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I am a newbe when it comes to shooting cast bullets in my rifle. I have used them in my handguns for years. I shoot 308 Win and am thinking about using cast bullets in it. I use 168 HPBT jacketed bullets now. I push them around 2400FPS and shoot around 200 yds mostly. What do you suggest in a cast bullet? How will accuracy compare? Gas checks?
Your accuracy will depend on the rifle, the shooter, and the effort that you put into learning how to cast and assemble cast boolit loads. Take a look around the site and compare your situation with other shooters results. There's a Google Custom Search box at the top, right side of the page that will help. There's plenty of info here, you just have to do some research. Start with a chamber slug and take measurements off from that. It will be a valuable reference when you start looking to fit a boolit mold to your particular rifle.
Good luck! It's a journey, not a race.
This thread is mainly about gas operated M1A's, but it does give an awful lot of info that will also work for bolt guns: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...pringfield-M1A
Robert
Thank you guys. What I am wondering is that if you take a bunch of match jacketed bullets and a bunch of cast bullets and take the time and effort to develop loads for each, how does each compare? All this being said, what bullet should I be looking at, Gas Checks, velocity, etc?
Beyond an occasional club match, I no longer shoot in competition but I've still got the M700 .308 that old Art McGowan, himself, put together for me back in the late 1980s. Using 168 gr. SMKs over 42.5 gr. of H4895 it will print under 2" groups (off sandbags) at 200M. Finished RCBS 30-165SILs (lubed w/GC) from my mould go just under 174 gr and, again 'off sandbags', will group right around an inch at 100M and between 2 1/2 and 3 inches at 200M. I've never quite been able to match JB performance with cast from this rifle but, on the other hand, the rifle and I are both twenty years older than when we won our last NRA High-Power Match, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by comdiver
Bill
Only you and your rifle could find those answers. I've been following this thread and I think this would be of interest to you, too...
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...city-with-cast
Also, Goggle "The Cast Bullet Association Official Match Records" for ideas on bullet molds and powders/loads that should work well for you.
You have a steep hill to climb to match or exceed the accuracy of a match bullet with cast but anything is indeed possible , now for a lot of folks here getting a cast bullet to shoot the equal of the typical hunting bullet or military surplus ammo that is done more often than not for a lot of folks here. Even with my limited expertise I can equal or better the accuracy of the typical ball ammo in my 03A3 . The velocity may not be near as fast but that's why the sights are adjustable .
Tim
A quick glance at old results of CBA competition shows the .308 W. to be the winningest cartridge in Production category, shooting Eagan gas check designs or facsimilies at close to 2000fps. My 1-12" twist .308 likes the 160 gr. LBT spitzer at 1800 fps, again it is a GC design.
In cast bullet benchrest shooting GC bullets are almost a requirement except for the folks shooting plain base BREACH SEATED bullets.
31-165A pushed to 2400, close to 168amax (smk) performance from an AR. The SIL reports are good.
Good snug fitting RCBS 165 Sil or Lyman 314299 (beagled 310299) used with IMR 4759 powder is a very good beginner combination. You can expect to shoot under 2 MOA @100 yards ... consistent 1 MOA groups will be rare. I like using harder Linotype alloy.
I agree with detox on the 4759. I use air cooled WW and the RCBS 180 gr seated to just kiss the lands, fine shooting combo.
Rick