New here, and learning…

Hello All,
My first post, tho I have scoured your forum, until my eyes have bled.
Thank you for allowing me to join. Please excuse me, if I have placed this post, in wrong location.
I am a retired Steamfitter ( boilermaker/ pipe welder) , and retired FD Captain, that has inherited my father’s reloading gear. I have used the data that I have found here, and in several load manuals, to successfully cast and reload my .35 Rem, .38 spl, .357 mag, .45 ACP and even .223 for a M&P 15. I thank you all, so much.
I have recently acquired the following Lee molds: C309-180-R and C309-170-F
I want to make .308 reloads for my friends with AR platforms, as well as for my Gun. Sgt USMC Ret. brother. He was a Scout/ Sniper Instructor at Quantico… so you KNOW he’s got a Rem 700, lol.
My problem is finding load data, as I am getting confused with the molds. I’m working out of Lyman’s cast boolit handbook 4th edition, at the moment. ( I do have a few others on order, and maybe this issue will resolve itself) I was able to find all the data for the Lee boolits for my handguns, listed above , here.
Also, because of my current situation, I am handcuffed to the ridiculous amount of H335, that I have on hand, for .35 Rem and .223

In the Lyman CB handbook, there is only one Lee mold, listed, and it is not one of mine.

Question One:
There is a Lyman # 311332 which is also a 180 gr boolit , has an OAL , and has a min / max charge listed for H335… but it is a spire point, and mine is a round. Can I use this data for reloading my Lee C309-180-R ?

Question Two:
Which data can I use for my Lee C309-170-F ?

There is #311041 , that is a 173 gr boolit, with a flat nose ( like mine ) and it has min/max H335 loads, as well as an OAL listed. ( I’m hoping that’s the ticket ! )

There is # 311291 , that is a 170 gr boolit ( like mine ) but it is a round nose, and it has no data for H335.

I’m not expecting or trying to make match quality rounds here, just trying to give some friends and family some inexpensive rounds that we can take to the range, and have a nice day.

Thank you all, for any help,
Ken

Welcome to the forum. You can always use the data for the next heavier bullet.
With some alloys, my C309170F bullets finish out at 180grs- so I just use that data.

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I thank you sir. As I am learning and trying to comprehend… I understand that you can use a load from heavier boolit, how do you figure your COL / OAL if you are using the data from a different boolit? I’m sorry to sound like Goober, but I want to understand this, not just beg for a flat out recipe. From what I have comprehended, if you don’t seat boolit in right spot, you alter pressures and may have magazine issues ?

I always set the overall length based on throat or magazine length of the firearm I'm loading for.
I've found it best to have the gun handy to test feeding and chambering of the reloads.

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The shape of the nose doesn't matter. With cast bullets all the does matter is the weight.

H335 is very close to H4895, so look at that data, too.

You really need to measure your rifles chamber to determine the max length and the see if it will fit your magazine. This thread may help just click on it.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...tridge++Length

Other wise look under "seating bullets" in any Speer manual. My #9 has a pretty good explanation on how to go about it.

Welcome to Cast Boolits too.

If you have never shot cast loads,pressure isnt an issue ,leading is .......and a bullet shape is only as good for purpose as the alloy used............for any kind of near max load ,the hardest possible lead alloy may not be suitable,and a cast bullet will need to be of zinc ,or some other hard metal.

Thank you, everyone.
I guess I’m stuck on the idea of the seating OAL vs. effects. In that link, as well as advice given above, I understand the idea of maximum OAL , and how to determine that by measuring. Im getting bunged up on the other end. If I move a boolit deeper into a case, I’m increasing pressure. That link even had an instance of severe damage, because of this.
Im getting that a blunt shaped boolit, like a round nose or for argument, a wad utter has to sit further back , than a more pointier boolit, because of the chamber, lands, grooves.

I really do appreciate your patience, as I try to “ get it”. I don’t want your fish, I want to catch my own ;)

I'm an old guy with a wealth of experience in casting and shooting AND I'M STILL LEARNING EVERY DAY!

Welcome to the Site. You have been given great information by the above members.

Seating depth that is critical in a small pistol case is not significant in a large rifle case. Minor differences in seating depth in rifle cases, at the level we are loading them for cast boolits, is insignificant. Seat to fit your magazine or your chamber and don't worry about pressure - you will not be anywhere near maximum loads for that boolit weight.

Have had VERY good results with a Tikka. 308 with the Ranch Dog 165 boolit (very similar to the Lyman 311041) and surplus WC 842 powder that uses H335 data. Only shot out to 300 yards but could break standard size clay birds with the best load. FWIW.

Thank you all, so much.

You're getting a lot of good info from the posts above. I wish I'd had a resource like this when I first jumped into the mysteries of shooting cast - and I was seriously mystified by the dismal results I got at first. Just a couple comments to add to it all:

It happens that overall length listed for cast boolit rifle loads can be taken as a good place to start, but probably will benefit from a bit of adjusting for your particular rifle. There will be differences in throat dimensions and wear from one rifle to the next and cast boolits usually are most accurate when supported at both ends, throat and case neck. A rule of thumb about pressures is that when all other things are equal (powder charge, bullet weight), an increase of internal volume will reduce pressures somewhat. Jacketed bullets seated against the rifling for peak accuracy can increase pressures, but even then, if the load is not near max, it's generally not an issue. Cast boolits are much easier to engrave, and the loads which produce good results with cast will be at pressures under what are listed for jacketed.

On another point, spitzer type cast boolits generally don't do well above mild velocities because of the long unsupported nose. When pushed hard, the nose will slightly deform off-center from the acceleration and ruin accuracy. Bore-riding designs are better, like the C309-180-R and C309-170-F you have, but they are only supported by the lands which isn't a lot of surface area - and they are unlubricated. It's important to load to pressures suitable for the hardness of your alloy. The Lee load book gives information on what pressures to go for based on your alloy's BHN or Brinnel Hardness Number.

I thank you, sir.. that is gold.