ARSENAL 311-170 RF

[STIHL]

So I bought my first Arsenal mold a few weeks back for my 30-06 project. I’ve been wanting one for a while and finally purchased one. I ran it tonight for the first time, and we did not get off to a good start. It was all my fault, somehow I forgot to clean the mold with dishwashing liquid. I literally took it out of the box and sat it on my desk in the shop, pulled the mount screws out of my NOE and put them in and took it to the hot plate. The mold didn’t have the handle screws and I haven’t had time to call them about it. Anyway. I ran almost a full 20 lb pot through it and only got about 50-75 that I kept and probably 25-50 of those are culls. Took it and let it cool off while I ran another mold( that’s a whole nother story). After I finished with that (other mold) I reloaded the pot with a full load, and while it was getting up to temp went back in the shop and gave the mold a bath in dawn dish soap, toweled it off and back to the hot plate. Cleaned the dross off and fluxed my melt while it was drying and coming up to temp. I grabbed the mold (about halfway up to temp) and made about 10-15 pours and that thing fell in line and started dropping some of the finest boolits I believe I have ever cast. They came out really nice at 11-12 BHN water dropped(with some unknown alloy), .3105 on the thin band above the check and .311 on the first full band, and 169-170 grains. Took a couple over to my Check box and the checks, both hornady and sage copper slide right on. Weight after putting check on is 173-174gr. I ended up with 8lbs or 325 pieces by weight on the second run. Ran a whole pot of alloy with it.

Needless to say I am very happy with the mold and will purchase more of their molds in the future. You truly don’t know what your missing until you have a very nice mold of this quality.

One thing I did learn, ALWAYS WASH YOUR MOLDS BEFORE USE!!! (Laughing at myself on that one) Also as a side note, I don’t water drop these necessarily to harden them as much as I do to protect the boolit from damage when dropping out of the mold.

I really like this design and I have high hopes that this might me the hunting boolit of choice in my 06. I hope it performs as good as it looks.

Thanks for taking the time to read my small novel.

 

[Jeff H]

That's a good-lookin' bullet!

I have several Arsenal moulds and have been very pleased with them. They ship rather quickly and you can specify your diameter.

 

[obssd1958]

Looks pretty close to the 311041. Great bullet in the 30-30!

 

[Spindrift]

Nice bullets!
I have several moulds from Arsenal, and I like them alot.
That bullet should work well in your.30-06!

 

[Reloader762]

I've had the same mold for a couple of years now, originally bought it for my 06, but the nose is too fat, and it wants chamber, so it found a home in my Sav. 99 in 300 Sav. I purchased the 4 cavity 50/50 version with two gas check and two plain base bullets, it's a great shooting bullet. Good luck with the 06.

 

[STIHL]

I really like that plain base design too, almost went the route you did and ordered a 50-50, but decided if I wanted to try it, if just buy another mould. That’s some fine groups too, @Reloader762

I really hope it chambers in my 06, Going to make a dummy round today if I can.

 

[Glaciers]

I really like Arsenal molds, and as Jeff H pointed out you can specify diameter desired. I have as it turns out 8 Arsenal molds, but only one is of 30 caliber the 311 176 LFN. Now looking on Arsenal’s site it looks like it’s the 311 175 now. I ordered this mold as it has a stepped down nose to .3005 as it turns out, which is still going to be tight in the Winchester 94. I ordered this mold as drawn. It’s in line for testing this summer. I’ve gotten distracted by half a dozen other molds in 30 cal, so the old saying, so many molds so little time applies here.
But, I have ordered a 45 370 that I had Jared cut to .459 for my 458x2 and a 45 230 that Jared brought out to.459 for a light weight 45-70 plinker.
Also 225 47FN Bowman, 22 Cal 36 grain slick sided both as drawn for my Hornet. And a 44-180 RF light weight for my 44 Spl. These are waiting for breakup for further testing.
I ordered a 70 and 85 grain for my 25-20 before I realized how difficult it is to find brass which I have since acquired some brass but more would make me feel better.
But I have been very pleased with the quality of these molds, all drop as drawn in diameter and weight. I have cast with all of them but only done some testing with the 2 - 22 cal and the 2 - 45 so far.

Edit: the 311 175 is a 5 cavity ordered with 2 gas check and 3 plain base.
No extra charge for 2 different designs.

 

[Reloader762]

I really like that plain base design too, almost went the route you did and ordered a 50-50, but decided if I wanted to try it, if just buy another mould. That’s some fine groups too, @Reloader762

I really hope it chambers in my 06, Going to make a dummy round today if I can.

If you keep the velocity in the 1300 fps. range or lower you can get good accuracy with a gas check design with the check left off. I shoot a lot of the Lee 309" 170 gr. FN bullets in my 30-30 with the check left off with 6.5 to 8.5 grs. of Red Dot.

 

[fiver]

you guys know Arsenal made a ton of NOE's molds when they were first getting started and cut's the cherry's for them.

 

[Glaciers]

I believe Al used to work for Jared along while back. I asked Al about Jared a few years ago and he basically said that he doesn’t talk about it. I didn’t ask again. I could be wrong but seems like there’s some bad blood there.

 

[Jeff H]

you guys know Arsenal made a ton of NOE's molds when they were first getting started and cut's the cherry's for them.

I've sensed that they were not chummy pals, but both have done right by me. I believe I have an equal number of their moulds.

I thought these were cut on a lathe - no cherries. Or, were the cherries from their early days?

 

[fiver]

even in a CNC machine bullet molds are cut with a cherry.
you wouldn't recognize it as such, and you better not put it in the wrong box.
they look a lot like a crunchy cheeto with burr marks on the edge.

to cut a mold on a traditional lathe without a cherry, would be a labor of love for sure.
you'd need the holes drilled the diameter of the gas check and lube groove depth, then the nose cut with a D-reamer, followed by a set of J cutters to cut the drive bands, and a last one to cut the crimp groove.
the mold is likely to be line bored on a lathe or a mill and then switched over for the actual shape cutting.
the traditional way is to make the holes on center then spin the cherry while slowly closing the mold halves around it.

on a CNC a hole is drilled then the whole thing is oscillated out into the bullets shape and diameter.
the mold moves over and the process is repeated as many times as it's programmed to cut.
you can cut 6 cavity's, the holes for everything, tap what needs tapped and take the chunk of metal back out in about 20-25 minutes.
the blocks are squared, milled for handles, and fly cut if necessary before going in.

 

[STIHL]

That is very interesting, on how they make the moulds always wondered what the process was. Makes a lot of sense.

@Glaciers you bring an interesting point up with the so many molds so little time. I’m in that boat as well.


After I got all my stuff together to leave in the morning I went and powder coated about 80 pcs. Fiddled around and got a dummy round set up with a .311, no go. I forced it into the throat and the throat measures .310. Decided to try a .310 sized one and voilà. It will chamber albeit very snug. So I will be trying some of these soon, with a stout charge of H4895 behind them.

@Reloader762 good to know about leaving the checks off. I also have that Lee mould. It casts nice for me too, also have a pile of them coated and aged. I like that bullet enough I may eventually need to have Tom cut me one.

 

[Billy G]

If you keep the velocity in the 1300 fps. range or lower you can get good accuracy with a gas check design with the check left off. I shoot a lot of the Lee 309" 170 will chamber albeit very snug. So I will be trying some of these soon, with a stout charge of H4895 behind them.

@Reloader762 good to know about leaving the checks off. I also have that Lee mold. It casts nice for me too, also have a pile of them coated and aged. I like that bullet enough I may eventually need to have Tom cut me one.

There is a guy on EBAY selling that same bullet mold except it has a flat base made by Lee in a 6 cavity mold for $59.00. Calls it a Lee custom. He calls it a Lyman 311-041. It is NOT a Lyman 311-041 it IS a Lee 309-170 FN except it is a plain base. When I bought mine he was calling it a Lee 309-170 with a flat base. When it arrived it is stamped 31-041. IT is NOT. I have looked closely at both. I guess he thought it sounded better as a Lyman. He must have had Lee make a lot of them because he has sold many & still has a bunch.

 

[fiver]

the 041 has a different nose shape.
this one is more like a ranch dog nose on the 041 body.

 

[Billy G]

the 041 has a different nose shape.
this one is more like a ranch dog nose on the 041 body.

Yes it is. I have both & they are very similar . The nose on the Lee is A little smaller .