Lead cast in the .308

[1armoured]

Finally got around to shooting my two cast bullet loads that I thought I'd have a try at, in my Sako 75, stainless synthetic sporter.
My mate casts many different weights and calibers, and gave me some 186gr to try out.
With lube and gas check, they weigh nearer 190gr, which I thought was a bit heavy, but as ever, willing to give it a go.


I settled on two loads with my two powders,
10grs 700x and  25grs H4895, and loaded 10 rounds of each.


What I thought would be a 'squib' load, and then something with a bit more grunt !
The only thing that grunted was the rifle and a bit more recoil with the H4895.
Velocities were the same, and 700X was the more accurate.
First at 50yds and then at 100.
But what a drop !
(We're talking 'foots' here !)


700X grouped for just over .8" and 1" for 3x shot groups at 50 yds
@
1,354 fps
1,351
1,350


and then next day, a surprising .75" 3 shot group at 100yds.
(must have been a bit steadier on the day !)


The H4895 load was much the same as the 700X at 50yds, for .8" and 1.5",
but velocities less consistent.

but I only managed just under the 2" for a 3 shot group at 100yds.
example velocities;


1,357 fps
1,371
1,373

The targets,
and the 'boolits' compared to a 110gr V-Max, which I thought would make a good 'varminter' in the .308.
(I guess the lead cast would leave a bit more meat on the squirrel than the V-Max !  )


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cheers,
SS

[Don Fischer]

I fool with 180gr cast in my 30-06 now and then. I tried 4064, 4895 and Red Dot. All grouped really well at 50yds but about 2" +/- at 100 yds. I did get to 2000fps at 10'. The Red Dot load I'll probably use to get the grand kids shooting. Softer than a 22lr if that's possible. I put a 1/4 sheet of TP over the powder to hold the powder to the flash hole.

[1armoured]

I haven't used any wad or filler,
was just careful to try and keep the powder at the primer, (when I remember) !
But didn't seem to affect accuracy too much.

I use 700X because I was given an old tin of it years ago, and have been dreaming up ways to use it.
.224 cast in the Hornet will be next, when the mould eventually arrives.
(long wait time)
 

The main problem of the ones' that I have is consistency of COAL/ogive of seated 'boolit', and weight.
What I will do in future is batch the rounds by different criteria, keeping like with like, which should bring in a bit more consistency of POI.


The 700X load I also found to be what seems 'less recoil than a .22 rimfire' ! 


Would be an incredible load for a youngster to shoot, (and no eyebrow damage !)
Quiet too.
I think a lighter weight 'boolit' might have a more practical application as a small game killing machine, tho.


cheers,
SS

[gcrank1]

We shoot cast in a variety of mil-surp .30ish calibers with great effect. A few weeks ago we did a sil. shoot to 200yd on basically .22LR sized rams, 100 yd offhand and 200 off cross sticks, with a few offhand at 200 for fun or tie-breakers. My 1923 SF in 30-06 put my two spotters on the 100yd bull about 1/2" apart offhand and peep sight/frt post. We tend to run about 1250 to 1450ish fps in the rifles (my load is 17.0 of IMR 4227 under a 170gr. RNGC cast of mostly WWt.). This is not a '22 like load'!.Our experience is that if the bullet fits the throat comfortably that it is hard to make a load that does not group pretty well and does not lead.
BTW, we also find that the 400yd setting hits close at 100 and the 600yd at 200, then dial in as needed.

[1armoured]

My original project was to find a lighter, less recoil load for the .308 to shoot scaled silhouettes at
200mtrs.
The Sako has been my full size Silhouette gun for some years now, but I can only practice at 200.


Up until,now, I had been shooting mil surp, 185gr and 155gr loads that were booting a bit.


The 110gr V-Max were good, but too expensive and still a bit of recoil.,


The lead and the 700X are like shooting a rimfire, and very cost effective.


Haven't got around to shooting my next test loads yet, or at 200, but it will happen.


It is more fun now than project.


cheers,
SS

[gcrank1]

One of our chaps uses 10.0 of Unique / cast with all his '.30's' (he used his 303 Jungle carbine in the above mentioned shoot) and does quite well. Ive used 700X in the past, also.
FWIW, we wont use an 'over powder wad' to hold powder back anymore, the occasion of ringed chambers from such is too well documented now. 'Fillers' are another story and distinctly different from O.P. Wads. I will load, tip the muzzle up, then lower to shooting position and get fine performance (if I do my part!).
Sounds like you are doing very much as we do, and it is great fun. Nobody here has cleaned the rails yet, but if they do its scaled chickens at 200 next! (BTW, we use lead to avoid damage to the sil.'s; they are too expensive and nice to shoot up).

[1armoured]

Yes, I've heard too much negative comment about the use of wads or fillers, so don't bother with anything in the cast loads.


I do the same as you and just try and keep the powder at the base of the cartridge with a routine I follow every time I single load.


I started with just a set of pretty ordinary steel, 200mtr chickens.


The fmj's and match bullets would drill through on 2nd or 3rd hit in the same place.


Just hammered a short bolt through to fill, and 'good as new' !


Latest set of scaled animals are pretty hard steel.


Bullets and loads are tested on a plate to ensure they won't damage the silhouettes.


Still waiting for the .22 mold, to load some Hornet cast.
That will be a fun project, as well as fueling the interest and keeping an aged mind and body active.


cheers,
SS