Author Topic: keyholing cast bullets  (Read 770 times)

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Offline KY Ratshooter

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keyholing cast bullets
« on: June 26, 2006, 07:49:05 AM »
Winchester 94 in 30-30     1970s era gun.

shooting 175 flat nose plain base, sized to .308

11 grains of Unique

has been a good light load for years.  This weekend I was at the range checking the sights.  4 shots at 50 yards in a two inch cluster, 5th shot was 6" low and right with a perfect keyhole print of bullet passing sideways.

The bore is not leaded.

I switched to factory rounds and the gun shot normally.

????? What's wrong?????

Offline Castaway

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« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2006, 09:01:49 AM »
Did you weigh the bullets before you loaded them?  Could be a void in the bullet that caused it to go catywompus.

Offline dubber123

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« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2006, 10:54:16 AM »
Were these weighed powder charges, or dropped?  If they were dropped, maybe your drop messed up and threw a too light charge that left velocity below the speed needed for stability.  Thats a pretty long bullet, and I imagine it needs a certain amount of speed.  My .475 shoots sub 1" groups at 50 yds. with 1350 fps. loads.  I slowed them to about 850 for a "plinker" load.  Shoots about 3 FOOt groups with these.  Apparently too slow for this bullet.

Offline LET-CA

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keyholing cast bullets
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2006, 05:00:51 PM »
My guess is that sized .308 was too small for the rifle.  The guys I've spoken with all size at .310 to .311.  Cast bullets do better when they're a bit oversized for the bore.  Let's them squeeze through and get a good bite on the rifling.

Offline Lloyd Smale

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« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2006, 10:29:59 PM »
ill go with this answer and add to it that you might want to push them a little harder. Could be to slow to stablize that bullet.
Quote from: LET-CA
My guess is that sized .308 was too small for the rifle.  The guys I've spoken with all size at .310 to .311.  Cast bullets do better when they're a bit oversized for the bore.  Let's them squeeze through and get a good bite on the rifling.
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Offline VTDW

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keyholing cast bullets
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2006, 12:48:27 AM »
Hint Hint,

Lloyd got it right!!

Have you slugged your barrel?  Slug your barrel and shoot boolits .002 oversized and thing should work out nicely.  BTB can fix you up with the hardcast lead.

Dave 8)
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