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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953 |
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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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,051
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,051 |
I cast year round as well. Why would anybody wait until the weather cools down?
Keep moving forward!
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953 |
Hit to the right of the neck/brisket area. Entrance, with the skin off. 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. 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.... Load workup took forever.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953 |
The bullets in hulls.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,412
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,412 |
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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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953 |
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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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,412
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,412 |
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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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,953 |
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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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,047
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,047 |
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.
NRA Benefactor 2008
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." John 14-6
There is no right way to do a wrong thing
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,698
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,698 |
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?
I like to do my hunting BEFORE I pull the trigger! There is only one kind of dead, but there are many different kinds of wounded.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,090
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,090 |
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. 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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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,167
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,167 |
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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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,915
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,915 |
I cast in jan. feb. for the hole year, do about 1000 each of 8 cal.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,194
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,194 |
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.
But the fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, Gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. Galations 5: 22&23
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,428
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,428 |
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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