Lee 8mm Max Problems

[Leadmine]

I got the 8mm max Lee mould from Midsouth and casted a small pile of boolits. I seated gas checks and sized. However when I set up a cartridge, (8x57) I found I had to bury the bullet in the case to get the cartridge to chmaber in my rifles. I have 8 k98's 2 turks and a Persian...and all are the same problem. The base of the boolit is way below the neck, this bullet is buried way into the case...all the lube grooves are into the neck. This doesn't seem right, but it is the only way I can chamber the round. :???: I'm interested to hear any other comments. The boolit casts 247 grains for me.

Thanks for the help.

LEADmine

[Buckshot]

...............First, shoot'em and see if there is an issuse. Otherwise, sizing the nose down close to bore diameter to allow seating further out may be required.

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

[Quantrill]

Leadmine,
I am in the same situation that you are. The bullet with the grease grooves are way below the shoulder. I would try to shoot them except that I can not size them. All the dimensions are way oversize. The front end is .325 and the groove size at the rear is .330. I got (2) bullets sized and lubed and thought I was going to destroy my old Lyman 450. I had to use a mallet to batter it out. the sizer was a Lyman .325 and it sized every part of the bullet. The note on the Mid-South order description said they were un returnable, no matter how bad they were. I think I am stuck with a mold that is absolutely worthless to me. I guess I could buy a .316/.317 sizer and try to just size the front of the bullet to a bore rider but I think it is easier to just go back to the 175gr Lee that I had which seems to work well enough. Thanks for letting me vent. Quantrill

[Ben]

That thing is at least .005 out of spec. I'd send that puppy back to Lee with a couple of sample bullets. I sent a couple of pistol molds back to Lee during the past few months. They sent ( promptly ) new replacement molds that were " In Spec. "

Thanks,

Ben

[Buckshot]

...............Quantrill, your mould is for sure out of spec. It's happened before and there was discussion I think on the casting equipment or Mould maint & design forum. That's big enough to use in the 8x56 Steyr straight pulls.

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

[Leadmine]

Thanks for the comments. I was dissappointed. I've never been turned on by Lee equipment of any sort, and the last thing I want to do is dork around with Lee and spend another five bucks (shipping) and wait 3 weeks for their slow service to get a $14 mould right (maybe). I'll try a few in the 8x57 since I got them cast and see what happens. The 8x56R thing is a try too, I've got one of them.

To bad. I was really excited to get a 8mm bullet that was heavier than the lyman 323470 that I have used for quite some time.

[Buckshot]

..............The March-April issue of the Fouling Shot there was an article by a guy using the Oldfeller Karabiner (230grs) he'd gotten from Mid-South. Of course there was nothing crediting Oldfeller, but I don't know if that info is on the Mid-South page dealing with the mould anyway.

I was glad to see he had good luck with it in 3 different rifles. But who knows when he bought it?

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