NOE , 30 cal., 188 gr, FN Plain Base

[Ben]

Four people gave me ideas on this bullet when Al first started his web forum site to do custom moulds. I started off with the K31 design. Larry suggested the 2 shallow lube groves as they were working really well with the xb design. Then Five and Ian with the 308 seat angle and length for the 308 win to keep the check in the neck. Then I wanted around 190gr so that was what I came up with for length.

So there is the whole history for this design. I asked a lot of ?'s outside of the normal open forums. The whole idea was a plinking bullet. Al named it "Hunter" I don't know where he came up with that???

But if Ben gives it a glowing review! I can take that as a Heck YES! Ben has always been one of the ones I have looked to when it came to what I want my 30 cal guns to shoot like.

I talked to Ed Harris the other day. He has one of my other designs for one of his Mosins. I am waiting to hear how it works for him. He ordered it as a plain base too.

Kind words.......I hope I'm worthy of 2% of those words.

Many Thanks,
Ben

 

[Creeker]

2%?? Ben you are the tin in the mix that makes things work.

 

[Ben]

You guys know exactly how to make an old man feel good................

Ben

 

[Rally Hess]

Is anyone pushing this bullet over 2000 FPS?

 

[Ben]

Not me.......

Ben

 

[Tomme boy]

I was. But i got rid of my 30 cal rifles. It shoots well up to about 2200 in my 10 twist 308 win. Then you need to be really critical on everything you do in the casting and sorting and sizing and the alloy and lube and............................................. Well you get the hint.

I made this to shoot at MOA at 2200fps or so. It will do it. But you have to do your part.

 

[Tomme boy]

I was looking on NOE site and seen he changed the name of the mold. It is listed as 311-190 fn now

 

[Ben]

Yes, looks like it gains weight like me.

 

[fiver]

190grs at 2200 that's about all the 303 savage and 30-40 Krag were capable of with copper wrappers.
I don't think the 30-30 could even get close to that, and your within 200 fps or so of the 30-06 with 200's.
your stroking the 308 up pretty good at 2200 and a 190.
a 165-170 at 2500 is about as far as I want to go with either type of bullet in the 308, adding another 20grs of bullet weight and starting to look for 23-2400 is probably more recoil than I wanna deal with.

 

[Rally]

I was using it in a .30-06 and 2200 was looking like buckshot patterns was why I was asking. At 1800 - 1900 it wasn't bad, but I'm getting 1850 out of my .30 -30 with the 165 RD and was hoping to get 2200 out of the 06. My mould is the GC version. Tried 50/50 on the soft end to WW with up to 30% mono, and .309 -.311. The rifle shoots the RD and the 315 well, just couldn't find what this rifle liked with the 188.

 

[35 shooter]

Rally,

Ben sent me some of the Noe 188 Hunters to try some time back in my .308 with a 12 twist bbl.
I used imr 4350 powder and only chronoed my first load with it . It was running right at 2140 FPS. And shooting under 1.3” @ 108 yds.

The most accurate load was 1 more gr. of 4350. I only shot that load one time before running out of the hunter bullets and it was only a 4 shot group, but it banged into a .898” at the same distance. Although not chronoed, i usually get 50 FPS. per gr. with 4350 till I near top end loads, so i’m guessing 2180 to 2190 FPS. on that one.
Groups opened up after that with several more hotter loads.
I eventually found five of those bullets I had over looked after thinking I had shot them all and tried that most accurate load again and it kept all 5 under an inch again@ 100 yds.

I still haven’t bought that mould, but need to get off my duff and get it. My Mauser really feeds that one slick.

Btw, every bullet Ben sent looked just like the ones in his pictures.... he really molds some fine bullets!!

 

[fiver]

I was going to suggest some slower powders and some oal changes for the 0-6.
it has a different throat shape than the 308 so responds differently to various changes.
in the 308 this bullet probably does quite well snuggled up to the ball seat area with some nose engraving.
the 0-6 might just settle in with a decent amount of jump but with a slow enough push to allow it to find it's way before the pressure hits and tries to mess everything up.

 

[35 shooter]

Yeah, I was engraved about 1/8” in my .308. Definitely fits the .308 well.

 

[Rally]

I was using imr 4350 and trying to get as much oal as i could. Magazine allowed for fairly long oal, and still functioned well. I just gave up trying to get this rifle to shoot it. Al seduced me with a sale and i got the 195 Fp. The fifle seems to like it. May use it this coming deer season.

 

[35 shooter]

Glad you found one it likes! I like the looks of that one too.