cast bullets

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Re: cast bullets

Post by bladeracer » 19 Mar 2022, 3:24 pm

Hardcast wrote:Do you want to try casting for the sheer enjoyment, or do you just want to shoot cast bullets. ??
There's a few Cast bullet manufacturers out there who make a good product. Most though are too hard for hunting. Black Hawk from Hawksebury River Cast Bullets is one.
My 30.30 loved the cheap Lee mold. 160 grn. gass check. My 30.06, the heavier Lee, 180 or 200 grn. The Lee, Liquid Alox lube will do fine.
Send a message if you run into trouble. There's a lot to learn. Cast loads are not quite as forgiving as jacketed.


I think all commercially-cast bullets I've tried are hardcast, though I have seen soft-cast offered by some manufacturers in the US.
Make sure your rifle will shoot the diameter that they offer, most only offer bullets one-thou over groove diameter, which doesn't always work well. I prefer fatter bullets.
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 20 Mar 2022, 9:21 am

Ok than bladeracer for your help , and will be for both as at the moment cant get any thing ,would like a nice 150gr for 308 win for plinking though.............
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Re: cast bullets

Post by bladeracer » 20 Mar 2022, 10:26 am

flashman wrote:Ok than bladeracer for your help , and will be for both as at the moment cant get any thing ,would like a nice 150gr for 308 win for plinking though.............


Lots of moulds around.
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2553889.m570.l1313&_nkw=lee+mould&_sacat=0

What area are you in?
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 20 Mar 2022, 4:35 pm

HI Im in north of melb been casting ingots in my Lee mold ,almost there next on my list is bullet mold....gas checks , sizing mold...I think
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 20 Mar 2022, 4:48 pm

Hay Bladeracer when u buy the bullet mold are the handles included or a separate item........?
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 20 Mar 2022, 5:18 pm

Ingots …….. :thumbsup:
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Re: cast bullets

Post by bladeracer » 20 Mar 2022, 9:34 pm

flashman wrote:Hay Bladeracer when u buy the bullet mold are the handles included or a separate item........?


If you buy Lee the handles come with the mould. Most other manufacturers charge extra for handles or suggest buying Lee handles as well.
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Re: cast bullets

Post by Oldbloke » 21 Mar 2022, 9:27 am

Or noisydad sells them
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 21 Mar 2022, 4:36 pm

OK LEE looks good size 309 ,310 ,311 .............?? this part i can not get my head around ,ok if i go 309 and size to 308....should be ok wright .?
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 21 Mar 2022, 4:40 pm

Also how hard should my lead be..?
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 21 Mar 2022, 4:50 pm

Will i need a lube sizer die ?
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Re: cast bullets

Post by Blr243 » 21 Mar 2022, 6:34 pm

Regarding lead hardness. I tried very soft near pure lead in my 4570 hoping for max expansion but it’s too soft for my rifling. It’ strips rather than engages and spins. Very inaccurate. Hard cast shoots fine for me
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Re: cast bullets

Post by bladeracer » 21 Mar 2022, 8:23 pm

flashman wrote:Will i need a lube sizer die ?


Only if you want to lube them that way.
You can pan lube with wax, or tumble lube with Alox.

If you also want to size them I just use the Lee sizing dies, or you can make your own pretty easily. All you're doing is forcing the bullet through a hole to swage it down to the size you want.
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Re: cast bullets

Post by bladeracer » 21 Mar 2022, 8:27 pm

flashman wrote:OK LEE looks good size 309 ,310 ,311 .............?? this part i can not get my head around ,ok if i go 309 and size to 308....should be ok wright .?


You don't want .308" though. If you bore measures .308" across the grooves you want your bullets to be .309" at least, up to about .312". The bullet must be bigger than the hole you're firing it through.
If you can get a mould that will throw bullets about .311" I would just test shoot some. Then if you want to try to improve them you can try sizing them to various sizes. If you get a .309" mould and find the bullets are not stabilising it's more difficult to increase the bullet diameter. Much easier to reduce them if required. I try to avoid sizing them if I can.
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Re: cast bullets

Post by bladeracer » 21 Mar 2022, 8:37 pm

flashman wrote:Also how hard should my lead be..?


What velocity are you chasing?
If you're loading subsonic or up to about 1200fps in a fairly relaxed twist rate you can probably just used recovered .22LR bullets or even pure sheet lead.
If you want them harder try some Magnum shot, they should work up to about 1800-2000fps without issues. A source of hard shot is cheap bulk field loads, tip out the shot for casting bullets, swap in slugs or buck cast from pure sheet lead instead.
If you want harder still, order bullet alloy from Northern Smelters or order some hardcast bullets from whatever shop has them on the best special ($/kg) at the moment and melt those down. They'll be around 18BHN. For example, Cleaver has Berry's 230gn RN .45 bullets for $195/1000. 230,000gns (15.3kg) of lead for $195 is $12.75/kg. You'll pay about $11/kg for sheet lead from Bunnings. Don't know what NS are charging currently, but they sell 5kg ingots.
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Re: cast bullets

Post by flashman » 22 Mar 2022, 4:42 pm

GREAT ......thanks for all your help Bladeracer and others ,the penny may have dropped ,ok will order searching now ......... :thumbsup:
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