Fastest you can push .308, .30-06 cast bullets?

[LEADLUBBER]

Is the fastest push around 2200-2300fps on these?


With or without a gas check?


Which molds tend to work well in the 165-200 grain range?


What alloy and method is recommended for which BHN is best?

Linotype only?

[geargnasher]

The short answer is it all depends, depends, depends.

The only valid, general, and certain answer anyone can give you is that you will need gas checks if you want any sort of accuracy or loads that don't lead when going much over 15-1800 fps. The other questions are so dependent on other factors that nobody can give you a definitive answer for your gun/components/tools/knowledge/experience level. Here's my stab at it, maybe give you some idea of what can be done and tips on how:

Some will argue that twist rate determines your ideal velocity/accuracy potential, and that 2200 is about right for a ten-twist 30-bore sporter with the boolit weights you mention. I won't dispute the careful research I've seen proving this, but I think it's more of a guideline than an absolute.

I personally have taken a 1:10 twist .30-'06 into the twilight zone approaching 2800 fps with nearly 200-grain boolits and no leading, but best accuracy was around 2400 fps and under. I'll add that this took a LOT of work to maintain an honest, repeatable 10-shot 2moa at 100 going over 2400, and I couldn't do it over 2700. Extreme care in selection of components, alloy, lube, loading techniques, brass prep, etc. was necessary to even get any sort of decent accuracy at those velocities. The same gun would shoot 1moa at 100 at 2350 fps until you got bored and went home. At the time I had a friend who had the 100's of dollars worth of benchrest cast prep tools do my brass prep for me to fit my exact chamber dimensions and boolit size, and he was kind enough to help me out. Nowdays I load nice, accurate ammo at much more sane velocities because to me it just isn't worth the stress or the investment in tooling trying to push things that hard.

As for mould, the boolit design that best fits your gun is the best design. .308s generally have shorter throats from what I understand than most .30-'06s do, so likely a given gun in one caliber will prefer a different boolit than the other caliber. But....... each gun is a law unto itself.

My experience showed me that you need a hard, yet malleable boolit for HV work, I learned a lot about alloys from folks here that reinforced some of my observations in the past and I think many of us will agree that a fairly soft antimonial alloy which has been heat-treated to harness in the mid-20 bhn range are easiest to work with. Think water-quenched clip-on wheel weight metal.

Gear

[sqlbullet]

Following up on what Gear said...

You can definitely exceed 2300 fps without leading. But, the returns diminish quite rapidly.

I run my M1 Garands all day long in the 2000 fps range with 200 grain bullets, and get as good/better accuracy than I get with jacketed bullets.

Last night I loaded up some paper patched 160 grain bullets over 46 grains of WC846 (Surplus BLC-2). Hoping to get 2600-2700 fps from these with similar accuracy and without a gas check.

So, it depends on what you are willing to invest, and what your goals are. For Gear and I, I think the goal is just to say we did it, and gain the knowledge about where our limits are.

Let us know how it goes in your quest.

[John Boy]

Leadlubber, based on your questions, your best bet is a couple of reloading manuals. For starters, recommend the Lyman Cast Handbook, 4th Edition

[jhalcott]

I played the HI velocity game for a few years. I found IF I went beyond 24-2500 fps , the alloy and lube got as important as the fit to bore. Also shooting a NAIL at deer isn't the best idea. It will go thru like an FMJ and cause little damage compared to a bullet cast from air cooled wheel weight alloy. (In MY opinion)! It IS much easier to get reliable ,accurate and deadly loads going around 2000 to 2400 fps. If you want to shoot cross canyon at game like deer, then maybe cast is not for you!

[LEADLUBBER]

Ok, no problem, I am happy to keep velocity low on these then.....


Sounds like I will do well with Wheel weight or a slight mix on it without a gas check and water dropping it....

I don't want to make the process so overcomplicated and time consuming that I end up not doing it.....


200 grain boolits will be a lot of fun at 2100-2300fps....


I am really just wanting 1.5 MOA or better and to be able to load 20 rounds for less than $3-$4......

[sqlbullet]

200 grain bullet, gas checked = ¢3
CCI 200 Large Rifle Primer = ¢3
32 grains Varget = ¢8
3/4 grain poly-fill = ??

Total cost for 20 rounds: $2.80

This is the most accurate load I have found so far in my M1 Garands. It shoots about 2.5 MOA out of field grade CMP Winchesters with iron sights. I would be surprised if that didn't drop in half in a good bolt gun. I probably could get pretty close to 1.5 MOA with a scope on my nicer Garand.

This weekend I hope to get the range to try some paper patched rounds. If they work out, I will be dropping the gas check. Also trying out some WC846 surplus powder, and if it works out with the paper patch, that will get my cost per 20 rounds down to $1.90.

[rockrat]

Plan on using gas checks at your 2100-2300fps

[LEADLUBBER]

Awesome combo load there!


I too am hoping to use some of the surplus powder.... I have to somehow justify the cost savings and start shooting more for practice....


That is some darn good shooting with iron sights!

I can't see good enough to do much at all with iron sights anymore....

[LEADLUBBER]

Plan on using gas checks at your 2100-2300fps

ok, does the gas check go in the mold and then I pour them?


what is the best way to use or apply gas checks??

[white eagle]

put the checks on after you cast at the same time as you size and lube
if you use a lube sizer
push thru sizer....... before you push thru

[LEADLUBBER]

Great, THanks!