newbie w/30-06 needs input

[Remmy]

What do you all use in casting?
I reload my 06 and have been wanting to get into bullet casting to hunt deer.
I'm a RCBS rockchucker kind of guy using 165 grains but would like to go heavier in a cast bullet.
I shoot a scoped M700 24" at deer out to no more then 300 yards.

 -What should I use to measure for the size needed?
 -Which furnace should I get, nothing cheap but don't need a cadallac? Been thinking a Lyman.
 -What mold makers? Lyman?
 -Sizers?
 -Lubrisizers? RCBS, Lyman?
 -Powders (depending on bullet weight)?
 -Dippers? RCBS?
 -Ludle?
 -Lube?

So what do you all use to make them bullets?
Which powder and bullet combo do you use?

[Hank08]

Lyman or RCBS 20 pounder
lyman 311284 mould  220 gr.
Lyman or RCBS lube sizer
.309 size die
alox lube
Hornady gaschecks
4198 powder
There is an endless # of choices but these will serve you well.  I've been shooting this combination for over 30 yrs.
H08

[shotgun31]

I use either Saeco 20 lb furnace, or a large propane burner used for deep frying fish, turkeys etc with an old dutch oven that will hold about 60 lbs of metal.  Either one works just fine.  I dip, using one of the cheap lyman ladles with a hole in the bottom that fits the mold sprue.  My 30 cal mold is a lyman .31141 and I'm happy with it.  Saeco sizer, I size at .311;  .309 destroys my bullet, it casts big so I went to .311.  Alox 50X50 with beeswax lubricant.  No leading, works and is accurate. Hornady gas checks, that crimp on the bullet.  I've used different powders, including IMR4198.  I use a #2 alloy mix, from a receipe I found in the Lyman loading manual that uses soft lead, wheel weights and 50X50 bar solder.  I've found that with my alloy I need to get cracking and size the bullets within a couple of days, otherwise they get so hard I can't push them into my sizing die!  They become realy hard.  Check out a Lyman M die, that opens up the neck of your '06 case a bit.  It's easy to load cast that way.  Segregate your '06 cases that you use for cast bullets from others.  The strike of the firing pin will affect the headspace, I'm told.  I paint the base of my cases with my wife's red finger polish (don't tell her for crying out loud!) so I know those cases.  100 cases seem to last forever.

Hunting--my viewpoint only.  I've hunted woodchucks with my '06 quite a bit, and the .31141 really smacks them out to @125 yards or so.  After that, I find I start to get crawl-off's.  That has been a pretty consistent experience, enough that I don't think I'd hunt deer with that combination without going with a softer bullet, hollow pointing, or something.   I find that my load shoots lower than the full-power '06 load.  I use a Burris scope, and I find the range graduations can be used for the cast load.  Just experiment a bit.  Good luck!  Let us know how it works for you?

[Larry Gibson]

Suggest the first thing you get is Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook.  When you read it it will give you lots of information, educate you on cast bullets, answer your questions plus give you loading data for cast bullets including in your '06. Then com back here or on a couple other cast bullet forums and ask specific questions. 

To help you some a few answers for your questions;

-What should I use to measure for the size needed?

Size of what?  Assuming you mean size of bullet then you'll want a 170+ gr bullet with a large meplat for hunting.  Hard to go wrong with a Lyman 311041.  Sould be sized, gas check seated and lubed at .311".

 -Which furnace should I get, nothing cheap but don't need a cadallac? Been thinking a Lyman.

Either the Lyman Mag 20 or the RCBS are excelent furnaces.  The Lee 20 lb pot will give yeoman service.  All are Bottom pour furnaces.  Lyman makes a good 10 lb pot for use with a ladle of which Lyman, and RCBS make good ones.

 -What mold makers? Lyman?

Lyman, RCBS, SAECO and Lee all offer a good selection.  There are numerous custom makes also.

 -Sizers?

Lyman and RCBS both make excellent "lubrasizer" sizers (refered to as "H&I dies".  Lee makes a good selection of "push through" sizers.  I use Lyman's and Lee's.

 -Lubrisizers? RCBS, Lyman?

Either.  I use Lyman's as that's what I started with 40+ years ago.  Nothing wrong with the RCBS.


 -Powders (depending on bullet weight)?

I use medium to slow burning powders in the '06. If loading density is less than 85% I use a 1/2 to 3/4 dacron filler over the powder.  With your 10" twist Remington you will be limited by RPM as far as best accuracy is concerned.  Your best accuracy will be in the 1850-1950 fps range but acceptable hunting accuracy can be had up through 2300 fps or so but that takes advanced casting and loading techniques.  As such most of us who hunt deer with cast bullets using the '06 in particular, understand that basically we are essentually shooting a 30-30 and restrict our shots to 200 yards or less. 
 
 -Dippers? RCBS?
 -Ludle?

Are you referring to "ladles"? If so then the Lyman or RCBS are good ones. There are a couple custom types available.
 
-Lube?

I've found a good commercial NRA 50/50 alox/beeswax formula like Javelina to perform very well over a broad range of velocities including those of the '06.  Hard lubes will require a lubrasizer heater.  Many home made recipies are not worth the effort. 

Midway has a special on the Lyman Master Casting Kit at $154,99.  You get the Mini-mag furnace (for use with a ladle), a ladle, a ingot mould, the Lyman 4500 lubrasizer and the Lyman Cast Bullet handbook.  Perhaps that is a good place for you to start?

Larry Gibson

[woodchukhntr]

I've had good results with the RCBS 180 gr. FP made from #2 alloy in the .30-06.  My Springfield '03-A3 has shot them around 1/2" at 100 yd. with 13.0 gr. of Red Dot (the Load).  I haven't chronographed it, but it should be around 1800 fps.

I have a RCBS sizer, and am using RCBS rifle lube and Hornady gas checks.  I'm not sure about the sizing die aince I haven't had it out in a while.  Either RCBS or Lyman.

[Remmy]

Thanks for the info everyone on what you are using.

Larry, i meant what to use to slug the barrel with but I am also gathering the info you gave. The 31041 is on my short list already and it has moved up a notch.
The 311284 has been on it too also 311299 and 311284. I don't have a lot of money to spend so i am trying to get it right the first time.

Not sure which sizer to use, .309 or .311.

I read where some get better results using ladles.

I am leaning to #2 alloy

I didn't realize cast bullets restrict the distance down to just 200 yards. I need to rethink hunting with them i guess. Maybe use them for plicking on the range.

[jk3006]

I'm just starting to get my casting going, as well.  But, it's a steep learning curve, and I've spent the last 6-8 months just reading up on how things are done.  All my equipment is dirt cheap, except for my 3 LBT molds, of which one of them is a .310 180 grain for my '06.  I will shoot the '06 with those bullets for the first time tomorrow.  From the reading that I've done, it seems that 200-300 yard hunting with the '06 is very attainable as long as everything is just right.  I think a dual-alloy bullet with a soft nose would be a great asset for that application. 

[jhalcott]

 A heat treated #2 alloy bullet or a soft nose/linotype based bullet can get you into some quite high velocity. This can be used to successfully hunt at longer ranges. The buffalo hunters used relativly slow (by todays standards) velocity to shoot very long ranges. It is best to use a heavy for caliber bullet at long range. Practice at those ranges is mandatory also!

[sixgun_symphony]

 Since you are just getting started, you should consider getting the Lyman casting kit.

[pourboy]

One thing. For deer, don't use linotype, or water drop your bullets to harden them. Plain old wheelweights, with a little tin  work great. Air cool them to prevent brittleness. Size the bullets to the throat dimensions for your rifle .310 to .311 are pretty common as you've heard. I prefer heavy bullets for big game, but I think you've already got that covered.

[Sweetwater]

Part of the trick to hunting is getting the bullet where it needs to go.

I used to load and cast for a pal back in Wyoming that had a fettish for 500m gongs. I cast that Lyman #31141 from straight WW and pushed them with several different powders just over 2200fps. He was using a 30-30 and consistently banged away. He learned where he had to aim to get that distance.

Later, he took several mule deer with the same combination.

As posted, you will be running your '06 in the same velocity range as a 30-30, probably, and will just need to learn elevation to get the distance you want, within reason.
I shot a cow elk a few years back with a similar load combination in a 32 Special. The bullet was 183gr of straight WW and the velocity was 2300fps. It hit bone, broke it, and drove the piece of bone out the other side, making a tremendous hole.

Cast bullets are not just for plinking and practice. However, they do make for cheap plinking and practice which helps fill the freezer!  Good Luck!!

Regards,
Sweetwater