Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Cast bullets for deer

I use either a 218gr. checked and lubed from a Lyman 3358627 copy or Ranch Dog's 190 gr. RNFP GC out of my .357 Maximum Encore barrel for deer here in Iowa. I haven't recovered a bullet yet, they plow through and put them down nicely, they start out at about 1700 fps.

hi i am using a 330gr (457122) fphp in my Savage 110 lh chambered in 450Marlin pushed to 2100 hits then hard and right where you want. was very lucky to get 2 8pts on 11/15this year Clint

Latest 30-06 effort with the 190 NEI and 19 gr of Trail Boss at 50 yards. Cases are neck sized and fall out of the M-70 chamber.
Now I gotta start weighing powder & bullets.

Looking good oldman! If you really want to get anal, try putting a prick-punch mark on the side of the mould cavity so as to leave a little tiny dimple on the bullets. Then, weigh-match them, and load them in the same case(s) each time- orienting the bullet with a mark on the case rim (hence the dimpled bullets). Neck size only. Then, orient the case into the chamber exactly the same for each shot (small scribe mark on the barrel breach to line up with the notch in the rim). Orienting the bullets in the bullet sizer die each time, using the dimple to line up with a mark on the die, is a good idea too.

Don't be surprised if you get ragged one-hole groups. Sounds like a pain-in-the-ass, but it's not really, once you get the system worked out and up and running. After all you're going to run them through a lube/size die anyway, and you're going to seat them in the case anyway, and then you'll be inserting it into the chamber anyway-- why not do it with precise consistency? (And consistency is the name of the game in cast bullet accuracy.) I experimented with a Winchester M54 bolt gun in .30/30, with cast bullets. Using that technique it would get consistent 3/4"-7/8" groups/100yds. Using one single cartridge case, (made from a .375 Win case, neck reamed to allow thumb seating) loaded repeatedly at the bench, produced consistent 5/8"-3/4" groups and enough 1/2" groups to make me grin like an idiot!

Just an exersize in seeking ultimate cast bullet accuracy. I certainly don't do it with hunting loads!