Match Winning Lee Bullet Mould

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  • Last Post 31 October 2021
RicinYakima posted this 22 October 2021

Jeff Brown doubted that a Lee mould every made a match winning bullet. In 2010 my Trapdoor won the Big Bore National Match in 5-shot Grand Aggregate match and set a national record that lasted about 8 years. The bullet was the 405 grain hollow base replica of the US Army bullet, cast from linotype (!) over 24 grains of A2400. The 100 and 200 yard final groups averaged 2.381 MOA.

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GregT posted this 23 October 2021

I should get to bed but here I sit reading ... The replica of the 405 grain government hollow base carbine bullet mentioned above by RicinYakima has been a favorite of mine also. I use 1.5 Swiss blackpowder, 55 grains, with ho-made 50/50 lube, and a Lee Mould casts just right! I also bought a Lee Compression Die. I have a favorite 1874 Sharps that eats these like popcorn! I would not begin to know how to measure the run-out of a bullet, all I can tell you for sure is that I "run out" of this bullet way too fast and they take way too long to make. I keep at least a hundred of these bullets cast up to shoot when I am having a really bad day. I settle down with my Sharps and these bullets loaded up in Remington or Winchester brass and shoot away. Easy hitting 12 ounce plastic bottles at 100 yards. Rifle is equipped with a nice tang sight. I cheat and use 3x reading glasses and make no excuses about "old eyes"!

GregT

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RicinYakima posted this 23 October 2021

They were cast out of linotype because I needed .463" on the top driving band. That alloy made it so I could just finger lube them and load them as cast. 

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oscarflytyer posted this 23 October 2021

Not match for me, but...  I was looking for a fat bullet starter mold for my Marlin 1895.  I like Lee products, and not a lot of $ if they don't perform.  I bought the Lee 405 RN-HB mold.  Cast it/loaded it with Waters' accuracy load for Trapdoor (38.5 gr IMR 3031).  Shot great/kills deer DRT when shot in the shoulder.  I did zero load work up/testing etc.  Just cast/loaded/zeroed (70 yds) and hunted with it.  I haven't used anything else so far (although I DO now have some old RD mold and loads, but - my Go To hunting round is still the Lee/Waters combo!).  And expect that the same combo will work great in my Rem RB custom build at longer range.

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RicinYakima posted this 23 October 2021

oscarflytyer, One of the issues with shooting Big Bore benchrest is the recoil, at least for me. Shooting 200 rounds from a 45/70 from the bench not only leaves me black and blue, but dizzy and vision hazy. 

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 23 October 2021

in my 788 44 mag, the lee 300 gr was the best of 4 or 5 molds and several commercial cast ...

also, the other sourced castings were improved in my bump/swage dies but the lee shot just as well out of the mold.

that said, i have had Lee ( and Lyman !  0.003 runout ) molds that were below even my low-bar plinking standards.  

...i have never had a bad RCBS or Saeco mold ...  yet ... 

ken

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RicinYakima posted this 23 October 2021

Those are BR matches, CBA Military Rifle Nationals, shot at Paul Bunyan range in WA.

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Little Debbie posted this 22 October 2021

Lee makes excellent molds. Casting, sizing, loading, and shooting are clearly out of Lee’s control just like Lyman, RCBS and ever other mold maker.

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delmarskid posted this 23 October 2021

That 405 hollow base is a well thought of bullet. I like a little Never-Sieze around the base forming pin.

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JeffinNZ posted this 23 October 2021

Good Lord!  Someone reads the blog!

What I was really referring to was the BR matches. 

Cheers from New Zealand

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max503 posted this 31 October 2021

My Rossi carbine likes Lee's 124 TCTL bullet meant for the 9mm, un-sized and lubed with LLA.  I have a two cavity and would like to get a 6 cavity when they become available.  

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