MP Perfection for the 308 and 8x57

[Josh]

In my quest for a good hunting and accuracy bullet for my 308, I decided to try the MP 31-180 Silhouette, now I've got to heat cycle them and start casting some of these for load development. If anyone has any good 308 loads with the 180 gr, let me know, I'll be happy to load some up. The 8mm and handles are just because shipping is the same price when you keep adding things to the order. Soon I'll post pics of cast bullets.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Good lookin Brass!!!

I have one 8mm mold. Big plans but havent used yet

Well I have bullets cast but havent shot any yet.

I have a 7.65 Arg 1909 and a (couple 8mm). I like large Dia better but tried the Argie. WOAH it loves the 311284 & RCBS 30-180fn SO MUCH I havent even taken the 8mm's out!!

 

[Josh]

Good lookin Brass!!!

I have one 8mm mold. Big plans but havent used yet

Well I have bullets cast but havent shot any yet.

I have a 7.65 Arg 1909 and a (couple 8mm). I like large Dia better but tried the Argie. WOAH it loves the 311284 & RCBS 30-180fn SO MUCH I havent even taken the 8mm's out!!

I've got a 1909 calvary carbine that needs some cast attention. Hopefully this 30 Silhouette will PC out big enough to use it in too

 

[JonB]

I have an early MP 30 Sil (solid) mold.
This probably won't help you, but the load I worked up for 30-06 is 28gr of Alcan 9450, which is a surplus powder from Gibrass and he likened it to SR4759.

 

[Josh]

I have an early MP 30 Sil (solid) mold.
This probably won't help you, but the load I worked up for 30-06 is 28gr of Alcan 9450, which is a surplus powder from Gibrass and he likened it to SR4759.

I think I have about 14 lb of that powder, I'll have to look

 

[popper]

IIRC I used 40 gr AR comp in my AR10 308W. Worked better than varget but H 4895 was close. 31-165C or 168 Amax.

 

[Ian]

 

[Josh]

View attachment 32660

This is what I'm looking for, this is nice, and 2400 fps. A load like this would keep me from loading jacketed.

 

[popper]

AR10 @ 200 yds. I pulled the one on the right. Nikon BDC scope, center 3rd ring on target best you can.

 

[Ian]

This is what I'm looking for, this is nice, and 2400 fps. A load like this would keep me from loading jacketed.

That was from an 18" barrel/midlength gas system. I get more like 2600 from the 22" M1A and haven't chrono'd but I bet it's s little more than that from the Savage bolter with the 24" barrel. If using military brass, back of to 33 grains and work up, it gets hot fast, like cratering primers hot at 35.5 in PMJ '08. 36 in RP cases the way I set it up is over 50KPSI. Use a balanced alloy of equal tin and antimony (4 COWW/1 SOWW/2% tin gets me about 2.5/2.5 mix or "half #2) and make sure it makes at least 13 BHN aged out or it won't shoot for beans. Makes nice mushrooms and kills wild piggies with authority.

 

[Tomme boy]

I started 308 with that mold. I was one of the few that got 3 of the 4 cavities that were cut off center. Only one bullet would drop out the rest had to be picked or pride out. It was the first run that took 2.5 years to get. I did not get to work up a good load but I think I got to 36grs of varget and was shooting around an inch and a quarter.

 

[Ian]

I started 308 with that mold. I was one of the few that got 3 of the 4 cavities that were cut off center. Only one bullet would drop out the rest had to be picked or pride out. It was the first run that took 2.5 years to get. I did not get to work up a good load but I think I got to 36grs of varget and was shooting around an inch and a quarter.

Gas check shank was too big, too. I got a replacement, sold it because the gas check shank was still too big, gave away the defective one to a friend who wanted to try it and they were unobtainium otherwise. The ones made after that group buy have the gas check shank problem fixed.

 

[Tomme boy]

I was so mad after that mold it took me almost 6 years before I bought another MP

 

[Snakeoil]

In my quest for a good hunting and accuracy bullet for my 308, I decided to try the MP 31-180 Silhouette, now I've got to heat cycle them and start casting some of these for load development. If anyone has any good 308 loads with the 180 gr, let me know, I'll be happy to load some up. The 8mm and handles are just because shipping is the same price when you keep adding things to the order. Soon I'll post pics of cast bullets.View attachment 32659

Keith was thinking out loud about what pins to use for his round ball molds. Looking at these, I'd say that these would be excellent. Simple machining of the nose portion while leaving the barstock diameter as-is for the press fit. Female pins a simply drill and chamfer process. This design also screams for hardened pins since the mold blocks are protected from damage. Make the pins from drill rod and then batch harden them. There might even be a business selling the pins to other mold makers.

 

[Snakeoil]

AR10 @ 200 yds. I pulled the one on the right. Nikon BDC scope, center 3rd ring on target best you can.

View attachment 32661

Judging by the dents in the target, assume this is jacketed ammo, yes?

 

[Ian]

Judging by the dents in the target, assume this is jacketed ammo, yes?

Monolithic wheelweight-alloy bullets beat the tar out of abrasion-resistant steel, worse than thinner, sporting jacketed bullets at equal velocity because the material of the cast bullet is actually harder than commercial bullet cores.

 

[Josh]

Well, it likes to be just a little sticky, the square lube groove does that, it would tell me when I was a bit warm because I would pop a base off in the mould. I started hotter than normal due to it being a HP design and that was actually too hot.

Once I found the sweet spot, I cast about 10 lb, from that I pulled this sample of 10. These were random and not cherry picked. I think it's a keeper, now to PC some and lube some and see what happens.

 

[Ian]

Look in the HP hole with a flashlight and cull any that have a void bubble in the bottom. #2, 5, and 8 have voids in the lube groove, poke at the little dimple with a dental pick and see if they open up. Powder coating will usually show the lube groove voids clearly. You did pretty good there but that mould has some bad habits you have to watch for. My #1 cull is rounded driving bands on either edge of the lube groove, just on one side, #2 is the aforementioned void, and lastly a big void at the HP base due to the pins getting just the slightest bit cool....usually while trying to shuck a stuck bullet.

 

[richhodg66]

I have an early MP 30 Sil (solid) mold.
This probably won't help you, but the load I worked up for 30-06 is 28gr of Alcan 9450, which is a surplus powder from Gibrass and he likened it to SR4759.

Is this powder reaĺly like SR4759? Is it still available?

 

[fiver]

that square cut base band does cause some problems.
surprised it didn't have a bit more draft angle added in at some point.