7mm Molds, for 7 TCU

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  • Last Post 30 May 2008
CB posted this 17 May 2008

Folks,

Is there a light mold for 7 mm out there? I an looking for 100 to 120 grains in weight sort of bullet. This is for my 7 TCU Contender.

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Thanks,

Jerry

 

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NITROTRIP posted this 17 May 2008

Hi Jerry,

I also have a TC Contender in 7mm/TCU 14” bull barrel. I just started casting with 45colt and 44mag. Haveing great results. Picked up a LEE 130gr mold and just tried it out. Am looking for a light target load. Cast a small batch from WW but then realised I did,nt water drop them after I shot them. OOPS. Part of the learning curve. A bit of lead to remove I now have. First 3 shots at 50yds were touching, by shot 7 they were well I don't know. never touched paper. They were 1350fps with my chronograph. I don't have any idea on other molds yet. This was my first smaller cal bullet casting adventure. Not going to use gas checks, just want to keep them slow. This is my most accurate TC barrel. What have you been shooting that is cast out of yours. This is one cartrage that is way underrated for hunting by the armchair experts. I will do some sniff'n around for a lighter bullet mold also.

Rick

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CB posted this 17 May 2008

Rick,

Many thanks, the Contenders in general are really unknown by most people for the quality and the accuracy of there hand cannons.

 

Thanks,

 

Jerry

 

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jhalcott posted this 18 May 2008

While there HAVE been a couple 287xxx molds made they are antiques now. I have a 270 mold that drops a FAT bullet at .284” and 120 grains. I wrap it with 2 turns of teflon tape and plink away with it in my 3 ,7TC/U barrels. I also have the Lee “soup can” 135 grain mold to play with. It works fine also. I have considered using it on deer in the 7-30 barrel, BUT I wonder if it is to lite. Any thing lighter than 135 might be on EBay or custom ordered.

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CB posted this 18 May 2008

jhalcott,

I was thinking of taking a Lee mold or even another companys mold and mill down to the first lube ring, that should lighten it up some. But I own a machine shop, so it isn't that hard for me to do.

Look at my Avatar, I am at my knee mill in it.

Jerry

 

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Veral Smith posted this 18 May 2008

Take a look at    LBTMoulds     and you'll find we offer any weight you want in several profiles.  If the weight you want isn't listed ask and I'll make it.

I played with a 7 TCU some years back and have to agree that it is a potent game cartridge, and the gun very accurate.  I killed a nice bull elk with a 130 gr softnose cast bullet from this gun.  I hit the shoulder bone just above the large joint going in, then through the spine.  The bullet exited the point of the off shoulder, and the bull was down instantly.  I'd do it again in a minute.  A 7MM 130 gr bullet has the same S.D. as a 165 gr 30 caliber.

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NITROTRIP posted this 18 May 2008

Jerry,

I looked at my LEE 130gr mold last night and the bearing area of the bullet is very short. I did'nt have a bullet to measure but I think it might be a bore ride style? Not much to mill off the base.

I also have hunted big game with this cartrage/pistol combo, but not here in Colorado. They have big game cartrage requirements that don't make any sense. The cartrage has to have a  FACTORY LOADED PUBLISHED LBS/FT spec. 45/70 is OK, but a 45/120 is not. A friend got fined with his Sharps a few years back. 45colt in a pistol is but not in a rifle. I got a direct ruleing from the DOW on that one and the 7mm/TCU. They would not accept TC published reload data. No factory loaded cartrages was the key word. :(  Sorry for wandering off topic a bit. :) 

The LBT mold sounds like the ticket. Or if you have a lathe, get a smaller cal, block set and bore your own. I also own a machine shop. Draw up what you want, 4 jaw chuck and a small boreing bar and away you go. I think I would try iron because chips are like dust, easy to see what you are doing. Lite air and no coolant. I am not shure what grade aluminum LEE molds are so don't know how they would chip. I have not tried this YET, but will sooner or later. Let us know what you come up with.

Rick

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jhalcott posted this 18 May 2008

Jerry, since you are a machinist, maybe you could hollow point one of the 130/135 grain molds that are being made. That could drop the finished weight under 120 grains. You would have a heck of a pest control bullet in the bargain.

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NITROTRIP posted this 18 May 2008

jhalcott wrote: Jerry, since you are a machinist, maybe you could hollow point one of the 130/135 grain molds that are being made. That could drop the finished weight under 120 grains. You would have a heck of a pest control bullet in the bargain.

Now that is an awsome idea. 30-1 or anealed WW 7mm 14” contender scoped would be just way to handy. You guy's have so many great ideas that I now need to teach my Special Operations Superviser to run a lathe and mill if she will go for that.:fireSo we have time to play with all this cool stuff.

Later Guy's

Rick

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CB posted this 23 May 2008

I may just due that, sounds like another interesting project to go on the list of projects.

Jerry

 

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linoww posted this 23 May 2008

The little I have played with the 7mm I have found the Lee bullet to do pretty well.I have shot it in 7mm Mausers and 7mm-08's with 12-16g of 2400.The guns were sporters and 1-1/2"-2” @100 was pretty common.These were for friends guns for practice loads,I never got to play with them long term,still the Lee did as well as the RCBS 145 Sil. I was also using.

I think Veral did an article in T.F.S. some years back modifying the Lee 7mm mold.It may have been the bullet he shot the Elk with? He made it a fuller nose with a better shape.I'll have to dig it out and re-read it,it was a good article on modifying molds with simple scraper tools.It may have been “pre LBT"

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 23 May 2008

George,

If you find it, would you scan it for me?

Thanks,

Jerry

 

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NITROTRIP posted this 24 May 2008

Good morning Jerry,

I cast up a few bullets with my LEE 130gr mold to see what they look like and Mike them. I was wrong, they have a good bearing surface for the dia. The flat area ahead of the front driveing band and where the ogive starts is about 1 dia long. A little shorter than I remembered. It is .0005 smaller than my Contender barrel bore. So I think it is a bore rider style also. If you leave the gas check shoulder on, I beleave it would work like a rebated boat tail. Read the discription on the Corbon swageing web site on the theory on how they work. Seems like a subsonic thing. Where they work best, Like a 22 rimfire bullet. Or mill the block to remove it to get a little lighter bullet. I need to experament a little more with mine also.

Have a good weekend,

Rick

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 24 May 2008

Hi, I shot the Lee 130 gr 7mm quite a bit back in the 80's ... the nose was small for my Ruger 77V/7 Rem Xpress ....  but the mold cast round, and in single cavity at the time, easy to cast with.

The rifle would shoot under 3/4 with j.boolits and about 2.5-3.5 with the small nose Lee's... plinking ok.  But then I got a RCBS Silhouette mold, An Old West oversize, and a Saeco bore rider...  1.5 to 2.3 without further ado ... anyway, Lee now makes the mold in double cavity, maybe they upped the nose diameter, but #1 rule is still to be considered ... mike your leade and bore and grooves before you buy a mold, unless you are ready to modify mold to fit. Regards, ken campbell, deltawerkes

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linoww posted this 30 May 2008

George,

If you find it, would you scan it for me?

Thanks,

Jerry

 

Sure will.I have to plow through the shops magazine piles to find it.I am pretty sure I have all the Fouling Shots/CBA newsletters from day one. An old friend was nice enough to pass on to me years back.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 30 May 2008

George,

 

Thanks,

 

Jerry

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