ipscgraz
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Actually these loads were very pleasant. And you're right, a day at the range is better than a day most other places.
Cast bullets for rifle loads
- Thread starter ipscgraz
- Start date
Actually these loads were very pleasant. And you're right, a day at the range is better than a day most other places.
For your 45-70 The pressures of normal loads will be suitable for a hard cast bullet. So whatever starting loads are in your manual for the powder should be fine. If you can not find one that is exactly the same weight then pick a load from the closest heavier bullet. This will mean that you are shooting at less pressure and less danger.
Now for the 30-30 I am thinking extremely light loads. Without a gas check you will get gas cutting the base at rifle pressures and velocities.
A good starting point would be to look at lead loads for 38 special and work up from there.
ipscgraz
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Well, I got a chance to get to the range again today.
If anyone cares I tried a couple of hotter loads
28 Grains IMR 3031 with 165 cast bullet
Average 1870 FPS and now it is shooting several inches high.
29 Grains IMR 3031 with 165 cast bullet
Average 1962 FPS , shooting higher still
At these velocities I am feeling better about the utility of these cast bullets. It would seem that the vertical spread is much more pronounced than with jacketed and you will have to sight your rifle with a good load and stay with that load to avoid changing the POI up or down.
Oddly enough I thought the recoil was less with 28 grains of 3031 than with 26 grains. No sign of pressure though; I am going to go to 30 and 31 grains next.
For 30-30 I found I had smoother loading & crimping if I chamfered the case more than I normally would for jacketed.
I also got the 45-70 out with 350 grain cast and 34 grains of IMR 3031.
An almost-squib load at 1028 FPS.
35 grains of powder got up to 1031 FPS.
I also found with this half-case load of powder that combustion was incomplete...grains of unburned powder were splattering across the range bench when I ejected the brass. This gave a large velocity deviation from round to round as well.
If anyone cares I tried a couple of hotter loads
28 Grains IMR 3031 with 165 cast bullet
Average 1870 FPS and now it is shooting several inches high.
29 Grains IMR 3031 with 165 cast bullet
Average 1962 FPS , shooting higher still
At these velocities I am feeling better about the utility of these cast bullets. It would seem that the vertical spread is much more pronounced than with jacketed and you will have to sight your rifle with a good load and stay with that load to avoid changing the POI up or down.
Oddly enough I thought the recoil was less with 28 grains of 3031 than with 26 grains. No sign of pressure though; I am going to go to 30 and 31 grains next.
For 30-30 I found I had smoother loading & crimping if I chamfered the case more than I normally would for jacketed.
I also got the 45-70 out with 350 grain cast and 34 grains of IMR 3031.
An almost-squib load at 1028 FPS.
35 grains of powder got up to 1031 FPS.
I also found with this half-case load of powder that combustion was incomplete...grains of unburned powder were splattering across the range bench when I ejected the brass. This gave a large velocity deviation from round to round as well.
