I am having a problem with coyotes, bobcats and possibly lions killing calves in a small pasture (about 800 acres). It is hard to get more than 1/4 mile from a building and have to always be aware of my backstop. I have some 130 grain bullets cast from a Lyman mold and thought about loading them to about 2,000 FPS. They don't have provision for a gas check. They are cast pretty hard. I am thinking they would be sufficient for those predators but little danger of ricochet or over penetration. Any thoughts on this?

Not a gun writer, just some thoughts.

Always be aware of your backstop.

If your cast bullets are "pretty hard", they will act like AP rounds, velocity notwithstanding. They will "over penetrate", whatever that is.

Always be aware of your backstop.

Bullets bounce regardless of what they are made of, some worse than others.

Always be aware of your backstop.

Also not a writer. Almost any 130 grain or lighter soft/plastic point bullet would be better. 22LR, hard-cast handgun even pure lead muzzle loader will ricochet badly. An expanding bullet may or may not ricochet, but it will upset, and a badly deformed unbalanced bullet will be losing speed at a rapid rate. A varmit bullet would be better. Had to laugh at your "a small pasture (800 acres)" Understand pasture conditions are much different in Arizona, but here 800 acres would be a nice sized farm.

If you are worried about ricochet's I'd go with something intended to minimize them, such as a high velocity varmint bullet in .224 caliber.

You will be limited to about 1200-1500 FPS and hence some range. Did you cast the bullets or did you buy them? Hard cast doesn't mean the bullets lead is actually hard and can be driven to higher velocity or that they will not lead your bore. 308 cal lead bullets are very likely to heavily lead your bore without the benefit of gas checks and proper lube and design. With the correct combination of alloy, casting technique, bullet design and lube as well as powder and reloading process lead bullets can be extremely accurate in pistol or rifle.

You should try what you have and see what happens, but lay in a supply of elbow grease and 0000 steel wool.

Usually, heavy slow bullets are better if you want to use cast bullets. Without gas checks, you can usually get around 1400 FPS. Above that, you want checks, as MissouriEd has said.

The 30-30 has about all the case capacity you can use for 30 cal cast bullets. In the 308, you'll have issues with lots of extra space in the case with lighter cast bullets, unless you go to certain pistol powders that reliably and uniformly light regardless of the position of the powder in the case.

If your barrel is full of lead, bronze scouring pad material, unfolded, will remove it.

Get a 22-250 and load 50 gr. v-Max at max vel. Muddy

The 22-250 suggestion is spot on, however I thought he was hung up on the 308. But maybe misunderstood. Have never used them but the barnes varminator ads showing a bullet "exploding" in a grape were cool.

Thank you for your input. My rifle of choice is a 243 winchester which is very effective. Have a variety of calibers available from 22LR to 338 Win. Mag or 45-70. Just thought light loads in the 308 might be an alternative and the 130 grain cast bullets don't work that well in the M1 Carbine. Have lots of them I cast from wheel weights. 22-250 is a great caliber. I am still upset with the military for making the 222 practically obsolete in favor of the 223. Maybe 2000 FPS is too fast. Anyone use a tuft of poly fiber to take up space in the cartridge and keep the powder next to the primer? Lyman recommends it in some of their 45-70 loads.

Barnes makes frangible bullets in .308 that wil blow up critters and be relatively safe in settled areas. Much safer than lead and can be pushed just as fast as regular jacketed.

Hornady 110 VMax, pushed fast. At least they won't ricochet much.

You're over-thinking this. Your "rifle of choice" is a .243 Winchester. Buy a bunch of 55 gr. Nosler BTs, back them with a full case of Varget, and everything they touch blows up - and the bullets don't ricochet.

^^^This^^^

If stuck on the 308, maybe you could find some of the old Remington Accelerator rounds with a 55gr 22 bullet in a sabot. I wonder if sabots are available today that we could use to duplicate those Accelerator rounds.

They are indeed, from EABCO. I've got a couple hundred and the seater tool. I'm saving that project for my old age!