Levers are fun :-)

[Tripod]

In my experience if the microgrooves measure .429 you will need the projectiles to measure .431 to get them to shoot. PC may help because it will increase the diameter but I have never tried PC myself so please put up your results.

[SHV]

will get my third lever very soon

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[Wm.Traynor]

SHV
Hell that's pretty

[juststarting]

So this inspired me to cast some bullets today... I think I am over the ladle - smelter thing. Could have doubled my speed if I had bottom pour smelter. Bah!

[bladeracer]

So this inspired me to cast some bullets today... I think I am over the ladle - smelter thing. Could have doubled my speed if I had bottom pour smelter. Bah!

It's a melter, not a smelter
I like both. I think using the ladle might actually work better for the bigger stuff, say over 200gns or so, although I'm considering drilling out my bottom pour spout to a larger size.
My last melt was problematic and I don't know why. Temperature was 700F on level 9, but it obviously gets hotter as you use the alloy so you need to keep turning it down. But I was down to level 4 and it still spiked near 1100F until I topped up the pot and wound it back up. Wasn't a good time at all. It might just be that I was throwing 430gns with each pour and I need to get more experienced at draining the pot so quickly.
When my new .432" mould comes next week I'm thinking I'll use the Lyman ladle with the pour spout and dip straight from the dutch oven on the gas burner.

[juststarting]

It's a furnace actually, I'm just venting

[scoobs]

So this inspired me to cast some bullets today... I think I am over the ladle - smelter thing. Could have doubled my speed if I had bottom pour smelter. Bah!

It's a melter, not a smelter
I like both. I think using the ladle might actually work better for the bigger stuff, say over 200gns or so, although I'm considering drilling out my bottom pour spout to a larger size.
My last melt was problematic and I don't know why. Temperature was 700F on level 9, but it obviously gets hotter as you use the alloy so you need to keep turning it down. But I was down to level 4 and it still spiked near 1100F until I topped up the pot and wound it back up. Wasn't a good time at all. It might just be that I was throwing 430gns with each pour and I need to get more experienced at draining the pot so quickly.
When my new .432" mould comes next week I'm thinking I'll use the Lyman ladle with the pour spout and dip straight from the dutch oven on the gas burner.

you mean the bullet liquid heater?

[juststarting]

Ye, the pew pew liquifier for me boomstick

[bladeracer]

Got my new CBE .432" mould this arvo. Dumped the 200gn .429's I cast last week back into the pot and turned them into 180 248gn .432" bullets tonight. I'll lube some tonight so I can test shoot them tomorrow. I'll have to load up some 265gn FTX's and see what they shoot like as well. Also got two more scopes to put on the levers for accuracy testing. And got a Boyd AR15 stock set for the MDT chassis. If my brother decides he does want an MDT built using this stuff to be legal in ACT then I'll have to cut down the front of the stock and blend it into the chassis.

[bladeracer]

I loaded ten rounds with the new 248gn .432" bullets, unsized and lubed with Alox on 7.5gns of Trailboss and tested them yesterday.
A huge improvement over the 215gn .429" bullets but still not great yet.
All ten went into about 3" at 50m, despite the velocity varying from 964fps up to 1304fps, although the last one was a great deal faster than the rest. Discounting that one they averaged around 1060fps.
I also put ten more Federal 240gn factory loads through it for a baseline. They went into 40mm at 50m with velocities of 1740-1766fps.

I have to lap the .429" sizing die out to .432" but I think I'll try some with powdercoat next and also some with gas checks. I'm hopeful of getting them down to sub-3MoA at least. I think higher pressures might also be worth a try.

I should have added that I also mounted a Bushnell AR Optics 4.5-18x40 scope on it for this testing.

[Mick280]

Love em!!!

[SHV]

SHV
Hell that's pretty

got it

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[SHV]

levers are fun...and pretty

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[wrenchman]

here is a old model 88 in 308 i dont shoot it much i dont no why becouse it does shoot nice

[30-30]

Bought myself my first rifle the other day!
It's a Winchester 94 in 30-30, action is as smooth as butter and it shoots like a dream.
Anyone know where I might be able to buy some cast bullets instead of casting them myself?

[Gamerancher]

This is what I consider a good group out of one of my Winchester Model 94's, this one's a deluxe model made in 1915 chambered in .38-55.
That's 5 shots, off-hand @ 150m using iron sights. ( peep )

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Levers are fun...and accurate...and pretty!

[in2anity]

This is what I consider a good group out of one of my Winchester Model 94's, this one's a deluxe model made in 1915 chambered in .38-55.
That's 5 shots, off-hand @ 150m using iron sights. ( peep )
Levers are fun...and accurate...and pretty!

Wow incredible shooting GR!

[Gamerancher]

Yeah, I can do it at home, different story when on the line and someone yells "ready"!
At least I know it 'aint the rifle.

in2anity, are you attending the NSW State lever-gun silhouette in Batemans Bay this coming weekend?

[Bent Arrow]

This is what I consider a good group out of one of my Winchester Model 94's, this one's a deluxe model made in 1915 chambered in .38-55.
That's 5 shots, off-hand @ 150m using iron sights. ( peep )
Levers are fun...and accurate...and pretty!

Wow incredible shooting GR!

Yep, fantastic shooting. Way beyond my skills

[bladeracer]

Bought myself my first rifle the other day!
It's a Winchester 94 in 30-30, action is as smooth as butter and it shoots like a dream.
Anyone know where I might be able to buy some cast bullets instead of casting them myself?

Berry's should work and the plating should let you drive them fairly hard out of the .30-30

[Gamerancher]

Photos...I forgot the photos! Here ya go.

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Top one is the 1915 made Deluxe
Middle one is a Legendary Frontiersman, late1980's vintage.
Bottom is a 1960's 1894 Classic that was originally a .30-30 but was re- bored and chambered to .38-55 by none other than Mr P.O.Ackley himself.
All get used for lever-gun silhouette and all have been used to hunt with.

[in2anity]

Photos...I forgot the photos! Here ya go.
Top one is the 1915 made Deluxe
Middle one is a Legendary Frontiersman, late1980's vintage.
Bottom is a 1960's 1894 Classic that was originally a .30-30 but was re- bored and chambered to .38-55 by none other than Mr P.O.Ackley himself.
All get used for lever-gun silhouette and all have been used to hunt with.

So basically the 30/30 lacks the legs to group consistently out to 200m right? Is that why the re-bore to .38-55 would have happened (heavier/more stable .38 lead bullet)? Just curious do you ever use modern jacketed projectiles for CLAS Gamerancher?

[in2anity]

in2anity, are you attending the NSW State lever-gun silhouette in Batemans Bay this coming weekend?

Nah shooting the monthly Silverdale again on Sunday (rimfire); I only shot a 20/40 last month so I have some work to do before I would feel competitive enough to travel (and compete).

On a side note, my high-power metallic silhouette build came together recently Gamerancher check it out:

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Tikka CTR 308w, 6.5-20 lewie on top; absolute f*****g tack driver that balances beautifully on your thumb and index finger underneath the box-magazine (@4.1kg). It shoots way better than I can

BTW thanks for all the "no, that cartridge won't work on the rams" advice recently Gamerancher; in the end I'm glad I went with the venerable 308w

[Gamerancher]

in2anity asked "So basically the 30/30 lacks the legs to group consistently out to 200m right? Is that why the re-bore to .38-55 would have happened (heavier/more stable .38 lead bullet)? Just curious do you ever use modern jacketed projectiles for CLAS Gamerancher?"

In reply:
The gun was re-bored not long after I was born mate. ( Mid 60's ) The original owner just had it sitting on the wall and after reading an article in a magazine about the better energy achievable with the .38-55 compared with a .30-30 for deer hunting, he sent it off to P.O. Ackley to get it done. ( I imported this rifle from the U.S a couple of years ago )
There is nothing wrong with a .30-30 for CLAS. I've used both and can get very similar accuracy out of them compared to the .38-55's. As I have stated before, I run reduced loads and get good results. The secret is finding the sweet spot where you get enough energy retention @ 200m to knock down the rams, with the minimum load to reduce the amount of recoil. ( For me in a .30-30, that is the 17gr of 2207 behind a 170gr cast bullet load that I suggested to you.)
Some fella's run their .30-30's loaded up to the hilt using jacketed bullets with good results, but, I do this for enjoyment. Getting the crap belted out of you 100 times a day is not my idea of fun. ( The top 6 shooters in this sport in Australia all run reduced loads - just sayin'. )
I use all cast bullets for CLAS for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it keeps the costs way down and second, I get good results with them, both in accuracy and knock down. There is also the satisfaction of "doing it yourself".

[30-30]

Berry's should work and the plating should let you drive them fairly hard out of the .30-30

Cheers mate I'll check them out!