I may need a good mold for the 3030.

Anyone have a favorite mold they can recommend?

Corbi

The Lyman 311041 and the RCBS 180 FN are good ones. The Lyman 311291 can be a good one, but the bore ride nose is commonly way undersized. Are you planning on shooting them out of a Marlin MG bbl? If so, you will need them to drop at 0.311 to 0.312 for best accuracy. Otherwise, 0.310 diameter works pretty well with the Ballard cut bbls. I'm using jacketed book data for IMR 3031 and CCI 200 primers for a fast sub inch load. I also have a custom cherry for a modified 311041 that has a tapered bore ride nose. It drops at 0.312. Here's a pic of a iC HP mold.

I picked up my Marlin 30TK this afternoon. I suppose it is micro groove.

I was looking at the Lyman 311041.

Corbi

I bought my 041 new, about 5 yesrs ago. It just barely makes 0.309 on the bands and 0.299 on the nose. I ended up Beagling it to get 0.312/ 0.302. My MG shot them ok at 0.3115. Group size was around 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" over 26 grains of IMR 3031. I ended up firelapping it and things definetly changed. After FL and breaking in, my previous 26 grain load didn't do much better. I bumped the charge to 26.5 grains (which I had tried prior) and bingo! Smoothing up the bbl changed pressure and took me out of the sweet spot. The last groups I recorded were 3/4, 7/8, 3/4" for 3-shot groups. I ended up reboring that MG to 38-55 after I got a 1952 Ballard rifled Marlin. It shoots the same load even better.

I've had good results with the 311041 in my MG barreled 336T. I run them through a .311 sizer and it lightly sizes it. My mold was bought last year.
The load I've had the best accuracy with was 31gr of 748 which gave me about 2100fps.

I have a 311291 that says ideal on the blocks so i am thinking it is a old one. It drops around .313 and sizes nicely to .311 shoots well in my mg barrel.

Does anyone use the Lee C309-150-F ?

Corbi

I've got one and cast quite a few bullets with it but I managed to dink it up and it is misaligned. A decent bullet when it was casting good but the quality of the Lyman mold I replaced it with (311041) is so far above the Lee mold that I haven't bothered to even try and straighten out the Lee. I might get another one for making plinker loads if I can't fix it but I'm not in any hurry.

I have a lee 170 gc sc and a ranch dog 165 gc molds.both shoot well in my winchesters & 7.5x55.

pete

I am leaning towards the Lee 113 grain flat point just to get me a plinking bullet.

As soon as I can find a mold like the Ranch Dog 165 grain that is what I plan on going with.

Corbi

check over here as they do come up sometimes on the trader board.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18

pete

I joined the other day....thanks.

I am hoping there will be another group buy for the RD .311/165 grain bullet.

Corbi

good to go .lots of cast info without the snob BS.
pete

I picked up a Lee 113 grain mold Friday. This will give a plinking bullet for now.

I still may pick up a heavier mold latter for hunting.

Corbi