The Very Best Cast Boolit Designs

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Going through my many bullet moulds in preparation for casting over winter. I have almost 120 moulds, but somehow very few that have given consistant accuracy over many years. Many of the molds that I have are discontinued and thus not available to today's caster.

The best designs feature a bore riding nose with the bullet seated to just touch the lands. Lymans 311284 a 210gn style with a large bore riding nose has achieved the smallest 10 shot group ever! The same manufacturer scaled down the same style to suit the 270cal (280432) and again the bore riding nose align the bullet in the bore ready for firing.



Lyman's 30 cal 311284 Lyman design for the 270Cal

[M-Tecs]

Thanks for sharing.

[MrWolf]

Interesting thanks.

[cobia]

I wonder how many other folks find the similar results? Impressive results there!

[high standard 40]

I have found that, at least in the firearms I've worked with, a bore rider nose properly seated gave the best accuracy.

[405grain]

I concur about the accuracy potential of the 311284. My mold casts a little fat. Powder coated and sized to .312 I've used this boolit in my 7.65x53. (a sporter based on a 1908 Brazilian Mauser with a 1909 Argentine barrel). I only finished the rifle a few months ago and haven't had time to fully explore it's potential, but with the 311284 it consistently shoots one hole groups at 50 yards, and (because of my lack of shooting skills) has shot 1.5" groups at 100 yards. This boolit has the potential to shoot a 1" group, all I need to do is get my act together. I'm not just impressed with this boolit, I'm astonished by it. I never thought that I'd be able to shoot a cast boolit that did better than 2" at 100 yards.

[wmitty]

B.A.W.

Can you tell us the diameter of the bore rider portion of your boolit as cast and the powder coated diameter; also the bore diameter of the rifle they are being fired in? Does the boolit shoot better with powder coat rather than traditional lubricants?

[charlie b]

I also like a bore rider design, but, I also have a non-bore riding design that shoots just as well in my .308 Savage. From research both types can be very accurate. Just look at the variety of bullets used in the CBA benchrest competitions.

The one I shoot the most is the Acc31-210E, a copy of the Eagan Mk3 at 210gn and a bore rider. But, the NOE 310-165 XCB will shoot with it out to 500yd (my max range so far). 1 1/2MOA consistently from both with many groups under 1MOA.

I ordered the 210E specifically so it could be fired with PC or with regular lube. I use Lyman #2 alloy. Cast then seat GC and size to .309, then nose size. If I am using lube, then they are ready to load. If I am using PC then I nose size to .299. Then I coat them and size again. This time the driving bands are sized to .310 again but the nose is sized to .302 (yes, the coating adds about .003" in dia). This gives me an interference fit in the barrel. I seat them so the driving bands engage the rifling. Not for hunting. Once chambered it is VERY difficult to extract the bullet. For reference my rifle's dimensions in the throat are .309 groove and .302 bore.

The XCB is not a bore rider. It also seats very deep in the case due to the PC. It is seated such that the bullet just engages the rifling.

FWIW, I have fired the Eagan and the Lee 180gn both lubed and PC. Not any difference I can find in the accuracy, as long as the nose portion is sized to fit the bore. I've also fired the RCBS 165SIL and Lyman 311299 with conventional lube. Very accurate in my rifle. The Lyman I used was also a very tight fit in the bore.

[gwpercle]

Going through my many bullet moulds in preparation for casting over winter. I have almost 120 moulds, but somehow very few that have given consistant accuracy over many years. Many of the molds that I have are discontinued and thus not available to today's caster.

The best designs feature a bore riding nose with the bullet seated to just touch the lands. Lymans 311284 a 210gn style with a large bore riding nose has achieved the smallest 10 shot group ever! The same manufacturer scaled down the same style to suit the 270cal (280432) and again the bore riding nose align the bullet in the bore ready for firing.



Lyman's 30 cal 311284 Lyman design for the 270Cal

I have a question concerning "The Very Best Cast Boolit Design" ...

I've had a 1903-A3 Springfield 30-06 with a 2-groove barrel since 1967 , want to shoot boolits just for targets / fun ... that 2-groove barrel has always confounded me on which design to use .
NRA Cast Bullet Manual recommended Lyman #311334 a 190 gr. GC ...the design is supposed to be proper for the 2 groove bbl ... but it is now discontinued .
Can you suggest a mould # Lyman (or better yet NOE ) currently makes .
I have a Lee C309-170-F for my 30-30 but it probably isn't that great for 2 groove bbl .
Lyman still catalogs a #311332 180 gr. GC boolit but I can't tell if that is the same design as #311334 but just weighing 180 gr. instead of 190 gr.
The 180 gr. boolit weight would be just fine ...
Or what would you recommend ?
Gary

[charlie b]

Your Lee bullet, if the correct dia, would probably do fine in your 03. I'd slug the throat to see what the groove dia is and then size to that, or maybe .001 bigger.

[gwpercle]

Your Lee bullet, if the correct dia, would probably do fine in your 03. I'd slug the throat to see what the groove dia is and then size to that, or maybe .001 bigger.

Thanks Charlie !
I have tried it with 10 grs. Unique at 50 yards , so-so groups but the new Lyman Manual shows 12.0 grs Unique as a starting load (1508 fps) I'm going to try 12.0 grs and ... maybe my charge is lacking .
Gary

[charlie b]

10gn was probably a bad vel range.

These guys (link below) show that as around 1300fps and they did not get good groups at that level either.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

[Manns50]

Sweet!