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Thread: Good Mold for 30-30 Marlin micro grove???

  1. #11
    Wise
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    Probably my favorite bullet for the 30-30 is Lyman's #311291 designed way back in 1905. That bullet with a BHN hardness of 12 loaded to full power is not only accurate in a Marlin 336, but in two Winchester M94s, two Winchester M64s and a Winchester M54. With that bullet, I have killed 15 deer with no complaints from the deer. Another bullet that I tried was the RCBS #30-180-FN which casts a 190 gr. bullet in my alloy. Loaded to full power it duplicated the .303 Savage and thw two deer shot with that bullet also gave no complaints. In fact, I think it just might be a better killer based on the two deer I used it on.
    I have two Lyman #31141 molds (Current number is 311041 it Think) and a clone of that bullet by NEI. To date, I have not been able to get any of those bullet to group worth spit in any of my rifles. That does not mean it's a bad bullet, it's just I can't get it to shoot in my guns. Too many people have stated how good it shoots in their guns so the only way to find out is cast 'em and shoot 'em.
    I also have that Lee 170 gr. bullet and it shoots almost as good as the #311291. The best way to see if a bore riding bullet will shoot well BTW is to insert one nose first into the muzzle of the rifle. If there is any play or wiggle room at all, odds are it won't shoot well at all. You want a tight fit and I prefer that the bullet be slightly engraved by the rifling, especially in the Micro-groove barrels. I don't shoot the Winchesters much any more as my 7.5 decade old eyeballs are not up to the task of seeing the iron sights. The Marlin on the other hand will do a nice 1.5" group on average with my cast loads as long as I do my part.
    One thing I do know and that is the 30-30 and cast bullets were meant for each other.
    Paul B.
    POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS AN OXYMORON PROMULGATED BY MORONS.

  2. #12
    Wise
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    I forgot to add, I size my bullets to .310" for all 30 caliber cast bullet loads.
    Paul B.
    POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS AN OXYMORON PROMULGATED BY MORONS.

  3. #13
    GunLoad Trainee S.B.'s Avatar
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    Paul B, am I reading your post right? Lyman makes a mold for the 30/30 that weghs 291 grains? 311 is the diameter and 291 is the weight?
    Steve
    The Original Point and Click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

  4. #14
    Dogs Like Him versifier's Avatar
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    With Lyman/Ideal moulds, the first three numbers do tell you the approximate size, but the next three do not tell you the weight. 311291's weigh between 170 and 180gr depending upon the alloy (and to a certain degree the individual mould). It's one of my favorite all-around .30cal target bullets, very similar in profile to the Lee 180RN, and it's hard to find a rifle that doesn't shoot it well. Many have used it to hunt with, and a lot of deer have fallen to it over the years, but I personally much prefer designs with a good wide meplat for large game. IME they transfer more energy to the animal and seem to me to kill quicker. YMMV

    311041 was specifically designed for the .30-30, but kinda like with Nosler Partitions, not every rifle likes it. Performance on game is fantastic though.

    With the Ranch Dog moulds you get both optimum performance and excellent accuracy. Out of the dozen various .30cal rifles I have tried them in, accuracy has been fantastic. I'm sure there are rifles that don't like it, but I haven't found one yet.

    You are correct, there is a lot more to it than just going out and buying them. You have to have enough casting experience to drop good bullets, and that means figuring out by trial and error optimum pot temperature and the speed you have to maintain with an individual mould without overheating or overcooling it. Then there is the matter of alloy. And how to slug a barrel to determine optimum size.

    Veral makes really good moulds, but these days there are plenty of good ones out there that will work well at a fraction of the cost of a custom mould.
    "Stand your ground.
    Do not fire unless fired upon.
    But if they mean to have a war let it begin here."
    - Capt. Parker, Lexington Militia, April 19, 1775

  5. #15
    GunLoad Trainee S.B.'s Avatar
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    Thanx for straightening me out on the mold numbers.
    Steve
    The Original Point and Click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

  6. #16
    Spam Hammer fryboy's Avatar
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    the last three ( sometimes two ) numbers are called the cherry numbers ( cherry is the cutter of the mold ie; pattern on a cutter much like a router bit )

  7. #17
    GunLoad Trainee S.B.'s Avatar
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    OP, in the end, if you ask the guys over on Marlinowners.com Micro grooving will work with anything the other Ballard rifling will.
    Steve
    The Original Point and Click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

  8. #18
    Dogs Like Him versifier's Avatar
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    As long as the diameter is big enough microgroove barrels do perform just fine with cast and accuracy with them is all one could wish, as good as with any jacketed bullet. That generally means sizing at least .310 or even .311. Sometimes you can get away with .309, but don't count on it. If they are .308 or less they will strip and print shotgun patterns instead of groups. Size is always very important to cast accuracy, but is absolutely critical with microgrooves.
    "Stand your ground.
    Do not fire unless fired upon.
    But if they mean to have a war let it begin here."
    - Capt. Parker, Lexington Militia, April 19, 1775

  9. #19
    Anti-Socialist Texan
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    311041. For MicroGroove Marlins, the Ranch Dog moulds cast large enough to be effective in the oversized Marlin grooves, and also have a tangential ogive that keeps the "bore riding" portion of other designs from rattling around in the typically oversized bores. Marlin .30-30 bores range from .301-.303" and typical .30-caliber bore-riders are .299-.300".

    Gear
    Last edited by geargnasher; 08-01-2012 at 04:40 AM.

  10. #20
    GunLoad Trainee S.B.'s Avatar
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    gearnasher, you sure see this different than any one over at Marlinowners.com??? Most there don't see a difference in Marlin riflings. Now I don't know who's right? What I do know is I don't see a big a difference, from shooting both,. over the years.
    Steve
    Last edited by S.B.; 08-01-2012 at 01:36 PM.
    The Original Point and Click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

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