338-06 cast bullet reloading data
- Thread starter tomL
- Start date
There is lots of lee way in loading cast bullets in large, strongly built bottle neck rifle cartridges. The large volume cases just require more powder than do smaller capacity cases.
For example the Lyman book of cast bullet loading shows, with 190 grain gas check bullets, a max of 31 grains of 4198 in a 30-06 and a max of 39 grains in a 300 H&H with the same bullet.
For the 300 H&H they show a max of 49 grains of 3031 and 54 grains of 4320, but that is really pushing it, with velocities of near 2500 fps.
By "really pushing it," I am referring to a high max speed for a cast bullets and I do not mean it is pushing it as far as pressure is concerned. Maximum loads with cast bullets are determined by how fast they can go before accuracy goes all to hell.
Just use your imagination and load away with medium to slow burning powders and tell us what you came up with.
For example the Lyman book of cast bullet loading shows, with 190 grain gas check bullets, a max of 31 grains of 4198 in a 30-06 and a max of 39 grains in a 300 H&H with the same bullet.
For the 300 H&H they show a max of 49 grains of 3031 and 54 grains of 4320, but that is really pushing it, with velocities of near 2500 fps.
By "really pushing it," I am referring to a high max speed for a cast bullets and I do not mean it is pushing it as far as pressure is concerned. Maximum loads with cast bullets are determined by how fast they can go before accuracy goes all to hell.
Just use your imagination and load away with medium to slow burning powders and tell us what you came up with.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
Tom,
I can't be super specific, but I have found that in 30-06 or larger cases with cast bullets, this has worked for me.
Prime with a magnum primer, fill case 80% full of IMR-4831 and top off with cast, gas checked bullet of your choice, just as long as it's not a lightweight bullet. You powder should not be compressed at all, but be pretty full once the bullet is seated.
This has worked for me with several cartridges from 303 Brit to .375 H&H.
80% load of IMR 4831 has been enough powder to be safe from the effects of "underloaded" ammo, fast enough to be still considered an honest hunting load, but not so fast that most cast, gas checked bullets can't handle it. And it's well under max pressure for any cartridge I've ever worked with, since IMR 4831 is so bulky.
I have not chonied it in every rifle I've tried, but seems like this recipe gets around 2000 fps most of the time.
BTW, I water drop my cast bullets, so they are medium-hard. Pure soft lead, even gas checked, may not handle close to 2000 fps. If I was having that, I'd just drop my charge of IMR 4831 until I got accurate results.
I can't be super specific, but I have found that in 30-06 or larger cases with cast bullets, this has worked for me.
Prime with a magnum primer, fill case 80% full of IMR-4831 and top off with cast, gas checked bullet of your choice, just as long as it's not a lightweight bullet. You powder should not be compressed at all, but be pretty full once the bullet is seated.
This has worked for me with several cartridges from 303 Brit to .375 H&H.
80% load of IMR 4831 has been enough powder to be safe from the effects of "underloaded" ammo, fast enough to be still considered an honest hunting load, but not so fast that most cast, gas checked bullets can't handle it. And it's well under max pressure for any cartridge I've ever worked with, since IMR 4831 is so bulky.
I have not chonied it in every rifle I've tried, but seems like this recipe gets around 2000 fps most of the time.
BTW, I water drop my cast bullets, so they are medium-hard. Pure soft lead, even gas checked, may not handle close to 2000 fps. If I was having that, I'd just drop my charge of IMR 4831 until I got accurate results.
Last edited:
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
I'd suggest either of your slower powders, IMR 4350 or preferrably the H 4831. Maybe start with 70% of a case full and work up (if you want) until you start to lose accuracy. I use H4350 with 185 grain lee cast and gc as as my heavy cast load for 303 Brit; 41 grains of powder I think, and about 2200 fps.
As for the case mouths, all I try and do is chamfer (spelling???) the inner case mouth with my RCBS case prep tool, the thing that looks like a woodworkers countersink, just to make the mouth easier for bullets to slide into. I only bell the mouth if I absolutely have to.
I usually also lightly crimp my cast loads, either with a crimp die (if i have one for that cal.) or I pull the depriming apparatus out of my decapping die and run the loaded rounds just ever so slightly into the die, so that about 1mm of the brass is crimped into the lead bullet. Works for me.
Have fun!
Years ago I did a lot of experimenting with cast bullets in a 30-06.
I tried every kind of powder I could get my hands on and every type of bullet lube I could dream up.
Long story short, there is little, if any, different results obtained from using different lube.
H4831 was as good as any powder I tried for getting maximum velocity with descent acuracy.
I tried every kind of powder I could get my hands on and every type of bullet lube I could dream up.
Long story short, there is little, if any, different results obtained from using different lube.
H4831 was as good as any powder I tried for getting maximum velocity with descent acuracy.
