Lee, .30 cal., 6 cavity

[Ben]

I have a single cav. mould for this particular bullet, but it is hard to keep up with the volume that I need to keep my grandson in .30 cal. bullets with a single cav. mould.

A few days ago, I ordered this one, it arrived yesterday.
Now we're talking " VOLUME ! ! ! "

Ben

 

[462]

So, Ben, are you going to remove the gas check shank?

 

[Ian]

Holy cow, when did they start making those? Now if they'd start producing the 309-230-5R in a six....

 

[Ben]

So, Ben, are you going to remove the gas check shank?

NO

 

[Ben]

Holy cow, when did they start making those?

Ian,

I really don't know ?
I was browsing through MidWay's .30 cal. moulds and saw this one :

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...2-diameter-155-grain-2-ogive-radius-gas-check

I thought....." UUuuumm, I better grab this puppy."

Ben

 

[RBHarter]

I think that and several more showed up shortly after the "new" singles and doubles . Probably 2-3 yr .

 

[Ben]

I finally got around to casting with the Lee .30 cal., 6 cavity.
I did all my " Lee Menting " ( as is usual ) to the mould. I drill and tapped for a pair of 6mm side lock screws so I could get the exact amount of pressure that I want on the sprue plate. If you run a Lee sprue plate too tight and dry, you'll mangle the tops of the blocks. The underside of the sprue plate gets a SUPER THIN film of 2 cycle oil. Most of that oil is rubbed off and we are ready to cast.

This mould is a joy to use.
Cast nice and round at .3120"
My AL g/cs fit nice and tight.
Doesn't take long to get a pretty good pile of bullets with this mould.
The nose runs " fat " .305 ". Your 1st thoughts are, with a nose that big , it won't shoot in a standard .30 cal. barrel. Well, I thought that also. Catch is........15 yrs. ago, I read of people shooting this one in the 06' and 308 Win. They said it was a wonderfully accurate bullet, so I tried it. Obviously it shot well, that is why I bought this 6 cavity mould.

I have a Custom Hvy. Barrel , A & B, F-54 contour , stainless fluted , VZ 24 Mauser bench rifle chambered in .308 Win. that really likes the Lee 155 gr. , CE Harris bullet sized .310 , with 17.5 grs. of 2400 and a Fed 210 primer. The bullet is seated into the lands so that light engraving occurs upon chambering . This group was fired at 50 yards 5 shots with a .22 rim fire case in the photo for size comparison purposes :

 

[Ben]

Here they are lubed and sized .310" :

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Nice!
I shoot that bullet quite a bit and always get good results.
I never hot rod it but keep it in the mid range.
I have a load for my 7.62x39 ruger ranch rifle that’s minute of dime at 75yrds with Alliant 2400 powder.
The scope I have on the gun limits my range a bit. It has a dot where the two lines cross and is very hard to shoot tight groups with.
My range of 75 yards makes the dot fits the ring of my target perfect so for now that is all I shoot at.
I am currently searching for another option for a scope for it.

 

[Ben]

What is that old saying......" If you can't see it, you can't hit it. " ? ?

I have several rifles that have Leupold 1X - 4X scopes on them, they can kill deer way on out. Hitting a tiny nickle sized aiming dot at 100 yards, NO.

Ben

 

[Spindrift]

I have also recently aquired one of those molds. I pan lubed a bunch pf them with simple lube, and gave them a top coat of tumble lube today. I plan on testing them in .308 and 30-06 with n-110, probably this weekend.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

So true Ben so true.
Oh and on a side note I just apply 3 light coats of BLL nothing in the groove and the bore when I am done shooting the bore is mirror shiny and clean!
They are gas checked with aluminum checks from Josh when he was selling them.

 

[Ben]

I wish I'd had access to BLL 30 years ago ! !

Ben

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Your efforts there to discover, test, and share are most appreciated myself and countless other people.
Ben you are a truly selfless man that has helped the cast bullet shooters out immensely!!
Each person on this board adds there own take and knowledge I cannot add much usually but read daily and glean tons of info!
Thanks a bunch guys each and every one of you!!

 

[Ben]

I gladly offer what little I have............

Many thanks,
Ben

 

[fiver]

I have a scope with the dot in a fine wire cross hair configuration too.
except one afternoon I looked in there with my reading glasses on done a little knob twisting and seen that the dot was set not in the middle of the crosshairs... but right on the edge of them, on the right hand side.
I could use the left edge of the dot to eclipse half the dot on the target with the crosshair lines as a bisect line on the big T I drew outside the dot.
it makes me actually focus harder on a single point in the scope.

 

[35 shooter]

I’ve never cast with a 6 banger. I need to try at least one just to say i’ve been there done that lol.
Plus it puts out a lot of bullets in one drop!

 

[Bret4207]

I’ve never cast with a 6 banger. I need to try at least one just to say i’ve been there done that lol.
Plus it puts out a lot of bullets in one drop!

I've found they take a couple heating cooling sessions to "straighten up and fly right", but after that they work very well. Leementing is usually req'd, but that's not hard and keeping after the lube on them is important, but again, not hard. Good moulds for the price.

 

[RBHarter]

I just NOE prep them now .
I must have gotten the good ones . I don't think I've I've had a more than one bump hanger in a 6C .

 

[Spindrift]

Tried this bullet today, for the first time. Set up a ladder with N 110 im .308, from 16-20grs. COL set to light jam fit (I usually start there). Best load was 18grs. Shot from prone, 100m, support on bag. CCI lrp, norma brass, pan lubed with simple lube + topcoat tumble lube. BHN 18.
This is approximately 1,5 MOA 5 shot group. Nothing spectacular, maybe, but not bad, for starters.
Next, I will try
1) seating the bullet deeper (gaining bullet grip, allowing jump)
2) light factory crimp (improve interior ballistics? Bullet grip is sketchy with current COL)