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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 31 2012 : 11:09:33
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Casting is fun for me. Today I cast 451 bullets for my grandson's .308 Win. rifle, a Savage 11/111. These are 170 grain flat nose bullets cast in Lyman #2 clone alloy. The casting took a little less than 3 hours total with a Lee 2 cavity mold, the C309-170F.
His bore slugged at .3070" Groove to groove. These bullets drop at .3105" and I will size/gas check them at .3102" for him for a nice fit to his rifle. He may even need more before deer season starts in the fall, but he likes to cast and load also at my place.
I use a Lee Collet neck sizing die that easily adjusted for the necessary oversize cast bullets that have already proven to shoot sub MOA for him with 34.2 grains H4895 at 2212 fps.
The money savings with cast bullets is really secondary to me compared to all the range time fun I have with my grandson. Very few 16 year old boys will be shooting this many rounds from a rifle this summer with their Gramp.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
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Shastaboat
Advanced Member
USA
2790 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2012 : 12:12:18
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| Isn't it just fun. I just booked a TX pig hunt and will be shooting 8x57 cast Lee at 2200 fps. Can't wait. |
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emrah
Average Member
165 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2012 : 13:48:27
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I have that same mould and I love that boolit. I size them to .311 in a Lee push-through sizer. Gas-checked, sized and lubed they weigh 181 grains. I load them over 16.0 grains of 2400. I have no idea about velocity (I don't have a chrono) but it's the most accurate load for me - at least with 2400 powder. Cheap to load and shoot.
Emrah
P.S. If anyone has shot this load I mentioned and you know the velocity (other than the approximate that's listed in the Lyman Cast Bullet book), I would love to know! |
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emrah
Average Member
165 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2012 : 13:50:29
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Shastaboat,
What Lee mould are you using for the 8x57? My bore is a .323.
Emrah |
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Ds28
Moderator
USA
3266 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2012 : 20:36:57
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| shasta....where did you book at? |
arguing over the internet is like the special Olympics....even if you win, you are still...special! |
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wilbar
Senior Member
Canada
391 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2012 : 19:38:43
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Wow! I keep looking at this thread to see that pail of bullets, they are beauties. I'm thinking of getting into casting and was looking through some literature and pics and gotta give you props those bullets are nice smooth shiny. You must've kept the temperature just right, I'm inspired by how great they look, and a little jealous of over 400 bullets to blow through before deer season. I have a Marlin 30AS, would I have to slug my barrel or is there a standard mold/sizer that works for most marlins? My gun was built in the early 80's
Willy |
Lord help me to pass up the shots I should not take, to make the shots I should, and give me the wisdom to know the difference. |
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Shastaboat
Advanced Member
USA
2790 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2012 : 20:30:50
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emrah and Ds28, I'm shooting lee's C324-175-1R, Casts at 178 gr in WW for meand I booked in NE Texas for TX and OK hunting. I size .325 and use a homemade lube of 50% beeswax and 50% highspeed lithium based wheel bearing greese. I also freeze my bullets after casting for 48 hours and age harden for a couple of months. I'll give out the outfitter's name after we hunt and will decide if I want to book again. So Far I'm impressed.
I also just heard from a good friend I call Mr. Pig and will be going over to Red Bluff, CA to hunt with him on 2/20 for a few days so I should have lots of good eats for 2012. |
Edited by - Shastaboat on Feb 04 2012 20:32:38 |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2012 : 21:31:17
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wilbar: They look a little different after lube,size,check and tumble lube again. These were 150 gr FN bullets that are all shot up already. One of the ones in that bunch took a deer this season with my Remington Spartan single shot in 7.62X39 Rooskie.
This is my casting setup for winter casting in my kitchen. You don't have to be elaborate and spend a lot of money to get started if you choose your gear carefully.
I have a bunch of molds and cast for .223, 25-06 .308, 30-30, 7.62X39, 375 H&H, .458 Win Mag, 500 S&W, Roundballs and conicals for muzzle loaders and buckshot and slugs for 12 ga. shotgun. Been casting since 1957. Factory ammo for most of those is so expensive that I couldn't shoot them if I didn't cast. I average about 100 pounds of lead a year and that is going up with 2 grandsons shooting now.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
Edited by - Onondaga on Feb 04 2012 21:53:15 |
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emrah
Average Member
165 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2012 : 23:52:24
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Thanks. I'll have to check that mould out.
Emrah |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2012 : 21:16:59
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I just loaded some test ammo for my new 1903A3 Springfield 30-06. The bullet is from the Lee CTL-312-160-2R. They are cast from #2 alloy and weigh 174 grains with check and lube. Bullets are sized for the rifle and seated to engage the lands .010". This load has 33 grains H4895 with an expected velocity of 2140 fps.
New test loads for my 1903A3
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
Edited by - Onondaga on Mar 05 2012 21:18:34 |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2012 : 14:34:32
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A big reason I cast is that I like to try a lot of different bullets. I am sure doing that with my new 1903A3.
The Lee C312-185-1R is designed for the .303 Brit so it is plenty large to size for 30-06. I just got the mold and with my #2 Lyman clone alloy it drops bullets at 179 grains. They measure .313" at the bands and .301" nose. The 1R nose is perfect for hollow pointing with my Forster tool and I will try that too. This may end up being a nice hunting bullet with the hollow point added.
First run, the bullets were sticking a bit in the mold so I scrubbed it with Comet and it is fine now. The Lee molds quality is pretty good but that little extra care in using the Comet is typical and no grief for me. I also use a Bamboo bar-B-Q stick to rub the mold cavity edges to get rid of any machining chips that may remain on a new mold from Lee. I use clear silicone dielectric grease and a Q-tip to lubricate the mold pins, sprue plate pivot and hinge pivot (requires disassemble).
This is a gas check bullet and I will be using aluminum gas checks.
They came out fine and I will shoot them soon.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
Edited by - Onondaga on Mar 10 2012 14:52:20 |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 13:01:41
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the CTL-312-160-2R pointy bullets grouped well:
They are nice to shoot but not a good deer bullet. Because of their shape they pierce and don't expand. A few years ago I used them for my Sako .308 Win and had 2 heart hits on a whitetail at over 300yds. He walked off over 100 yards. A flat nose or hollow point would have dropped him.
Here is some of the Lee C312-185-1R bullets just loaded up. These weigh in at 179 grains and the round nose will easily hollow point with my Forster tool. Some are loaded with H4895 and I finally got a pound of Alliant Reloder22. The Rel22 is a slow burn rate low pressure and High volume powder well suited for cast bullets because of its bulk and low pressure yielding nearly full cartridge cases and very respectable velocities in 30-06 with 180 grain class cast gas checked bullets. This load has 50 grains and will shoot with a lower pressure and higher velocity than 34 grains of H4895 with the same bullet.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
Edited by - Onondaga on Mar 29 2012 13:07:54 |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2012 : 19:16:38
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The 50 grain load of Rel 22 with the RNGC 179 gr bullet was clean shooting, barrel had no unburned powder kernel trail after shooting, and there was no leading. The bad news is that the load has the poorest accuracy of any load tried in the 1903A3 rifle so far. 50 yard groups were a pitiful 8 inches.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
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Hockeynick39
Advanced Member
USA
2756 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2012 : 19:38:15
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Gary,
FWIW, I never had any type of accuracy luck with anything I ever tried RL-22 in. Like you said though, very clean burning. |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2012 : 18:00:59
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I worked up a light Squirrel load for my single shot Remington Spartan in 7.62X39 and added the load here on Reloaders Nest:
I size this bullet .3125" for my rifle and tumble lube with 45:45:10 Recluse.
LoadID 7954
Bullet Cast Lead, LeeTL314-90-SWC
Bullet Weight 90 grs
Powder H-TiteGroup
Powder Weight 3.1 grs
Primer CCI-200
Brass Make Winchester
Barrel Length 24 (inches)
C.O.L 1.920 (inches)
Velocity 1120 fps
Group 100 yds 2.2 (inches)
Submitted By Onondaga
Gun Info Remington Spartan single shot
Comment squirrel load <1 in.@ 50 yds.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
Edited by - Onondaga on Jun 22 2012 21:07:24 |
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Onondaga
Advanced Member
USA
1416 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2012 : 11:19:04
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I have been trying yet another bullet in the 7.62X39. I got the RanchDog RDCTL-165-FNGC:
The throat of my Spartan allows me to seat them way out there. Accuracy has been great with a big game hunting load level. Lube is the goopy straight LLA tumble lube this time.
Gary |
Fine rifles are never really owned. |
Edited by - Onondaga on Aug 05 2012 11:20:11 |
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Topic |
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Why I Cast Bullets
