Next should I do 22 Hornet or 30/30?

[shooting on a shoestring]

Its time to get another calibre on lead boolits. So far I've only cast for revolvers as I shoot them almost exclusively. But I want to venture into casting for a long gun. I've got a Ruger #3 in .22 Hornet scoped, that I've had since new in the 70's. Took lots of work to get it to group 45gr jacketed in 1.5 to 1.0 inches at 100 yds. But the twist in 1:16. I've have an old pre 64 well worn 30/30 with some ugly scratches in the barrel, no scope. Best I've done with jacketed is 5 to 6 inches at 100 yds.

I don't have plans to use either for anything but fun and folly.

Any thoughts which to cast for? What weights? Shapes? Specific moulds?

PS anyone have experience with Saeco hardness testers? Do Lees work well?

Thanks in advance

[45 2.1]

Do the 30-30. As for a mold, Chargar is going to post a Group Buy for the 311291 boolit soon.

[7br]

I've got a Ruger #3 in .22 Hornet scoped, that I've had since new in the 70's. Took lots of work to get it to group 45gr jacketed in 1.5 to 1.0 inches at 100 yds.
I don't have plans to use either for anything but fun and folly.

Any thoughts which to cast for? What weights? Shapes? Specific moulds?

PS anyone have experience with Saeco hardness testers? Do Lees work well?

Thanks in advance

If folly is what you want, sell me the Ruger for $100 and I'll have a lot of fun.

[Muskrat Mike]

Its time to get another calibre on lead boolits. So far I've only cast for revolvers as I shoot them almost exclusively. But I want to venture into casting for a long gun. I've got a Ruger #3 in .22 Hornet scoped, that I've had since new in the 70's. Took lots of work to get it to group 45gr jacketed in 1.5 to 1.0 inches at 100 yds. But the twist in 1:16. I've have an old pre 64 well worn 30/30 with some ugly scratches in the barrel, no scope. Best I've done with jacketed is 5 to 6 inches at 100 yds.

I don't have plans to use either for anything but fun and folly.

Any thoughts which to cast for? What weights? Shapes? Specific moulds?

PS anyone have experience with Saeco hardness testers? Do Lees work well?

Thanks in advance

I'm a relatively new caster (2yr) but I cast and shoot both and to me there's more fun to had with the 30/30. Bigger variety of moulds available and some very good economical Lee moulds. I also have the Lee hardness tester and I'm happy with it but remember It's the only one I have experience with and being a relatively new caster I might not know any better. My 2 cents!

[Bent Ramrod]

Shoestring,

My Ruger #3 .22 Hornet does pretty well with cast boolits. Like you, I had to do a fair amount of skulduggery to get the thing to shoot well with either cast or jacketed. Mine seemed to take to heavy bullets, like 225462, cast fairly hard and sized .225" over 9.5 gr IMR-4198 in Remington cases. Velocity was 2017 ft/sec +- 38 ft/sec for five shots. It does under 2" at 100 yards; most often around 1.5".

If you really are on a shoestring, a pot of lead lasts forever casting these little slugs.

I have a SAECO lead tester and it seems to work very well. It works best on bullets with flat or round noses, which have to be set up correctly in the little window in the device. Also, you need the chart to go from SAECO hardness to Brinnell hardness, but that comes with the tester.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Shoestring, if you have no rifle CB experience yet, I strongly advise you to start with the .30/30 because it is one the most cast-friendly calibers there is. You can load a .30/30 at any level from .32/30 with 110 or so gr. CB up to full factory power with 170 gr. CB. Put a decent aperture rear sight on that 94 and start with a Lyman 311291, 311041, or RCBS 30-180 and you should have success from the start. I have not yet cast for calibers smaller than 7 X 57, but this board is full of posts detailing the difficulty of getting good results with .22s.

[35remington]

Second Curmudgeon's advice. The Hornet can be a little pissy about shooting cast in many rifles.

[dragonrider]

Go with the 30-30 if only for the greater variety of boolit molds available for 30 can than 22. At this sight alone there are 12, 22 cal. and 46, 30 cal.

[Dale53]

I'm going to go against "conventional wisdom", here. I have a Ruger #3 that has been re-chambered from Hornet to .221 Fireball and has custom wood. The rifle shoots the Lyman 225415 GC in ½" at fifty yards (4.0 grs of Unique with five shot groups). Makes a dandy edible small game rifle. I would suggest that the Hornet would work well with 3.0 grs of Unique for the same results. I have a small amount of linotype and I used that for the .22 bullets as it casts so well. It has worked extremely well by my standards.

Dale53

[carpetman]

Dale53---That dandy edible small game rifle---was wondering do you use any kind of sauce on it? I agree you sure are going against conventional wisdom.

[OLPDon]

Do the 30-30. As for a mold, Chargar is going to post a Group Buy for the 311291 boolit soon.

Oh No I thought if I stayed away for Group Buy and spent more time on Cast Boolits I could cut my spending. When does the thirdy thirdy start??????
Don:veryconfu

[corvette8n]

Here is my 30-30 setup
Lee 150gr fn gc
tumble lube them
7.0gr Unique
1952 Win 94
plinking fun beyond words

[shooting on a shoestring]

I believe I'll ride with popular opinion on this one and start with the 30/30. The .22Hornet is not off the table, just next in line.

The Group Buy on 311291 sounds very interesting. In the meantime, I'll look for a flat nose perhaps like 3110414, or maybe the 150 gr Lee. The mention of 110 gr CBs sounds fun. It got me to thinking about super light - super quite loads for skunk termination in my yard. Now I'm thinking 600 fps loads with maybe .315 round balls (which I have plenty on hand for my .32 muzzle loader). I'll bet a couple of grains of Bullseye would be just the ticket. Although I may have to single shot them.

Thanks again, great web site.

[GooseGestapo]

I'd go first with the .30wcf.

I'd get the Lee 150gr FNGC, and size it .311".

I started with this as my first rifle mould (and first ever mould) back in 1976, and I still have the mould. (sorta, I gave it to my older brother who uses it for his .30wcf in a M94 winny. I bought me another, and It's even better than the first as it casts about 3gr's lighter (157gr) with aircooled wheelweights. The difference is in larger lube grooves which helps with higer velocity loads.

I've gotten excellent accuracy with most combinations through several .30/30's.

My brothers favorite is 7.5gr of Unique over unsized bullets tumble lubed. These take little prep, and are wonderfully accurate to 50yds and beyond.

I prefer to gas check them, and run them over either 28.0gr of IMR3031, up to 31.0gr of IMR3031 if HeatTreated.

Also, I really like 30-32.0gr of Reloader 15. These kill deer better than 170gr jacketed bullets. Much cheaper, and essentially as accurate if rifle bore is conditioned to cast bullets first.

I too cast and load the Lyman 225415 through my Ruger M77/22 in .22 Hornet.

I like 6.0#2400, also 4.5gr of Unique. My favorite is 8.0gr of SR4759 at a full-slightly compressed load. It will shoot to about 1-1.5" at 50yds and gets about 2,100fps. I use aircooled wheelweights with some 95/5% tin solder added and sized to .225" and lubed with 50/50 alox-beeswax lube. I've even used this to euthanize car hit deer. Kills very well with appropriatly placed shot.

1.5gr of Bullseye under a tumble-lubed unsized bullet comes close to duplicating the .22lr loads. Quiet, and usually 1-hole at 25yds.

Of course, if you have a Contender you can use my "Pigeon" load. I almost got caught creating a "pigeon die-off -epidemic" at Auburn Univ. in 1977 with my "Pellet gun" load for my T/C Contender in .22 Hornet.
I seat a .22 air-rifle pellet over a CCI magnum Small Pistol Primer into an unsized-fired but slightly flared case.
Very accurate to 50' or a little over.
It made the local news paper, and the "Vet" school diagnosed "accute lead poisoning from an "air-rifle".
Had to "hide" the Contender and pellets for a couple of months after that !!!!!
These might "stick" a pellet in the longer barrel of a rifle. I've not tried these since 1977. I cast "real" bullets now!!!

I later found out what a real "crisis" I'd created after I went to work for the City P.D. in 1979 !!!! The Patrol captain had a real laugh after I told him what I'd been doing. He then talked about how the city animal control unit got started after he and several other officers got caught handling the stray dog problem one night on 3rd shift with their .22lr's and CB caps.

And then we go round in circles.........................

[1Shirt]

Shoestring! My #3 Hornet would never shoot under an inch and a quarter with anything until I had it reamed out to KHornet. Now shoots 3/4" groups with J, and 1-1 1/8" groups with Cast. Had always been told that if a hornet wouldnt group worth a hoot, that you should open it up to Kilborns version. In my case it was definately the case.
1Shirt!

[T-Bird]

Hey goose, I don't specifically remember the AU pigeon die off, but I was in that vet school in 1977. Small world. Shoot straight, T-Bird