Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Two Cartridges Two Molds You Recommend?

I have a Winchester 94 30-30 for myself and a Winchester 71 I will be loading for a friend.

I used to have LBT do most of my rifle molds, but alas they are no longer functioning (and I don't know if .348 was something they wished to make any longer).

So, bullet casting friends, I look for some help with these two leverguns.
Accurate looks like they may have a powder coat version I could modify for the .348.

I like to have a short nose and as much full diameter out front as possible, but realize a lot of standard production items are designed to "function" in as many guns as possible. Out of all of them I'm sure there are some standard ones that fit the bill, I have an idea about some of them, but thats it.

They will be used hopefully at full throttle so gas checks being part of the recommendation is no big deal.

Thanks in advance!

Accurate will make what you want.....

I hear very good things Muffin; I might have to make some pound slugs to get everything right.

I was gonna suggest Accurate Molds as well.

Hundreds of calibers/designs/weights or design your own!

You can also get multiple bullet sizes/designs in one mold……no need to buy two molds. I did this with my 460 S&W and my 45-70. memtb

I'll second Accurate molds. Tom is a great guy to work with.

As for two different cavities in one mold block, I have mixed feelings. Seldom do I need to make bullets for the two different guns at the same time, and seldom do the two guns require the same alloy. On top of that I dislike casting with but one of the cavities because production with one cavity is slow and I feel (admittedly probably unfounded) that prolonged use of one cavity and not the other can maybe, maybe, lead to warpage. Hell, I wish I hadn't even brought that up because I don't know for a fact.

In any event I would just get two molds, from Accurate if I could.

Can't help with the .348. My .348 days are 30+ years in my rearview mirror. As for a .30 mold for a .30-30 my favorite for .30-30 and .303 Savage is a 190 grain flat nose. It's a custom mold cut by Saeco around 40+ years ago now that has returned sterling performance in everything I've used it in. Cast from a relatively soft alloy of 10-12bhn it works in the 2000fps neighborhood with accuracy and no leading, and is soft enough for reliable expansion out to a fair distance. (28.0 grains 3031 gives it 2035 fps average MV out of my 24" Winchester M54 .30-30.)

It's a standard bore-riding nose design, not what you dream of but worthy of consideration nonetheless. Sort of a compromise length nose section. (I too like full diameter/short nose bullets too for their inherent accuracy but dislike them for having lube grooves left out in the open to pick up flotsam&jetsam if the cartridges are to be carried in the field.) There are several designs that are close in Accurate's catalog.

gnoahhh, Some well founded comments. However, you are a much higher advanced “bullet caster” than the majority of us…..I think!

I keep mine simple……wheel weights for everything! I’ll likely never exceed 2000 fps mv, nor shoot match……so my 1” groups @ 100 yards satisfy my needs.

As to the two calibers/bullets, ect in one mold, for someone not casting/shooting hundreds or thousands of those particular bullets…..buying only one mold may be more cost efficient!

I will readily admit though, having two bullets of similar size and shapes from the same mold does make it a PIA to segregate the bullets after casting.


You also mention in your description on the bullets to be in the .348 as having exposed grease grooves picking up debris in the field…….that’s the reason that powder coating was greatly welcomed by me! memtb

Nothing wrong with clip-on wheelweights as a general alloy! (Except it's getting harder and harder to find them.) I always added a "pinch" of tin to them to facilitate mold fillout.

Nothing wrong with PC'ing either if that's what one wants. I simply choose not to.

Lyman 311041 works well in a .30-30. Just a hair under 180 grains.



50 yards with a Win 94 Trapper

That looks similar to gnoahh's Saeco bullet.

1-20 alloy?

Not sure that was addressed to me, but the alloy has a BHN of 12+/-, or about the same as wheel weights. I mix a concoction of lead, WW and/or a bit of linotype. ALOX lube.

It was.

Thanks for the info!

I used Lyman 311041 and RCBS 30-180FN for 30/30. I liked the RCBS better for cowboy silhouette.

With my alloy (8# WW and 1# linotype), the 311041 bullets were 180 grains and the RCBS bullets were 188 grains.

The loads I used were 19 grains of IMR 4227 and 25 grains of IMR 3031. Both loads shot at the same point of impact.

The rifles I used were Marlin 36 and 336 with Ballard rifling.

I like that bullet. I need to find a good 30-30 bullet. I was looking at some lighter ones so I could use them in my 300 hammer too. It's a 1:15 twist so it does best with 150g and under jacketed but some of the cast flat nose designs are pretty short even in 170 or 180g.

Bb