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View Full Version : Fatter 30 test result... Listen up buyers!!



Char-Gar
08-10-2006, 06:16 PM
The three boxes of molds have been littering my den floor for almost a week, but this afternoon I fired up the meltng pot and gave one a test drive. Believe me friends, doing this on an August afternoon in the garage in deep South Texas is a labor of love. Gawd..is it hot work!!!

I drug out the spec sheet and here is what we sent to Lee

Body - .317
Nose - tapers from .305 to .310
Length - 1.00
Shank - snap on fit for Hornaday checks

My Lyman pot was about 1/3 full of No 2 Alloy, so I added enough WW + 2.5% tin to give me the full twenty pounds, fluxed, new kitty litter etc. etc.

I cleaned the mold with brake cleaner, then soap on a soft tooth brush and after blowing it dry, applied NEI mold-prep to the cavities and set it on the warming shelf while the melt got ready.

No problem with the mold other that having to remove the burrs in the handle slots where they drilled the holes for the retaining pins. Same ol..same ol.

I ran off a couple of hundred and here is what I get

Body - .3165 - .317
Nose - .304/305 - .309/.310 ( this is a tapered nose and I can't get the same number every time, because I can get the mic in the same place each time.
Length - 1.006
Weight - 191 grains
Shank - Hornaday gas checks snaped on just fine
SAECO hardness - 8 on the day cast

I made up a dummy .303 British round and seated the bullet to the bottom crimp groove (there is three). The round feeds very slick in my 1945 Longbranch and the nose engraved well about a third of the way down from the meplat. See the bullet deeper and the nose hangs on the edge of the chamber.

I made up a drummy 30-40 round and seated the bullet in the top crimp groove. It feeds slicker than snot through both my Krags and engraves well about half way down the nose. On one of my Krags I had to crimp the case mouth or the bullet would pull when I extracted the round. The other Krag did not require a crimp... I guess the difference is in throat wear.

Both my 30-40 leverguns choked on the dummy round..no way Jose!!.

Dimensions might be been a hair smaller with pure WW or maybe not. I am not the scientific type so I did run some kind of cavity to cavity variance.. For Pete"s sake it is a LEE mold!

Well boys that is the story. I don't see a problem. The molds are as close to what we ordered as a person can reasonable expect. They fit and feed in the firearms they were designed for. We wanted a really fat 30 for military rifles with well worn throats and that is what we got.

Will they shoot? You boys are going to have to find out for yourselves. I will bet they will and while they may not deliver match accuracy in every case, they should be the berries for hunting and the like.

Shipment will start sometime next week. I will post the zips as they are mailed.

45 2.1
08-10-2006, 07:46 PM
On the group buy thread, I listed the nose diameters as 0.305" to 0.310" and the body at 0.316+". It sounds like we got it. Everyone elses alloy will give results close to yours, some over and some under. Please send me mine. Thanks for running the buy.

BTW, LEE has changed the rules again on the specs, what will come of it is uncertain now, but the 8mm buy is the first i've ran into on it.

twotoescharlie
08-10-2006, 07:55 PM
many,many thanks charger for doing this buy.

TTC

Dutch4122
08-10-2006, 08:31 PM
Thanks much Chargar. Looking forward to getting this one.

cropcirclewalker
08-10-2006, 10:38 PM
Mr. Chargar, you da man!

I await my mould with baited breath.

Thanks fer running the buy.

rvpilot76
08-11-2006, 12:17 AM
Can't thank you enough! I haven't even shot my Savage #4 Mk. 1 yet because I just want to feed her cast boolits. The job of the honcho does not go unnoticed; your time and efforts are greatly appreciated. Looking forward to that next group buy!

Best regards,

Kevin

David R
08-11-2006, 06:10 AM
7.65 Argentine Here we come!

Chargere you DA MAN!

David

guninhand
08-11-2006, 11:11 AM
I'm happy in my pants:-D

Calamity Jake
08-11-2006, 07:02 PM
Good deal!! My two longbranches will be happy.

Thanks Charger

Catshooter
08-13-2006, 05:21 PM
Thanks Chargr, that looks just like what I want!

Looking forward to it.

Thanks for all your work here.

And thanks to 45 2.1. Another great drawing goes down in history!


Cat

rvpilot76
08-15-2006, 10:37 AM
I'm happy in my pants:-D

Thanks. I have to clean up the coffee I just spit everywhere! NOW THAT'S FUNNY. I'm still laughing.

Kevin

Char-Gar
08-15-2006, 02:30 PM
Molds were mailed (Priority and Delivery Confirmation) to the following zips. The rest will go out in two batches by the end of the week. I will post more zips as they go.

Remember the no whine rule. If your dog carrys it off, or it gets lost behind the flower pot on your front pourch, or the neighbor steals it, that is not my problem.

If you are unhappy, contact Lee, I am not interested in your angst. The one I tested did well. I did find a few high spots on some of them after I did some wholesale measuring, but that may have been the way I had the mold closed. Nothing a trip through a sizing die won't cure.

Oh yes...Your box did have a mold in it when it was placed in the mail.. I checked!

44286
73159
62899
98045
96744
74063
98801
73112
74429
47401
42701
30078
43445
65542
43724
04463

abunaitoo
08-15-2006, 04:34 PM
I saw my zip listed. I hope it's mine.

rvpilot76
08-15-2006, 05:15 PM
I'm listed...whoohoo! Delivery confirmation inbound upon receipt. Thanks again, Charles.

Kevin

Char-Gar
08-16-2006, 01:26 PM
ALL the remaining domestic (U.S.) orders went in the mail today. No need to post a list of zips. If you sent me money for an order, your zip was listed on the o ther thread as the money came in, and you mold is in the mail. It is coming Priority mail and Delivery Confirmation.

I will place the remaining five international orders (4 Canada and 1 Finland) in the mail tomorrow. So your will be there when the postal systems allow. No need for another post tomorrow to tell you I did what I said I was going to do.

All the orders, money received, mailing labels, molds received and molds mailed balance. I have no left over anything. I ordered no extra molds, so there are none for sale.

Well, that wraps it up...let me know if you didn't get yours by this time next week. (Not talking international here) so I can look up the delivery confirmation. Remember I am not responsible for squat other than putting your mold in the mail properly addressed to you.

If the weather hold, I will go to the range Friday to give these bullets a try in my Krag and my SMLE.

Good luck and good shooting to you all.

Catshooter
08-16-2006, 09:20 PM
Oh man that means mine is on it's way!!!!

Happy dance time!

Thanks man.


Cat

guninhand
08-17-2006, 10:43 AM
Any Canadian buyers not familiar with typical delivery times should realize that 5 weeks wait is not uncommon.(so don't freak out or bug Chargar:-D )

twotoescharlie
08-17-2006, 03:19 PM
recieved mine today, thanks Mr. Charger!!

TTC

4060MAY
08-17-2006, 03:52 PM
mine come today

Thanks

Shepherd2
08-17-2006, 04:39 PM
Just took mine out of the mailbox. Thanks for all your efforts.

sundog
08-17-2006, 06:16 PM
Chargar, my man, job well done! Mine arrived today - looks very workable. We've had MANY days in a row triple digits here in NE Oklahoma. Might be a spell before I fire up the pot. Thanks for the update on what yours cast, too. The SMLEs and Arisakas should love this'un! Thanks again. sundog

Johnch
08-17-2006, 07:08 PM
Got mine today . (43445)

Looks just fine .
Thanks for picking up the pieces on this group buy

I plan on devirgining 4 group buy moulds Sat evening


Johnch

rvpilot76
08-18-2006, 10:20 AM
Received mine in the mailbox yesterday. Thanks again, Chargar.

Kevin

cropcirclewalker
08-18-2006, 04:02 PM
I got mine. It looks good.

Thanks again, Mr. Chargar.

KYCaster
08-18-2006, 05:28 PM
Chargar: Mine arrived yesterday at 42701. Thanks for your efforts on this project.

Jerry

floodgate
08-18-2006, 07:18 PM
Chargar:

ZIP 95466 arrived this afternoon; looks great.

But we've got a lot of "Honey-Dos'" stacked up, and I gotta stick around to make sure she gets them done; can't see her from the casting bench.

Thanks!

floodgate

abunaitoo
08-18-2006, 09:07 PM
Got mines in the mail today. Looks great, can't wait to make some boolets. Thank you very much.

Dutch4122
08-18-2006, 10:04 PM
Mine was in the mailbox when I arrived home. Looks great. Thanks again Chargar!

Calamity Jake
08-19-2006, 08:23 AM
Charger, got that fat 30 yesterday(73159), man does it look good!! I'm in the same boat as sundog and a few others, 100+ temps so the casten pot stays off for a while.

Thanks again for honchon this deal.

David R
08-19-2006, 08:37 AM
Mr. Charger,

The mold arrived yesterday. My son split the cost with me because its for his 7.65 arg. Last night I plugged in the pot, and my son cast his first boolits. Evereything went flawlessly. He cleaned the mold with Shop solv and a 12 guage brush. He poured them until they came out frosty, then we threw all those back. He then poured a bunch (couple hundred?). I took six from the mold. All 6 were between 190.1 and 190.8. Bands measured .318 within .001 out of round. Nose measures .304 at the front and .307 just ahead of the driving band. NICE boolit.

I sat ther watching my 14 year old son pour boolits while I had a beer. Whattaday!

Thank you
David

castalott
08-19-2006, 08:43 AM
got mine yesterday in fine shape! Thanks so much!

sundog
08-19-2006, 09:40 AM
Jake, nothin' like a big ole drip of sweat in the casting pot to ruin an otherwise perfectly good casting session, eh?

David, good for you, both the kid doing it and you for enjoying it. When my son was younger I got a real kick out of him loading shotshells on my MEC - disappointing when we ran out of empty hulls and had to quit. And now one of the grandsons loading his own 30-30 and 30-06 and shooting them well. Not to mention the 45 Colt shotshells we concocted for shooting wood bees.

Looking forward to some quality range time if it ever cools off a little! sundog

fatnhappy
08-19-2006, 10:11 AM
My wife just called to tell me I got a package from Texas. woo hoo!

JohnAz
08-19-2006, 02:07 PM
Got mine today, should be using it by next weekend.
Thanks Charger

charlie / sw mo
08-19-2006, 11:17 PM
i got mine yesterday and cast up 24 lbs of them this morning. my thanks to the honcho
charlie in sw mo

CSH
08-20-2006, 07:31 AM
Got mine yesterday and plan to heat it up today. Thanks Chargar.

Calamity Jake
08-20-2006, 09:02 AM
"Jake, nothin' like a big ole drip of sweat in the casting pot to ruin an otherwise perfectly good casting session, eh?"

sundog, sweet in the castn pot doesn't bother me so much cause I keep CL on top of the melt, it's when it gets in my eyes that bothers me then I can't see them good looking boolets I'm a maken.

Anyone know what we are going to call this mold besides the FATTER 30?

cropcirclewalker
08-20-2006, 10:42 AM
How about calling it

LEE C316-194-RNFP GB

?

45 2.1
08-20-2006, 11:34 AM
Anyone know what we are going to call this mold besides the FATTER 30?

Calling it anything other than the "Fatter 30" will confuse the issue since it is listed in several threads as that.

Dutch4122
08-20-2006, 12:55 PM
Calling it anything other than the "Fatter 30" will confuse the issue since it is listed in several threads as that.

I agree. Already sitting in my stack of group buy molds is a "Fat 30" from the original run done by Lar45. Next in line is the new "Fatter 30"; and as soon as it arrives from NuJudge's custom order will be the "Super Fat 30." Seems to work best for me this way to keep them straight in my mind.

cropcirclewalker
08-20-2006, 05:02 PM
So, I put 3 of these watchamacallits downrange this afternoon.

My Lithgow Smelly slugs at .3145, so I sized them at .315, gas checked them and loaded them up in front of 15.6 grains of BlueDot.

Crimped in the first (from the back) groove for a coal of 2.947 and the lands showed themselves by smudging the liquid Alox on the boolit.

They stacked into the magazine but wouldn't feed in my Lithgow, but lots of what I shoot in it won't. Not a big deal to me.

I got velocities of 1615, 1574 and 1625 fps and the holes in the 50 yd target formed a triangle with the 2 further holes at 1.375"

ORH woulda been nice, but I have lots of tinkering to do with propellant, velocity, sizing and coal.

I yam happy. Now I can un-Beagle my 311284.

Rick N Bama
08-21-2006, 08:38 PM
35622 has arrived. Thanks for your hard work Chargar.

Rick

C1PNR
08-21-2006, 11:51 PM
I agree. Already sitting in my stack of group buy molds is a "Fat 30" from the original run done by Lar45. Next in line is the new "Fatter 30"; and as soon as it arrives from NuJudge's custom order will be the "Super Fat 30." Seems to work best for me this way to keep them straight in my mind.
Actually, as NuJudge reminded me it's a 314299 Modified! And I'll so label it! What the heck, if the inventor don't know what the name of it is, who the heck does!:drinks:

Dutch4122
08-22-2006, 09:17 AM
Actually, as NuJudge reminded me it's a 314299 Modified! And I'll so label it! What the heck, if the inventor don't know what the name of it is, who the heck does!:drinks:

Good point!

cr17
08-28-2006, 06:28 PM
K4A 2P1 arrived safe sound and beautiful. Thanks Chargar - much appreciated.

Pystis
09-13-2006, 05:21 PM
Got mine. Actually it arrived earlier, but I picked it up from the customs office today.
The mould looks fine. Now I need some time to cast some.
Again, thanks for having done this, Chargar!

Jukka

sundog
10-12-2006, 08:04 PM
Almost 2 months later and I cast with it today.

The boolit I checked is a littel out of round .316-.318, but that's okay, becaue I'll run it through a lapped out .314 sizer. Shank is .305 to .307, but that's okay because the bbl will swage it to where it wants it. Length is 1.004. Weight is ~191. The alloy is some large porportion of WWs, lots of magnum shot, and a very little 50/50 solder in a 20 lb pot and WQ'd. Suckers are haarrrrad!

Anyone shot enough of these to report any results yet? sundog

4060MAY
10-13-2006, 09:48 AM
look here
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=9236