Keep em' or back in the pot ? ?
- Thread starter Ben
- Start date
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
I am a VERY CRITICAL examiner of my castings. If they aren't eyeball-perfect, back they go. I don't let gas checks "Cover a power of sins", either (to paraphrase Mark Twain). If they aren't right, then otra vez.
I have yet to venture into the 30 caliber plain-based realm. I have played in 25, 31, 36, 38, 44, and 45 caliber rifles with plain-based castings, with fair success and considerable enjoyment. 1050-1350 FPS has been the usual velocity range for me, the trans-sonic buffeting occurs but it is variable and somewhat unpredictable. Shorter, lighter flatnoses are less-affected than are longer, heavier ones IME. The 38/55, 44/40, and 45/70 have done extremely well with slugs started at 1100 FPS.
I have yet to venture into the 30 caliber plain-based realm. I have played in 25, 31, 36, 38, 44, and 45 caliber rifles with plain-based castings, with fair success and considerable enjoyment. 1050-1350 FPS has been the usual velocity range for me, the trans-sonic buffeting occurs but it is variable and somewhat unpredictable. Shorter, lighter flatnoses are less-affected than are longer, heavier ones IME. The 38/55, 44/40, and 45/70 have done extremely well with slugs started at 1100 FPS.
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Rockydoc
Well-Known Member
Ben, show us how to do that, please. I get a lot of rounded bases.
I don't ladle cast. The wrists just won't take it.
A light, and I mean LIGHT, cut with a fine file across upper inside edge of mould blocks. A single light pass is often enough. Just break that sharp corner to create a vent line for air to escape.
Cut too much and finning can occur.
You can cut more off but you can never add any back.
Cut too much and finning can occur.
You can cut more off but you can never add any back.
I use one of those small DMT diamond sharpening stones at roughly 45deg's to add that bevel at the top inside edge of the mold blocks. High magnification and a light touch is all that's necessary. You can see the depth of the regular vent lines and try to imitate them.
I'd done this on a few of my molds and got one of Tom's molds that had it done already. Glad to see I hadn't overdone it.
I'd done this on a few of my molds and got one of Tom's molds that had it done already. Glad to see I hadn't overdone it.
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Matt
Active Member
Thank you to Ben and everyone else sharing information about plain base rifle bullets. I’ve been trying to develop a cheap plain base load that would shoot in all my .30/06 rifles that I could load in mixed brass, bullet trap lead, any primer, and get 2 moa or less to 100 yards and hit my 6” plate at 200 yards. I wanted a load for ,30/06 that is equivalent to the .38 Special 148 WC/2.7 gr Bulleye load. I’ll stop trying now because 8 grains of Red Dot with the .308241 sized to .311 with Ben’s Red works the best and for the most part meets my needs. I was hoping for a little more velocity and being able to tumble lube only. Neither has seemed to work, tumble lubing alone has been a disaster, lead build up just ahead of the throat blowing up groups to 8-12 inches at 50 yards in 10 to 20 shots. The square flat base and completely filled bullets seem to be key. I’ve compared my single cavity Ideal 308241 with my Ideal 308241 gang mold and accuracy is the same as long as any imperfect bullet is sorted out.
Matt,
Everyone's mileage with a particular bullet style may and will differ.
I've owned 3 different 311241 RN plain base moulds in the past 30 years.
Compared with some of my other plain base .30 cal. designs, I found
the 241's to be only mediocre in the accuracy dept.
Now, I don't even own a 241.
What is interesting about this ' crazy game '
is yours may work just fine for you.
Ben
Everyone's mileage with a particular bullet style may and will differ.
I've owned 3 different 311241 RN plain base moulds in the past 30 years.
Compared with some of my other plain base .30 cal. designs, I found
the 241's to be only mediocre in the accuracy dept.
Now, I don't even own a 241.
What is interesting about this ' crazy game '
is yours may work just fine for you.
Ben
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Joshua
Taco Aficionado/Salish Sea Pirate/Part-Time Dragon
Interesting. I picked up a two cavity 308241 a few months ago, over on the other site. I have a batch sized to .311” and double coated in 45/45/10. I was gonna try 8.5 grains of Herco to start with. We will see how they do when I get a chance to get back out in the woods.
Josh
Josh
The Accurate ( 31 - 175 BP ) , it is a clone of the SAECO # 315.
A great plain base .30 cal. cast bullet.
I've shot the bullet in the 30-30, 308 Win, and the 30-06.
It is a nail driver in all three.
trapper9260
Active Member
For me I do bottom pour and ladle and I get my bullets like I want ,if there is any round edges I put back in the pot. I get sharp edges doing it both ways. I found it is easy to ladle with a large ladle for casting because of the force of the pour fill the mold better and when you do like 6 cavity mold you and fill them better . I do PB in hand gun and now looking to do it for 30 cal and been keeping track of the post on it that way I do not need to depend on GC all the time. also from what I see with a sharp base on PB that you get a better seal on the base for pressure. I do find it interesting for size to .311. I normal size to .310. Got me thinking on this now.
fiver
Well-Known Member
well there is a whole section just for the low speed plain base shooting on this site because? well because,, plain base old school shooting is some different than the gas check mid speed shooting.
the pressure rise of the powder is a bigger deal than most think it is, and the faster powders have a faster pressure rise so a bit more diameter to combat that would sure make sense.
powder coat usually wants something different and shooting up past the normal 1900 fps range is once again going to need a different technique and probably diameter.
the neck tension also is something to look at.
it almost always boils down to when/where the bullet is when the highest pressure occurs.
the pressure rise of the powder is a bigger deal than most think it is, and the faster powders have a faster pressure rise so a bit more diameter to combat that would sure make sense.
powder coat usually wants something different and shooting up past the normal 1900 fps range is once again going to need a different technique and probably diameter.
the neck tension also is something to look at.
it almost always boils down to when/where the bullet is when the highest pressure occurs.