Author Topic: Any bullet casters out there? (Read 471 times)

cpj · « **on:** February 02, 2006, 01:01:06 PM »

Hello all,
I am going to get a BC soon and I want to cast my own bullets for it. My questions are as follows.

1.If any of you have slugged your BC and what was the diameter of the bore?
(and is there much variance between rifles and does H&R make them at a certain size IE .451,.452 etc)

2. Do you buy the mold that is closest to your bore or do you use a sizing die to fit it to your bore? (or both)

S .Do you size your bullets or do you just shoot them straight from the mold?

4.Do you even worry about what size your bore is when you select what bullet you are going to shoot.?

5.How much difference in accuracy does bullet size vs. bore size make?

6, what are some good links on this subject (bullet casting in general)?

(I have found a lot of sites, but none that are real great yet. Lots of information, and lots of DISinformation out there on the web. Its hard for a newbie to know which is which!)

7. What is the best group that you have gotten out of a BC? And how far have you shot with it?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Chris

EDIT: I just did a search and found that GBO has a cast bullet forum.DUH! I guess that is what the search function is for! Anyway, replies are still appreciated.

cheatermk3 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2006, 02:16:06 PM »

I certainly can't answer all your questions but I'll share what I do know--someone with more info is sure to be along shortly.

1-I have not slugged my bore; I do have a bullet that stopped about 1/3rd of the way down the tube when, for whatever reason, the main charge failed to ignite. I pushed it the rest of the way through the bore; it measures .457/.452" using my dial caliper. I am not a machinist and a dial caliper is not the proper tool to measure the grooves cut into the bullet by the lands, but I'm confident that the groove diameter of my barrel is .457.

2-I don't cast for cartridge guns but when shooting cast you want your bullet to be 1 or 2 thou. larger than the groove diameter, so the .458 bullets I'm using in my BC are right for this bore. The nominal size for the 45-70 Gov't bullet is .458".

3-It depends on what size bullet your mold drops. If the nominal size is .459, and your alloy/technique/mold drops a .458 bullet, and your bore is .457, I would shoot it as cast. The alloy has some effect on the size of the bullet, but I don't know enuff about this aspect to comment any further.

4-Certainly.

If the search feature is working, a search for "45-70 and cast" should produce lotsa informative threads.

HTH and have a ball shooting your BC. I love mine.

cpj · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2006, 02:23:16 PM »

cheater,
what kind of groups are you able to get? And does the bc come with a plastic trigger guard or a metal one?Please dont say plastic, please dont say plastic, plesae dont............................................ :-D

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2006, 02:36:34 PM »

Quote from: cpj

cheater,
what kind of groups are you able to get? And does the bc come with a plastic trigger guard or a metal one?Please dont say plastic, please dont say plastic, plesae dont............................................ :-D

I get 1½" 100yd groups with my peep sighted BC, 1" or less with a scope using gas checked cast or rem 405 jacketed bullets. Mine shoot best with .459" or .460", .458" not so good. I've not slugged my bore but some that have, their barrels have been a bit on the large size, one even was larger at the muzzle than at the throat end. :?

Ok, we won't say plastic, but they're not made of metal!! :cry: You can add the metal set for about $70, part numbers and prices are in the FAQ.

cpj · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2006, 02:46:18 PM »

Well at least you didnt SAY plastic! :-D HMMMMMM, 70 bucks for a trigger guard, thats more than some barrels, and not much less than other barrels.Matter of fact, I can get a complete sportster, lock stock and barrel,( tell me that old saying dont fit here

) for 105 bucks at wally world. Ill never understand the pricing of some things, I guess. :roll:

quickdtoo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2006, 02:54:52 PM »

$70+ gets you the trigger guard and the forend spacer, doesn't make much sense to do one without the other.... :wink: I'd much prefer brass instead of steel for the BC, that would be a great offering!!

Tim

cheatermk3 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2006, 03:59:58 PM »

I,m not so sure the steel forend spacer is such a good idea, if it bears on the frame, and mine does.

I don't shoot mine for groups because shooting it from the bench with my equipment/shooting stance resuts in a trip to the chiropractor for me.

My handloads using .459" hardcast bullets and mild loads shoot 3" "groups", offhand at 50. That's plenty good enough for the woods hereabouts--the longest shot I've had in 30 yrs of hunting the west side of the cascades was 80 yds.

I don't really have that much trigger time with this rifle.

Ed Hill · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2006, 05:31:05 PM »

Chris, not casting yet, but my barrel slugged at .458. The slug started getting tight at the end of the barrel, so I tapped it back to the breech to get the reading. I have my best luck with .459 bullets, and although others have had good luck with softer 20-1 alloys, mine does better with harder laser-cast bullets.

I get about 2" at 100yds with the peep sights, but some of that is probably my old eyes. I have two friends who can do a little better with my rifle

ED

cpj · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2006, 06:04:27 PM »

Thanks for the replies all! I find out tommorrow if I am getting a barrel full of wheel weights. Like a 110 ten pound grease barrel full. And that 110 pounds was grease not lead. So I wonder how much itll weigh full of lead? I figure that Ill have enough to keep me busy for awhile. :-D

dodd3 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2006, 09:18:48 PM »

cpj i shoot cast in my buff classic. i shoot the lee 500r spitzer cast in 20to 1 lead tin mix, i use rooster red bp7 lube my smokless loads do just over 1500fps and my black powder loads do just over 1300 fps, with fff black powder. i size my cast bullets at .457 my gun shoots them better that size.but yours might shoot better with .458 or .459 you will have to try to see which size suits your buff classic. get your self a slip on recoile pad if you are going to shoot heavy loads not so bad of the bench then. quicktodoo can advise you on the slip on pad.he might even post a pic so you can see wot they look like.

bernie

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2006, 09:53:36 PM »

Thanks Bernie, everyone knows I don't need much encouragement to post pics!! :roll: These are pics of the Galco slip-ons, nice looking but not as effective as the Limsaver slip-on, but a lot better than the steel plate!! :eek:

dodd3 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2006, 10:43:34 PM »

lol tim. this is mine i made myself its a but cuf style made frome a leather
glass cuters apron it has 5 layers of the leather were the but contacts the sholder aded a bit to the length of pull as well.
bernie :grin:

pascalp · « **Reply #12 on:** February 03, 2006, 09:58:20 AM »

Cpj,
You may find http://forums.handloads.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=5 interesting. A lot of valuable informations on casting. There is often a thread on 45-70 alive, and search will bring a lot of topics. Some are for 45-70 and H&R BC or handi.