25 cal heavy

[6.5 mike]

Cast a few with this mould this morning, 3 cav, one of each. 85gr drops at an avg for 5- 91.5, 100gr- 100.6, & the 120gr-120.4 with 50/50 acww/pb. Size is 0.259ish on first casting. This well be great for my 250/3000 & 257 bob. Now where did I put that paper to see what else I can fit them to(6.5 something). Thanks to Blammer & NOE, great job by both.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I cast with my 4 cav. (all 120 gr.) on monday
with WW alloy sweetened with a little tin, I got a 200.0 grain average when weighing 6 random boolits. All the lower driving bands measured 0.260 and the top band was 0.254
A hornady band check snaps on nicely.
This should be a sweet shooter.
Al you do great work,
thanks Blammer.
Jon

[ammohead]

Went out last weekend with my 257 Roberts Ackley Improved and 32.5 gr of surplus 4895. It stunk! most of the time not even on the paper at 50 yards. Must not be the right combination...duh! I am going to back way off and try 12 gr of unique or 16 gr of 2400. Any suggetions for a PO bob?

ammohead

[bruce drake]

ammohead,
you got a choreboy to scrape the lead out of your barrel with that load? I've got a 257 Roberts that I use 24gr of IMR4895 and a tuft of dacron for a nice cast load for my 85gr and 100gr Herters cast boolits (Herters copies of Ideals 257388 and 257418 Spitzer molds).

Bruce

[ammohead]

Bruce,

Looks like I should have asked first then loaded. I will try again in the low 20's for 4895. Thanks

Bruce

[9.3X62AL]

Cartuche Cabeza--

What's the twist in that PO Roberts?

FWIW, RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1 (pp. 54) gives 22.0 grains of "4895" as a start load in the std Bob for 1736 FPS, and 24.0 grains for 1873 FPS. This listing is for their 257-120-SP boolit.

[ammohead]

Hi Al,

Sorry I didn't catch your post sooner. It is a 1 in 10 twist so I am hoping that it will stabilize. I get excellent accuracy with 115 gr ballistic tips and 100 gr tsx barnes, both are fairly long bullets. And it doesn't like 75 or 87 gr bullets near as much as the longer ones so I had high hopes for the 120 gr boolit. I will back way off on the 4895 and try it again and maybe some pistol powders as well. Care to try this one in your 25-35? I have some I can spare.

ammohead

[ammohead]

Well I got some good results with 22gr of 4895 but everything went south with 23 and up. Guess I need to drop back to 18 or so and work up to 22.

ammohead

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I finally got to shoot some of these that I cast in June.
Dismal results...NEVER HIT THE PAPER !

after reading ammohead's comments, I think I was loading them too hot/fast.
around 1800 FPS with 3 loads and 2400 with 1 load...all different powders.
I plan to load some more today...sticking with one powder the A-5744.
maybe make a group of 4 different loads of the one powder, starting
at about 1500 fps and up to just under 1800fps.
I'll keep up posted.
Jon

PS. this rifle is a tack driver with jacketed 120 gr. boat tails zipping along
at 2400FPS (that's why I tried one load that hot) and Lyman (from the 4th
cast boolit handbook) noted the best accuracy was at 1800 fps.

[ammohead]

JonB,

What caliber, rifle...we need details details. You can't leave us hanging like that. Inquiring minds need to know.

I need to get back to playing with my 257 robts AI and this boolit. I have been concentrating on shooting full power barnes triple shocks off hand to get ready for a desert bighorn ram hunt in November. gloat, gloat. I have considered using this boolit for the hunt but the triple shocks make such nice tiny groups at 3150 fps.

ammohead

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

OK,
I'm now ready to make a more complete post.
The Rifle...actually two rifles,
both 257 Robt and both are custom Mauser's with aftermarket barrels.
one was built one a Loewe receiver by a friend in 2010,
I submitted a photo of the Loewe in cast pic of the month in July 2011
http://www.castpics.net/CPOM/images/July-2011-11.jpg
The other built on a czech receiver by another Glencoe craftsman 60 years ago,
whom I bought it from in the 1997 when his health was failing,
he claimed it was his favorite.
Anyway, I don't know the twist rates,
just that both of them like a Hot load pushing a 120 gr J-word,
so I assume it's pretty quick.

I used my Chrono (Pact 1) for the first time...unsuccessful,
I need to re-read the manual.
the same loads, that should have been about 1800fps,
the chrono would read 1896, then the next shot 896,
then the next shot 2896. frustrating !
So all the mention of boolit speed is calculated/guesstimated from a reloading manual.

the first loads that failed miserably: (OAL=2.830)
A-xmp-5744 19.4gr 1800 fps
H322 24.7gr 1950 fps
IMR-3031 24.6gr 2000 fps
Hybrid 100V 39.0gr 2400+ fps

Hodgdons Hybrid 100V is basically an improved 4350...it is extruded, but has undergone a process to round the edges for better meterablity, I love it so much better.
NOTE: 40 gr. of IMR-4350 is my goto load for 120gr J-words.

My groups at 50 yds (with the above loads) were all over the place...one would be on the paper, the others would be left or right or up or down, 10 inches or so from the center...some keyholing.
================================================== =================
well after reading the above posts, I desided I may been loading these too hot.
and I figured I'd stick with one powder...the Lyman recommended A-xmp-5744.
I lengthened the OAL to 2.860 as I found I have the Mag well room.
Both of the chamber throats are fairly deep...I could seat them longer,
but then I'll have issues with ammo fitting/jamming in the Mag well.

I made 4 loads:
14.2gr 1475fps
15.5gr 1550fps
16.8gr 1675fps
17.2gr 1725fps

well, I had much better results.
the following are two sets of 3 shot groups at 50 yds:
14.2gr 1475fps first-1.75" second-2.0"
15.5gr 1550fps first-2.00" second-4.0"
16.8gr 1675fps first-2.25" second-0.75"
17.2gr 1725fps first-5.5" second-1.25"

although I didn't get a decisive ideal load,
I got much better results.
I rationalize the larger groups to operator error,
and if the one tight sub-one inch group isn't an anomally,
I'll load some more various loads around that 16 gr. area.
and then shoot them on a less windy day from 100 yds.
Jon