Cast bullet loads?

Try and find loading data for either of the 4895's for a jacketed bullet of similar weight to your cast bullet. Reduce the maximum load listed for jacketed bullet to the 60% level for a starting load for cast bullets. If the max jacketed bullet load was 50 grains then your start load would be 30 grains for the cast. It is hard not to find an accurate load with 4895 in a lot of cartridges provided you don't push the bullet faster than the twist ,alloy and lube can deal with. Shoot groups in one grain load increments. When the accuracy starts to fail you back off to where it was good. That is likely to be in the velocity range you specified.
 
Nice---
I don't know why you think 2,000 fps is the speed limit for cast bullets. I even quoted you on the 303 you asked about, 2365 fps, with 3031, that you also asked about, in the old Lyman book, with the 205 bullet.
There are so many variables, regarding cast bullets, speed and loading. you have to find out for yourself, with your rifle and your components, what your limits are.
Your accuracy will tell you what the limit is. When you get to too much pressure=too much speed, you will get a pattern, instead of a group. Don't worry so much about lead in the barrel. It's easy to get lead out of the barrel, if it gets there, which it may not, even at pressures that either blow past the bullet, or make the bullet slip the rifling.
I did a fair bit of experimenting with a 30-06 and I used every kind of powder I had. You don't have to find every load in some book. As someone else said, go by a jacketed bullet load, then cut it down. No one can tell you what an acccurate load is for you. Or a load that won't lead your barrel. You have to try things out and find out for yourself.
 
I just use Jacketed Bullet loads for my 45/70 with cast gas check bullets. They are all sub 2000 fps and I get about the same velocity as advertised for jacketed bullets of the same weight.
 
With cast bullets I find that the slow pistol/fast rifle powders work best. Fast pistol loads don't seem to be as accurate and give much lower MV's, and medium speed rifle powders don't seem to burn consistently unless you get the MV up to where I've seen leading and poor accuracy. I have not had good results with H4895 at levels lower than 80% of max loads.

For the 205gr in the 303 Brit, I have tried:

SR4759 - 18.0 to 21.0
H4227 - 22.0 to 25.0
H4198 - 24.0 to 27.0
Re7 - 25.0 to 28.0

I use SR4759 in most of my rifle cast bullet loads now, but I found Re7 possibly the best powder in this application.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom