Finally got my cast bullets to fly right

[rks1949]

I've been experementing with cast bullets. I have been testing  a 255gr 44 Mag bullet. I sized it to .430,and casting it in pure lead it weighs 260gr. I've shot this with a Knight "green" sabot .429-.430. I havent tried it with any other sabots,but expect the Harvester sabots might work as well. It is shooting just over a inch,and 1/4 in my prohunter. It shoots as well as anything I have shot in the gun so far!       Here's a target @ 100yds. The grid is 2 inch squares,so the center section is 4 inches square. The first shot was low,so I gave the scope a few clicks to get it 1 3/4 inches high at 100yds. There are 10 consecutive shots in this target. Would these bullets perform well to hunt with?

[yellowtail3]

I think one of those through the front ribcage would kill the critter dead.

[wgr]

not a thing wrong with cast lead bullets for hunting cheeper to shoot and have been bring home the bacon for alot of years  shot  placement is everything  and looks like you can

[Biff Mayhem]

What powder and powder charge?

[Redhawk1]

Great accuracy and for sure it would work of deer, bear and quit a few others. I think cast bullets are good for game.

[rks1949]

Biff, I shot it with 100grs. 777. If I push it any faster,I get flyers. I was thinking the weak link might be the sabot. Maybe a MMP HPH Green sabot would let me run it a little faster? Ron

[rks1949]

I love to try out diffrent things,so I thought,that maybe the bullets could be pushed harder,if I knurled the sides to help grip the sabot. I'll try them out with 120grs. and see what happens. Ron 

[Biff Mayhem]

Biff, I shot it with 100grs. 777. If I push it any faster,I get flyers. I was thinking the weak link might be the sabot. Maybe a MMP HPH Green sabot would let me run it a little faster? Ron

Maybe a wonderwad.

I'm surprised you are not getting leading in the bore with that powder and volume. Must be some hard lead? Have you tested it's expansion properties?

[rks1949]

Biff,I haven't experenced any leading in the bore,I think it's because of the sabots. I shoot T/C Cheap shots as well,and no leading with them either. I shot one into a deer carcass,and the exit hole was about three times the orginal diamenter,but couldn't recover the bullet,it passed through,and into a clay bank. I don't know the hardness of the bullets,but they are made of pure lead. I thought that it would work better if it was cast harder,but a friend of mine is a very experenced bullet maker,and said the pure lead would "upset" or expand and actually fit the bore/with the sabot better. Ron

[Odinbreaker]

It is not going to lead the bore the plastis sabot contacts the bore not the sub calabre bullet.  By the way I cast a 240 and a 310 gr 430 the grren sabot or the harvester crushed rib seem to work the best..  The 240 to 260 gr seem to shoot best with 110 gr or less.  300 gr stablize with 110 gr but they are longer.

[rks1949]

Thanks for the info. I need all I can get! Ron

[dmurphy317]

That looks just like the bullet a friend of mine used to cast for his ML'er. Bassically a Keith nose 44cal pistol bullet. He shot it using a Hrvester green sabot over 80 to 85 grains of Pyro RS and got excellent groups. He told me of one buck he shot with it head on from about 30 yards or so. It entered the front just off center and was lodged under the skin near the back of the ham. Thats close to 30" of penetration and it had a perfect mushroom and around 85% weight retention. I think that should work for most any deer you would want to shoot.

[rks1949]

Well through much effort,I've finally got my cast bullet shooting great! I started out with 100gr. 777,and got the left high group. Then I stepped it up to 110grs.777,and shot the left center group. Things started to look up. Then I went to 120grs.777,and shot the right group,holding on the lower bullet hole. Now I'm a happy camper,there was a cross wind comming from the right,but it wasn't much(maybe 3-5mph.) I did recover a couple of slugs from the sand bank 40yds. behind the target. They really expanded well. I also used MMP short Black sabots for all shots. On a side note: I took my wife,afriend,and another friend first gun season. They all shot bucks,and I never had a shot. Today at the range a nice doe walked out and behind the target,and stood there,until I yelled at her. Go Figure         I think the knurling is helping out,as there is no slip marks inside the sabot.

[gt2003]

Good job.  I honestly think pure lead is the only way to go for modern inlines shooting somewhere around 100 grains of powder.  Looks like you got some good groups and some excellenet expansion.  I'm actually taking my inline out tomorrow during rifle season.  Its still loaded from ML season and I love the way it performs.  Maybe I can come tell a story tomorrow.  Good luck all, Greg

[rks1949]

Yeah,Greg! Let us know how it went. Ron

[rks1949]

I got to shoot a little more today. I wanted to compare the new cast bullet to the SW. I shot at 200yds. The first shot was with the SW and 110grs. 777. It hit the milk jug,and blew a nice entrance hole,while making a exit hole the size of a golf ball. Next I shot the cast .542-255gr. bullet with a charge of 120grs. 777. I couldn't believe the sound of it hitting the jug,it sounded like someone hitting a board on the side of a tree!  ! I went down range and retrieved the jug,it had a 2 inch wide section holding it together. There was a entrance hole,but the rest of the jug was blown apart,I couldn't tell where it exited. I can't believe the cast bullet did more damage than the SW,but it sure did! Also according to the program I've been using,the bullet should have struck the jug low (supposed to drop,9.2 inches) but it hit more like 7 inches,I held a little over the top of the cap on the jug. I guess it's shooting flatter than the program say's.  Ron
_________________