First cast bullet range report

[brnomauser]

After I had some success casting - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=106134
I found some time to shoot them. After honing the Lee bullet sizing die out to size them .244 I loaded them on top of Trail Boss. I seated them to the same depth as my jacket bullets - 10 thou off the lands. Lube is LLA. I gave the bore a real good cleaning with wipeout - no copper left in it.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1000836.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1000834.jpg

To my suprise and satisfaction the first group of 10gr was 0.6" at 50 yards! The next couple weren't so good but the last, at 12gr gave 1.5" at 100 yards (not shown). I still need to fine tune the loads figure out how to fit the best zero in with my jacket loads but I'm very very pleased with the results.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1000837.jpg

This load will be for hunting small game to eat, and also to fill the gap of where my 22wmr was. Initial signs exceed expectations. Velocity was I think around 1200 fps. I was hoping for a subsonic load and am thinking I might try less than the first. But even at 1200, with an 87gr bullet it should be pushing out at least 22 magnum energy. And at 14p per round, it's cheaper too.

I through a bolt in my wood lathe and hit it with a grinder, then sanded it to make a tapered rod for bell-mouthing the top of the neck very slightly. The gas check now sits about halfway down when rested there. Seating the bullets has slightly less resistance than the jacketed bullets but feels even for all cartridges.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1000838.jpg

Next I'll try acting on a tip to seat them right on the lands

[Bass Ackward]

You have a TON of experiences ahead of you that will bring just as much excitement.

I will tell you those Loverin Designs generally do better right up into the lands with that taper. I use some LLA painted on with a Q-Tip to grease the nose so that they can be extracted without pulling the slug. And of coarse, you can shoot even cheaper with regular powders using some WalMart Dacron as a filler and pistol primers. Then watch the accuracy come in.

So you have a bunch of research options ahead of you and you are addicted now. Your research will only stop once you become satisfied.

[brnomauser]

You have a TON of experiences ahead of you that will bring just as much excitement.

I will tell you those Loverin Designs generally do better right up into the lands with that taper. I use some LLA painted on with a Q-Tip to grease the nose so that they can be extracted without pulling the slug. And of coarse, you can shoot even cheaper with regular powders using some WalMart Dacron as a filler and pistol primers. Then watch the accuracy come in.

So you have a bunch of research options ahead of you and you are addicted now. Your research will only stop once you become satisfied.
Lol, yep I'm sure I do! But I don't think my research will ever stop, no matter how satisfied I become... That's a good idea on the Q-tip, but I'm not sure I have enough neck tension to ram them into the lands that much. Should I have that much tension?

What is Dacron? I live in the UK... So you can get pistol primers for 243? When you say regular powders, what do you mean? It's still pretty cheap with Trail Boss compared to full house J loads!

[Doby45]

Dacron is nothing more than the cottony pillow stuffing. Regular large pistol primer is what he is talking about, I think.

[Bass Ackward]

When I say into the lands. That doesn't mean jamming them in. More like a kiss.

Large pistol primers will work up to about 45, 000 psi before you have to worry about a puncture. You are operating WAY BELOW that point. And when I do, pistol primers, they almost always out perform rifle primers.

When you get bored, you can fill that case with @ 38 gr of 4831 and keep the flies off the slug on the way to the target. That's about 28k, so it is a good place to start.