Got my Lee 310 .430 mold and cast some up today!

[O.S.O.K.]

Here's a pic:

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/medium/Lee310-431.jpg

Used WW with a little tin - found that casting hot (850 degrees) produced the best results. Used Hornady GC's and sized to .431" (I lapped a Lee .430" sizer die and got it to that size - if needed, I'll do it again to get it to .432"). Lubed with Lee Liq Alox - and its drying overnight before I load tomorrow.

I'm planning on loading up some over 21 grains of H110 and CCI 350's and heading to the range to run them through my Marlin 94 44Mag. with 20" barrel.

The book gives 1500 fps for the Hornady 300 XTP's with this load - I figure 1550 or 1600 fps with this cast bullet - anybody chrono this load/bullet combo?

And does anybody know the BC of this bullet? I figure .230 or thereabouts which means it should drop about 7" at 150 yards with a 100 yard zero and only be 1.5" high at 50 yards. Good hunting load. It does show drop to something like 20" at 200 though. You'd better have a laser range finder if you're planning on shooting much past 150...

Anybody shoot these and record the actual trajectory?

Hope they shoot as good for me as they do those of you that've posted :) The 300 XTP's did very well for me - 2 3/8" at 100 yards - which is terrific IMHO.

[Dogg]

Those are perty, hope the shoot as well as they look. What you planning on shooting them out of?

Got my Lee 310 last week but it is way to hot here to cast, will have to wait for fall and cooler weather.

Good luck with the range testing and let us know how they shoot!
Dogg

[O.S.O.K.]

Thanks, I added that I was going to the range to shoot these out of my Marlin 94 - probably when you were posting...

Its hot here too! But I sucked it up and got er done. I cast up a bunch of Lyman 250-.430-K's too.

:castmine:

[kfarm]

"And does anybody know the BC of this bullet? I figure .230 or thereabouts"

Load From A disk gives it a BC of .218.

I shoot this out of a 24" EMF 44 and 7.5" SBH with 21 gr. of H110 with good results.

[454PB]

Your recipe, crimped in the rear groove, fired in my 7 1/2" Redhawk chronographs 1210 fps. avg. I'd suggest you test a round for proper feeding, you may have to use the front crimp groove.

I don't own a .44 magnum rifle anymore, but from experience with my .454 Casull rifle, I'd guess you're going to be right at 1500 fps. in the 20" barrel.

[O.S.O.K.]

I did make a dummy up:

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/medium/Picture_0134.jpg

It feeds, but it will hang up on the top of the chamber some - a jiggle of the lever gets it in every time... workable but not ideal....

If this shoots like I think it will, I may have to chamfer the chamber a little.... if I find that's advisable. I'm thinking even a slight bevel would prevent the hang-up.

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/medium/Picture_0142.jpg

[Ekalb2000]

Looks good.
My mold got here thursday. My 10yr old doughter and I cast up about 150 last night. I opened up the vent lines prior to using. Didnt smoke it though. It cast about .4325, and with straight WW was wieghing in at 305.
I tried 100 air cooled, the rest water droped.
Pan lubed them tonight.
These will be digested by a 94AE and SBH.
When are you going shooting, I am very interested in the LLA method with these boolits.

[O.S.O.K.]

I'm hoping to go today - after I load some up. LLA method.... OK, I give up - don't know that acronym... :)

A member on another board mentioned that his Marlin will feed this bullet 100% - now, after he put a small radius on the top of the chamber mouth... so if these shoot well, I'm going to perform that little bit of surgery.

I'll most likely single-feed these to start and see how that does on paper. Then, I'll load three and load from the magazine and see how that affects the grouping (assuming that they print well to start with).

[JesterGrin_1]

When you chamber them just move the lever smooth. Not fast just think smooth lol. If you try and race them they will fuss about it most of the time lol.

And I will add if you shoot for groups of which I think you are doing now. Just load one round at a time in that thing lol. When you have a load down that you like then by all means add some to the tube.

Like you when I go out hunting I will keep 3 in the tube and 1 in the pipe. Or if I am lazy and do not wish to carry extra rounds in my pocket I will just load 8 in the tube and 1 in the pipe. But that is the beauty of the Marlin lol. Load 1 or 10 lol. :)

[Ekalb2000]

LLA = Lee Liquid Alox. Was curious if it leaded your brl.

What affect does only putting a round in the chamber do when sighting in?

[JesterGrin_1]

You keep extra weight and vibration off of the rifle. As the Tube is attached to the barrel and receiver of the rifle. It is just a way to remove any excess wiggle waggle lol.

[Ekalb2000]

You keep extra weight and vibration off of the rifle. As the Tube is attached to the barrel and receiver of the rifle. It is just a way to remove any excess wiggle waggle lol.

I will definatly remember that. Thanks Jester

[JesterGrin_1]

Anytime. :)

Just an FYI if you are looking for information on the .44 Mag in CAST this is the place.

For some function information Marlin Owners forum is a good place. But for shooting and reloading I feel strongly you should check here first.

[O.S.O.K.]

Well if you haunt the marlin owner's form too, this is a repeat, but ....

Thanks jestergrin for you help with this!

I decided to radius the top of the chamber mouth and that did the trick for feeding these loads - the OAL wasn't the issue, the big fat meplat was - but that did the trick and they load smooth as silk now. :)

OK - just got back from the range - man is it hot! (104 degrees) Its hard to concentrate on holding your point of aim with sweat stinging your eyes :x

Oh well, I got er done anyway and the results are very satisfactory :D

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/medium/Lee310_target.jpg

Looks like the .431" size is OK. This is the exact same result basically that I got with the 300 grain XTP's, (only these cast boolits must be going a little faster as the point of impact moved up about 3"). I've always found the XTP's to be among the most accurate bullets in a given firearm, so I'm very happy to match that with cast boolits.

Again, this is off the bench with the handguard supported with my hand rested on the shooting rest and the butt up against my shoulder. I adjusted the sight down a little and shot again and got a 3 1/4" vertical group - but I must admit I was fighting the sweat pouring down off of my scalp and bugging the begeevers out of me. And that was also feeding them out of the mag - so, this supports the single feed vs mag feed difference.

No appreciable leading (so that answers the LLA question ;) ) - did have a bit of fouling built up just ahead of the breach but that came out easily with some regular Hoppes.

I will add that the on-paper results show stabalized boolits - though, of course there's no way to tell how far out they will remain so without shooting at those ranges but I'm very happy with these results at 100 yards as that covers about 100% of the shots I would take with this carbine.

This is a stompin hog load and the sights are very quick and now that these loads feed smoothly, well that really makes it the pip for that application.

:cbpour:

[JesterGrin_1]

O.S.O.K pick a forum lol.

You had a great day. :)

[Dogg]

O.S.O.K. what sighting system are you using? Open sights or a scope? Really glad to hear the
LLA worked.
Looks like it was a fun afternoon.

[O.S.O.K.]

I must admit to be a many-timer, hanging out on multiple forms

:brokenima

And any range day that works out this one is indeed a good day

:drinks:

[Ekalb2000]

Jester, this is THE only place to get cast info, as far as I am concerned. And I have some of your stuff saved as well.

O.S.O.K. Glad the LLA worked out.I will definatly use it when I am in a bit of a hurry. And thanks for the range report.
About the radius of the top of the chamber mouth, how much did you take off?

[JesterGrin_1]

Ekalb2000 You are CORRECT lol. Glad it helped. If I can help any further just let me know.

[O.S.O.K.]

Jester, this is THE only place to get cast info, as far as I am concerned. And I have some of your stuff saved as well.

O.S.O.K. Glad the LLA worked out.I will definatly use it when I am in a bit of a hurry. And thanks for the range report.
About the radius of the top of the chamber mouth, how much did you take off?

Not much - just took the sharp edge off and beveled it a bit - finished with some rouge to polish it all up. I did this around the top half of the chamber mouth. I'd take a pic but I don't think it'd show very well.... doesn't really look like much but the effect is dramatic on the feeding of this boolit.

You basically just want to blunt the edge so that it doesn't cut into the boolit.

[JesterGrin_1]

Ok Whewwwwwwwwww you did worry me a bit with that one lol. But just a word check your brass to see if you have much of a buldge in the brass at the base. As your full size die will not go down that far sorry to say.

This is also why if I shoot Mid Range to High End like the ones we are talking about in the Marlin the Brass stays with the Marlin.

[DeepSouth]

Hey are using Skinner sights on that gun.How do they do later in the evening.I want to keep my 1894 scopeless but I just don't thank I going to be able to see without a scope.

[O.S.O.K.]

Jester, I shot those heavy loads today and saw no difference in brass whatsoever. I did not remove enough material to expose anything but a slight sliver of the cartridge base ahead of the rim. The brass is very thick there.

No, I wouldn't do a mod like that. That woudl be way overboard with a 32000 CUP cartridge. I just rounded the edge of the chamber mouth - nothing more.

DeepSouth - I have XS sights on mine and used their white-line blade which does show pretty well in reduced light but for all-the-way-to-sundown, you're going to need a scope for sure. Just no way around it.

Firesights get you further but not like a scope...

[Dipperman]

O.S.O.K.,

Could you please share the details of how you rounded off the top edge of the chamber mouth on your 1894? I have an 1894 like yours that has the same problem, but I have not been able to figure out how to get in there or what to use to break that sharp corner.

Thanks in advance.

Dipperman

[O.S.O.K.]

OK, since you are that interested, I will do my best. Reached deep down into my pockets to pull out my photographic skills.... ;)

I found that holding a shop light on the area while shooting the pic did indeed show detail.

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/Marlin94chamber.jpg

I used a dremel tool (gasp) with a slender tapered grinding stone and went very slowly and gingerly - again, just rounding the sharp edge and then polishing with the rouge and polishing tip that comes with the dremel tool. You don't need to do anything but remove that sharp edge. Now, my dremel tool has a flexible attachment with a smaller tool head - but I think a standard dremel will work too.

And Jestergrin - you made me paranoid about the brass so I sized three cases and tested them in my Ruger BH - they slid right in and out as normal. And that's after shooting a maximum loading in this chamber. So, all is well.

And no kidding, the Lee hammerheads cycle slicker n stuff now. Just like rounded ogive jacketed bullets.

[JesterGrin_1]

O.S.O.K Sorry about that but I just wanted to give you some caution. It is easy to remove but hard to put back lol. :)

[Dipperman]

O.S.O.K.

Thank you.

Dipperman

[O.S.O.K.]

O.S.O.K Sorry about that but I just wanted to give you some caution. It is easy to remove but hard to put back lol. :)

Better safe than sorry!

Dipperman - de nadda :)