A few years ago we had lots of threads bemoaning the complete "empty hole" total lack of a good number of mil-surp caliber cast bullet forms and weights.

(especially hunting weights with good large flat meplat)

Then we started making custom LEE mold runs and Midsouth did the custom mold page and Mountain Mold started producing cut-to-size molds and Veral came back into producting custom molds as well. Now you can get everything you need in several types of nose styles and weights.

It has gotten to the point where the only limiter we have now is "can you get 25 checks so you can do the run?" This is not bad per se, but the problem now becomes finding something that hasn't been done to death.

What is really still "needed" now?

7mm has bullets out there that work pretty good, so that really isn't all that needed. 6.5mm, .308" and 8mm are covered pretty well already with an ongoing supply of molds still available from Midsouth and others.

There was one run of a fat 8mm mold that worked OK with the Steyr straight pull rifle (plus you can size down a .338 LEE bore rider bullet for that use).

The Swiss K-31 rifle had a mild need, but turned out to do well with a number of stock bore riders from a variety of sources including LEE, so that isn't really a need either.

I'm curious, what is really still needed for a "empty hole" in our cast bullet world?

Oldfeller

OF, nothing needed as far as I can determine. Desired for fun and games would be a 323 soup-can boolit. ... felix

Dep. Al has been looking for a fat Loverin to fit his SMLE, as was I until recently (had to order a custom mold). What we "need" is a Loverin that is large enough to fit SMLE's (.317"-.318"), but which can also be sized down to .313"-.314" to fit Arg. Mausers and other metric cals. ...Maven

Mavin,

That same .319" diameter bullet could also cover the old J bore 1888 Commission series Mausers.

Getting it to fit the various .303's throats and the J bore Mauser throat would really be a job for somebody like 45 2.1 who owns all those various guns and has the throat slugs for them already.

45 2.1, you out there?

Oldfeller

Have you oversized .303 guys ever considered sizing down a 175 grain LEE 8mm bore rider bullet to .319"?

(the bore rider nose might be about right for what you need since is loose as a goose in most used 8mm rifles)

Oldfeller

The only cast boolit mould I'm really missing is a good heavyweight 30 caliber flat point hunting boolit for the 30-06 and 30-40. I think the OF 8mm Maximum or Karabiner scaled down would be the ticket.

I've used .321 cast bullets meant for the 32-40 sized down to .318 with pretty good results in my enfield. Seems to work better than .323 bullets.

I want a 6-cavity .258 RF. My 25-20s need one.

I disagree that 7mm is well covered and would like to see a good 7mm bullet. Since military rifles are so long throated, how about a heavy Loverin with a medium large meplat? I'm always a bit concerned about feeding from staggered magazines so wonder if very large meplats are a good idea. I understand they work on game but wheel wheights, air cooled, at 1800-2000 fps. will expand at ranges most take game. Once it starts expanding it is better than a large meplat that doesn't expand unless you need great penetration.

Something I have run into with initial 7mm efforts is that my box of Hornady gas checks max out at .2865. I lapped out a sizer to .2875" and discovered the checks on the sized bullet are .2865". Hornady should make them a little larger in diameter.

Some good PB designs?

ok i'll upset the apple cart.

none of the existing 8mm moulds fit any of my 8mm rifles.....a 38 turk and a yugo 48a( and tried one in the germ/russian 98 with no luck)
so how about a 170/200 gr that is like the rcbs 165 silly wet or like the lyman 311041.
i have a lee, two of the three custom heavy wieghts we did as a groupand an rcbs. still have to try the rcbs in the 98.
my complaint is keeping the base of the bullet in the neck.
keep on keeping on

I still want a Krag (30-40) heavy (220 grains) hunting bullet with a very blunt RN or flat meplat. This bullet should.

1. Be long enought to fill the throat of the military chamber, so the bullet doesn't have to jump to hit the rifling.
2. Have a short enought body to keep the GC in the neck.
3. Do all of this while keeping the loaded round short enough to feed through the magazine.

Oldfeller, Because my Arg. Mau. needs a .313" CB and because #314299 does not ride it's lands at all (good accuracy, but not great), I sized some of Buckshot's 8mm "Loverin's" down to .314" and then to .313" (in a Lee die and Lyman lube-sizer, respectively). Accuracy was excellent, but it was truly a chore I didn't wish to repeat, or rather to frequently repeat. ...Maven

Maineboy Take a long hard look at the RCBS 180 gr fp. gianni.

John M, I have looked at that RCBS mould off and on for the past 2 months, and still am looking at it, seriously. I'll probably buy it, or ask Santa to bring it to me for Christmas. I was just hoping for something with a broader meplat.

Oldfeller-
I read every weekday, but don't post much. In the 303 to 32 special size bracket, the Lyman 319247 is an excellant bullet to use. Its bearing length and weight are a good fit in these rifles. You can size it down very easily to fit and throat in these rifles. The only problem, if it is one is that its a PB. It would make an excellant bullet to modify, put on a gascheck shank and lengthen the nose and body length some depending on what you want it to fit. A real good candidate for a six cavity LEE.

45 2.1,

Ok, so you got yourself a preferred bullet form to start from that will yield up a slug that can do the 32-20 crowd, the .303 brit crowd and the rare (but still around) 8mm J bore guys as well.

Trick is can you find a bullet length/shoulder size/case neck length engagement-form compromise that will work really well in all those different throat configurations ????

(if you can do that, you are good, really good)

Seems like I remember some of your comments on the Lee 32-20 bullet and that you had something you did up for that particular use which was checkless, as I remember.

Is this current thought you got for a gas-checked bullet? It would have to use the 8mm mauser Hornaday gas check to get the right size ranges, right? Some will just get scrunched a little bit more than the others in lubri-sizing for the various individual guns. Lube grooves need to be deep enough to cover the smallest "sized" size, of course.

OK, you got a primo bullet designer who has a design in his head. You got a drummer who will get up the needed order quantity. Now we need a check collector and mold shipper who will handle the money.

Who wants to play check collector?

Oldfeller

I would contribute to a 7mm for 93/95 origional barreled actions. Yes there are some out there, but that 8mm Max. sure is a good bullet design. A long heavy flat point for that 7x57 would be a ticket! ............... Captain

OK-
If anyone is interested in a 303-32spl bullet or a 7mm bullet for the 95's. These would be scaled from the 319247 and the 8mm maximum bullet styles.
Vote if your interested.