A "Big Lube" .512 bullet for the Spencers?

[Oregon Bill]

I have been talking with Dick Dastardly, a moving force at CAS City behind the BP bullet designs that feature one huge lube groove, about the possibility of having a mold prduced specifically for Armisport Spencer shooters. Lee produces these molds in limited runs of a minimum number of molds. Dick says he would need to hear from more Spencer shooters than just me in order to move forward with such a mold. Is there any interest here in such a mold? We can specify length, weight, diameters and nose shape for accuracy, feeding and cartridge overall length. The beauty of the Big Lubes is that the incredibly deep lube ring packs a real gob of SPG or whatever, and this keeps BP fouling to an absolute minimum for long strings.

[French Jack]

I for one have no need for a big lube bullet as both the Lyman 515139 and my LBT bullet work in my Taylor's without a hitch or problem.  I have run strings of up to 60 rounds through my rifle with out loss of accuracy, and cleanup was easily accomplished.

[Grizzle Bear]

I would say that the Rapine 350-T bullet is already a "Big Lube" type.

Grizzle Bear

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I have not noticed any issues with the modified Lee 50-70 mould.

I guess taking the Lee mould and making the lube groves bigger would be appreciated, but, not needed.
(I can fire 3 mag tubes of 7 rounds with Pyrodex P and not have any hard fouling...)

[Hell-Er High Water]

I use both the modified Lee bullet and the Rapine 350T bullet with straight black powder and do not have any excessive fouling buildup with either one using SPG lube.  I don't really see the need for another design at this time.  I just throw this out for what it's worth.

HHW

[Oregon Bill]

Well, fellas, you're more experienced with your Spencers than I, so it looks like this idea is headed for Boot Hill. I'm thinking of going with the Lyman.

[Black River Smith]

Dakota / High Water,

I finished filing down the 500 gr Lee.  I get an ~360 gr bullet with something between 25:1 to 30:1 lead.

What is the your finished length of your bullets?  Just want to compare with my finished length of ~0.757"

Thanks,

Black River Smith

[Hell-Er High Water]

Black River,

My bullet measures 0.750" OAL and it weighs 342 gr +/- cast from straight wheelweights.  A little softer alloy like you have will give a slightly heavier bullet.  It looks like you are right where you want to be.

HHW

[Black River Smith]

High Water (HHW)

Thanks you sir.  Appreciate the info and thanks again for posting those earlier pictures of this bullet.  It does make a good looking bullet with semi-traditional profile.


Black River Smith

[Dakota Widowmaker]

One last thing...

The moulds the DD would produce, I think, are 6 cavity models. Thats ALOT of weight. (6x350 = 2100gr, or 1/4 a pound)

I wonder if the sprue gates could propperly cust them and still handle the stress...

At the rate I shoot, and the rate I cast, a single cavity (maybe double) is all I need.

If Lee made a double cavity mould, that would be perfect...but, not required.

[FYI: I am looking forward to use the DD 38-55 big lube boolit mould here in the future for lever action...]

[Drydock]

I'd talk to Lee about producing a production version of the mold you've been modifieing.  Plenty lube capacity.  Minimal set up on their part as well.

[Hell-Er High Water]

When I first did the Lee mould modification over a year and a half ago, I sent all the info to Lee with a suggestion that they offer a bullet of this modified design as Spencer shooting was, and is, growing at a fast rate.  I pointed out to them at that time that this was not a new design but just a shortened version of an already existing design of theirs so that new tooling really wasn't required.  As you can see, my suggestion appears to fallen on deaf ears as people are still having to modify moulds to get the lighter, flat point bullet.  If anyone has any influence with Lee or if more shooters request this modified bullet design in a production mould perhaps this will produce some results.

HHW

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Darn cheese heads... 

I called about it as well and my requests and emails fell on deaf ears.

I guess when Taylors sells 1K 56-50 rifles, then Lee "might" make a mould...is how I understood it.