Bullet I am using in my Rio Grande

[Ray384]

When I got my Rio Grande in .30-30 I thought that I would use a Lee bullet, so I poured some 150 grain and some 170 grain. The 150`s fed through the rifle and shot pretty good. The 170`s would nor feed though the gate. I still wanted a heavier bullet, buttge Lee would not work.

A friend showed me a 170 grain he was using. It was a Trueshot from Oregon Bullets. They loaded though the gate and didn`t do anything strange in the chamber. So looking around I found that the Lasercast 170 gr. was the same bullert sans the gascheck. I called the company, and they verified what I thought. I had gaschecks, so I ordered 500 of the Lasercast for about 50% of what the Trueshot.

I`ve shot them a couple of times and they are doing good. I did change out the rear sight to a Marble`s flat top sight. They seem to agree with my eyes nowadays. However, the dovetail was a little loose, so the sight moved on my last expedition. I have put a shim to tighten it up. I got a .310 sizer from Ranch Dog, and will try that also, the last lot I shot were ones that I sized to .309. I need 200 yard accuracy out of the rifle with a low velocity load, due to some local shooting that we do.

I keep you folks informed as to how it goes.

[Ranch Dog]

I thought that I would use a Lee bullet, so I poured some 150 grain and some 170 grain. The 150`s fed through the rifle and shot pretty good. The 170`s would nor feed though the gate. I still wanted a heavier bullet, buttge Lee would not work.

I'm really curious as to the why you think the 170-grain Lee design would not move through the loading gate? Was it the nose profile, OAL, etc.?

I shot both my C311-170-RF and TLC311-170-RF through my RG and they did very well. I do think the rifle does not have much throat. It is cut to the SAAMI spec and that is it. My 45-70 is cut the same way. My 30-30, now 38-55 Win, came back from JES the same way. SAAMI spec, no throat. I'm thinking about buying a piloted throat reamer with a 3° taper so that the chamber is a little more cast bullet friendly. I would like to do the work to my Marlin 336BL and both of my RGs.

[Ray384]

It was OAL that was preventing the 170 from entering the loading gate. If I crimped in front of the driving band it would enter through the gate. The bullet chambered fine, if it was seated to the crimp groove. The nose of the Lee is basically a bore rider.

An Australian shooter on another forum said he was told by his dealer, that the Lee bullet would feed, if you adjusted the loading gate screw. I don`t know where they were going to adjust it to.

Anyhow the Lasercast 170 gr. will load through the gate, doesn`t get engraved by the rifling and shoots good, when my new rear sight stays still.

[Ranch Dog]

It was OAL that was preventing the 170 from entering the loading gate. If I crimped in front of the driving band it would enter through the gate. The bullet chambered fine, if it was seated to the crimp groove. The nose of the Lee is basically a bore rider.

An Australian shooter on another forum said he was told by his dealer, that the Lee bullet would feed, if you adjusted the loading gate *. I don`t know where they were going to adjust it to.

Anyhow the Lasercast 170 gr. will load through the gate, doesn`t get engraved by the rifling and shoots good, when my new rear sight stays still.

Yeah, sounds like what I experienced with the lack of throat in the Rio Grande. You could shorten the OAL, trimming the brass to accommodate the crimp groove but I plan to ream the throat with the 3°taper.

[Ray384]

Well, between the RG and my .308, I managed to use up the 500 Lasercast bullets. They shot good out of both rifles, but I have embarked on a new adventure.

I decided to get the RD 165 gr. mold and cast my own. Luckily, there was one in stock on the day I ordered. So far I have cast about 300 of them. I have made up a dummy for both rifles and all looks well. I`ll get some fored soon.