8x56R shows potential

[fatelk]

I've had my Steyr M95 for a decade or so now, and last year I got the idea to cast for it. I bought Lee dies and the Lee .329 mold. I was hoping to find a good plinking load that didn't beat me up or require gas checks. My first attempt was an abject failure; complete lack of accuracy and massive leading.

I took some time, learned a lot here, slugged my bore, lapped and beagled my mold. Today I had a measure of success. 10 grains of Unique behind a water-dropped ww/soft .332" boolit gives a load at 1150fps that shows decent potential. 10gr leaves a nice shiny, lead-free bore. At about 12gr the lead really starts to show up, so if I were to need higher velocity I'd have to find some gas checks, but all I want is a plinking load. At 50 yards I was getting some interesting groups, typically three rounds under an inch, then a flier another inch or so out.

I like it when things work OK. I got my M1 shooting under 2"/100yds (FMJ, not cast), and the 10/22 grouping at just over 1"/100yds, so it was a pretty good day.

[herbert buckland]

Try 10 to 11 1/2 gr trail boss with the same boolit,i got very good results

[dualsport]

A good day for sure!

[Bret4207]

Hunt around for some GC. I think the Lee 329 design uses 8mm, easy obtainable. I have an NEI design that uses 33's, a bit harder to find.

[wrcook]

I had some pretty good results with 16 grains of 2400, but I was using linotype for boolet, and got leading. But it grouped OK. I have got some ww cast up and I will try those.

[budman46]

fatelk,

i use a lee 8x56 design "beagled" to deliver castings @ .331', gas-checked and loaded with 20 grains of alliant 2400.

no leading, very good, rested accuracy at 100 yds producing 1800 fps (chrono'd) velocity. the "standard" load of 16 grains of 2400 wasn't enough to properly obturate the cases; i got significant blow-back.

budman

[Freightman]

Put some paper around it to get the boolits large enough.