Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Cast bullet for 250 Savage 1 : 10" twist

I was thinking about getting an NOE mold for a cast bullet heavy enough that I could use it for hunting deer but will probably be punching paper or a gong mostly. I expect velocity would be held to somewhere under 2000 fps. The NOE mold I'm looking at is the 260-115-FN-AJ1, (primarily because it's in stock and 15% off until midnight tomorrow). Bullet OAL is 0.877" with the driving bands being around half an inch long

From what I've read, 25 caliber cast bullet accuracy can be somewhere between tricky and impossible, so maybe I shouldn't rush the purchase because of the 15% off.

Thoughts? Thanks!

I have a mold that I use for my 25-20,25-35, and 250 Sav. It is about 80 gr. but I just use it for varmints and range shooting.

I have been happy with what it does.

Sounds like it should shoot ok, and NOE molds are excellent quality, IMO. The thing is though it would be very marginal for deer at under 2000fps muzzle velocity. Over that velocity (which is certainly do-able) and you're getting into cast bullet skullduggery - either a hard alloy which will perform like a FMJ and not expand for beans, or other tricks such as bi-metal castings/paper patching/etc. Powder coating may be an answer there but I can't speak to that.

In the world of hunting with cast bullets, energy transference is dependent upon mass at a given velocity, quite a bit different phenomenon from jacketed bullets which achieve awesome power via high velocity. Given the elastic limits of an expand-able alloy (rough rule of thumb 2000fps), in order to achieve good killing performance, bigger is always waaay better. A 100gr. or so .25 bullet traveling sub-2000fps (factor in distance from muzzle here, unless you're shooting them right in front of yourself) won't deliver really humane killing "power" nearly as well as a .30 or .35 200gr. going the same speed. I would view .25 cast bullet hunting as borderline trick shooting.

Were it me, I would absolutely get the mold, play with its bullets, and make a decision then as to whether I felt ethically justified in using it on deer. Or conversely do what I do in such cases and use the bullet for tons of cheap shooting fun throughout the year and when deer season draws nigh load a box or two of favorite jacketed loads, re-sight in, and go hunting. That's the protocol I follow with sub-.30 caliber rifles.

I don't really expect to hunt with cast bullets and should have said that. Things would have to be really dire for that to happen. Using the cast for practice and jacketed for hunting is much better idea; thank you. I would have to go to a state which allows bottle-necked cartridges in any case, as in, not Ohio.

I should probably buy and try some pre-cast bullets first before buying a mold anyway.

Suggest buying some already cast from a reputable maker to see how it goes and if you like them. Might be the easiest route before the investment in all that goes with casting, lubing, sizing, gaschecks, etc. Good luck with one of the all-time great small game cartridges! Art