First go with the 300 BLK
- Thread starter Ian
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Ian
Notorious member
Ok, just to dope out the gas port, I shot five loaded with 12.0 grains of AA1680. Extrapolating the data from Nosler with 220 jacketed, it should have been bumping 1100 fps based on the 4198 data, but actually was dancing around 1200 fps with an SD of 23.6 this time. For the function, the NOE 247 won't go more than three in a Pmag OR a Colt steel 20-rounder (for different reasons) and didn't feed reliably in my gun either due to the sharp, wide meplat stopping on the front of the mags, so I did get some feeding problems BUT the bolt face got behind every one of them. I did three shots and and a click (no lockback), then loaded two more in the mag and got firm lockback after the last round. If I had been using a bullet that worked better in an AR-variant rifle I'm sure the powder and charge would do fine....but if reduced to just subsonic, and with a lighter bullet like the ACE or Lyman 311299, who knows? Prolly going to have to drill the gas port anyway, no big deal.
Ian
Notorious member
A nice, shiny ACE mould showed up in my mailbox today (Thanks, Josh!) and I took a minute to cast a few. That's about 15-18 per minute, actually, those six-bangers are the berries! Checked size, made dummy rounds, checked cycling, all looks good. Just to load some and test.
On a less enthusiastic note, Lyman did it again (big shocker). Brand-new 311299 casts a full 2.5 thousandths out of round and at the largest measures .2965" X .3065". This one is going back to Midway on the next truck out of town. Sorry state of affairs at Lyman, when are they ever going to fix the backlash in their worn-out double-acting vises and actually get some NEW cherries ground? I guess never. That's now fourteen for fourteen since 2008 that I have bought that cast more than a thousandth out of round and 2-4 thousandths under nominal. WORTHLESS.
On a less enthusiastic note, Lyman did it again (big shocker). Brand-new 311299 casts a full 2.5 thousandths out of round and at the largest measures .2965" X .3065". This one is going back to Midway on the next truck out of town. Sorry state of affairs at Lyman, when are they ever going to fix the backlash in their worn-out double-acting vises and actually get some NEW cherries ground? I guess never. That's now fourteen for fourteen since 2008 that I have bought that cast more than a thousandth out of round and 2-4 thousandths under nominal. WORTHLESS.
fiver
Well-Known Member
I believe the 104.
I was in stillwater OK before moving down near Amarillo [Perryton] a couple of weeks ago
moving into Texas was a relief after the heat and wetness of Oklahoma.
going to Colorado was better.
coming home was about right.
it's still hot enough to run the A/C in the cars here, but the night time mid/high 40's is welcome for sure.
I was in stillwater OK before moving down near Amarillo [Perryton] a couple of weeks ago
moving into Texas was a relief after the heat and wetness of Oklahoma.
going to Colorado was better.
coming home was about right.
it's still hot enough to run the A/C in the cars here, but the night time mid/high 40's is welcome for sure.
Ian,
If you want good dimensions on a 311299, get a NOE. I had an excellent Lyman, but bought a NOE 4 cavity to increase production. The bullets were similar in size, but the NOE cavities are smoother, so that Lyman went to a new home. Al had 312299s listed as well if you want slightly larger dimensions. I actually prefer NOE's aluminum molds to most others.
If you want good dimensions on a 311299, get a NOE. I had an excellent Lyman, but bought a NOE 4 cavity to increase production. The bullets were similar in size, but the NOE cavities are smoother, so that Lyman went to a new home. Al had 312299s listed as well if you want slightly larger dimensions. I actually prefer NOE's aluminum molds to most others.
Ian
Notorious member
Out again today with a new bullet....the ACE 235 grain, or at least that's the weight I get from 2 parts clip-on, one part stick-on, one part pure lead alloy. This bullet fits the magazines (steel, gen 2 and gen 3 Magpul P-mags), fits the throat perfectly, and doesn't yaw discernibly at 15 yards like the NOE bullets did for me. That little bit pointier nose and almost throat-matching taper sure does make a difference in the way these shoot. Same alloy, same powder.
Shot five with 10.5 grains Reloder 7, don't have exact numbers handy but it was right around 1100 fps.
Next was 11.0 grains and I was getting just supersonic at 1145-ish fps. I could hear the crack echo down range with my electronic muffs.
Problem is, all of them ejected fine, but only one of the 11.0 grain loads attempted to pick up the next round, and it jammed on the feed ramp. I'll either have to go back and try a few rounds of the borrowed 1680 or enlarge the gas port. I'm inclined to try 1680 first and see if it will work RELIABLY, but then again that Reloder 7 was giving me much better SD numbers across the board. I'm just happy I got a bullet that FITS!!!
Shot five with 10.5 grains Reloder 7, don't have exact numbers handy but it was right around 1100 fps.
Next was 11.0 grains and I was getting just supersonic at 1145-ish fps. I could hear the crack echo down range with my electronic muffs.
Problem is, all of them ejected fine, but only one of the 11.0 grain loads attempted to pick up the next round, and it jammed on the feed ramp. I'll either have to go back and try a few rounds of the borrowed 1680 or enlarge the gas port. I'm inclined to try 1680 first and see if it will work RELIABLY, but then again that Reloder 7 was giving me much better SD numbers across the board. I'm just happy I got a bullet that FITS!!!
I cast up a batch of Lee 155s this morning. I WISH they cast .310-.311" instead of .314", but they size OK. Of all of the various 30cals I've tried, I keep coming back to both of the Lee designs. I haven't tried subs, but if I did I'd probably try 'em in my 10.5" pistol barrel.
Ian
Notorious member
I'll have to check the new 155 Lee I have, I'm thinking it casts right around .311" with 50-50 alloy.
So I ran three pots full of those ACE monsters, that mould casts really well and the heat is easy to manage. I don't know what kind of aluminum they used on that run but it doesn't act like most of the 6061 T6 or the gummy, extruded stuff Lee uses. It's hard, slick, lead doesn't stick to it, and the sprue plate needed very little lube even under the pivot to prevent galling. The only thing I had to fix was the sprue plate, dang thing was arched up in the middle like a cat's back, but some careful "manipulation" with three small wood blocks in a vise fixed it right up and it stayed fixed for nearly 50 lbs of bullets and several heat/cool cycles.
So I ran three pots full of those ACE monsters, that mould casts really well and the heat is easy to manage. I don't know what kind of aluminum they used on that run but it doesn't act like most of the 6061 T6 or the gummy, extruded stuff Lee uses. It's hard, slick, lead doesn't stick to it, and the sprue plate needed very little lube even under the pivot to prevent galling. The only thing I had to fix was the sprue plate, dang thing was arched up in the middle like a cat's back, but some careful "manipulation" with three small wood blocks in a vise fixed it right up and it stayed fixed for nearly 50 lbs of bullets and several heat/cool cycles.
Josh
Well-Known Member
I used 7075-T6 aluminum on the blocks but the sprue plate has been an issue on my mould too, I think I cut the blocks too skinny and the moulds were a hair too long since the 2 cavs and 4 cavs do not have issues.
Thanks for the kind words on the design, coming from a co-founder of lead I take that as high praise.
Has anyone tried a case of 4198 or possibly even a case of 4064? It may give you a hair more gas volume but I am not sure if 4064 would but entirely. I may need to try this in my bolt rifle.
4198 is bulkier than Reloader7, and less likely to provide a clean, consistent burn with the subs. Its too bulky to be of much use with supers, and even Reloader7 won't provide the desired velocity with 160-170gr bullets. 4227 , H110, MP300, 1680 and AA5744 are better choices. 4227 and 5744 will be better with lower pressure loads than the ball powders.
Ian
Notorious member
As several people predicted, the .093" gas port just isn't going to work for these subsonics. L1A1Rocker was kind enough to bring some numbered drill bits over and I we took it to .1095" and tried a couple of loads using Reloder 7. Got the thing cycling pretty well just at the sound barrier, but no last-shot hold open. Had an SD of 7.6 for five I might add....
So we tried some of his 1680, again just in the subsonic range I wanted, with 18-sumthin' SD numbers and still no last-shot hold open. We studied that for a bit and finally decided to go nearly full-bore at .120 with the gas port. Haven't shot it yet but I'm going to go back with Reloder 7 first because it shoots so consistently at these low pressures. If she don't hold open on the last round, it's going to be time to start monkeying with the carrier and buffer mass and buffer spring.
Those ACE 235-grain bullets are still making perfectly round holes at 15 yards, no yawing whatsoever, sized the same as the NOE 247 that yaws more than two calibers in my gun with, same alloy and some of the same powders. Figuring out the difference here might be an interesting study for someone trying to design a new BLK heavyweight.
So we tried some of his 1680, again just in the subsonic range I wanted, with 18-sumthin' SD numbers and still no last-shot hold open. We studied that for a bit and finally decided to go nearly full-bore at .120 with the gas port. Haven't shot it yet but I'm going to go back with Reloder 7 first because it shoots so consistently at these low pressures. If she don't hold open on the last round, it's going to be time to start monkeying with the carrier and buffer mass and buffer spring.
Those ACE 235-grain bullets are still making perfectly round holes at 15 yards, no yawing whatsoever, sized the same as the NOE 247 that yaws more than two calibers in my gun with, same alloy and some of the same powders. Figuring out the difference here might be an interesting study for someone trying to design a new BLK heavyweight.