Good Cast Bullet Calibre?

mmattockx

mmattockx

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I have been thinking about getting a large(ish) bore rifle for shooting cast bullets and want some input on calibre. The classic one would have to be 45-70, but I would prefer a bolt action over a lever. It was suggested to me at one time that I get a .458 Win Mag and load it down to 45-70 levels for plinking/range fun (I do reload, so that would work). I have watched for a .458 to come up for a while now and nothing has been there at the right price when I could buy, which leads me to looking at other choices.

How would a .375 H&H work as a cast bullet special? Any other choices that are typical in bolt actions?

Most of its use would be light loads for range fun and plinking, with some hunting possible with heavier loads.

Mark
 
The 375 works, but most of the cast bullets you'll find for it are usually for the 38-55. They mike out at around .379ish, where-as you'll be looking for .376. They are out there, but just not as easy to find.

The 45 calibers are definitely VERY cast friendly. There is a HUGE range of weights and profiles, you can find them online, or at the local gun shop. There just seems to be a lot of options for the 45 bore guns that isn't there with the others.

This has just been my experience though. I've been trying to source 375 cast bullets for a long time, and it's quite a bit more effort than the 45's.
 
It's a matter of choice really and you can do so in virtually any caliber. I do a limited amount in a number of calibers, with a variety of weights and mostly in lever guns, with one exception;
348 WCF ----- Winchester model 71 deluxe
44-40 -------- Marlin model 94
444 Marlin ---- Marlin model 444S
45-70 -------- Marlin 1895GS

458 WM ------ Winchester model 70 Super Express
 
hansol said:
The 45 calibers are definitely VERY cast friendly. There is a HUGE range of weights and profiles, you can find them online, or at the local gun shop. There just seems to be a lot of options for the 45 bore guns that isn't there with the others.
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This is pretty much what I have found. If I wanted a lever action, I would have bought a 45-70 by now and be out enjoying it already. I guess I will just have to keep saving my pennies and watching for the right .458 to show up.

Mark
 
mmattockx said:
This is pretty much what I have found. If I wanted a lever action, I would have bought a 45-70 by now and be out enjoying it already. I guess I will just have to keep saving my pennies and watching for the right .458 to show up.

Mark
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Mark, I can't say enough good about the 45-70. And I think a Marlin would be more than enough power, for you. I am completely amazed at the accuracy of ordinary,home cast bullets. I purchased a bunch of 420 grain bullets, both flat base and gas check, from a home caster who just uses what scrap material he can get.
I have a 1.5 to 4.5 Bushnell 3200 on the Marlin. I have tried I would say, probaly eight different powders. Haven't found a bad one yet! Higher powered loads hit higher at 100 metres than do lighter loads, but always the same horizontal location. I am going to do some more serious accuracy testing shortly, and will report on it.
Johnn Peterson, very thoughtfully, sent me a copy of Reloader's Digest a couple of years ago, which had a feature length series on the Marlin 45-70. They test fired every load shown, in three different type Marlins. I have never got near the full loads he tested. Maybe you could stand the recoil, and do it.
Years ago a friend of mine had a P14 made into a 45-70. He really didn't enjoy it because of too much recoil at the higher end loadings. And he is an oooold time shooter, of a great many calibres.
 
I have spent a life time shooting cast, that does not make me an expert by any means but here is a little info that I have learned over the years. Straight wall cases like the 45-70 and the 38-55, 32-40 make the best cast shooters by far. That does not mean that the bottleneck cases won't work because they will. It just means that the others are far easier to make work. I use to shoot the 45-70 a lot but as I have gotten older I have switched to the 38-55. Just as accurate and way less less recoil and a lot less lead used in making the bullet.

Graydog
 
If you are specifically looking for a bolt action rifle have a look at the 358 win
 
I agree with Jed, the .358 Win. or .35 Whelen, are avail. in factory rifles and would work well. My experience with cast bullets in the .458 Win. was not successful, so if it were me, I'd make up a rifle in a) .45/70 on p-14 or some such b) .450 marlin c) .458 X 2". The .411 Hawk would also be interesting!
 
Ben, why were your 458 tests not successful with cast bullets? I've often though of doing that p14 conversion, and thought that a 458 downloaded to 45-70 cast velocities wouldn't be any different than a regular 45-70 shooting cast bullets. If it was a bottleneck case, I could see that, but the 458 Win mag is straight walled...

You're the resident expert on cast bullets and such, what do you think is happening there?
 
There's one cast bullet I use in the 458WM that gives decent results, 530gr LFNGC. I think, once I've used up my supply, I'll leave the cast bullet shooting for my Marlin 1895GS and Pedersoli Sharps. The three primary cast bullets I use in 45-70 are a 325gr LFNGC, 405gr LFNBB and a 420gr LFNGC.
 
Ben makes a nice 300 gr lead bullet for the .375, which makes a dandy small game and plinking bullet when loaded to about 1200 fps. His .458/480 bullet works well in the .45/70 and as far as I can tell seems to work well in the .458, although I think a bullet has to group well at 600 yards for him to be consider it successful!!
 
i have loaded cast bullets for a long time finding that 30 cal and larger work best ,some micro grove barrels don't work well even in 45-70. now my two pet cast lobbers are a 32spec win 94 and a husky 9.3x57 both will shoot 2 inch at a hundred
 
jed said:
If you are specifically looking for a bolt action rifle have a look at the 358 win
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Yes, 358Win in bolt action rifle would be the most cast bullet friendly bar none. I don't shoot cast bullets in my Win mod 88 in 358Win b/c it is dificult to clean it up properly but my Marlin mod 336 with Ballard rifling in 35Rem and cast bullets are pure perfection combo.
 
I have a Win 94BB in 375 Win and it is a great cast shooter, I cast my own RCBS 250 gr gas check bullets.

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My cast bullet experience with a .458 Mag. was a case of me being my own worst enemy, and not following my own advice. I bought a beauty CZ 602 in .458 as Phil gave me a good deal on it, I spent alot of time redoing the stock to a beautiful hand rubbed oil finish, which I do with most guns, before shooting it (Sask. winter). I loaded up samples of most of my cast bullets, and I couldn't keep it on paper no matter what. I'm nobody's fool, so after about 5 trips to the range, I slugged the bore and it came out to .462", which I didn't want to gear up for, so it got traded back!!!
 
I have had pretty good success for an amateur using cast bullets in a .308 and simple Lee moulds. Using Linotype and gas checks, about 2000 fps, and groups about 1.5" which is not far off what that rifle did with jacketed bullets. You can just buy .30 cal bullets cast by Ben or others, or make your own with a small investment in the Lee stuff. Just go ahead and try it!
 
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