311-165Gr. RF (RD Type)- RESULTS

[Vly]

Now that the moulds are shipping, we need a results thread, so here we are.

I cast about 30 boolits last night and hope to fire them soon. I loaded some today, and ran into my first "issue". My assumption was this boolit form was designed to work specifically for the Marlin 336 in 30-30. I loaded some in 30-30 cases so that the crimp groove could be used. This is an overall length of @ 2.51. That length was not even close to chambering in my 1982 vintage Marlin 336 with microgroove. I found if I forced closed the action the rifle would "seat" the boolit to an overall length of 2.42. As you can see in the photo, this is well past the crimp groove. You can see the microgroove rifling engaging the ogive.

http://www.fototime.com/CC9E4F1D3D9C0E8/standard.jpg


I also have a 1949 vintage 336 with Ballard style rifling. Obviously, this rifle has far more rounds through the barrel that the other rifle. The OAL this rifle would accept was 2.51 with a slight resistance. So the crimp groove could be used in ammo loaded for this rifle.

So I post this mainly as a FYI. Check your seating depth and make sure your rounds chamber before you load a bunch or drive all the way to the range and find they will not chamber.

[btroj]

I just made up a dummy round to try. If seated in the crimp grove I just get impressions from the rifling. this is an early 70's 336 with microgoove. As long as I keep the cases trimmed short enough I should have no problem.

thanks for posting this as I'm the guy who would have loaded a bunch of ammo that would have been too long and I would have used very poor language at the range.

I hope to shoot some Wed and see how the do. I'll just use the same load I use with the RD and go from there.

[largom]

As we all know, the throats are not the same either in Dia. or length from one gun to the next.
Larry

[Vly]

Just to clarify my original post, as largom says, all throats are not the same. My intent was just to remind folks they don't know what the fit of this boolit will be in the throat of their rifle without trying a dummy round. Please don't read into it anything beyond that.

[James C. Snodgrass]

Vly I can relate . I have a pair of 30/30 and 30 Herrett's that are a good bit different each and have to absolutely make sure the long ones don't go in the short throated guns as they won't fit . James

[tiny]

I would like to thank al (swede) and night owl enterprises. this is one fantastic precision mold. it will last forever. thanks tiny

[kd7kmp]

I have this same issue with the TL version from Ranch Dog. In asking around it seems that most all 336's with MG rifling have VERY short throats. I actually have a mold that I will need to sell soon (not the Ranch Dog mold) because of this very problem.

Kevin

[tiny]

could you size the nose of the bullet to the smaller diameter of the rifling. it would be more work. but might be worth it.

[Vly]

Tiny - I think a better solution is just to just seat the boolit deeper. I have done that and fired some with satisfactory results. I will post some shooting results when I get alittle more data.

[dubber123]

Another thing to consider would be fire lapping. I did my 1895 Cowboy, and it slightly increased and tapered the lead so that my MM 450 gr. WFN chambered smoothly. It required a healthy "crunch" of the lever before. That wasn't what I was after when I started fire lapping, but it sure was a pleasant surprise.