casting your own bullets, which are the best to cast

StiffDrink

StiffDrink

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Hey guys

So I am experienced in casting .50 cal ball, minie and r e a l bullets for my musket, and from my other posts ive been asking about reloading because im keen on getting into it.

My question here is, what are good centre fire cartridges to cast for, am i limited to just pistol rounds? I know lead can only handle up to a certain velocity. I just saw online some one commented that .30-30 can be cast, but I dont really beleave it, what do you guys think.
 
they have molds for every rifle caliber out there...........I cast from 224 all the way up to 50 BMG........with the addition of gas checks you can drive cast bullets up to 2000 feet per second, if the bullet is sized to your barrel you will have no leading issues.......
 
I only shoot the slower stuff ( black powder ) without gas checks, although I used to shoot a lot of 405gr gas checked bullets at about 1700fps out of a few .45-70's.

I know a few guys who shoot cast bullets out of more modern center fire rifles. I believe they all use hard alloys with gas checks.

Chris.
 
As has been mentioned, you can cast for damn near any cartridge out there. There are things to be aware of though. Cast bullets have their limitations. Considerations need to be made for hardness of the bullet, the diameter as to which the bullet is sized, and the speed at which you plan on shooting the projectile.

As a general rule of thumb, it isn't recommended to be shooting cast bullets faster than about 1800 fps. This is generally with the harder alloys, though some have shot faster without gas checks. In that regard, a gas check will allow you to get more out of your bullet, but in this case, the bullet mold must be designed to put out gas check ready bullets. These usually have a ridge on the base that allow a gas check to fit. This will allow you to throw bullets beyond 2000 fps, though it still isn't without limitations. You are in the end, shooting non jacketed lead bullets.

What you will find is that most of the things you will try and do to lead bullets is to try and reduce the amount of lead that gets deposited in the barrel.

Currently, I cast 375 grain 500 S&W. I am also shooting cast 38-55. Grab the Lyman cast bullet reloading book. Lots of good information in there and it has all the molds for pretty much all calibers, as well as recipes with velocities.
 
StiffDrink said:
So ive never heard of gas check...that part was not common in black powder, just did some quick research but, how do i add that
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You need a mold that produces a bullet with a recessed base to accept the gas check, and then you add the check when sizing the bullet. The sizing process crimps the gas check on the bullet base.
 
you have to have a bullet design that is set up to take a gas check, they are crimped on when you lube size your bullet.

I am not going to look but a quick search on youtube will likely turn up lots of info.......
 
You can get good performance with cast using almost any cartridge, BUT smaller rifle cartridges are generally better suited for cast bullets. For instance: with cast bullets the 30-30 will give you about the same maximum velocity as a .300 Win mag, but the 30-30 uses a lot less powder doing it and has much better powder fill characteristics.

45-70, 30-30, 9.3x57, 358 Winchester and similar cartridges are all well suited to cast bullet use but there are many more that work well too.

You can buy a Husqvarna mauser 9.3x57 rifle at Tradeex for under $300. Casting your own 9.3 bullets for it is super economic (factory bullets are almost all in the $1/bullet range !!) and as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. And a 280 gr bullet at 2100 fps is a serious heavy hitter.

Getting set up for casting is going to cost minimum about $150-$200 plus moulds and lead. It's not hard to cast good bullets, but OTOH don't expect to jump right in and make perfect bullets your first try. Developing a technique and learning to recognize what is going on is simply about trial and error, paying attention, and thinking about what you're seeing. IMO casting is a bit harder to do well than reloading but well within most people's capabilities.
 
I know all about the trail and error of making rounds trust me, and lead is one thing I have no shortage of. What are the other components required for casting centrefire rounds?


So I use a mold that had the recessed cavity, but am I buying these gas checks or is this something I can brew up in the smelter?
 
StiffDrink said:
I know all about the trail and error of making rounds trust me, and lead is one thing I have no shortage of. What are the other components required for casting centrefire rounds?


So I use a mold that had the recessed cavity, but am I buying these gas checks or is this something I can brew up in the smelter?
Click to expand...

First thing you must do is slug your bore to get the size of the bore. Once you have your bore size you want to cast and size your bullets to fit (usually I go 1-2 thou larger).

I tumble lube mu bullets first and let them dry for several days.

The gas checks are put on the bottom of the bullet and then you run the bullet with the gas check through a sizing die which sizes the bullet and crimps the gas check on. Then I relube my bullets, let them dry and load them up.

I've had great success with the Harris load (google it) which is 13 grains of red dot shot gun powder with a 170-180gr hard cast bullet. The Harris load was designed for use in .30 cal military cartridges and 13 plus or minus a grain seems to work in everything I've shot them out of.
 
StiffDrink said:
So I use a mold that had the recessed cavity, but am I buying these gas checks or is this something I can brew up in the smelter?
Click to expand...

You buy them. They are generally available in boxes of 1000. You have to get them for the bullet diameter you're looking to use.

I haven't used any bullets with gas checks yet, though I do have a 357 SWC mold with the recessed base and a box of gas checks. I just don't have 357 magnum firearm to bother loading for.
 
StiffDrink said:
I know lead can only handle up to a certain velocity. I just saw online some one commented that .30-30 can be cast, but I dont really beleave it, what do you guys think.
Click to expand...

if you have the Lee reloading manual there is a chapter dedicated to lead hardness (BHN) and pressure, there is also a section showing how to extrapolate jacketed load data into cast load data. i would also suggest getting Lymans cast book manual as well.
hope this info helps.

cast bullets can be allot of fun as long as you understand and set your goals correctly.
dont expect to jump straight into jacketed bullet loads using cast bullets and get accuracy or any results.
it does require a bit of research and a learning curve.
 
The BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS: go to the cast boolets web site. They have all the cast bullet shooting/casting info you can imagine! I have learned piles of information over the years!

Grab a Lymans cast bullet loading manual, and read it thouroghly.


The standard trend with cast bullets is to shoot them at 1800-2000fps or less.
Almost everyone thinks this is the limits of cast bullet shooting. That couldnt be further from the truth!

After you gain some experience with shooting cast bullets, you will learn how to track accuracy improvements and what parts of a load Combination improve or destroy accuracy.


I have been shooting one of my .308 winchesters (rem 700,varmint laminate) exclusively with cast bullets. With my developed loads/techniques, i can shoot 200 grain gaschecked cast bullets at full jacketed velocites. Accuracy is 1-1/2 to 2 MOA out to 300+ yards.

Rifling twist rates are even more critical for top end performance with cast bullets.

Try it out, learn as much as you can, and have the time of your life! Its lots of fun!
 
Also, gaschecks can be factory made, or made yourself.
There are cast boolet members that sell gascheck punches/formers. They are very easy to make!

Different gascheck materials will allow you to reach different pressure levels without load combo failures.

Aluminum,copper,brass are all materials that can be made into gaschecks.

Have fun!
 
StiffDrink said:
So ive never heard of gas check...that part was not common in black powder, just did some quick research but, how do i add that
Click to expand...

Hence the reason why multiple people have suggested you actually go out and buy a reloading book. Maybe it would be wise to buy a bullet casting book too. Maybe have a look at the sticky the blacksmithden has done on smelting and casting.
 
coreyd said:
Hence the reason why multiple people have suggested you actually go out and buy a reloading book. Maybe it would be wise to buy a bullet casting book too. Maybe have a look at the sticky the blacksmithden has done on smelting and casting.
Click to expand...

Yea i got that part, does that mean I cant ask questions anymore then?
 
I bought a gas check die from a guy named pat marlin. The one I have is for putting on plain base bullets not on gas check based bullets. Just cut up beer can and run them through the punch.
 
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