Not exactly a Krag.............

[madsenshooter]

27-32.5gr of 4064 with a 112gr spirepoint, according to Sharpe. It has a fast enough twist to stabilize 105-107gr match bullets, maybe even the 115gr Berger bullets. Sharpe shows a velocity range of 2200-2540fps with the charge range given.

[CJCulpeper]

Got the rifle, have cases, now lookin about for load data ......

Resp'y,
Bob S.

What are you using for brass? Reformed 25-06 or .220 Swift?

Culpeper

[Bob S]

What are you using for brass? Reformed 25-06 or .220 Swift?

Culpeper

I have both.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Bob S]

27-32.5gr of 4064 with a 112gr spirepoint, according to Sharpe. It has a fast enough twist to stabilize 105-107gr match bullets, maybe even the 115gr Berger bullets. Sharpe shows a velocity range of 2200-2540fps with the charge range given.

Thanks, Bob. Twist is 1:7.5, Metford rifling. Another data point I have is 30.0/3031 with 105 grain Speer, v~2500, close to the service load. I may start with 4895 since I have a ton of it.

Also looking for a heavy 6mm mould.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[madsenshooter]

They pop up from time to time. There was a mold that Lyman tried once for the .243 and 6mm, which didn't work too well in them, too long, ought to be just the ticket for the Lee though. I think the Lyman # was 245499 and the bullet was 120gr or so. Hard to come by, actually even a reference is hard to come by, but I have seen the molds on ebay. I got to play with the 6mm for awhile, had a 1/8 twist Obermeyer 5R on an AR in 6x45. Now here's a fellow makes a couple heavies: http://www.generalordnanceusa.com/24Caliber.html His version of 245498 has a roundnose, he messed with mine for a long time, it isn't his fulltime job, then he sent me one he said was pre-production. I gave him some feedback, nose was too small at .233 for any modern .243 as they have a .237 bore. He said he was going to make another cherry and send me another mold. Never heard from him and never got back to him. Now the bigger one, the 245499 does have a larger nose, in fact, it's nigh groove diameter IIRC, meaning the same diameter as the bands. Might try contacting him and pinning him down on production time, and the nose diameter, he may have one in stock. The pre-production mold he sent me was quality, just can't say much for his service or communication via email. I was hoping to help him get established, leave him some good feedback on castboolits, but wasn't able to. Speaking of castboolits, I been reading on there that others had similar problems with him, maybe you'd best either steer clear, or phone him first and lay things out for him.

[CJCulpeper]

Here are a couple of Winchester Lee links for you guys in case you don't already have them.

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/wp-c...eehandbook.pdf
http://www.forgottenweapons.com/wp-c...Lee-manual.pdf

Culpeper

[rayg]

Neat manuals. I noticed that Ensign Twining, who was one of the inspectors of the WLN rifles and bayonets is one of the writers of the blue manual.
I have never had good luck with fine accuracy with the cast bullets in the Win Lee. Cast bullets do not perform well with Metford rifling, at least from my experience. Same with the Jap rifles that also have Metford rifing. I believe the bullets need to be very hard so they grip and not slip/skim over the smooth and shallow type Metford rifling, Ray

[madsenshooter]

That's what I found with the 5R rifling of an Obermeyer barrel Ray. I wound up casting bullets with a 23bhn lead based babbitt, then further heat treating them. Here's the best I ever managed to get out of the combination. I could get it going faster, but it wasn't as accurate. 100yd group out of scoped AR in 6x45 that I once had. Forgot to mention, it had a tight twist too, 1/8.

[MAG-63]

That's the one rifle I would seriously pay a whole lot of money for!