.40cal Conical Range Test - deep groove round ball barrel

[BrianL]

If you can use them for deer, you are lucky indeed. 40 caliber muzzle loaders are not legal for deer in PA. (44 cal min.)

.40 is minimum in NH with no bullet weight restrictions.

 

[dbutch]

40 cal. Minimum if rifled 45 cal. in smooth bores in Wisconsin.

 

[Oldnamvet]

All these different restrictions are interesting. I assume that they apply to the black powder season. But can you use a less than 45 cal rifle during the regular rifle season? Naturally you can (i.e. 30/30) but do they single out black powder rifles for the regular rifle season?

 

[BrianL]

That is an interesting question and I just tried to find something on it. It would seem that anything over a .22 LR is legal during firearms season. I believe there is a buckshot size restriction at #4.

 

[roundball]

All these different restrictions are interesting. I assume that they apply to the black powder season. But can you use a less than 45 cal rifle during the regular rifle season? Naturally you can (i.e. 30/30) but do they single out black powder rifles for the regular rifle season?

My assumption would if a state established a minimum caliber for a BP arm, it would be done so based on some perceived minimum power level.
And if that's the case, a state's wildlife dept. would probably hold to that minimum standard for using the ML at any time, not just during an ML season

 

[Rat Trapper]

A rifled ML in 40 cal is legal with patched round balls or these REAL bullets we are all talking about in Wisconsin. Got my mold today and cast up some of the 40 cal REAL bullets for myself. They look very good, hope my rifle likes them.

 

[roundball]

They look very good, hope my rifle likes them.

Glad you got the mold...be interested in the range test results

 

[BrianL]

My assumption would if a state established a minimum caliber for a BP arm, it would be done so based on some perceived minimum power level.
And if that's the case, a state's wildlife dept. would probably hold to that minimum standard for using the ML at any time, not just during an ML season

That sounds reasonable. The law here permits carrying only one longarm and one sidearm, both single shots of 40 cal min. I suppose the only difference would be lack of restrictions of backup
arms during regular season.

 

[Rokon]

I approached LEE last year to order a custom mould and was told they no longer do custom work for customers.

Does anyone have a different spin on LEE?

 

[roundball]

I approached LEE last year to order a custom mould and was told they no longer do custom work for customers.
Does anyone have a different spin on LEE?

Check with member 'oldnamvet'
Lee Precision is who just made his set of molds for this bullet...

 

[Rat Trapper]

Not sure why I let all you guys talk me into this, but I made up a bunch of 40 cal REAL bullets yesterday. I plan to try some Lee liquid lube with them. Now before everyone starts sending me more PM's, I'm not planning on getting into the bullet casting business. Oldnamvet only had two extra molds made up and I got a pm from him this morning saying they were both sold. Someone here might try to talk one of the shops to invest into getting a bunch of these molds made up. I'd guess they would also sell well here too if someone wanted to get a bunch of them and offer them here.

 

[roundball]

Might not be enough of a large scale interest / 'market segment' for companies to invest in.
But probably enough interest among various forum members to launch a new cottage industry:
Rat Trapper Conicals

 

[Oldnamvet]

I just emailed Andy Lee at Lee Precision and he was more than happy enough to take on the custom mold business. Can't understand them turning away business. :idunno:

 

[majg1234]

well I'd be interested in a mold IF we get enough interest in them to make up an order,right now toying with using a 175grn SWC hard cast sized 401 for my 10mm and 40 cal reloads.It will load into my 40 cal TVM SMTN engrave the rifling.and come back out (loaded a short brass ram rod under the bullet) My next step is to get to the range with it.If it'll work pretty well will mold some pure lead size them and go from there....but still interested in the R.E.A.L mold

 

[roundball]

I just emailed Andy Lee at Lee Precision and he was more than happy enough to take on the custom mold business. Can't understand them turning away business. :idunno:

Tom, not completely understanding the longevity of an initial 'set-up' fee like you incurred, was wondering about something:

Now that Lee Precision got 'set up' for your molds...could you continue ordering additional molds for just the cost of each mold...or would another 'set-up' fee be required? (from you or anyone)

Or does Lee now have in place what they need so that anyone who ordered that .40cal x 200grn R.E.A.L. mold today would just pay the cost of another mold?

Thanks

 

[zimmerstutzen]

On another forum, a group buy of BPCR bullet molds was still $60 dollars each for a run of about 30. As I recall, that may have been from Lee.

There are custom mold makers who will turn the cavities on CNC machines for a reasonable charge. You send them the paper design and they program it and cut it.

I have a mold for an obsolete Ideal .456 wad cutter that I use in my Ruger OA. It punches incredibly clean round holes. I was thinking of getting a slightly smaller one made for use in my Pietta. So the cost of a custom mold was something I have been watching.

I talked to the owner of a company that makes in-line bullet seaters for bench rest shooters. The guy said they have been using the same chamber reamers for years, which astounded me.


Another thing with Lee, if they get a few orders for the same item, it often ends up in the catelogue. Happened with some special reloading dies they were contracted to make.

 

[Oldnamvet]

I just emailed Andy Lee at Lee Precision and he was more than happy enough to take on the custom mold business. Can't understand them turning away business. :idunno:

Tom, not completely understanding the longevity of an initial 'set-up' fee like you incurred, was wondering about something:

Now that Lee Precision got 'set up' for your molds...could you continue ordering additional molds for just the cost of each mold...or would another 'set-up' fee be required? (from you or anyone)

Or does Lee now have in place what they need so that anyone who ordered that .40cal x 200grn R.E.A.L. mold today would just pay the cost of another mold?

Thanks

Bill - from what they told me, the set-up fee is for that particular mold fabrication. Once the job is done, if you came back some time later, it would require another set-up fee. In these days of CNC, it would seem that if they had the measurements, it would be a simple matter to enter it into the computer and cut the mold. But not being a machinist, it is probably not that simple.

 

[GBG]

Just curious if anybody has shot one over a chrono?

 

[roundball]

Just curious if anybody has shot one over a chrono?

I have not...and since it's so new I'm not sure any have been shot yet besides those Tom and I posted about.
In the meantime I've done some checking...and let me say right up front that this is nothing more than pure SWAG thinking out loud...and T/C's load data chart lists the following in a .45cal:
190-200grn maxi
80grns Goex 3F
1711 FPS

I was shooting this 200grn slug in a smaller .40cal bore which would normally have higher pressures and velocities, but I was only using 70grns Goex 2F so that "might" offset that a bit, keeping it similar to the .45cal stats.
If I had to make a 100% SWAG, I'd guess this little .40cal x 200grn conical was probably leaving the muzzle of my 38" barrel in the 1500-1700 fps range. But it's pure speculation...

 

[roundball]

Just curious if anybody has shot one over a chrono?

I have not...and since it's so new I'm not sure any have been shot yet besides those Tom and I posted about.
In the meantime I've done some checking...and let me say right up front that this is nothing more than pure SWAG thinking out loud...and T/C's load data chart lists the following in a .45cal:
190-200grn maxi
80grns Goex 3F...typo, should be 2F, sorry
1711 FPS

I was shooting this new 200grn R.E.A.L.slug in a smaller .40cal bore which would normally have higher pressures and velocities, but I was only using 70grns Goex 2F so that "might" offset that a bit, keeping it similar to the .45cal stats.
If I had to make a 100% SWAG, I'd guess this little .40cal x 200grn conical was probably leaving the muzzle of my 38" barrel in the 1500-1700 fps range. But it's pure speculation...