Casting for deer hunting

[Bugflipper]

 I would like to cast a deer hunting round. Odds are I'll end up playing with most of them anyway for target. But for a good deer round which would you recommend.Available rifles I have in this range; 7.62x39mm (.308 bore),30/30 imp, 300 savage imp, 30-40 krag imp, .303 brit , .357 maximum, 35-300 savage imp, 35 rem imp and 358 win.
All are bolt actions. Looking for a woods rifle. I really can't see loading down a .308 or 35 whelen when I have some good slower calibers.
 So which in 30 and 35 would best fit and could you recommend a mold please.

[Graybeard]

The .35s would be my first choice followed by the .30s and the .303. I'm not a fan of cast bullets in smaller diameters and for me at least .308" is getting marginal and I won't go lower on big game. Use heavy for caliber also don't worry about velocity under 2000 fps is fine.

[Bugflipper]

I also have a 45/70, 45/120 and 50/70. Would the bigger is better theme work here and forgo expansion?

[woodchukhntr]

Well, since cast bullets generally don't expand, bigger is usually better!

[Tom W.]

Ranch Dog Molds makes a nice one for the .308 caliber bores..and it won't break your wallet.

[jhalcott]

http://www.castbullet.com/shooting/easy.htm
  The Lyman 311041 (170grain) is a good one for the 30-30 and other 30 calibers too! A good bullet for the .35 calibers is http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=319002. You can use straight wheel weight alloy and get very good velocity and accuracy from these 2. A heavier bullet
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=474107 is the 311284 (210gr) MAY be usefull at longer ranges than I find in woods hunting. I have used the 311291 (170 gr)http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/667443 and 311041 to take many deer. I use the 358315 & 358318 in the 35 Remington and Whelen and a couple molds for the .44 and .45-70.  Those molds can be purchased from other places,some times at a saving of $$. A good 130 grain in the 7.62x39 is very good for coyote and feral dogs! Before you start casting and loading ,get a couple cast bullet manuals and study them.

[Graybeard]

I also have a 45/70, 45/120 and 50/70. Would the bigger is better theme work here and forgo expansion?

Yup with cast that's the way it works. You're NOT gonna get expansion if they are hard enough to withstand rifle velocity anyway.

[Larry Gibson]

Since you have the .35s go with one of them.  I have a M91 Mauser rebarreled to .35 Remington. I cast a RCBS 35-200-FN out of 50/50 WWs/lead, size .360, use a Hornady GC and lube with Javelina.  I load these over 4895 to 2125 fps and do get expansion out to 200 yards.  This is a soft alloy and to maintain 2 moa accuracy I clean the barrel every 5 shots (just for hunting and when working up the load).  This load is very deadly on deer.  Accuracy after 5 shots goes to 3-4 moa.  For practice I cast of WWs + 2% tin and load to 1900 fps. I can shoot these all day at 1900 fps with 2 moa accuracy.  The 2125 fps load with the 200 gr cast bullet equals the velocity of factory 200 gr loads.

Larry Gibson

[jeclif]

let ma know if you pick 762x39
I have a cz527 in that and have been thinking of the same thing

[jhalcott]

jeclif, the 130 grain bullet cast fairly soft is a decent bullet in the 7.62x39. I wouldn't shoot it in the SKS or any auto loader FOR DEER HUNTING. There was a bolt gun made for it and the Encore has been chambered in this(maybe it was a custom barrel). In any case use an accurate firearm. keep your shots under 100 yards and get a lot of practice before hunting season.

[bilmac]

I would shoot a nice hard bullet in your 50 and not worry about expansion.

[Bugflipper]

I got my order in from midway yesterday. I did order 30 and 35 molds but want them for target practice later. I am working on 45 and 50 loads for the deer. I do not have a 45-70, forgot I gave all my lever actions to my dad. These are old sharps rifles, I always loaded in black powder, so not going to change. They are 45-140 sharps and 50-140 sharps. Only had time to load up 50's with 70 and 90 gr black powder a little leading, with 5 shots each. Went to 120 and 140 gr, leading a real problem, so is recoil though, I forgot how much this joker kicked.
 70, 90 and 120 were loaded with ground walnut hulls to lessen pressure in 140 case. I went with 650 gr, thought it would be similar to slug hunting.
Anyways bore was lubed as were bullets. Straight wheel weights. Groups were both around 2" at 50 yards on 70 and 90. So will harder bullets group better? I picked up some tin and antimony today, need help on formula %. Will work on powder gr, for accuracy will stay in the 50-70 range most likely because this will only be a 200 yard rifle and has creedmore sights.

[bilmac]

Scratch what I said about a hard bullet before, at around 45-70 velocities you shouldn't need a real hard bullet, just hard enough that it doesn't lead your barrel. Sometimes it seems like super hard bullets don't shoot as well as something a little softer. I don't know much about black powder, there are guys who make a fettish out of wringing the max out of BP cartridge rifles, but when I load for my 45-70, I improved my accuracy a whole lot by hand lubeing my bullets with lithium based(white) grease and shooting them unsized.

[Bugflipper]

Sounds like a good tip to me.
On the BP It's a tad slower, but really accuracy isn't much different than factory loads when I used jacketted bullets. Just don't want to throw a whole lot of pressure to these old rifles.

[Lloyd Smale]

any of your 35s will do fine. the 200 rcbs rfgc is an excellent mold in that caliber though i dont know if it will work in a contender as ive never tried it. A 4570 is much better yet. the 405 rcbs mold is hard to beat with that one.

[Sharps-Nut]

 Cast your bp bullets soft 25- parts pure lead to 1 part tin always served me well.  Use a good soft black powder lube,  shaver, dgl, spg.  Do you use a blow tube between shots on your catridge rifles? ,  if not make one and learn to use it.  My 45-70 sharps reproduction would print 4" groups at 300 meters like clock work if I did my part.  The only big 50  I shot weighed in at 19 1/2 pounds and was a 50-90.  With the weight of bullet the gent shot in it it was a pussy cat but moving that much mass what wouldn't be.  He used smokeless in his as well but I have no idea of what powder.  Claimed it had the burn rate of kerosene soaked peat moss which I found funny but never asked what it was.   I know we could pound target

[Bugflipper]

 Yes sir use a BT.
 Alright tried the nonsized greased and 4-1 formula in 45 and 50.  Got the groups down to just over an inch, didn't measure, at 100. Just loaded in 50,70, and 90 in both because it was my last day to mess with them before I leave. Didn't have any fouling so I loaded up 25 rounds of 50 gr to practice with when I get back. Will try to work on it more to pull the accuracy out but this is good enough for the close range I plan to do. Just need to get trajectory down and mark the sights.

 I will still need input on the 30 and 35 if you guys don't mind. I'm guessing since the velocity will be higher I will need harder cast. I would like to only have 2 or 3 different ingots so I can mark them and just run with it when ready to mold. Most likely will be early next year before I get to them but I do appreciate the help you guys are providing.

[jhalcott]

  Good luck and let us know if we can help in the future!

[Graybeard]

I will still need input on the 30 and 35 if you guys don't mind. I'm guessing since the velocity will be higher I will need harder cast. I would like to only have 2 or 3 different ingots so I can mark them and just run with it when ready to mold. Most likely will be early next year before I get to them but I do appreciate the help you guys are providing.

Later when I come up to visit we can talk bullet casting if you like. I can even loan you some moulds if you like. I have the RCBS 200 and three from Veral in 160, 180 and 200 grain weights of LFN style. All are gas check moulds as I seem to recall. I have a few other handgun only moulds as well.