Author Topic: how fast can I go with cast bullets (Read 1471 times)

Whip · « **on:** August 29, 2005, 01:27:27 PM »

How fast can I push a cast 44 bullet before I need to use gas checks?

Tycer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2005, 02:56:39 PM »

I can push 205gr PB .357s to 2000 with no leading. I have not gone faster, as accuracy with this bullet degrades after 1900. Running diameters of +.001 - .003 give me the best seal. Larger hurts accuracy.

Nobade · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2005, 03:14:00 PM »

Yep, depends on your gun, alloy, lube, powder, etc. Out of a revolver I have never been able to push them fast enough to need a gascheck. However, it is possible out of a rifle.

HL · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2005, 01:21:30 AM »

I do not shoot low velocity 44mag. Most 44mag perform best at or near maximum loads, from my experience.

I push 300 LBT LFN cast bullets at 1875fps with no leading. Of course this is with heat treating the bullets and using gas checks.

You may be able to go around 1200fps without leading if you have your bullet properly sized and heat treat to a hardness that will prevent the leading. It all depends on what you want to use the bullets for.

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2005, 04:19:03 AM »

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I can push 205gr PB .357s to 2000 with no leading.

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I push 300 LBT LFN cast bullets at 1875fps with no leading.

Excuse me, but these velocities seem outrageously high for revolver velocities. 2000 fps is outrageous from a .357mag rifle for a 205 grain bullet.

There must be some details I'm missing, that or I need to know your secrets.

Robert · « **Reply #5 on:** August 30, 2005, 05:27:52 AM »

The 205 gr velocity is definately do-able....but the velocity listed for a 300 gr cast bullet exceeds 200 gr JACKETED loads in 357 MAXIMUM. Either that was a typo or he is trying to blow up his firearm.

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #6 on:** August 30, 2005, 08:22:01 AM »

OK, so your 205gr/2000fps is from a .357 MAXIMUM, correct? Yes that's doable. What's the bbl length.

I understood the 300gr/1875fps load to be from a 44 Magnum. I would be astonished if that was from a 71/2" bbl revolver. Usually that kind of velocity is what you see with the 180 grainers in a .44Mag.

Nobade · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2005, 03:54:40 PM »

Maybe he's talking about a 35 remington rifle? Even my 14 inch 357 max Contender won't push 200gr. bullets that fast.

Tycer · « **Reply #8 on:** August 31, 2005, 01:08:03 PM »

Sorry for the confusion guys!

It's a 16 1/2" barrel on a Win 94 Trapper

Tycer · « **Reply #9 on:** August 31, 2005, 01:19:54 PM »

Speaking of .35 Rem.....If you know anyone looking to part with one... say a Marlin 336 or a BLR.....I would be interested.

I have chosen to pare down to only .22 and .35 calibers (OK. 1 - SKS, but I don't load for it.)

HL · « **Reply #10 on:** September 02, 2005, 11:32:31 AM »

The 300gr LBT bullet at 1875fps is out of a Contender with a 15" barrel and that's using 22.5 grs. of WW296.

Sixgun · « **Reply #11 on:** September 06, 2005, 04:27:03 AM »

The original question here is, " How fast can I push a cast, un checked bullet from a 44 mag?"

Let me tell you what I have found in my 30 years of shooting cast bullets.

The variables in how fast you can shoot cast bullets are many. I will attempt to list them but may leave some out. They are:

Bullet alloy, Bullet design, Your gun, Primers, Powder, Lube, sizing diameter, Your location on the earth, and what you need the bullet to do.

In a nutshell, no matter what anyone else will tell you, you can push a cast bullet until you get lead in your barrel, at that point, you need to clean your barrel and back off. Sometimes you have to shoot the bullet slower but maybe just changing the lube or alloy will alow you to go to an even higher velocity. Sometimes a good load will start to lead in the summer when it gets hotter than you have been shooting it. Sometimes changing primer manufactures will cause lead to form.

After a while you will get a feel for how fast you can shoot cast bullets in different situations and avoid leading, just from prior knowledge.

Some of the things that I have found that work are:

If I get lead from a commercially cast bullet I lube them with Lee liquid alox and try it again. Most of the time it works.

If a bullet is designed for a gas check, I use a gas check. I have shot lots of bullets, so designed, without gaschecks but I always get better accuracy with those bullets, with a gas check.

The base of the bullet is the steering wheel of the bullet. To get good accuracy, it has to be close to perfect. As a result, some guns just shoot better with a gas check design and a gas check installed.

I have never had consistent accuracy with bevel based bullets. Some people have had good luck with them but I haven't. I just sent a mold back to Lee to get a bevel base removed.

I usually get higher velocity, in some cartridges, with cast bullets than I do with the same weight of bullet that is jacketed. These include most pistol cartridges and older, long necked, rimmed, rifle cartridges, like 30-30 and 22 Hornet.

Most of the time, I get the best velocity with cast bullets using faster powders. This isn't always the case but I try fast powders first and usually stop there.

Accuracy almost always wins over velocity. You got to hit it before you can kill it.

I probably didn't answer the question, but I feel I have given good solid advice.

Sixgun

Tycer · « **Reply #12 on:** September 07, 2005, 06:37:03 PM »

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In a nutshell, no matter what anyone else will tell you, you can push a cast bullet until you get lead in your barrel, at that point, you need to clean your barrel and back off.

Perfect advice. Really the only way to tell.