Sizing question

[JohnDY]

I just started reloading again for the couple of rifles I have and I think I am going to give bullet casting a try and I have a question. I want to cast bullets for a couple of Japanese type 99 7.7mm I have. I also want to cast for .30/06 and 30/30. If possible I would like to use the same mold for all these calibers. I know I will be sizing bullets for my type 99s at .312 or there abouts and .309 for my 30/30 and 30/06. My question is can I purchase a mold designed for .312 and resize the bullets to .309 for the 30 caliber guns?

BTW.  The 30/30 is a H&R Handi Rifle so pointed bullets will not be a problem.  

Thanks.

[John Traveler]

John,

The "common wisdom" is that when you start with an as-cast .312-.313" diameter bullet and size it down to .309" that you will lose accuracy.

Maybe for the most precise of cast bullet target shooting you will, but not for the majority of us that want the single bullet mold to fit several .30/.303 caliber rifles.  For plinking or even hunting use, it should be fine.

I've sucessfully loaded .303 British, 7.7 Jap, .30-40 Krag, .30-06, .30-30, .308, and a host of other .30/.303 cartridges using the same mold.  The Lyman 311291 at 170 grains was particularly good for me and a couple of shooting friends.

The one problem I've found is that on some long bore-riding bullet noses, the .312/.313 size bullets tend to be too large for the .300 bore of standard US .30 caliber barrels.  This can be be fixed if your chamber has an extra-long throat or bullet seat.

You may find an occasional barrel with oversize groove diameter (.314-.317), and the one-size-fits-all approach will not work.  
John

[John Traveler]

John,

The "common wisdom" is that when you start with an as-cast .312-.313" diameter bullet and size it down to .309" that you will lose accuracy.

Maybe for the most precise of cast bullet target shooting you will, but not for the majority of us that want the single bullet mold to fit several .30/.303 caliber rifles.  For plinking or even hunting use, it should be fine.

I've sucessfully loaded .303 British, 7.7 Jap, .30-40 Krag, .30-06, .30-30, .308, and a host of other .30/.303 cartridges using the same mold.  The Lyman 311291 at 170 grains was particularly good for me and a couple of shooting friends.

The one problem I've found is that on some long bore-riding bullet noses, the .312/.313 size bullets tend to be too large for the .300 bore of standard US .30 caliber barrels.  This can be be fixed if your chamber has an extra-long throat or bullet seat.

You may find an occasional barrel with oversize groove diameter (.314-.317), and the one-size-fits-all approach will not work.  
John

[richp41]

The old thoughts were that .003" was about the most you want to size a lead bullet That's pure hogwash. I size an 8mm bullet from .337" down to .323"--- in steps-- and it just shot a 1.125" group at 100 yds from an old stock Turk rifle. Those steps were Lee-.329, Lyman-.325, Lee-.323" and they work beautifully. I also size the Lyman 314299 down to .308 from .315" and it regularly stays around 1.0". I consider anything 2" or larger as unacceptable for any use. I've been casting bullets for over 35 years and gave up on the old beliefs about the time Lyman started  producing the tapered sizing dies and did away with the stepped die. Have at it and don't give the sizing a thought. Rich P

[JBMauser]

I will join the support of sizing .303 cal down to .308.  My lee mould throws .313 and I shoot tem unsized in my 303 and 7.65X54s.  I size them to .309 and load in a host of 30 cal.s  best of luck, JB

[flintman]

Plenty of weight,good application ranges(multi purpose) and good reports of accuracy I read before I bought the mould. :money:

[JohnDY]

JPMauser,

What Lee mold are you using?

Everyone,
  Thanks for your replies.

[Leftoverdj]

The Lee pushthrough dies seem to do a better job of major sizing than the base first dies. But yeah, I use a Lyman 31141 for almost anything that comes to hand by sizing to suit.