Anyone try a lighter 120grn boolit in a Mosin or Enfield??

[loosenuts57]

HI--
I have a chance to pick up a Lee 120gr RN mold and was wondering if anyone here has tried a lighter boolit in these two rifles??
I'm just looking for a plinking boolit for the 25-50yd range, with no real power backing it up.
Any help would be appreciated. TIA, Eric

[Echo]

I have that mold, use it for my 30 Carbine, but would have no problem using it for a plinker in my 1917, or whatever. Too many other things in the priority queue right now. Go for it.

[JeffinNZ]

I shoot a 311008 (115gr) over 6gr Unique in my SMLE for rimfire velocity. Also a 311316 over 20gr (IIRC) of 800X for nearly 2300fps.

[BerdanIII]

I've used Lyman's 130-gr plain base in an Ishapore 7.62mm NATO Enfield and gotten 1.5" groups at 50 yards with 12.0 grs. of SR4759 right off the bat (or muzzle). It shouldn't be too much trouble to work up a good load. Harris and Harrison both wrote that 120 - 130 gr. bullets in the .30 cals. were about the minimum for good performance. I can look for data in older Lyman manuals. Does that bullet come out at 0.314"? That's the diameter I use in gallery loads (90-100 grs.) in both those cartridges.

[RU shooter]

HI--
I have a chance to pick up a Lee 120gr RN mold and was wondering if anyone here has tried a lighter boolit in these two rifles??
I'm just looking for a plinking boolit for the 25-50yd range, with no real power backing it up.
Any help would be appreciated. TIA, Eric

Problem is with that mould it may not drop big enough to be any use in a big bored mosin or Enfield just food for thought.A better plinking option might be the Lee 314 98 gr SWC mould for the 32 pistol. Mr.Larry Gibson often speaks highly of this one as a plinker using small charges of bullseye.

Tim

[Bloodman14]

By all means, use it. I use the 120 in my plinking loads for my No4 Mk2 in front of 30grs. of H4198. I can see the impact before I feel the recoil at 100 yds!

[loosenuts57]

Hey, thanks for all the input. It sounds like she should work at least half decent for a plinker load, which what I am looking for.
I wasn't sure the rate of twist in the Mosin or Enfield wound allow for some sort of accuracy from a light boolit.
This Lee mold was special ordered and is a 6 cavity. I am not sure what size it actually drops, but I'm sure I'll find it fits at least a few of my rifles, LOL
MEN = (Mausers, Enfields and Nagants, Oh My!!)

Thanks for the help. Now to chase this guy down.:-D
Eric

[fgd135]

I shoot 100-130 grain plain base lead ..311"- 314" diameter boolits all the time, in my Mosins, with tiny amounts of powder; mostly swc pistol styles, cause I have those molds already.
I get dime sized groups with some loads at 25 yards! Try 3-5 grains of 700x or equivalent powder, Ive used Unique as well. No recoil, no resizing, but cases get smudged. Use a 1/2 grain dacron filler if you want.
You can increase the powder in the loads up to a point but as usual, too much velocity will make accuracy suffer.

[dromia]

A lot of us in a 25yrd indoor club shoot our miltary rifles there using 100-120 grain boolits, the load is a la Harris 4-5 gns of any fast pistol powder. These loads are well with in the range certificate limits and are highly accurate out to and beyond 50 yrds.

Viht N310 is my powder of choice doesn't seem to be too position sensitive, I don't use wads or filler.

.30" boolits of choice is the 30 cal soupcan or the Lyman 311359.

6.5 the recent 120 gn GB does very well indeed as does the Lyman 266469.

8mm Lyman 323115 125gn, my rolling block really likes this.

[94Doug]

Sounds like a 311465 might be in order here. A loverin design, but advertised at 122 grains. On the other hand, if you have a chance to get a good deal on the 120 grain you are looking at, by all means go for it!

[Catch]

An interesting thread. I have tried in vain to find a gallery load for my Mosin 91/30 and have tried many combinations, but all the attempts seem to throw the slug all over the place. Groups have exceeded 14 inches at 25 yds. The gun shoots fine if you speed the thing up and at 1900 fps or better with lead, or paper patched lead the thing does rather well. I have decided that the length of the barrel results in the squib load staying in there too long and when the recoil comes along it throws the shot off. Just an opinion but the facts seem to back it up. Any ideas?

[Ricochet]

Tried the Lee TL314-90-SWC? Mine drop at .314".

One thing about the Mosins is that the throats are usually long and generous. A really short boolit can't be seated out near the land origin, and has more opportunity to tip and rattle around on the way to the rifling.

[BerdanIII]

I know it's not cast, but the 0.314" swaged Magtech 98-gr. LRN and 3.5 grs. of Red Dot is it for my M39; so far, 11 five-shot groups have averaged 1.5" at 50 yards. I pretty much quit looking after finding this one. I think a SWC would do as well, but make sure it's at least 0.314".