I took chamber casts of my SMLE and Mosin today.

With as big as the throats are does it need to taper to a fatter diameter next to the driveing band?

Aye to the changes.

six cav or one cav, it matters not to me -- either is good.



The only sin is being too small. You could run that taper all the way up to mate the .315" band and it would not hurt my feelings.



If it is slightly too big for your gun you fire a few lappers to smooth your throat a bit or you seat your bullet back a tad if you are loathe to lap your gun any at all.



Too small and you are left with beagling your new mold. Not the best thing for a brand new mold.



Oldfeller

A snap on fit to a Hornday gas check shank is something Doug at LEE has down pretty pat (it is a known standard item on LEE bullet designs). The taper shank retains the edge burr of a Hornaday gas check under tension as snapped on and has no potential to move around during the first part of the butt motion of the bullet into the sizer die like a straight shank with some clearance can do.



Also be mindful that the straight gas check shank requires greater sizing closure to get a secure crimp, something you may not have available when sizing .315" diameter as some may be doing. A tightlyl fitted taper shank is better for this over-sized bullet with its larger sizing diameters.



I'm in for a single cavity. What are you going to do for the final nose taper design?



Last thought -- does this bullet "fix" the Marlin microgroove levergun 30-30 oversize BR nose issues also? Lots & lots of those guns out there ....



Oldfeller

Single cavity? Ugh. Those are great for competitive benchrest shooting. But for most milsurp shooters half-inch groups are not realistic anyway. I want a little production during a casting session, not several day's commitment for a few hundred bullets.

Even at the higher price, the 6-cavity mould is a real bargain - half the cost of an NEI mould. Take your wife and several kids to a movie and you will spend the same, so I think cost will not be a problem for enough people to make the minimum order. I'll take two 6-cavities myself.

I don't mind offering single cavities also, but lets see if there is enough interest for the 6-cavity moulds too. Thanks.

Phil S.

I'm in whether it's a single cavity or a 6 cavity mold.

If we're taking a vote then I'm with Phil as I would prefer a 6 banger.

Either way, put me down for two of them. Just "bought back" a No. 4 MkI Longbranch from a buddy and I'd sure like to try this slug.

I would go for the single cav BUT would be a lot happer with the 6 cav. So put my vote in the 6 cav side of the sheet
Gregg Tanner

I like the quality of the 6 banger much better than the others. I would rather have a 6 cav myself. Let's shoot for a 6 cav and see if there is enough interest.

Can anyone do a chamber cast of the Jap and 7.65Mauser? Just to see if it will fit. Or with the tapered nose will it be close enough? I'm thinking that different guns in the same caliber will have different dimensions though. So the tapered bore rideing nose might be a good idea to go with.

Add my name to the 6 cavity version, however I'll happily take whatever is decided & thank you for the effort. Ron.D

Lar45-
Some of the 7.65 mausers have a tight throat. The taper if any would fit them if it were .306" at the first band. The Japs vary alot, but will fit the .304" to .306" taper pretty well. I'm in for a six cavity.

My vote is for 6 cavity.

Taper .304" up to .308" still allows all US standard .308 bore guns to theoretically load this bullet with a somewhat heavy "land only" bore rider zone engagement. It would likely be the "cat's meow" for a Marlin MicroGroove 30-30 lever action (the final answer to the leverguy's prayers).



It allows the proper engagement span for the cleaner, more modern tighter fat thirty guns, the Rooskis, the Argentines and the Japs.



It may be a little bit loose for good land top engagement for the more worn of the .303 Brit guns -- but that is likely going to be true of ANY bullet on those well used guns. You are likely going to have to run the main driver bands out to hit the end of your throat on the very worn .303 guns to align the bullet -- but you can STILL GET A CONCENTRIC WELL ALIGNED BULLET OUT OF IT BY DOING SO.



I say .304" tapering up to .308" -- and a six cavity mold.



What do the rest of you say?



Oldfeller

HI All! That .304 to .308 is very interesting. I'm in for a 6 banger ( hmmm ...I could've had a V8?....Naw ) There is a chance we are making it too large ...but an even greater chance we are making one heck of a shooter. I'll take that chance. Be prepared to put Lee lube on the noses. Dale

It looks like it will be a 6 cavity.
Now on the nose taper, do we want .304 to .306? Or taper to larger?