Need help with bullet mold suggestions.

[Centaur 1]

I need some help so I’ll explain my situation and hopefully you guys will point me in the right direction. I’ve had a palmer hot pot for the past 35 years, and I’ve used it for fishing sinkers and lures. Recently I’ve came into possession of approximately 300 pounds of range lead from a friend who works at an indoor pistol range. The mix is about 60% cast .45 acp/.38 wadcutters and 40% jacketed bullets. I’ve been melting small batches since my pot only holds 4 pounds at a time, for ingots I’m using a mini cupcake pan. I fill them ½ full and get 12 mini ingots per pot. Then I place them into 12 separate piles and continue this way until a 5 gallon bucket of bullets is smelted. I’m now left with 12 piles with one ingot from each batch. Now I remelt each pile one at a time, flux the lead, then pour the mix into a full sized cupcake mold, it make a 2 ¼ pound ingot. Before I get started I plan on trading in some BassPro shop reward points for a lee 20 pound pot.
So this is where I’m starting and this is what I’m up against. I’m disabled and on a fixed income, so funds are limited. I just want to make plinking ammunition so that I can go shooting without breaking the bank. The two guns that I want to start with are a Marlin 336ss 30-30, and an AR-15 in 9mm. The 30-30’s barrel measures exactly .308” diameter, I haven’t checked the 9mm yet, but will soon. Since I’m not looking to make anything fancy and all shooting will be at short range at cans and spinning targets, the ammo only has to be “accurate enough” to have fun. I’ve already been making 30-30 loads using Hornady short jacket 100 grain bullets on top of six grains of bullseye, so this is where my mind is at in regards to type of load. Due to my limited funds, I would really like to buy molds that produce a bullet that is shootable without having to buy even more equipment to resize and put on gas checks. I’m hoping that due to the extremely low velocities, that I won’t need gas checks, and since I’m not trying to win any shooting matches that resizing won’t be necessary.
So that’s my situation, now I’d like to hear suggestions on which bullet molds to buy that’ll meet my needs. I’ve already been advised against buying a mold for light 115 grain bullets. I was thinking that they would just use less lead, but I’m told that they can be real finicky to get to shoot accurately. I’ve been told that I should just get either a 150 or a 170 grain bullet and either will shoot well using bullseye. So anyway I really want to hear suggestions on what to buy for both guns, there are so many choices that I don’t know where to start, especially in regards to standard lube grooves or tumble lube grooves and which is more apt to shoot well in a micro-groove rifled barrel.
Thanks in advance for any and all help………….Mike

[Piedmont]

For your circumstances I think it would be hard to go wrong with the little Lee 113 FN "soup can" bullet for the .30-30. I used to play around with this sans check and with 3-3.2 grains of Bullseye. It did what you want. You will always have the option of gas checking should you want to push up the velocity and power. You can tumble lube this little bullet and not size it.

My only other recommendation before letting others chime in is that you not use the tumble lube designs. Go ahead and tumble lube your standard designs and see how you like it. Standard designs will give you the option of using regular lube in their grooves should you later decide to do this. Regular lube in the grooves is more forgiving at higher velocities.

[HeavyMetal]

A mold for your 9mm AR is simple: any of the 9mm molds Lee makes. I prefer the standard lube grove boolits to TL designs My suggestion will be for the 124 2R or 120TC

You can use the Kake cutter method of lubing these which I find much less mesy than liquid alox! Kake Cutter method also allows you to find a lube that works best for each gun rather than just pouring on more and hoping the leading goes "away"!

Now the 30-30 is going to be a little harder particularly with a Marlin. If your going to single load try the 7.62x39 boolit from LeeC312-155-2R This will fall from the mld a little fat fr a 30 and with micro groove barrels might just give you what you want.

If your going to use this as a repeater you'll need a flat point boolit. for that I have no suggestion.

[Centaur 1]

Thanks guys, I'm thinking that the .312 AK bullet might be a little too big for the bore, it has a large area forward of the case that looks like it will engage the rifling unless it's seated very deep. I'd rather not worry about the pointed bullet either, but that little 113 FN looks pretty neat. Has anyone tried the 150 grain FN, I hear that the heavier bullets are easier to work up a load for?

[HeavyMetal]

Don't be afraid of that AK boolit, I have been using it in my 30-30 Contender for a couple years now and never had it be to fat to chamber!

The pointed part I can sure understand! I do have a Lee 150 flat point but it doesn't work as well as the AK boolit at least not for me.

Thinking that some of the Marlin guys might join in here but they may not be seeing the thread for what it is.

Seems I read some where the Micro groove barrels prefer a boolit on the fat side to work right which is why I suggested the AK boolit.

If I were you I drop down to the lever gun section and ask what works in a 336 30-30. Then you'll talk to guys with some hands on micro groove experience.

[Echo]

Check eBay occasionally for an Ideal/Lyman 3118, or 311008. About 120 grs, flat nose, non-GC, and a standard boolit for many years. Ideal for your situation.

Or use the Lee 120 gr GC w/o a GC. Another good boolit

[Centaur 1]

That's a good idea about posting this over in the lever gun area, I'll give that a try. I saw an interesting idea on the Lee website. Their suggestion if you need to make the bullet a little larger was to suspend a tap in the mold cavity with the sprue plate out of the way. Then pour lead into the cavity and it hardens around the tap. Now you have a mandrel that you cover in lapping compound and spin it in the mold. This way you can work at it a little at a time until the mold makes bullets that fit your rifle. From what I've been reading, the Marlins usually like bullets in the .309 to .311 range depending on the bore size, the shallow grooves are less tolerant to undersized bullets.

[Little Jim]

I can not talk about the 30/30, but I have been shooting 9mm TC 120 gr lee and 9mm TC from lyman.I find I like the lyman with it's longer nose for the beretta CX. But both shoot well with no to very little leading out of the 16 inch barrel useing just WW, with 5.6 gr of power pistal. It also shoots very well in the 92s. Both would probly do well for you,but I do like the lyman mold the best. It seems to produce a better quilty bootlet right off the bat.

little jim

[Pirate69]

Centaur 1,
If you end-up with a GC 30-cal mold, and you want to try a few boolits at elevated velocities, let me know and I will send you some "home-brewed" gas checks.

[Centaur 1]

Thanks Pirate, I saw someone on here talking about a group buy on copper sheet and I've been meaning to look up what's involved. Probably have to do a ton of shooting to recoup the cost of the equipment, but I bet it's fun making your own. Little Jim, I've never shot TC style bullets before, I'm guessing from your post that they feed just as good as a round nose?

[ulav8r]

I started with the Lee 150 flat nose in a Glenfield with microgroove barrel. When loaded to proper overall length, the loads would not chamber. The throat was too short, was told that was normal for Marlins. Had it throated to use that bullet. Haven't shot it in years so do not remember what results I got.