Usually when I cast for my 2 25 LBT rifles I go for quanity because I shoot so many bullets from them.

Recently I have been going for quality.

To start with I am only using one cavity of the two cavity mold. I also made a jig to hold the bullets nose down while spray lubing them with moly before sizing. This allows me to visually inspect each and every base twice, once while in the mold, and once just prior to lubing.

Then I bought a better scale, a RCBS scale and I am weighing my bullets and sorting to + or - .2 grains.

Today I worked with my 25 LBT carbine, I set the power to 850 from the 770 FPS I had it. This was accomplished by simply adjusting the PW from 3 to 7 and as a result I was able to fill to 3000 PSI instead of 2700 PSI and still open the valve against the medium weight spring, which is still stiffer than the factory spring.

The carbine usually wears a 2x7 Burris scope to snipe squirrels and pests around the house here, but I put my Bushnell 3200 Tactical on it to do this long range shooting.

I shot at 150 yards on my rebuilt steel 3x4' target from a Caldwell rest on the hood of my Explorer. I refilled every 3 shots during the 20 shots of the four 5 shot groups. I checked my zero first on the center disk and then shot at little white spots I had sprayed on the black steel plate. I also readjusted my zero between shots.

The first two groups hd me reading and holding for the wind, the lead splash marks are hard to measure, but they are roughly measured to be 3.5 inches and 2.75 inches. The wind died down and I would wait for it to be almost still for the 3rd and 4th 5 shot groups. They measured 2.37 and 2.25. The total average for all 4 groups was 2.5 inches. The best 4 out of 5 was just under one inch.


The 4 groups

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Groups 1 and 2 shot in varible winds

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Groups 3 and 4 shot during still conditons

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This 4th group has 4 shots in less than one inch
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Regards,

Roachcreek

Good shooting Charles
I just ordered a haley 257 im hoping it will do the same. If itsanything like my 308 it will

Charlie good groups for sure . In 32 caliber I was able to buy some old stock new Ideal single cavity molds . And I sure like them now that I have used them . What I have found is the mold keeps a very even temerature . I never need to let it cool down .I have also noticed that when I sort threw 2 pounds of casted bullets I only have about 5 or 6 rejects . Considering that I do not need to let the mold cool and 99 percent of the bullets are good I really do not think it is taking me any longer to cast the same amount of good bullets . And yes it is worth it to cast your own . I was given some bullets to try that were bought from a caster that sells bullets . The bag is market .309 When I miced them they run from .312 - .307 Some times on the same bullet . Some day I will melt them down and use the lead . Marvin

I have a few of them, the small blocks, they cut the variables in half. I wish I could find a place for rebuild kits for them, but they are all for the large molds

In BPCR I used to index mold cavities, sizing dies, cases and all three reloading dies. And loaded the bullet in the cartirdge with the index mark, I used a light centerpunch hit inside of the mold cavity, indexed sizing die and loading dies to the case and then loaded the same way in the chamber each time.

Real pain in the tush, but it took all the variables out of the possability of an error in mold dies or chamber, because you loaded and fired the cartridge the smae way each time. I also wieghed and only kept bullets with in + or - .1 grain on 550 bullets. I got burned out agter a few years

I may start doing that, but truthfully the wind is the biggest obstacle I have here in the Pacific NW,it swirls here over the grapes and the flags are always moving it seems

But its fun, I am retired and having nothing else to do.

I have bought some parts for old Ideal molds from Lyman and I think Eric the HP man has some of the off size screws that they take . And yes I have a wind problem as well . Fall is my best time for accuray . I have what is called the Delta breeze that has turned into the Delta wind the last few years . And the range I shoot at runs a long a river [ which is our brim ] . It can create its own curents as well . Some times I just have to go out and have fun and not get to serious about it .Marvin