788 rem. .308

[waco]

i have a lee 168gr rn gas check mold
anyone here have this rifle?
TACKDRIVER with hor. sp bullets and varget
i want a good load with cast @ around 1600-1800fps
got the gun about 7 years ago for $300 from local gun shop
glass bedded action, 2lb trigger, and sako extractor.......NICE FIND!
have not played with cast boolits much yet.
powders on hand that may work are
imr4227
imr4198
h4895
imr3031
unique
titegroup
varget???
any help would be much loved!
thanks again brothers!
waco

[Leftoverdj]

I'm going to assume you have the Lee C309-160-RN and it's casting a little heavy because you are using WW for alloy. 22 grains of IMR 4198 would be the place to start. Size at least .309 and use a decent soft lube.

[RugerFan]

I have the same rifle and have had great success using a Lyman 311291 (sized to .311) and IMR 3031. I don't have the data in front of me, but IIRC the charge was 30.0 grains with velocity about 2000 fps.

[shotman]

I think .311 will drive pressure up too high. I use the 413 sized at 308 and it does a good job at 100yds. they made 3 different barrels so you may have to play with it mine is the 22in

[waco]

boolits are cast from 100% lino
redrooster HVR will be the lube..........its what i have on hand........
by the way.........does anyone here sell lube for a decent price?
i prefer the hard lube.........just a thought...............waco

[Echo]

Contrary to what some scribes write, straight lino is not a good alloy for casting boolits. Way too hard - the boolit will sometime actually break if dropped, and a thread somewhere on this forum shows a boolit that broke off just below the neck of the case.
Mix your lino 1/1 or up to 2/1 WW/Lino. This will provide a tougher boolit that still has enogh tin to fill out nicely, and be hard enough to handle any reasonable velocity.

[Vly]

My daughter and I were out this afternoon shooting this 788. This is the carbine version in 308W. I picked it up on consignment in 2000, with the scope, for $225. This rifle is an excellent cast boolit shooter. It shoots alot of different loads well, but today we got excellent accuracy using the RCBS 180gr SP cast of wheelweights, Felix lube, and 30 grs of Varget.

[Larry Gibson]

waco

Very nice rifles and quite accurate too. I've had several over the years and currently have a .308W also. Suggest next time you cast mix the linotype 60/40 with lead. As mentioned a bit of a softer alloy does, most often, make for better cast bullets especially at the 1600-1800 fps range you mention. BTW; that is the best range for the best accuracy. I also suggest you use the 4227 and 4198 powders. These are the right burning rate, will ignite consistently and give good consistent shot to shot velocities with the weight of cast bullet you are using at the velocities you want. The 4895 and 3031 are good if you want to be closer to 1800 fps. Use a 1/2 gr dacron filler with all the above powders as it will increase the consistency of ignition and hence accuracy also. Nice rifle and sounds like someone did some decent work on it. Let us know how you do.

Larry Gibson

[HangFireW8]

i have a lee 168gr rn gas check mold
anyone here have this rifle?

I used to have one. After a bolt handle replacement, glass bed, barrel set back 1/5 turn to min headspace, and a pachmayr decelerator, it would shoot one inch groups all day.

I had a failure to fire hunting a lost a buck to it. Cartridge had a tiny, tiny dimple where the firing pin was supposed to have struck. Next cartridge fired fine, but it was too late.

It checked out OK after that, but I could never trust it again, eventually sold it off. Missed it until I bought a Kimber 84M in 308Win.

-HF

[waco]

thanks for the input larry
ill let ya know how it works!
waco

[Hipshot]

Hey Vly,
Are you from the area of the VLY near Livingstonville and Franklinton off Rt. 145 N/O Durham ? I use to hunt in E. Durham and did a little duck hunting in the Vly.

Hipshot