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Thread: Thirty Caliber Flat Points

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    Thirty Caliber Flat Points

    I've been casting and measuring my various .30 molds for a hunting load in a 7.62x51 bolt action with .303 bore and .310 groove. Fortuitously enough it has a ten inch twist for heavies, not that finding a mold for it in my fun box is working out.
    During this frustrated walk down memory lane it has occurred to me that an old 220 grain #311284 could be just jim dandy if the long bore riding portion was closer to .302 instead of .295. Then came that AH HA! moment when thinking about a properly sized .302 diameter band at the front. Oh, but what kind of nose profile for the nose plug?
    Why not a truly flat point for a really heavy thirty at all the FPS a 7.62x51 can produce?

    So I thought hey, ask the forum. Any of you fellas used a very heavy .30 caliber wadcutter?

  2. #2
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    Apart from feeding issues, it would most likely won't be very good for long range shots.

  3. #3
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    It would be a great hunting bullet though.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
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    A 200-220 grain bullet is going to hang a lot of exposed bullet shank in the powder chamber of your 7.62x51/.308 Win. That will not play nice with accuracy. Accurate molds makes some 165-180 grain bullets which will work better and he will give you the profile you want at no extra charge. I don't think you really want a full wadcutter.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    I have had very good luck with the 165 grain RCBS FP Silhouette GC bullet.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I haven't tried it in the 308 yet, but the RCBS 30-180-FN would give you the heavy weight slug that your looking for with a big meplat. I'm concerned that I might have to seat the boolit with the gas check below the neck in order to chamber the cartridge, and that's why I haven't tried it yet. But since people have loaded this boolit in the 7.62x39 and shot it with an SKS, it's obviously possible in a 7.62x51. The RCBS cast bullet handbook has loads for 308 Win with this boolit, but it doesn't specify over all length.

    The lyman cast bullet handbook doesn't list a load for 308 Win with the #311284. They show the #311299 as the heaviest bullet. I think this might be because so much of the #311284 would be below the neck in order to chamber that cartridge. Oddly, the #311284 (powder coated and sized .312") is very accurate in my 7.65x53, but that rifle has a mile of freebore so I don't have to seat the boolit below its tiny neck.

  7. #7
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    i use 165gr ranch dogs (173gr actually) sized .311" in my krag and that is last thing i will shoot. my 7.65 argie just luvs the lee 312-185-R rn gc and saeco 305 303 British 180gr fn gc sized at .314".

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I have used the RCBS 180 FN in 30-30, and was pleased with results. Have not used in 308W, but I will as soon as it cool again.

  9. #9
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    I use the RCBS 30-180-FN in both 30-06 and 308 with acceptable results for me. That is around 1.25-1.5 inches at 100 yards keeping the velocity around 1500 fps using either Promo or 2400.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    173 grain Ranch Dog in 308 does ok. In 30-06, it does better. No chronograph loads, ( I killed it with a 223), but they both shot good out to 250 yards. Not shooting for group, but just 8”x8” plate at the longer ranges. Good luck however you decide to go.
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    If it were me, I wouldn't go full wadcutter, but simply increase the radius of the nose significantly. For stability, you still want to have some narrowing at the front. Something like this: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...bullet=35-245P

    That's still a respectable meplat but it should feed and chamber a bit easier and fly better. That being said, if you don't care about reaching out very far, I'm sure the full WC would do the job. I love weird boolits, so I would love to hear about your experience if you try it.
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  12. #12
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    Over the years I've used numerous 30 cal cast bullets on deer from 105 gr SWCs up through the 311284 with a meplat filed on the nose. However, the one I've used most in 30-30, 308W, the 30-06, and a couple 31 cals is the Lyman 311041 pushed to 1950 t0 2300 fps depending on the barrel twist. Cast of a soft malleable alloy and HP'd 1/8" to a depth of 3/16" [mine weigh 178 gr] they give reasonable expansion with all the penetration needed (usually through and through) with proven excellent terminal performance on deer, bear and elk. I've a load that pushes them at 2500 fps out of my 14" twist 308W but have not shot any animals with it.
    Larry Gibson

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  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I've shot something similar, but never at an animal. I don't see any major problems, other than I don't believe a production mold exists that is perfect for what you need. This is definitely a job for Accurate molds. Don't go full wadcutter, but something like a .280" meplat works, although it may or may not feed. Being a bolt action, worst case is it is a single shot. There's no reason it has to reduce powder space either, it just needs a really long bore riding section. A 220 grain bullet has always been an available weight for 308, and there's no reason it wont work great here.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Larry: What do you use to HP the boolit? GF

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    there are great 170grn flat nose cast boolits out there..same mould with pin makes 151grn HPs which have a huge following here in NZ with subsonic users as it WILL expand and the price is cheap...
    Ive used a few of the 170grn in the 7.62x39mm ( yes I know its not supposed to use .308 pills but it worked fine) loaded them in 30/30 as well and they worked well. come to think of it there is some 200grn moulds for 303brit around too.... if you can access our "trademe" auction siite (huge NZ marketplace) have a look in hunting n fishing section in reloading and look at projectiles...you will see the cast ones I mean for sale in there. failing that I will try to copy photos.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy ElCheapo's Avatar
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    If you have a decent meplat there is no need to hollow point a 30 caliber hunting bullet, at least with the 30 WCF. I've gotten multiple deer now with the 311041, and last year took a buck with the 311008. Read about it here... https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...s-for-deer-too!

    I recommend PCing as this lowers the hardness of COWW's to 10 or 11 BHN, ensuring bullets hold together and penetrate. Straight water dropped COWW bullets will be brittle and can break up on heavy bone. I also take shoulder shots when I can. This puts the deer down instantly and ruins heart and or lungs, resulting in a quick death and minimal suffering. Good luck!

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    This one's fairly easy.

    The Accurate Molds 31-170H and 170H1 are blueprinted out for the .308's neck. Diameter adjustments are no problem for Tom when you order (those two are conventional lube groove designs).

    The NOE/Ranch Dog TL311-178RF was designed using the SAAMI .308 chamber as the guidebook, and is a tumble lube bullet ideal for applying the gas checks in a push-through sizer. . . and it fits the mag box. You could send that blueprint to Accurate with a request to puff out the diameters to where you need them.

    All three are very similar in profile with aggressive flat point. The Ranch Dog is my practice bullet for busting water bottles in my primary deer rifle. You can hear the meplat strike cardboard from 100 yards away, and it turns a gallon jug into a fog bank in a way that a round nose/pseudo-spitzer like the 311299 can not match.
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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigslug View Post
    This one's fairly easy.

    The Accurate Molds 31-170H and 170H1 are blueprinted out for the .308's neck. Diameter adjustments are no problem for Tom when you order (those two are conventional lube groove designs).

    The NOE/Ranch Dog TL311-178RF was designed using the SAAMI .308 chamber as the guidebook, and is a tumble lube bullet ideal for applying the gas checks in a push-through sizer. . . and it fits the mag box. You could send that blueprint to Accurate with a request to puff out the diameters to where you need them.

    All three are very similar in profile with aggressive flat point. The Ranch Dog is my practice bullet for busting water bottles in my primary deer rifle. You can hear the meplat strike cardboard from 100 yards away, and it turns a gallon jug inhttps://castboolits.gunloads.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=5436275to a fog bank in a way that a round nose/pseudo-spitzer like the 311299 can not match.

    my first doe i shot with a cast boolit was 93 yards away. it was a 30-40 krag and a 165gr ranch dog with h4198 going 1926fps. i can remember the BOO----THWAP---OM!!! that the RD did.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Gray Fox View Post
    Larry: What do you use to HP the boolit? GF
    I have two Lyman 311041s [2 cavity and a single cavity HP] and a GB Lee 6 cavity C314-041. The Lyman HP is a factory HP mould but after much testing for expansion of various alloys and testing on deer I shortened the HP stem so the HP is 3/16ths deep. I also use the 1/8" Forster HP tool to HP the other Lyman and Lee bullets 3/16" deep when needed. The Lee C314-041 when cast of malleable alloy and HP'd is particularly effective in my 31 cals.

    As ElCheapo mentions there "is no need" to HP the 311041. However, the fact remains that HP'd bullets that do expand reliably w/o losing the expansion petals transmit more energy to the animal, cause more "wound expansion" and, hence, kill quicker regardless of meplat size. As does ElCheapo, I also prefer a shot through the heat area which also takes out one or both front legs. With a softer malleable alloy that expands and holds together penetration is still almost always through and through. Thus, I prefer to use malleable HP'd cast bullets when hunting because over the years they have proven to be the most terminally effective.

    Again, let me say that I have killed a lot of varmints and game with non HP'd cast bullets having just a meplat. That includes numerous with the 311041 and other sililar 30/31 cal cast bullets. They do kill quite well. I just prefer the more effective expanding bullet. My choice, not everyone's and that's ok.
    Larry Gibson

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  20. #20
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    My only experiences with the 308 on game have been with the 311440. I killed a couple of antelope and some whitetails. I shot the 311284 on plates with a near case full of WC860 and 3 gr 4198 out of the 06, but ran out of sight adjustment at 400 + yards. I moved to the Saeco 315 bullet at 175 gr and believe it would be a killer on game if I needed it too.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check