cant find a good 313 casting mold - The Firearms Forum

dmh · 12-24-2010, 12:59 PM

So now that I've got the hang of casting, I'm ready to try rifle. I have 2 mosin nagants (and growing.. dang C&R) that both slug at .312", so I was thinking a 313 diameter mold would be ideal. I cant find any molds of this diameter except pistol bullets, am I stuck with a 312 mold or am I off mark here?

This thread is secretly directed towards JLA because I know he casts for everything

dmh · 12-24-2010, 07:53 PM

well never mind actually. I went with a 312 mold and sizer, figuring that will work fine since i was actually shooting surplus jacketed at 311 dia with acceptable accuracy.

JLA · 12-24-2010, 11:25 PM

Actually you did make a good choice. Most of your boolits will drop out a tad oversized, prolly somewhere around .313 or .314 even from the .312 mold. I use a .200 gr .309 LEE mold for my finn. it slugged a tad tight at .3105 and the boolits drop out of the .309 mold at .311, so I lube and gascheck them and size them thru a LEE .311 sizer for the finn. which is cool because I use the same boolit for my .30-06 too, it just gets sized .309

dmh · 12-26-2010, 02:50 AM

nice!!

this is my first time casting for rifle so it will be interesting for me. I have a 308 I might try to find a duel purpose mold for with a set of sizers..

any suggestions on a good powder for casts? I only have varget and unique on hand so I reckon I will need to get some sort of pistol powder

JLA · 12-26-2010, 09:18 AM

unique will actually work pretty good. I have been using reloder 7, IMR 4198 and H4198.

There are many great powders for cast rifle. Off the top of my head...

2400, trailboss, XMP-5744 (one of the best), SR-4759, IMR-4227, im sure tere are more i just cant think of any. I have had my best results with reloder 7 and IMR-4198 under a 200 gr cast boolit in the finn M39

10 Spot Terminator · 12-26-2010, 12:27 PM

If your casts come up at .312 after having allowed to shrink for a couple of weeks depending on your alloy you have a couple of easy options to help to bump them up to .313 or slightly higher, maybe .3135 ..... one would be to add additional tin to your alloy and the other would be to lap your mould . This is best done when you cast a couple bullets from a harder alloy with a good tin content to make for the largest potential diameter and hard enough to do the task . Get your self a small tube of valve lapping compound from the auto parts store to start as is the best or if you have bore lapping cream it works too. Get your alloy melted, take a 1/4 hex nut, swing the sprue plate on your mould to the open position and place the nut over the bullet cavity. Now pour your alloy through the nut allowing a heavy sprue puddle to form on top of the nut and cool thoroughly. Now gently remove the lapping slugs from the mold. Take small amounts of the lapping compound on a toothpick or whatever and put a small amount into each of the driving band grooves in the mould. Gentlly place the lapping boolit back into the mould and lightly squeeze it back together loosely not too tight. place a wrench or socket driver of any tupe over the nut and start turning it and slowly over time increase the pressure on the handles until the mould eventually closes completely then give it a few more turns for good measure and is ready to be cleaned. You can repeat this with a new slug as they smooth out faster than the mould unless the mould is aluminum .

namvet44 · 12-28-2010, 08:27 PM

10 Spot: That is a great idea! Thanks for posting it. It has been 30+ years since I did a valve grinding job on an auto engine, but the principle is the same.

JLA · 12-29-2010, 06:40 PM

I aint ever thought of lapping a mold, thats a hell of an idea and sounds easy to do.

10 Spot Terminator · 01-01-2011, 08:16 AM

One more option for more extreme enlargement of the driving bands in a mold would be to visit this site initially designed to convert steel moulds into hollow point moulds but he has expanded his services to include this service. I know folks who have used him and are extremely happy with his work. It costs a little bit but is less than buying a custom mould for sure. His e-mail contact is erik@hollowpointmold.com or google up hollowpoint mold service. You can get replacement hollow point handles and pins for Lyman/Ideal molds and lots of repairs, modifications done here. Recommend to add to your favorites list for sure if you are a casting junkie like me ,,, 10 Spot

12-24-2010, 12:59 PM	#1
dmh V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wyoming Posts: 102	cant find a good 313 casting mold So now that I've got the hang of casting, I'm ready to try rifle. I have 2 mosin nagants (and growing.. dang C&R) that both slug at .312", so I was thinking a 313 diameter mold would be ideal. I cant find any molds of this diameter except pistol bullets, am I stuck with a 312 mold or am I off mark here? This thread is secretly directed towards JLA because I know he casts for everything -->

12-24-2010, 07:53 PM	#2
dmh V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wyoming Posts: 102	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold well never mind actually. I went with a 312 mold and sizer, figuring that will work fine since i was actually shooting surplus jacketed at 311 dia with acceptable accuracy.

12-24-2010, 11:25 PM	#3
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,305	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold Actually you did make a good choice. Most of your boolits will drop out a tad oversized, prolly somewhere around .313 or .314 even from the .312 mold. I use a .200 gr .309 LEE mold for my finn. it slugged a tad tight at .3105 and the boolits drop out of the .309 mold at .311, so I lube and gascheck them and size them thru a LEE .311 sizer for the finn. which is cool because I use the same boolit for my .30-06 too, it just gets sized .309 __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

12-26-2010, 02:50 AM	#4
dmh V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wyoming Posts: 102	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold nice!! this is my first time casting for rifle so it will be interesting for me. I have a 308 I might try to find a duel purpose mold for with a set of sizers.. any suggestions on a good powder for casts? I only have varget and unique on hand so I reckon I will need to get some sort of pistol powder

12-26-2010, 09:18 AM	#5
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,305	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold unique will actually work pretty good. I have been using reloder 7, IMR 4198 and H4198. There are many great powders for cast rifle. Off the top of my head... 2400, trailboss, XMP-5744 (one of the best), SR-4759, IMR-4227, im sure tere are more i just cant think of any. I have had my best results with reloder 7 and IMR-4198 under a 200 gr cast boolit in the finn M39 __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

12-26-2010, 12:27 PM	#6
10 Spot Terminator V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Redmond Oregon ( middle of state refered to as Central Oregon ) Posts: 82	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold If your casts come up at .312 after having allowed to shrink for a couple of weeks depending on your alloy you have a couple of easy options to help to bump them up to .313 or slightly higher, maybe .3135 ..... one would be to add additional tin to your alloy and the other would be to lap your mould . This is best done when you cast a couple bullets from a harder alloy with a good tin content to make for the largest potential diameter and hard enough to do the task . Get your self a small tube of valve lapping compound from the auto parts store to start as is the best or if you have bore lapping cream it works too. Get your alloy melted, take a 1/4 hex nut, swing the sprue plate on your mould to the open position and place the nut over the bullet cavity. Now pour your alloy through the nut allowing a heavy sprue puddle to form on top of the nut and cool thoroughly. Now gently remove the lapping slugs from the mold. Take small amounts of the lapping compound on a toothpick or whatever and put a small amount into each of the driving band grooves in the mould. Gentlly place the lapping boolit back into the mould and lightly squeeze it back together loosely not too tight. place a wrench or socket driver of any tupe over the nut and start turning it and slowly over time increase the pressure on the handles until the mould eventually closes completely then give it a few more turns for good measure and is ready to be cleaned. You can repeat this with a new slug as they smooth out faster than the mould unless the mould is aluminum .

12-28-2010, 08:27 PM	#7
namvet44 Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 10	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold 10 Spot: That is a great idea! Thanks for posting it. It has been 30+ years since I did a valve grinding job on an auto engine, but the principle is the same.

12-29-2010, 06:40 PM	#8
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,305	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold I aint ever thought of lapping a mold, thats a hell of an idea and sounds easy to do. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

01-01-2011, 08:16 AM	#9
10 Spot Terminator V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Redmond Oregon ( middle of state refered to as Central Oregon ) Posts: 82	Re: cant find a good 313 casting mold One more option for more extreme enlargement of the driving bands in a mold would be to visit this site initially designed to convert steel moulds into hollow point moulds but he has expanded his services to include this service. I know folks who have used him and are extremely happy with his work. It costs a little bit but is less than buying a custom mould for sure. His e-mail contact is erik@hollowpointmold.com or google up hollowpoint mold service. You can get replacement hollow point handles and pins for Lyman/Ideal molds and lots of repairs, modifications done here. Recommend to add to your favorites list for sure if you are a casting junkie like me ,,, 10 Spot