Rossi Rifleman

Here is a link to the information on the TLC478-375-RF bullet mold. This page contains instructions for purchasing the mold.

This is the list that of those that have committed to the mold buy.

One buyer has expressed an interest in having the gas check shank removed, my reply to him is offered as consideration to anyone considering this work.

Ranch Dog wrote:I hadn't consider doing the reaming work as I would not be able to replace your mold if anything happened. The larger the diameter, the tougher the work, I think I'm pushing it on the .460 molds. If buyers would want me to try it, those needing the work would need to split the the cost of the reamer, $33, plus the $10 of labor, and be willing to accept the mold if something went wrong with any of the cavities (paid in advance). Here is what it would look like but there would still be the shipping charges.

The bottom-line is that I do not recommend that this work be done!!! If you need a plain base mold, this is probably not the design for your needs.

R.D.
I would bow to your recommendations.
Let us know when your ready to accept the money.
Pepe Ray

I received a shipping notification from Lee concerning the TLC478-375-RF, they should be here on 10/16/12.

I cast from the the new molds on Wednesday but went to work, my final trip of the year, the following day so I did not get to do any additional work until today. Immediately after casting, I quickly gas checked and sized a couple and then made up some dummy cartridges to work though my rifle.

I mixed up my Lyman #2 clone for the cast and dropped about 8# of bullets. The bullets averaged 375-grains and the target diameter of .478". Running them through the .478" sizer produces a positive contact but that is about it. Very nice. I ended up 188 bullets, I rejected 31 for a loose gas check fit. What is weird is that if you divide 188 by 6, you get 31. That tells me that the gas check shank is slightly under diameter on one of the cavities. I doubt that I will worry about it.





Back on Wednesday evening, I tried to cycle my dummy cartridges and ran into two issues. First was that I could not get them through the loading port in the receiver. The case rim was hanging up on at the gate. I have shot this rifle very little and what shooting I've done has been with ammo loaded through the port on the magazine tube. With that in mind, I simple put them through the tube; however the cartridges hung up as they tried to move up from the carrier to the ramp. My rifle is very "stiff" in operation and I'm sure that it needs to be taken down to have the fluff and buff done to it. With that in mind, I still did a little thinking about the two issues I experienced.

With the first issue, I remembered a note with my Lee die instructions concerning the need for different shell holders depending on the type of brass used.Remington brass requires the #5 and Hornady the #15 but this tells me that there are different rim thicknesses being used. They did not mention Starline but I suspect that brass is causing the rim hang up at the receiver's loading port. I plan on using Starline brass so I might need to dress that port opening to insure it can get through the gate.

After thinking about the second issue and looking at the first picture above, I realized I had not applied a taper crimp to the cartridges. I addressed that and they now feed from magazine tube to chamber as slick as can be. You can compare the first picture to this one. It is amazing what small differences make!



I will get them dipped tomorrow and out on the range this week!

This will be my last update on this design other than hunting stories elsewhere on this forum. Well right to it with my 100-yard target from today.


Hold your "Shift" Key and click on target to open full size target in new window.

Very satisfied with the bullet, all the data is posted on the target. Shot marked as #1 was a fouling shot from an absolutely clean barrel. Shot marked as #10 was pulled. Lead Sled had be sliding aft on the bench and on this last shot it came off the bench. Pulling these two shots produced a 2.354" group at 100-yards (2.249 MOA). No evidence of leading. Nice, light "muzzle star" of the Alox leaving the barrel. Plenty of lube available.

I can't wait to start casting for my 480. Factory ammo is so expensive, I try to avoid over doing it.

Has anyone tried a different bullet lube other than Alox for this bullet/rifle combo yet? I'm thinking of trying a tumble lube of straight Johnson's Paste Wax since I've got some on hand, and have seen it recommended on other forums before.