For standard 1600/1900fps rifle loads I use coated range scrap. When stepping up to hv/cast/pc'd bullets in high powered rifles a alloy that is "elastic" is best. I use a 15bhn alloy 4 parts range scrap (+/-8bhn) to 1 part mono-type. What happens is the nose of the bullet starts in the rifling and the base/lower body of the bullet is still in the ball throat/leade. This puts torque/twists the bullet body. This leads to the next paragraph.

Bullet design is huge. Most old bullet designs have what's known as a "wiper groove" in front of the front drive band/before the bullets nose. When the nose of the bullet twists this becomes a weak link. Bore riding nosed bullets tend to strip out with high pressure/high velocity loads. Bullets with a long nose end up having what's known as nose slump when pushed hard/high pressure. The nose actually slumps to 1 side ruining accuracy. This bullet is designed for extreme accuracy with the taper matching the chamber's throat. Push it hard (2000+fps) and the nose slumps destroying accuracy.


I started doing initial tests last winter and used the lee 160-312 tl bullet.


Typical 10-shot groups @ 100yds with mixed brass and the only bullet sorting was visual defects (voids/bad bullet bases) and home made gas checks.


A good example of the affects of the bullets nose/slump. I have a cramer #43mold that casts a bullet like the lyman 311316 sp bullet. 1 cavity casts a sp bullet and the other cavity casts a flat nosed hp bullet. Every load I've tested the flat nosed hp has outshot the sp bullet. Typical groups/10-shots @ 100yds.


The cramer #43 bullets


Something to keep in mind:

I'm using a custom 30" bbl (more velocity) that has a 1 in 14 twist (less spin/torque/nose slump).

Strong bullet design with a short or flat nose that isn't a bore rider. And you'll find that 2200fps/2300fps and +/- 1 1/2 moa are very doable. Getting under 1 1/2moa takes a lot of attention to detail.

Good luck & sorry for the thread drift