308 and 20" barrel for cast?

[crabo]

I just ran into a Remington light tactical 308 with a fluted 20" barrel. I fell in love. Would the shorter length lose much in velocity and does the 308 do well in cast? It has a 1 in 12 twist.

As far as rifles go, I have only shot cast in a 357 lever gun. This would be a new project for me. The gun felt great holding it offhand.

http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/700ltr.htm

Thanks,

[David R]

I shoot 308 cast and love it. I get good groups and its fun to shoot. I use a 311644 190 grain and a case full of WC860. It IS dirty, but the gun shoots great. Best load I have found for it accuracy wise.

[Scrounger]

It would lose velocity in full velocity jacketed loads. But the loads for cast bullets are so much lower and usually with a faster powder to boot, that you cannot even attempt to compare velocities. They will be very .30-30 like.

[Larry Gibson]

9" twist in a Remington .308W?

Larry Gibson

[crabo]

Whoops.... I read the twist for the 223. DUH!

Okay. new questions

If I shoot cast, how much will the 20" barrel affect velocity with cast?

If I shoot full length gas checks, how much will the 20" barrel affect velocity with full length gas checks?

Is one in 12 a good twist for cast?

[felix]

Go for it! ... felix

[Joel Chavez]

Crabo, I have the exact rifle. I shoot the Lee 7.62x39 cast boolit sized at .311 with no gas checks using 8.2grs of Bullseye. I'm not too sure on the muzzle vel. but I'd venture to say it's well over 1600fps. The rifle barely moves when the shot goes off. My 11yrs old boy loves it and dad does too. :). We normally just shot at 50yds with it and get .5" or less groups consistantly. The rifle has only 60 rounds through it so the group size should only get better. Hope that helps you some. Later.

[NHlever]

I shoot a .308 with a 20" barrel, and like it very much. Mine is an Ultra Light Ruger, but groups are very good as well. I think you will lose on the order of 45 fps for each inch of barrel, or so in that caliber though I don't have a chronograph to verify that. Shooting cast loads, as others have said, you will basically have a bolt action 30-30. The only thing I don't like about shooting cast in some .308's is that the cases are strong, and the necks really can get sooted up with lighter cast bullet loads. Perhaps that is as much a function of many chambers actually being the 7. 62 Nato chamber than the stiff cases, but the end result is the same. Looks like a fun gun to shoot!

[Three44s]

It looks like a heck of a rifle!!!

Shorter bull barrels are very good in that barrel whip is minimized ...... just look at the trend in bench rest rifles for the last thiry years ........

Are we to assume you'll be buying new???

One draw back ..... a new rifle may need some condom bullets to tamp down those machining marks?

Three 44s

[MT Gianni]

My BLR in 308 looses about 50-75 fps through my chrono vs book loads. I don't worry about it because of the way it packs. It's a very handy length. Gianni

[crabo]

It looks like a heck of a rifle!!!

Are we to assume you'll be buying new???

Three 44s

It is a used gun that looks brand new. It has a set of detachable rings with the levers(?) and a front short tactical rail on the front sling swivel. Price is $700 plus tax. I didn't inspect the rings that close because I was telling myself to be strong and that I didn't need it.

I have a Luepold 4.5x14 that needs a home.....

[Larry Gibson]

Crabo, I have the exact rifle. I shoot the Lee 7.62x39 cast boolit sized at .311 with no gas checks using 8.2grs of Bullseye. I'm not too sure on the muzzle vel. but I'd venture to say it's well over 1600fps. ......

Joel

That bullet over 11 gr of Unique runs 1537 out of my 26" M70 Target .308W. My experience using both Bullseye and Unique tells me your load is nearer 1400 fps. I might have to load some and chronograph. The 11 gr load of Unique is also and excellent one BTW.

Larry Gibson

[DLCTEX]

Crabo, if you already have the scope then of course destiny has ordained that you get the rifle for it.

[runfiverun]

i would bet that a 308 with cast at 2100 or more will be an excellent rifle.
4895, h322, or h-414 with a bit of filler and a g/c will be accurate.
enough for hunting purposes,and will feel just like shooting flgc's.
the 1-12 will be nice. my 30-30 with open sights at 2250 will hold 1" groups at 50 yds for as long as you want to shoot it.
with your set-up there, and scope, you should be able to do 1" at 100 easily.
if it has a 10 twist just run them at 1900 and all will be good.

[Larry Gibson]

My experience in having a .30W shortened from 22" to 18" some years back was with factory and M80 7.62 I lost right at 100 fps. With cast loads it was 50-75 fps.

Larry Gibson

[jhalcott]

I don't know what to say, I have a 12" barreled lone Eagle in .308 win. It shoots cast very well and gets the job done on deer to over 150 yards ,cast or jacketed 150 grain bullet.

[nicholst55]

I killed a bunch of Central Texas whitetails with a Ruger M77 .308 using the Lyman 311291 (mostly) when I was stationed there in the early '80s. Ranges were short (under 100 yards) and they were all generally DRT.

[Joel Chavez]

Mr. Gibson, you might be correct on the FPS of my load. I haven't chronoed it, but I will sometime next week and give a full report. I had been trying different boolits to determine what the gun liked. It appears it favors "heavier" boolits over the lighter ones. I tried the "soup can", but the results were lacking. How, it might be due to the barrel not being broken in. All I know, the 7.62x39 cast boolit was very accurate and consistant day after day. More testing is necessary to determine what will work all the time and what to avoid. This rifle is for my little boys to shot some Central Texas deer so full power loads aren't necessary or needed. We'll be taking head shots under 50yds anyways. I'll keep you up to date on my progress. Later.

[Hang Fire]

I have a FN 98 the Israelis rebarreled to 7.62 Nato back in the 1960s, I cut the barrel down to 18.5 inches and configured rifle to scout concept. It is amazingly accurate and even more amazing, have found it not picky as to powder or .310 sized GC cast bullet used.

I place accuracy over velocity as a priority, so have never attempted to push it a SWAG over 2,000 fps and keep it down to book loads of 16-1700 fps, which is likely less in the shorter barrel.

[Larry Gibson]

Thanks Joel, I'm looking forward to your test results.

Kudos on getting the boys out hunting. I have been working with the GB C314-150-WFN in my .308W as I got a really good load with it in my 12" twist M94 30-30 at 1910 fps using WWs + 2% tin. So far it is looking good up through the same 1900 fps. That would be very good for deer.

Larry Gibson

[ddeaton]

Crabo, I have the same gun in 308 and 223. I shoot jacketed up till now. You guys have me wanting to cast for this also. I shoot 168 sierra match kings out of the 308. It shoots great out to 100 yrds. I want a good mold for this also. Crabo, have you decided yet?

[crabo]

If it's there tomorrow, I am going to get it. I'll just sell my stainless/synthetic 700 .280 to pay for it.

[ddeaton]

I am just getting started casting for pistol. Have all the gear, just waiting till I can walk again to get started. Knee surgery Friday, ouch. I need some tutoring from you guys on what to get for gas check rifle bullets.

Wheel weight lead with gas check ok for these?

This sounds like fun, let me know Crabo

[crabo]

Well, the pawnshop does not have it anymore. When he took it off the wall, there was a Matching 300 Win Mag, but with a longer barrel and a scope hanging above it. As he took mine off the wall, somehow the 300 came off and hit the floor.

It was enough to make a grown man cry.....