Lee 321-155-2r

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Kdablackout
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Lee 321-155-2r

Post by Kdablackout »

I will not bore you with the details of the two other molds I have gone through that did not work well for me and so I want to ask for others advice here before I buy my 3rd mold.
I see many here had good luck with this mold. Has many others had bad luck with it? If so I would like to know the reasons. For those of you that like it for 300 blackout can you share some information?
What was your OAL?
What powder and grains and is it a compressed load?
Velocity?
What was the bullet group size? Note if 50 or 100yrds.
How did this bullet group compared to others or factory ammo for you? As this all depends on your setup.
Is your bullet powder coated?

I will be powder coating my bullets and size to .309.
Powders I have are:
Shooters world Socom 15-21 gr. Note:Hornady 150 starts compressing powder at 18 gr.
Shooters world blackout 15-18 gr.
Accurate 1680 19-21 gr. Note: i do not know how you get 21 grains without very heavily compressing the load.
This is for a AR with 10.5” pistol

Thanks for any information and hope this will help others.
imashooter2
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by imashooter2 »

I shoot it conventionally lubed and checked sized to .310 in a 16 inch rifle. I set COAL at 2.020 inch and load it over 14.5 grains of IMR4227 (uncompressed). Velocity averages 1,733 fps. 10 shot groups at 50 yards average 1.7 inches (elbows rest, no bags). Rifle is clean, no leading, no fouling in the bolt. Feed, function, hold open all flawless.
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cwlongshot
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by cwlongshot »

I have had good luck with this bullet. I find it shoots touching holes with a number of powders. COL is determinant upon your gun cycling. As we are talking cast loads here we are not pushing pressures or any where near compressed loads. Frankly some of my best loads are found 1400 vel
Ranges.

IMR 4227, H335, 3031 and 4198 have all done this.


I like fat bullets. So smallest Ill use is .310but shoot as many .311's. I dont shoot these as subs but could probably shoot fine.

My suggestion is dont push it. Be happy where accuracy is found. Dont chace velocity.

CW
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Kdablackout
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by Kdablackout »

Thanks for the feedback guys. I bought the mold, casted about 60 bullets and powder coated them. I will be loading shooters world blackout and Socom at different load to test.
Kdablackout
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by Kdablackout »

Well I tried shooters world blackout 17gr 1630fps and Socom 15.5gr 1645fps, 16gr 1696fps. I compared hornady 150 fmjbt against my lee lead 312-155-2r powder coated bullet. Shoot 5 rounds of each load.

150 fmjbt seat 2.130. 1” to 1-1/2” groups @ 50yrd

155 lee powder coat seat 2.010. 4-1/2” to 6” groups @ 50yrd

I have not tried using a gas check.
Bullet is sized to .309. Barrel slugs at.308 max
Ar rifle is 1/8 twist 10-1/2”
Barrel seams to be clean with little to no copper fouling.

Why is the lead pc bullet grouping so bad compared to the FMJ?
Last edited by Kdablackout on Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:21 am, edited 3 times in total.
BJK
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by BJK »

Try a gas check before deciding anything. How are the bases of the cast bullets? Cast bullets need good bases. I can't tell you if a gas check will make a bad base better, but I can tell you that in my very limited experience a gas check will make a cast bullet with a flawless base better. Velocity increases slightly and accuracy is better. I don't know why but I can guess. A gas check uses metal with a higher melting temp and one that resists gas cutting to back up the much softer lead. How are your FMJs built? I don't need an answer.

Bases on a cast bullet? Good enough isn't good enough for me. Not when I can immediately melt them down and cast the alloy again. The bases must be filled in and sharp.

If you're doing wet coating...

Cast the bullet, coat it lightly 2x baking between coats and let them cool between coats, size and apply the gas check. Before doing the sizing you can do the rub and hammer test to make sure the coating is on the bullet as it's supposed to be.

FWIW, when I get the time I have identical moulds one with a gas check and one w/o. I intend to test what comes out of them for accuracy with and w/o a GC. It probably isn't going to happen this year though.
Kdablackout
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by Kdablackout »

I use shake and bake to powder coat the bullets. The base of the bullets look good and square to me. I did hammer test on two bullets and they passed great with no issues at all.
If no one else has any idea I will have to try buying the gas check and see how that will do.
Thanks for your information and reply BJK.
imashooter2
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by imashooter2 »

Powder coated cast are still cast. Make them bigger and put on checks.
popper
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by popper »

That bullet needs GCs. And a harder alloy if pushed that hard. I can get about 1600 with a real PB 170gr bullet, above that group is poor. Same barrel as yours. GC shank deforms without a GC.
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cwlongshot
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Re: Lee 321-155-2r

Post by cwlongshot »

Powder coat is not a replacement for a gas check.
With a plain base bullet you CAN shoot them to faster velocities but no more pressure. Pressure is of great effect to a lead bullet and harder alloys are superior to soft when pressures raise. Very light/low pressure stuff shot OK.

I have tried shooting gc bullet without a GC and every time better accuracy is always found WITH a gc. (This is a gc designed bullet without a gc.)

So I agree, try the load W/gc. See for yourself.

CW
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