I've been testing some lube components this winter and hopefully spring if it'll come. On a lark two weeks ago I dropped 62.5 grs of H-4831 under hard heat treated LBT spitzers in WW brass. This made 2680 av fps with very good accuracy albeit the fifth rd opening that grouping to almost three inches. A cold day, cold hands and a fairly strong wind I offer for alibi. Yet the lube worked very good-- not a speck of leading, this group fired after 50 rds that day- many of which were PB's.

Next trip saw same chg with Brigadier 4831 making 2720 albeit in Rem brass which has less capacity and should produce more speed for the same chg wt. That three shot went 2" flat.

Encouraged by this lube's apparent success, I loaded 62.5 of Aliant 22-- knowing this fuel would make considerably more speed. The Oehler chrono read 2855 fps for the three with an ES of 30 using the first rd for a 'load fouler'. Even my shooten buddy who's a 270 WSM fanatic agreed that was 'real fast for cast'.. Group made 1 7/8" at 100. It's the outlined triangle on the left towards the top.

Aladin:

OK on the fast shooting with the small bore 30, very nice too.

As a cast bullet shooter myself I must say that I'm a little mystified by all that speed.

To me it kind of begs the question: Why not just shoot jacketed in the first place?

I'm no pure lead shooting fellow you see, I have my jacketed rifles and jacketed loads for various uses but I shoot lead for completely different reasons/purposes that don't blend in well with high velocity.

Really, I'm curious.

Good morning,
Forrest

Forrest mostly for the sake of doing it. And I've found a bullet that'll do anything at that speed shots even better slowed down.

Also I learned more about cast and rifles shooten fast cast than I ever did by any other experimentation.

Aladin,
Is the bullet a bore rider or just a standard LBT?

quote:

This one has three drivers with the first the widest blending into the spitzer ogive.

Is the front band tapered?

Does the front band start out full diameter?

What is the advantage of the radiused grooves?

"Is the front band tapered?"

No-- its full dia. I alloy up to produce a driver 3090 to 3095. The two rear drivers cast .3125

"What is the advantage of the radiused grooves?"

The way Smith designed them the deepest part of the lube groove is forward in that recessed area with a gradual slant towards the next driver. The inertia of accelleration more easily forces all the lube back against the driver area for lubrication. If I can get a good pic later of this groove feature I'll post it.

Are you designing or considering a custom mold?

If you look at the bottom lube grooves you can see the slanted profile to the rear as I described.

I'd like to get a custom mold cut similar to this design but at 1.25" OAL with a more streamlined nose profile. Something as flight efficent as any jacketed spitzer...

David Mos or who??

Thanks for the information, aladin.

I'm just soaking up information and filing it away for later use.

That is fast. Was wondering what lube you're working with? If this is a home brew would you mind sharing what went into it?

62.5 grs.... Accurate 3100. That first rd high is a fouler and being of entirely different ingredients that the lubricant used previously- the shot goes to old pt of aim. The fifth rd is just off the paper where the black dot is located-- those four making 2.2" at 100. Ave fps is 2764 with an ES of 20 for five rds. No leading-- using of all things a black powder lube I'm developing.
Same bullet as top target.

Shot a follow up to the 62.5 grs of 3100 using 215's and lube of a somewhat more maleable density. And-- the bullets weren't from the same lot number with that first wide driver going 3080-3085 rather than the 3090. Grouped opened but didn't lead or tumble. Speed was exactly the same though at av 2764 fps.

60.5 grs of 3100 made 2720's with a jacketed 165 Speer BT otta my other gun having a 24" tube. This gun runs 30-40 fps over the 22" Marlin on average. Accuracy of this loading was nothing to inspire enthusiasm.

[ 03-10-2003, 16:47: Message edited by: aladin ]