Tim Lyne
04-22-2011, 06:49 AM
A couple of years ago I bought a used .56 Spencer Rapine mould when I got my first .56/56 Ballard; couldn't get a new one. The mould had been used pretty hard before I got it and it's given up the ghost. What to do...
I had a Lyman .515139 350gr. mould sitting around that I rarely use so what the heck. I sent it out to Erik at "Hollow point Moulds" with instructions to enlarge the bottom two bands to .522 for a thumb pressure friction seat into my cut .50/70 cases. The top two bands were then enlarged to .546. This left me with a 365gr heeled bullet that holds lots of lube; two grease grooves full inside the case, one very deep grease groove above the case mouth. I was a little concerned that it would be "sticky" when casting becasue of the extra deep GG in the nose, but I haven't had any trouble with it. I left the bevel base on to help self-guide when loading.
The really good news is that it shoots small groups out of my Ballard. I get engraving the full length of the bullet so the base is definetly getting bumped up to groove diameter. So far I still "dip the tip" in lube but this weekend I'll try a few with just the filled GG and see what kind of fouling I get.
I'm sure there are several folks out there that can do lathe work on a mould. Erik did a great job for me. $51.00 total including shipping back to me.
Tim Lyne
Knap's Batt.
#2952V
I had a Lyman .515139 350gr. mould sitting around that I rarely use so what the heck. I sent it out to Erik at "Hollow point Moulds" with instructions to enlarge the bottom two bands to .522 for a thumb pressure friction seat into my cut .50/70 cases. The top two bands were then enlarged to .546. This left me with a 365gr heeled bullet that holds lots of lube; two grease grooves full inside the case, one very deep grease groove above the case mouth. I was a little concerned that it would be "sticky" when casting becasue of the extra deep GG in the nose, but I haven't had any trouble with it. I left the bevel base on to help self-guide when loading.
The really good news is that it shoots small groups out of my Ballard. I get engraving the full length of the bullet so the base is definetly getting bumped up to groove diameter. So far I still "dip the tip" in lube but this weekend I'll try a few with just the filled GG and see what kind of fouling I get.
I'm sure there are several folks out there that can do lathe work on a mould. Erik did a great job for me. $51.00 total including shipping back to me.
Tim Lyne
Knap's Batt.
#2952V