Can I make this mould work, or is it junk?

[brimic]

Today I tried out my Lee 175 gr 8mm mould for the first time. I used straight W/Ws and it gave me bullets that weighed ~172 gr, the bore riding section was .310" and the driving bands are between .3235 and .324". I did a quick and dirty reslugging of the muzzle portion of two rifles that I was considering using these in, a 98/22 and a 98/29, the bore on one was ~.3115 and the other was .312, and both had grooves that measured out to .324". In other words, in my very novice opinion, this mould is dropping boolits that are undersized. When I put the nose of the boolits in the muzzle, there is a bit of slop. My only experience with cast rifle is with my 30 cal 03A3 which shoots them very nicely, but the bore riding portion of the boolit is .002" bigger than the bore.

Is there a way I can lap this mould out a little, should I try it as is, or is there a different allow mix that might produce slightly bigger boolits? Or should I just toss the thing and get the .329" mould meant for the 8x56r and size them down?

[Bass Ackward]

Is there a way I can lap this mould out a little, should I try it as is, or is there a different allow mix that might produce slightly bigger boolits?

Or should I just toss the thing and get the .329" mould meant for the 8x56r and size them down?

Brimic,

I would try it first. There is also the ACWW option to bump up the nose when you are lubing the bullets. Just size them right after molding and be a little heavier on the handle. You can pick up the diameter you need that way, maybe.

But I would try both ways first. Then decide what you want to do when can be .... more objective.

[beagle]

One layer of "beagle tape" should also get you up about .002" withut messing with the mould.

Try that before you do anything to the mould./beagle

[brimic]

I rembered reading something about 'Beagling' when I first found this site. Never thought I would need it, but I just went back and read it, and will try it next.

Thanks! :smile: