Discoveries re: reloading cast boolits for milsurps (long)

[Jimbo357mag]

For some strange reason that sounds like fun to me. Well done.

...Jimbo

 

[Snake45]

CD, for your cast bullet loads, give a thought to trying Trail Boss powder.

Charlie Petty recently published an article on the stuff in Handloader magazine, and corresponded with me privately about it before that. Apparently you can't get TOO much of the stuff in a case, as long as you don't compress it at all. Best loads seem to be between 75% and 100% of case capacity (uncompressed). You can work it up a half-grain or even a full grain at a time. Velocities are in the range you're getting with Unique.

I'm looking forward to trying it in an Enfield No. 5. I've got all the components and bought a thing of the Trail Boss powder, I just have to find the time to put it all together. I'm just looking to use the thing for an accurate centerfire "super-plinker."

 

[wixedmords]

Cast is the way to go CD, agreed.

There is just something more old school about it that draws me in. But one can't shoot lead in everything. Jacketed only in my AR's due to the need for speed to cycle the action.

Thanks for sharing.

That's three.
j/k

 

[Snake45]

No idea about the smell or the residue. Petty has never mentioned anything about soot or residue so I assume it's unremarkable either way.

I'm hoping to get some .303 loaded and shot this year. If/when I do, I'll post a report. I'm using 125-grain FMJ 7.62x39 bullets, which are .311 and fairly cheap. Might have to look into cast if I can get them.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

International Clays powder smells like fresh apples. I think I'm walking through an apple orchard in spring when shooting it. Really.

...Jimbo

 

[GP100man]

Excellent Read !!!

I have 2 M44s I`m startin on !!!!

& I can barely get set up in 30 min myself .

 

[pps]

I sense some experimentation with paper patching in your future.

Here is a link that has a fantastic annealing schedule to obtain the desired boolit hardness to match how fast the boolit is to be driven and therefore what pressures it must endure. http://www.lasc.us/HeatTreat.htm

I've been using a melt with 4-6% antimony, 1 to 1.5% tin and enough ww or magnum shot to have some arsenic in the mix as a catalyst for heat treatment to be effective.

Through time/temp/water quench you can get boolits hard enough to withstand velocities in excess of 2000 fps without leading. By standardizing on one alloy, All the boolits I reclaim from my trap can be re-melted and heat treated to any hardness I desire.

Go to the castboolits website for a cornucopia of knowledge on boolit casting. You will be hooked. You will need a bail out. lol

 

[41 mag fan]

As to the trail boss question i have been shooting it for a couple of year in both big bore revolvers and rifle and am very happy with the consistency of velocities as well as the easy cleanup. It is one of the cleanest burning powders that I currently load with. Steve

 

[Ruber]

CD,

Great post, thanks for sharing. For a while, I was shooting mil surps for service rifle competitions, but now, they usually only make it out for the kids and their cousins. Loads like that make for a fun afternoon!

 

[44-357]

I do cast bullets in my 30-30. I have 2 old model 94s that are sweet shooters with the GC lyman 173 gr fp I cast up. its like shooting a 22 mag. I use unique powder but I dont use packing. I never had any misfires or problems in the 3 years Ive been shooting them. I have several mosin nagants that I have wanted to cast for now Im going to try it. good thread.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I've found Trail Boss stains worse than Unique. Unique is sootier, but the soot comes off. Trail Boss tends to discolor the brass and doesn't come off as easily (in my limited experience with the powder).

I recently started loading cast bullets for my .30/30. I'm using 16.5gr of 4198 under a 165gr hard cast slug, and it is very accurate with no leading (Marlin 336). I also have a recipe for 3031 that uses quite a bit more powder.

-- Sam

 

[44-357]

I read where cast bullets didnt shoot well from the micro groved barrels of marlins.winchesters have the old style barrels thats why I got a model 94 then 2 more found there way home. Im glad you posted about the marlin I will try them out in my marlin 336c.

 

[DeletedMember275]

I read where cast bullets didnt shoot well from the micro groved barrels of marlins.winchesters have the old style barrels thats why I got a model 94 then 2 more found there way home. Im glad you posted about the marlin I will try them out in my marlin 336c.

You can get cast bullets to shoot well in the Marlins, but they need to be a larger diameter than what you would normally use. Several guys at the Cast Boolits forum are shooting cast in Marlins.

 

[btrumanj]

A good article. I've been toying with the idea of buying a Mosin Nagant and the idea of cast reloads appeals to me.
BT