TODAY'S GUN TIME

[paulsharvey]

Did you measure for consistency of weight and length? Can’t wait to see your results.

I have, and they aren't impressive. There is atleast +/-0.5gr weights in the bullets.

I see guys online claiming great results with cast lead; but I would be happy if its 2.5" or less at 100 yards.

 

[the old grind]

Slug the bore. Size to .001" over groove diameter. Use gas checks. Alloy to 18-21 BHN. (you knew that) Try LBT Blue lube.

Also, buy and read 'Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets' by Veral Smith. Learn why what works does. Save a lot of lead and powder along the way.

Disclaimer: From experience, what works for 9mm para and .375/.444 AKA .375JDJ may or may not work for calibers in between. As always, 'accuracy loads' may or may not show the most consistent velocities. YMMV

 

[PJSprog]

YMMV

As with all things in handloading, too many factors for a one-size-fits-all solution. Different gun, different barrel, different altitude, different weather, ... blah blah blah.

And, isn't that part of the load development fun anyway?

 

[sea2summit]

Slug the bore. Size to .001" over groove diameter. Use gas checks. Alloy to 18-21 BHN. (you knew that) Try LBT Blue lube.

Also, buy and read 'Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets' by Veral Smith. Learn why what works does. Save a lot of lead and powder along the way.

Disclaimer: From experience, what works for 9mm para and .375/.444 AKA .375JDJ may or may not work for calibers in between. As always, 'accuracy loads' may or may not show the most consistent velocities. YMMV

Do you powder coat 9mm?

 

[shooterdon]

I have, and they aren't impressive. There is atleast +/-0.5gr weights in the bullets.

I see guys online claiming great results with cast lead; but I would be happy if its 2.5" or less at 100 yards.

I sincerely wish you luck. I tried getting cast bullets to shoot in a .308 and .30/30 and failed. I too "drank the Kool-Aid" and then realized I was wasting my time and components.

I take all accuracy claims with a grain (or pound) of salt. Even more so wen it comes to cast bullets. Cast bullet shooters have to bend the truth more. They will post their best group to "prove" how successful they have been. Some even use 3 shot groups...and that is pure BS. I remember one guy who posted a four shot groups that was about 1 MOA and was honest enough to say, "I did not want to ruin it by putting a fifth shot downrange". LOL. Shoot enough groups and you will get a small one eventually.

What I find humorous is they justify shooting cast so they can practice inexpensively. Yet, I have never seen them post a target with five 5 shot groups. The more realistic accuracy is the average of those 5 groups. But they get one good group and use the rationale..."why waste components". Wasn't that the point of casting...to shoot more? The real reason folks do not "do it right" is they cannot put together 5 good groups in a row,

Your goal, 2.5" at 100 yards, is reasonable, but not easy.

You will spend a lot of time to save almost nothing. Better off shooting jacketed in .223 for punching paper and ringing steel. Cast .30 cal bullets will cost $70-100/1000 depending on your alloy and gas checks. Figure about 6-10 hours to produce 1000 bullets ready to shoot. Add in the extra 8 gr of powder you are using over .223...at $40/lb that adds $45 so you are at $115-140/1000 for mediocre .308's. Decent .224 bullets are $130/1000 and will group better at 200 yards than cast .308's at 100 yards.

One thing to consider is to use "The Load" developed by Ed Harris. It uses 13 gr of Red Dot (or Promo) to save on powder costs. If I ever decide to try cast bullets in the .308 that is where I would start. But I have better ways to get cheap practice.

"The Load" is 13 Grains of Red Dot"

Another good powder for reduced loads is 2400. I think it uses 16 gr in the .308 but you need to verify.

Good luck!!

 

[the old grind]

Do you powder coat 9mm?

We never tried that for any caliber and haven't cast or shot much lead since the method caught on. You can bet we'd have by now.

What little I've heard/read about both factory and DIY bullet coatings is all positive. I suspect that it will become a new normal. Alloy/hardness should be less critical. Improved performance/velocities could/should be easy to obtain with minimal bore fouling and 'no GCs required'.

I sure don't miss the mess with the heated Lyman 'Lubri-sizer' and various lube sticks. Ease of applying 'powder coat' could be a perk to appreciate with IMO fewer 'tricks' needed to max the benefits. Looking to learn more from those who've 'been there' already. Sorry to say that I'm not one of them .. yet anyway.

 

[sea2summit]

We never tried that for any caliber and haven't cast or shot much lead since the method caught on. You can bet we'd have by now.

What little I've heard/read about both factory and DIY bullet coatings is all positive. I suspect that it will become a new normal. Alloy/hardness should be less critical. Improved performance/velocities could/should be easy to obtain with minimal bore fouling and 'no GCs required'.

I sure don't miss the mess with the heated Lyman 'Lubri-sizer' and various lube sticks. Ease of applying 'powder coat' could be a perk to appreciate with IMO fewer 'tricks' needed to max the benefits. Looking to learn more from those who've 'been there' already. Sorry to say that I'm not one of them .. yet anyway.

I'm still trying to figure out how all these guys are still alive after their spouses catches them cooking powder onto lead in the kitchen

 

[paulsharvey]

I'm still trying to figure out how all these guys are still alive after their spouses catches them cooking powder onto lead in the kitchen

I found a toaster oven on the side of the road years ago, made a basket out of the metal mesh in a microwave door, and got HF Black (by mistake, apparently it is abrasive) and some cheap white PC. Messed with what all the cool guys use, a sour creme bowl and static, had nearly zero luck. Switched to a couple drops of acetone in a kool-aid container and "just enough" PC, put it on wet, dry, then bake. Not exactly a scientific measurement; too much PC or little acetone and you get a sticky gum; it should be fairly wet. I think it's humidity that keeps the static method from working for me.

I push the luck with wife by having a 48" reloading bench in the living room. Casting and powder coating is in the shed.

I'm pretty low tech and low investment in casting; I ladle pour from a Lyman Big Dipper pot.

As someone talked about the $$$ of it; with $0.15 primers, and $50+/pound powder; shooting crap bullets doesn't make sense.

 

[paulsharvey]

The can of H4895, still has price tag, and it was $36.99, and I remember, clearly, feeling ripped of in 2019 when I paid that; next to that I've got a pound of SW Precison, with a $52/pound price tag on it from a couple months ago...

Last primers I bought, CCI 450 SRMP, where $14.95/100. Only bought 3 sleeves. They had Federal SRPs for $11.95; but I wanted some magnums to try.

 

[hunt4570]

The can of H4895, still has price tag, and it was $36.99, and I remember, clearly, feeling ripped of in 2019 when I paid that; next to that I've got a pound of SW Precison, with a $52/pound price tag on it from a couple months ago...

Last primers I bought, CCI 450 SRMP, where $14.95/100. Only bought 3 sleeves. They had Federal SRPs for $11.95; but I wanted some magnums to try.

I believe last primers I bought were $35 a Thousand, bought a lot of them and still have quite a few, unfortunately down to my last 1000 SPP..