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Joined: Jun 2007
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Casted two weeks ago, a small 30 rounds worth.

LBT 340 .458 LFNs softnosed and heat treated for the 1895.

Shot that weekend for the deer opener, buck head on. The bullet hit the base of the left neck and exited the right rear hip. A shard of the softnose made it to the hind quarter, other than that it was a total pass through.

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I cast year round as well. Why would anybody wait until the weather cools down?


Keep moving forward!
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[Linked Image]
Hit to the right of the neck/brisket area.
[Linked Image]
Entrance, with the skin off.
[Linked Image]
Taken from the left hip/ham when butchering. Part of the soft nose that did its work and was punched through by the heat treated shank.
[Linked Image]
The hole where the heat treated shank exited; left rear hip. The bullet did not veer or tumble, just expanded, penetrated and exited the animal in the path the muzzle was pointed....
[Linked Image]
Load workup took forever.

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[Linked Image]

The bullets in hulls.

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HawkI,


Outstanding. I had great luck with a Accurate 310 grain FN over 41.5 grains of 3031, but I am having a hard time reproducing that success.

Everything you told me worked out great. My problem is consistency of alloys and thus weight of finished bullet.


Me solum relinquatis


Molon Labe
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Weight and consistency of alloys?

The bullets above are made of two different alloys, soft lead in the nose and WW's with some tin; sometimes they don't even "look" good. I have no idea what they weigh from one bullet to the next; out to 100 yards it should be negligible on paper, provided they are reasonably close.
Are you fluxing while casting?

I think diameter in relation to the throat (and whether your dies are swaging the bullets) and distance to the lands will pay greater dividends. Of course making the best bullets you can never hurts anything.

These loads slightly engage the rifling with a slight "hitch" to the lever, sized .457, nose first. They might shoot a little better in the 1895 if they were a little fatter, but the 458 SOCOM throat won't eat anything larger fouled up a bit and soft seated, so expediency wins.

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Following you advice I got the best group I've ever had with cast bullets. My problem is that I can't seem to recreate that success consistently.

I thought it was due to different weight of bullets, thus my concern with alloys.

I shall try fluxing more often. When I get it right I will post he results.

Thanks in advance for all the knowledge and experience you share.


Me solum relinquatis


Molon Labe
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Ranger,

Don't flux frequently. Just flux once the alloy is molten. Fluxing frequently while casting causes weight variances.
I only questioned the frequency of your fluxing, since you are having weight fluctuations.

How are you sizing your bullets? What diameter die? Are your seating dies deforming your bullets as you're loading them?

A cast bullet (especially a gas check design), sized base first with the gas check swaged on first as it enters the sizer die, will make unconcentric bullets even with an aligned fitted nose punch.
A good way to detect this misalignment is seeing whether the driving bands are showing thicker on one side than the opposing side. Using a larger die and sizing nose first and mildly swaging
the gas check last provides more labor and expense, but also provides the consistent accuracy you seek. Lubing/final base first sizing can take place after the check has been seated using the nose first process. Use a steel punch for nose first sizing;it will ruin your nose fitted aluminum one.
Even most cheap, mass produced cast bullets are usually nose first sized on Star equipment.
An example for a .458 throat uses a .460-.461 die, sizing nose first until the check is mildly crimped on. It might be loose, but that won't hurt a bit. If you get any galling or shaving, lubing a bit with case lube like Imperial wax works well. Lubing and final sizing is done with a .458 die with an aligned fitted nose punch.

I use a Star sizer, so all sizing and lubing is done nose first.

Said another way, lopsided bullets are never accurate and alloy, diameter, weight and hardness won't fix the issue. The bullets MUST be concentric.

I thought you were powder coating, so I suggest NOT sizing and NOT using a gas check for now (I also thought you were using checks, so correct me if I'm wrong!). Seat as far out as will chamber with fouling, snug. Apply a mild roll crimp if not in the crimp groove. We don't want bullets setting back at all. If you can still crimp in the groove, swedge the crimp snug to the bottom.

The dimensions of your bullets, before and after loading and how it fits in your rifle's throat, will matter a lot more than the weight of the projectile and even the hardness of the alloy, within reason.

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As with others I cast year round. I don't know how many I cast for, I'd have to go count. Definitely over 30 cartridges but, in some I use the same bullet. Such as my 8 X 56 Mannlicher/Schoenauer, 8 X 57 Mauser and 8 X 58RD roller. Same could be said for my 9mm rifles.


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I have a stash of #429421 Lyman.
I shoot them out of a 4 inch 629 S&W
My book says not to use the lube sizer under 70 degrees. That could be awhile in Minnesota.

I am wondering how fast they would need to go to make a good concealed carry load?


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Lemme see if I got this right. It's warming up so some of you fellas are starting to cast again.

I cast thru the fall-spring time frame and not during summer. It was 98* yesterday and I got all the bullets I need, at least until around October. laugh

Must have something to do with latitude, ya think?


I am..........disturbed.

Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain


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I shift gears into casting sinkers this time of year. I fish about 6 days a week so use more sinkers than bullets until fall.

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I cast in jan. feb. for the hole year, do about 1000 each of 8 cal.

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I casted my first 50 cal. round balls last week. They are just slightly less accurate than the Hornady and Speer . I think they are ever so slightly smaller cause they go down the barrel just a bit easier. The factory seem to string high, but there is no stringing in my home made ones. They shoot high, low , right and left but never far from the bullseye so it is likely going to be my deer load, 60 gr. Goex with a .15" patch. I might go with an .18" patch and that might tighten up the groups.


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Originally Posted by whelennut
I have a stash of #429421 Lyman.
I shoot them out of a 4 inch 629 S&W
My book says not to use the lube sizer under 70 degrees. That could be awhile in Minnesota.

I am wondering how fast they would need to go to make a good concealed carry load?




you do realize they sell lube sizer warming base plates
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/000152745885/universal-lube-heater-115-volt

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