doing a mould

[Beekeeper]

OK all you smart fellers here is a question I need an answer to.
I am working on a 93 Mauser in 7x57.
I have had it for about 46 years and have never shot it.
The bore when I bought it was about fair and hasn't changed over the years ( even tho I kept hoping).I have fired 80 rounds of J word bullets through it recently (because someone gave them to me and I wanted the brass).
After all of the shooting and several days using the electronic bore cleaner I have slugged the bore and come up with the following .285 land and .293 Groove.Now I know why the J words were keyholing.
I want to PP for this weapon and have a new .285 Lee GC mould.
Was thinking of simply drilling the cavities out to 288 or so ( whatever drill I can get and use).
That way I can size to .287 and PP with 9# paper ( because I have a lifetime supply ) out to .293/.294 and size to .293 as that is what the neck of the fired brass reads.

Good or bad?
suggestions and comments please.
I have a hard skin so will not be offended.

Jim

[docone31]

Leave the mold alone, wrap the castings, then size them and see. If you need to open it up, then do it.
Sounds good though.

[pdawg_shooter]

I would open the mould up .001/.0015. Give them 2 wraps of 16# paper and go shooting.

[303Guy]

Good to hear! I wish you the best success.:drinks:

I've made a 'so badly worn' Lee Enfield shoot with paper patch. This bore is so worn on the chamber side that a boolit that expands the neck to a tight fit in the chamber is still free in the throat.

Might I suggest, before modifying the mold, casting up some cores and patch them to size with some suitable paper for a baseline test? Even if that means more than two wraps of your paper.

Then on the drilling process, I find that by chamfering the drill bit edges, the bit follows an existing hole more accurately and drills to size better. Only try this if you are confident.

I'm trying to figure out your sums with paper thickness. (I don't know how to relate 9# paper to anything I have). My paper measures .0046, so times four would add .018 to your core of .287 making it .3054 Just how thick or thin) is this 9# paper you have?

Just a thought, it your rifle's bore is that 'bad' there is a good chance the throat would accept larger patched boolits. If your fired cases measure at .293 you would be able to seat a somewhat larger patched boolit. The neck will expand slightly and the paper would compress a lot and hold that baby tight. That would allow for an 'interference' fit of the patched boolit without danger of the boolit moving in the case, either on chambering or extraction. Of course my paper differs from yours. Mine is very compressable being ordinary cheapo printer paper.

You might find it worth while investing in a little printer paper because of its 'fluffy' consistancy. If you've read Zeeks's thread you will see what I'm getting at.

I'm looking forward to your grogress. (And it's a 7mm Mauser!)8-)

[pdawg_shooter]

Two wraps of 9# will add right at .006 to your bullet. That is after drying and shrink.

[303Guy]

Two wraps of 9# will add right at .006 to your bullet. That is after drying and shrink.Well, OK then. That's a lot thinner than printer paper.

So to use the mold as is, printer paper would be just fine with no sizing. All that's required is just sufficient case mouth flare to accept the boolit and some wax lube and seating slowly to give the patch time to compress as it's seated. It's worth an initial try.

[6.5 mike]

Printer paper should come out right. I have a 98 7x57 that slugged 0.285/ 0.290 & use tracing paper to get it to 0.291. The problem with the lee mould I have is it's to short, all the 93's, 95's & pre wwII 7x57's are thoarted for a 175 gr bullet.
Your's & mine have the old bore diamensions, a, now standard, 7m/m bullet only hits the high spots in the barrel. When I shot a box of factory loads in mine I knew it would hit the bearm, but wasn't sure where lol.
The 98 I have is dated 1940 from FN, made for columbia.
Boolit lengh & sizing are the two biggest probems I have.

[leftiye]

Wrap it oversize, then size it to .294 or 5. If you open up the mold (say it got to casting .286 or bigger), the paper will actually size the boolit (don't size the boolit until after it is wrapped). Pulpy printer paper compresses into a nice hard "jacket" and can easily become dense enough to compress lead.

[303Guy]

Pulpy printer paper compresses into a nice hard "jacket" and can easily become dense enough to compress lead.It compresses the lead alright. Is it actually good to make that pulpy paper hard and compressed? Just thinking about the pneumatic effect of air trapped within the paper. (For now, I'm in favour of pulpy paper - I change my ideas as new evidence surfaces!)

[pdawg_shooter]

If you divide the weight of the paper by three, then multiply by the number of wraps you will be real close to the size AFTER drying.

[Beekeeper]

Range report.
I P/P'ed 20 rounds using the Lee 285 mold and tried them.
The key holing has not completely stopped as I still have some on the target but over all it is much better.Shots are still all over the place so I still need to work on getting them on target.
A lot of my problem seems to be scope problems and on that I am still working.
I ain't going to give up ( too hardheaded for that) so will try some diferent patches next week at the range.
Maybe P/P out of printer paper instead of onion skin.

Jim

[303Guy]

I ain't going to give up ( too hardheaded for that):drinks::Fire:

I quite like printer paper. I thought I did alright with it considering the bore of the rifle and the fact that I bent a few during seating. I had worked up a load that disintegrated the patch but did not fail the patch. That is, I worked it up until I got confetti but only just past the 'postage stamp' stage. I've also had success with lined notepad paper of a particular brand (one that wet well).

Good luck and keep us posted.:drinks: