This weekend, hopefully I may get to go test out some of my cast bullet handloads out of my M39.
C312-185r lee mold, dropped bullets at around .314 weighing 177-180grs, sized to .311 with a hornady crimp on gas check loaded over 13grs of red dot, PPU cases and CCI large rifle primers, and a medium crimp from an LFCD. Can't wait to see how they do.
Should try to cast some 150gr loads if your current ones do ok. Maybe try and get more of a spitzer-point.
My next mold will be an RCBS mold that throws a .454 270gr. Keith style SWC for my marlin 1894CB, and thats going to break t he bank for a while as far as molds go, but after that I'll be looking for a 150gr. spitzer style mold for use in my surplus guns as well. Stuff is addicting!
Just got into casting myself. Started with TL309-160-2R dropped at .312 170gr, with Winchester brass, CCI primer and 11gr Unique was shooting 2" at 50Y. Without gas check, looked like a shotgun pattern.
Just got the TL312-160-2R and sized to .314 over 11.5 unique (my bore is .313) will try to get to the range within the next couple days.
What COL did you seat at?
I went with 2.797 becasue it allowed me to get a good crimp, also I read that it is near impossible to close the gap in the chamber and there will be some jump. This was because the chamber was designed to accept military ammo that may be seated at various lengths.
You may get be able to seat longer as my bullets were made for the 7.62x39 and are .952 or 1.002 with GC.
Last edited by roggom; 03-18-2010 at 05:23 PM.
Reason: Add info
I thought solid lead bullets with no jacket wasn't good in higher powered rifles because of excessive lead fouling...
There are many variables, but if you size them according to your bore size (usually .001 greater) and keep them less than 2000 fps you can be ok. Just have to mix the correct alloy, and water quench to bump up the hardness. Water queched wheel weights have been fine for me.
Also just wanted to note: I am no expert and do much research and practical application before posting. One thing I know for sure is NEVER EVER load a cast bullet at FULL JACKETED LOADS. There are other precautions with loading cast, because most loads utilize faster powder, there is the potential to double charge the case, or secondary ignition when firing. So pay close attention when loading. Also, this is just me, instead of raising the muzzle before each shot (to pack the powder against the flahshole) I load single shot and gently tap the case against the table before chambering it. In the field, I raise the muzzle.
All this aside, casting is a very rewarding experience, gives me a great sense of accomplishment.
Those bullets sure look like they need to be seated deeper in the cases to me, down to the crimp ring...
No, its got about 2 driving bands down inside the case. It's in there where it needs to be. You always want to seat cast bullets out much further than jacketed to reduce the length of the jump the bullet has to make to engage the rifling, this cuts down on leading. Those bullets aren't going anywhere.
EDIT: Roggam, I'll have to go look and see what the OAL was. I'll get back to you on that later.
EDITx2: I would also recommend reading this: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm. The powder I'm using is a flake powder, which rates about I believe #3 on the burn rate chart. Flake powders are not position sensitive. The 13grs of red dot is a load Ed Harris created (the founder of Ed's red). I'm only expecting about 1300-1400FPS out of this load at max, but they were cast out of water quenched #9 magnum shot with had about 30 bullets addded to the mix cast out of my Lyman No.2 alloy. These suckers are HARD and you could most certainly tell when sizing them. They could handle much faster.
Last edited by tmanbuckhunter; 03-18-2010 at 11:29 AM.
I shot the loads today. Very clean burning, and my brass looks like it just came out of the tumbler and it was accurate. There was little noise, no recoil and just an overall pleasant load to shoot with no leading but it did shoot low!
Went to the range and tried out my newer bullets. Alloy is WW mixed with some counterwieghts (very similar to linotype), water quenched. The CTL312-160-2R dropped and sized .314 170 gr. GC over 13.4 gr of Unique , CCI 200 primer, seated for overall lenght of 2.794 light crimp on the band.
The image has two groups of 5 shots each, the lower was .314 over 11.3 gr Unique and the right was the above, 3/4" groups at 50Y, will dial in scope later. Very happy with this one. They are fat and are snug when chambering, but hella fun to shoot.
Back to the range and after many tweaks came down to 2 loads that are acceptable for me (so far)
I bumped my Unique load up to about 13.8 and this is a decent load out to 100 yards. About 3" groups, not to shabby.
At 50Y the Unique load is very nice, less than 2". I also worked up some trailboss, and a 170gr gas checked, .314 bullet over 13gr of trailboss, CCI 200 was the best, moa started to creep past 13gr. The recoil is about nothing, much less than the Unique, will have to load some more and try them out at 100Y.
