Cast Bullets For Beginners

Revised:

 

 

CAST BULLETS FOR THE BEGINNER

 

This is a recipe intended to quickly get the beginning cast bullet shooter to a point of reasonable accuracy, that I define as reliably repeatable sets of five 5 shot groups averaging under 2� at 100 yards.

It is not the ONLY recipe, it may not be the BEST recipe, but it is a recipe that will work.

It does NOT concentrate on cost.)

 

The “mustsâ€?

The shooter must be at least familiar with reloading, willing to learn how to cast bullets, and own or be prepared to buy the necessary equipment and to carefully cast, load, shoot and record the results. (Much used reloading and casting equipment is available at various shooting forums or auction sites.)

The gun must be a commercial non-military bolt-action 30-caliber rifle, such as a recent Savage, a Remington, or a Ruger.

The sight/s must be a telescopic sight of at least 6 power, preferably with an adjustment to eliminate parallax, or, as a more expensive and less desirable alternative, a set of good aperture iron sights.

The caliber must be 30/06 or 308 Win.

The bullets must be 311299 or 314299, of good quality, gas checked, sized correctly, lubed with a good commercial lubricant.

The powder must be IMR 4227. The charge must be appropriate for the cartridge and bullet. Lower velocity loads from the Lyman 48^th Reloading Handbook should be used.

The bench rest equipment and technique must be adequate to allow precision shooting.

Meticulous records must be kept of all casting, loading and shooting information.

 

Explaining some “mustsâ€?

The Gun

“Commercial non-military bolt-action 30-caliber rifleâ€? because

Today's commercial rifles are easier to get shooting than military rifles. (A custom military Mauser might also work.)

Most bolt-action rifles are easier to get shooting than lever, pump, auto loading or single shot rifle. Military rifles generally have poor sights.

We know more about shooting 30 caliber cast bullets than any other caliber.

 

The sights

Telescopic sights available today are very good at very low prices compared to scopes of the past.

Even precision micrometer adjustable iron sights are a disadvantage compared to an inexpensive = <$100 scope sight.

 

The caliber

We know a lot about shooting 30/06 and 308 Win, and the “mustâ€? rifles are available in those calibers. 

 

The bullets

The 311299 or 314299 work.

 

The powder

IMR 4227 works.

 

Some “How Toâ€? Notes:

 

The Bullets

Cast the bullets from wheel weights with maybe a little tin added.

Visually inspect the bullets, re-cycle the rejects. Weigh sort the bullets if you wish.

(The following steps require a Lyman 45 or 450 or 4500 lubrisizer, RCBS or Saeco lubrisizer or Lee Lube and Size kit.)

Seat the gas checks in a separate operation.

Size the bullets to the correct diameter.

Lubricate the bullets with a good commercial lube, such as NRA Alox lube. No homemade lubes!

 

Fitting the bullets to the gun

The 311299 and 314299 bullets are about 200 grains with bore riding noses. The 314299 bullets are a bit larger than 311299s, the noses are larger in diameter, and, until sized, the base bands are larger.

Both bullet molds today are 2 cavity. Mark the cavities so that you can tell which cavity the bullets came from. There is always a difference in bullet weight and some dimensions from one cavity to the other.

 

Cast bullets are not round, and dimensions of the as cast nose and base bands show this. I cannot ever recall a bullet with dimensions +/- a tenth, (.0001�), and normally 3 or 4 or more tenths difference is the rule.

 

Here's what you want for bullet fit.

1. The cartridge should go in the gun with a bit of resistance.

2. When you put the cartridge in the gun, and then take it out, the bullet must come out with the cartridge case. No de-bulleting!

3. The base of the bullet should be in the neck, not down inside the case. If just the gas check is below the neck, there's generally no problem.

4. The nose of the bullet should be engraved by each land of the rifling.

5. The forward-most end of the front base band should slightly mash into the origin of the rifling.

 

More tin and/or antimony in the alloy yield slightly larger bullets.

Sizing the bullet in a lubrisizer makes the nose larger.

Bigger as-cast to sized differences make the nose larger than smaller differences. Size a .314� to .308� and the nose will bump up more than when sizing from .314� to .312�.

Softer bullet noses bump up more than harder bullet noses.

 

Bullets with base bands sized to different dimensions will have different overall lengths.

 

Rifle barrel lands at the chamber end wear or erode, so that cartridge overall length increases as the rifle is shot.

 

If the cartridge that goes in the gun has a lot of base band below the neck, change something.

If the cartridge goes in the gun, has just the gas check in the case mouth and doesn't engrave the bullet nose, change something.

 

If both 314299 cavities make bullets too big, go to the 311299. If they're too small, either the gun or the mold is incorrect.

If both 311299 cavities make bullets that are too small, go to the 314299. If they're too big, either the gun or the mold is incorrect.

 

Reloading

Get at least 120 good cartridge cases from the same lot, at least with the same headstamp. 

Full-length size them. (New cases will shorten when fired. Used cases won't, much.)

Measure the lengths and trim to the same length. (Same length cases are required for proper case mouth “bellingâ€? with the “Mâ€? die.)

Chamfer the case mouths in and out.

Clean the primer pockets.

(Lee makes inexpensive tools to chamfer case mouths, trim cases to length and clean primer pockets.)

Bell the case mouths with a Lyman “Mâ€? die in a press.

Prime (Lee makes a great and inexpensive priming tool.)

Any large rifle primer will work fine.

Cartridge “lotâ€? size is 35, make a set of 35 cartridges for each trial load. 

Charge with powder.

 

Lyman 48^th Edition Reloading Handbook

308 Win., 311299 at 200 grains

IMR 4227

19.5 grains starting load to 26 grains maximum load

Start with 18 grains, and then go up in 1-grain steps to 22 grains

 

30/06 Springfield, 311299 at 200 grains

IMR 4227

21 grains starting load to 29 grains maximum load

Start with 19 grains, and then go up in 1-grain steps to 24 grains

ALWAYS CHECK A PUBLISHED LOAD TO SEE IF IT MAKES SENSE!!!!

 

Inspect the cases with a flashlight to detect “no powderâ€? and “double chargesâ€?.

Seat the bullet to the correct overall length.

 

Shooting

Shoot only on a day with reasonable weather. No hurricanes or blizzards.

Use a reasonable front and rear rest. Rests can be made of shot bags or blue jean legs, or bought for prices ranging from OK to crazy. I have used a Hoppe's front rest as well as home made rests, and they all work well.

Push a patch through the barrel.

Get comfortable at the bench.

Shoot 3 foulers, and then two 5-shot groups for record in about 15 minutes. Don't let the barrel get too hot!

Clean the barrel.

Shoot 3 foulers, and then two 5-shot groups for record in about 15 minutes. Don't let the barrel get too hot!

Clean the barrel.

Shoot 3 foulers, and then ONE 5-shot group for record in about 10 minutes. Don't let the barrel get too hot!

Clean the barrel.

Youhave shot five 5-shot groups and 9 foulers for 34 shots. What about the #35 cartridge? If you call a pulled shot, you'll need that #35 cartridge to make the fifth shot in the group.

 

Recording the data

Write everything down. Write the reloading data down when you reload, and the shooting data on the day you shoot. DON'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW, YOU'LL FORGET SOMETHING.

Write down the powder charge and primer make and lot numbers if you wish and the overall length and bullet # and just everything. If you pull a shot, honk it out of the group, and if you call it honked before you look through the scope, then take another shot for record. Don't lie to yourself.