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I have a bag of 165 grain Hunters Supply brand cast bullets (#014551654). I've only reloaded with jacked bullets, and was wondering if I need to lube these? They appear to have some blue lube in the lube grooves already, but the flat surfaces are not slippery like I have felt with match ammo.
Also, these have no gas check. I'd like to try them in a light load in a Mosin 91/30, at 2200 FPS.
My use is non-competitive target, 200 yards.
To answer part of my own question: I dropped one of the bullets, and dust/hair stuck firmly. They are lubed, but it's a stiffer wax, and not tacky or slippery.
If you intend to push a plain-base bullet anywhere near 2200 fps, please be prepared for possible surprises running from severe barrel leading to major instability. Normally, we can't drive plain-base .30 caliber bullets much over 1400 fps without experiencing some kind of disappointment. Fortunately, velocities in this neighborhood are all we really need for punching paper at 200 yards and, with good bullets, loads in this class can be very accurate.
Thanks, Parashooter. I wonder why Hunter's Supply advertises these for hunting loads in 30 cal., but they aren't made to take a gas check?
Anyways, if I can't add a gas-check, I could experiment with a light load, such as "the load" (13 gr red-dot). It sounds like about 11.5 gr of red-dot should get 165 gr. of cast lead down below 1400 fps.
Might be a good idea to slug the bore of that Mosin. If that bullet is smaller than the groove diameter, which it likely is, things could get messy for you. Cleaning leading out of a barrel isn't fun. Your groove diameter in that Mosin could be anywhere from .310-.316 The one I have is .314. You'll want to know the bore diameter too, in order to be sure the nose is large enough forward of the crimp groove so that it'll ride on the top of the lands. Absolute accuracy might not be important to you, but it's a lot more fun when you hit what you're aiming at.
You're right about the bore: I checked it yesterday, and got a generous .312 (max was .3126 rotating the slug in the caliper). I decided to use these cast .311s in a M1917 instead, also at low-speed.
I looked locally for cast bullets to try, but couldn't find any .314 locally. I did get some 150 gr. Hornady SP .314s, and I'll see how they work, while I look for a .314 cast bullet, either 150-175 gr RNGC or maybe 200+ gr for subsonic.
If you figure on casting your own at some point: NOE Bullet Moulds
I meant to say I got some .312 jacketed bullets (not .314!).
Thanks for the pointer, those molds look interesting. I haven't tried casting yet; it looks like it would give me more choices, though I need to keep the $100+ purchases down.
I tried the Hunters Supply .311 165gr no-gas-check yesterday in a .309 barreled M1917.
I started with "The Load" (13 gr. Red Dot) and worked down from there to see where subsonic would be, checking the barrel after each shot. I planned to find subsonic, then go back up by 25%, keeping below 13 gr.
I tried 13gr, 12.5gr, 12, 11.5, 11, 10.5 then 10 grain Red Dot, and they were all supersonic (>1140 fps).
Fouling didn't seem to be a problem.