Advantage of cast bullets?

[easyrider604]

Is there aadvantage of lead bullets, other than price if one is doing all the melting and casting themselves? What is the limitations, if any as far as speed and energy are concerned. I'm assuming a lead 50bmg would melt before it left the barrel?

Too much info to write into a thread. Go to castboolits.gunloads.com Everything you need to know is there. If you know what you are doing, you can use lead projectiles for practically any pistol caliber, and for most rifle applications.

As for me, the advantage is the low low cost of materials, it is free for some lucky guys. I have the time to cast/resize and lube.

If you factor in your time, which can be valuable if all you do is work and don't have a life, then casting may not be worth your time. Otherwise, consider casting as a hobby, just as shooting or golfing is.

Lesser advantage for me is the thought that I will likely never run out of projectiles as long as there are Wheelweights/purelead/linotype to be salvaged/bought somewhere, and there is a source of heat or electricity to melt.

As well, it is nice to have a stash of a few thousand projectiles for every caliber that I shoot, plus primers and powders to match. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling at night.

 

[Brutus]

I think it's high time that I join castboolits gunboard myself.

In the meanwhile can anyone refer me to a website that displays a given energy/velocity of a given weight of conical/RB black powder loads with such&such BP?

Cheers......

 

[gunlaker]

I can't remember where I saw it, while mold shopping late one night, but I have come across some monster 0.510 molds that would be awesome in a 50 Bmg. If I recall I think they were around 8-900gn spire points.

You could probably get by with a Sharps .512" mould. I've got one from Buffalo Arms that casts bullets that are just under 700gr in 20:1 alloy. No idea how well that would work with a big smokeless case, but it works well enough with black powder in a Sharps rifle.

Chris.

 

[Pathfinder]

I also like to use IMR SR4759 for loads in the 1500-2000fps range. Past that velocity, my accuracy seems to suffer.
I use a dacron filler to take up the space between the top of the powder and the bottom of the bullet in ALL my loads that dont have at least 90%+ ish load density. The dacron does boost pressure/velocity by 25-30fps or so on average in the loads I tested. No big deal for sure.
I think it helps/aids to seal the expanding gasses behind the Gascheck, further enhancing the loads consistancy.

I also use 4759 with 45-70 cast bullets, I think the load was 25 grains behind 405gr. bullet. I dont' have dacron but Ive used toilet paper to keep the powder down, Ive read that didnt' need to do this but havent tried without filler yet. Very fun shooting...basically duplicating a black powder load and would topple most big game in reasonable range.

 

[tjhaile]

For magnum revolvers, properly sized and lubricated lead bullets can be driven faster for a given pressure or at the same speed for a lower pressure. This is one advantage of cast bullets.

 

[roberto mervici]

Robert, I have shot a few different handloads in my .458x2inch American on an FN-Mauser K-98 action. Pretty much identical to your 45-70 Siamese considering, action strength with external ballistics and a straight wall case design and nearly identical powder capacity. I've had very good luck at the 100 yard targets, with 55 grains of IMR 3031 under the Hornday 350 RN Interlock :

That exact load is the best performing in my Siamese 45/70 with a cast NOE 350gr. ww gas check tip.

 

[sobo4303]

casting your own is cheap, ecomonic, lets you controll things like the alloy and hardness, they make for great cheap plinking rounds in almost any gun, the downside is they cant stand up to the charge needed for higher velocity in CF rifles. you can use gas checks to push em a bit faster if you wish.

x 2 on this one. I don't cast mine, I pay for bullets already made...but...it is not any cheaper because I gotta buy more powder than normal because I shoot more often. It has actually cost me more, but relative to jacketed...I have saved a ton of money.

 

[Huntsman]

Register with Castboolits!
I've been casting all my sidelock balls & conicals for few years now and in the last year for my 30-30's. I use mainly wheel weights but have also sorted thru range lead.
I recently did a 9lb WW lead with 1lb solder for a Lyman No.2 alloy which is one of the reccomended alloys for many of the loads listed in the Lyman Cast Bullet manual.
Mike Venturino (Casting God) states that AA 5744 is a good powder for alot of calibers and does'nt require a "filler". My 30-30 173gr w/GC travels at around 2100 fps. I have'nt tried the No2 alloy with this caliber yet.
For me its cheap, fun and provides tons of shooting aslong as powder is kept in stock.

 

[hickstick_10]

Is there aadvantage of lead bullets, other than price if one is doing all the melting and casting themselves? What is the limitations, if any as far as speed and energy are concerned. I'm assuming a lead 50bmg would melt before it left the barrel?

Wont melt into a puddle, will likely lead the barrel if you try the top end velocities. BUT, you could try to paper patch.

Some of your advantages are barrel life is increased, fella on the shiloh forum has shot over a hundred thousand rounds out of his gun before he sent it in for a new barrel. A cast bullet of identical weight as a jacketed will generate less pressure at an identical velocity, its easier to push a softer projectile through the tube. With a paper patch projectile, if you do it right, will result in no metal fouling.

You can also look into swaging your own bullets, with that setup you can do jacketed bullets as well should you choose. Google Corbin bullet swaging to find out more on this. Guys are making jacketed bullets using a lead core and old cartridge cases for the jacket.

Theres lots of posibilities and things to experiment with, and people do get excellent results, but it takes time and experimenting, its not an instant success sort of thing for the beginner.

I agree, go to the cast boolit sight and spend a couple weeks reading the posts the possibilities are endless to what you can do.

 

[hunter64]

Sometimes you will run into a rifle that the barrel size is bigger than what it should be. I have a 38/55 model 1894 that is gorgeous to look at but I bought it for cheap because the "the dam thing won't shoot straight".

I measured the barrel and it was .381 and most 38/55 store bought copper jacket bullets are .378 or .379 at most. With Winchester factory loaded ammo that I got with the gun you were hard pressed to hit a 8 1/2 x 11 target at 100 yards.

Properly sized cast bullet at .382 pushed with IMR3031 and using starline brass (thinner brass you can load a fatter bullet and still chamber the round) I can get 1.5-2" at 100 yards now.

So with cast bullets I literally resurrected a fine wall hanger to a rifle that I have used to take 3 deer.

 

[bandit86]

I will likely never run out of projectiles as long as there are Wheelweights/purelead/linotype to be salvaged/bought somewhere, and there is a source of heat or electricity to melt.

Why linoleum?

I have the 44 mag and 357 revolvers, just need to know which molds to get. Leaning toward 158hp in the 357 and 240 grain in the 44 mag.

Suggestions for durable makes?

 

[Goldenlakepete]

I think it's high time that I join castboolits gunboard myself.

In the meanwhile can anyone refer me to a website that displays a given energy/velocity of a given weight of conical/RB black powder loads with such&such BP?

Cheers......

Sorry, don't know a website but a good source of black powder/Pyrodex ballistic info is Sam Fadala's Black Powder Loading Manual and the Dixie Gun Works catalog.

If you don't have or can't get either - do you have a specific load(s) that I can get for you?

 

[Huntsman]

I think it's high time that I join castboolits gunboard myself.

In the meanwhile can anyone refer me to a website that displays a given energy/velocity of a given weight of conical/RB black powder loads with such&such BP?

Cheers......

What cal? Pyrodex or the real stuff (Goex)?
The Lyman load book has all you need. PM me and I'll share some loads from the book.