I was looking at molds for a 38/55, some only have 1 lube gruve some have 4 or 5, not looking at tumble lube design, is this a throw back from black powder era when you needed lots of lube to keep fouling soft, wanting to use it in a 38/55 model 94 anyone have experience in this area, input appreciated.

In a word, yes! With smokeless, a single groove is generally all one needs. Designs date back to the days when rifles had 30" barrels.

Ok now i understand better, that opens up a larger area of molds i can choose from, thanks.

The bullet that has the larger number of grooves has more of the length as a bearing surface and that will make them more accurate.

a bullet with more lube grooves has L-E-S-S bearing surface than a slab sided one. Same principle as the multiple bearing bands on modern conventional solids and mono-metal.

I own Elmer Keith's Shiloh Sharps 45-90, and the accuracy is with a 5-groove bullet. That's only shot out to half a mile, so true long range testing remains to be done before Quigley in June of 2114.

I believe that most, if not all, of the multi lube groove bullets came about pre Alox. Once Alox was discovered bore riding designs began to appear, less of the bullet was in the case nor was filled lube grooves left exposed to collecting dirt and lint. Alox proved to be more accurate then the older formulations of lube and allowed for higher velocity.
Lyman has a nice multigroove bullet design that works across different calibers and seems to bridge the gap between the old and new, 375449.

Jim

arkypete

I cant seem to finf that Lyman bullet your talking about, has it been dropped from there line, thanks bubba.

Bubba;
I'm sorry it's 375449.
Lyman uses this design in several calibers.
I use this bullet in my 375 Whelen. I've got three different 2 cavity molds for this bullet. One is straight factory and does well, I lapped out one cavity on the second mold to engage the rifling with the short nose and number three I got a friend to remove the gas check portion of the mold just to see if it could be down. Not entirely successful.

Jim

quote:

so true long range testing remains to be done before Quigley in June of 2114.

I don't think I'd be able to make that match, I'd be 162 by then!

quote:

Originally posted by Greg K:

quote:

so true long range testing remains to be done before Quigley in June of 2114.

I don't think I'd be able to make that match, I'd be 162 by then!

With Obama Care it's pretty much a sure bet, that you'll make it.

Jim

GregK,

about three months after I shoot I'll be sixty-five. I meet my older brother every year.

The next month after Quigley, July, I hope to be back in South Africa hunting Leopard (if the tag comes thru).