be sizing them to .325 when Buckshot finshes working his magic. I test seated an unsized boolit into a fresh case to get the dies set up and to get an idea of what the finished product will look like.

That is where the first question arises...in order to be able to close the bolt without the help of the american tourister gorrila, i have to seat to an OAL of 2.695". This puts a considerable portion of the boolit (roughly .300) below the shoulder. Somewhere, I seem to recall that this is not a good idea, but need a reminder or need straightened out on the topic.

Question two is related to the nose diameter VS. bore. The nose is .3235 and as mentioned above the slug dimensions were .323. I suppose in retrospect that this isn't actually a question, but I'm curious of your individual predictions of performance of that combination of measurements.


Bring on the comments, complaints , concerns etc.

:coffee:

[NVcurmudgeon]

SharpsShooter, I have frequently loaded long boolits in short-necked cases and have come to no harm. I think that the reason that so many people say "don't do it is" because they are running out of nits to pick, and are preserving nits by circulating this tale. Ever take a good look at a .300 Savage? More to your question, I have shot a lot of Buckshot's custom Lee 8mm in a short-throated Yugo 1948 and all I noticed was fine accuracy and a little shoulder thump at higher velocities. This boolit is a nearly 240 gr. Loverin type like the one you are talking about. An engraved nose does no harm and is beneficial for alignment. Just be sure that you don't load so long that the boolit will be pulled if you try to unload it without firing. I also size boolits to .325" for use in various .323" and .324" Mauser barrels.

[SharpsShooter]

NV

Thank you for the quick response. This boolit drops out of the mould at 250gr and is .327 on the driving bands. I'm hoping it will be a shooter as i need a break from 530gr 45-70 stuff. A 250gr boolit at 1400fps or a bit more will be a powder puff to shoot.

:coffee:

[Bret4207]

That "bullet base not below the neck" theory may well be one of the "old wives tales" that bites the boolit. Try it and see.

[Larry Gibson]

SharpsShooter

guess I'll "nit-pick" a bit. Seating the base of the bullet can be harmfull to accuracy in several ways. If the GC is not crimped on solidly in can fall off into the case. depending on the lube use the powder can be contaminated. Depending on the alloy/powder/pressure level the base of the bullet can be riveted or distorted so the base of the bullet is not perpendicular to the bore and can allow even a solidly crimped on GC to be peeled off. I suppose you get the idea ....... you can get away with seating below the case neck. I does and can cause inaccuracy. Perhaps not always but often enough that some of us choose not to do it. I suggest you try it with that bullet as your only other choice seems to be another bullet unless you have a .321 sizer to run the nose of the bullets into.

Larry Gibson

[SharpsShooter]

I got the bug to load up some and try them at the range this afternoon. I had some interesting results that I’d like to share. Here are the basics….

8MM Max Boolit of ACWW…250gr sized to .324
Bullshop #2 Lube and Hornady GC
Remington Brass
CCI #200 Primers
Loaded OAL is a short 2.715” (slight engraving)
Unique Powder (Various charges See Below)

1943 Mauser K98 with Lyman receiver sight fired from the bench at 50yds.

12gr – Groups are hand size…Not exactly what I had in mind.:(

12.5gr – Group shifted to the left 6”…no change in size.:neutral:

13gr – Group shifted back to dead center, 5” low and put 5 shots into a single ragged hole…group measured .256 center to center. [smilie=w: Yeeaaaaaaahhhhh that’s what we want to see!!!:mrgreen:

14gr – Group shifted 2 feet to the left, but put 5 shots into a slightly diagonal group of .425 center to center. :mrgreen:


Recoil from all loads is quite pleasant and noise level resembles a cap gun on steroids. Cleanup produced no evidence of leading with the exception to two very small flakes on the very first patch.:mrgreen:

Thanks to all for the advice and Hats Off to BullShop on the #2 Lube and I think Oldfeller gets credit for the Boolit Design.:drinks: (Someone correct me if that is wrong)

[45 2.1]

I think Oldfeller gets credit for the Boolit Design.:drinks: (Someone correct me if that is wrong)

Oldfeller was the honcho on the Karabiner and Maximum, but was not the designer.

[SharpsShooter]

Oldfeller was the honcho on the Karabiner and Maximum, but was not the designer.


45,

Did you do those two or do you know who did?

Thanks

[45 2.1]

45,

Did you do those two or do you know who did?

Thanks

I did, if you go far enough back in the archives you will find that Oldfeller will admit to it also.

[SharpsShooter]

I did, if you go far enough back in the archives you will find that Oldfeller will admit to it also.



I'm not trying to stir anyones pot with the question 45. I'm just well pleased with the results I'm seeing with this boolit and trying to give credit where it is due as it seems to be fine shooter.:mrgreen:

[45 2.1]

I'm not trying to stir anyones pot with the question 45. I'm just well pleased with the results I'm seeing with this boolit and trying to give credit where it is due as it seems to be fine shooter.:mrgreen:

No apologies necessary. Thanks

[Frank46]

Shooter, if you get the fouling shot, there are a couple of interesting articles there regarding the 8mm and some solutions for long 8mm boolits. If I remember one shooter sized down the nose slightly to the first base band so he could seat them out. Maybe if you sized the nose down slightly you could get them seated out a little further and maybe not have to worry about the base of the boolit being below the shoulder. Just a suggestion, Frank

[Buckshot]

...............You can get a .321" lube-size die then run the slug nose first into it down to the first band. Would probably help if it was lubed first (LA or rolled on a caselube pad). Or open a Lee .314 die to .316/8" and push the nose up into itand tap it back out. A land + size is what you're looking for.

..............Buckshot

[SharpsShooter]

Great advice guys! Right on the nose, so to speak.:mrgreen:

I may leave well enough alone for now. The 8mm goup buy may address some of the issues of nose diameter when the final design comes out.

[Quantrill]

Sharp,
I just received the 8mm Max mold yesterday and also have a Mitchell,s mauser to play with. Did you try (or even consider) leaving the driving bands at .327 rather than sizing them to .325. The only sizer I have is the .325, but I was thinking about just smearing some Lithium on the bullet and shooting them unsized. I thought I would try loads of 700X (10gr), 4759 (15gr), and 4895 (20gr). Quantrill

[SharpsShooter]

Sharp,
I just received the 8mm Max mold yesterday and also have a Mitchell,s mauser to play with. Did you try (or even consider) leaving the driving bands at .327 rather than sizing them to .325. The only sizer I have is the .325, but I was thinking about just smearing some Lithium on the bullet and shooting them unsized. I thought I would try loads of 700X (10gr), 4759 (15gr), and 4895 (20gr). Quantrill

Quantrill,

I had given some thought to pan lubing enough unsized boolits to run test loads, but here is the hangup. In order for the boolit to safely release from the case neck, there must be a bit of room for the neck to expand. Since I did not have a chamber cast to refer to for exacting measurements, I decided to err to the side of caution. Certainly, if you are sure of your chamber tolerances it would be possible to shoot them unsized providing you can apply the gas checks squarely to the base. I cannot speak to your choice of powder as my 3rd edition Lyman cast boolit handbook does not have data for a boolit of the weight on the 8MM Max. (250gr in my case) It only lists a 214gr boolit with those powders. My 45th edition Lyman reloading handbook, on the other hand lists a 246gr GC, but only related data for Unique, 2400 and 4227 and that is what I use.



:coffee: