There is negligible shrinkage with Plastic Padding, however I have found it messy and far prefer the impact cast method. For me it is easier, more reliable and consistent, but that could just be horses for courses.
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There is negligible shrinkage with Plastic Padding, however I have found it messy and far prefer the impact cast method. For me it is easier, more reliable and consistent, but that could just be horses for courses.
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Pukka Bundhooks
That is indeed the brand I used and found satisfactory, although I don't know what is available in the UK or Australia. I also prefer Cerrosafe, without impact, but if you don't have it handy, you take what you can get. I have never found the stuff sold as Woods metal, cerrobend (for bending waterpipes without buckling) etc. release quite as well.
If you need to use car filler, you can fill a large diameter drinking straw, and push it out into the chamber with a dowel rod, wrapped in tape to fit.
There is no substitute for a cast of some sort. I agree it is much better not to rechamber a good Cadet barrel, as it is not an inferior small game or target round. But if a radical conversion job had once been done, I long ago did the calculations and thought a .32 Carbine reamer and dies, fed .32-20 cases, might make a fair job of the .321 bullets. This is something to check out carefully before laying out cash, of course.
Scotty you are right on that one. I also can not see anyone now a days taking a very nice cadet and grossly changing the chamber on it. One of my Nicer Cadets had a 32-20 reamer turned in it many years ago just to deepen the rim ledge and it's a dream to shoot. I can take or leave the lube all over the outside but plenty willing to put up with that just to shoot it. IV wondered if making a mold with a lube groove on the heal would get me past that as I know the boot that heel takes, some lube is bound to make it to the rifling.
Agreed, although such are my experimental instincts that I might actual prefer to find one that someone else has grossly changed. The German 5.6x50R is now such an appealing case, especially with a fast-twist .224 barrel.Originally Posted by Hooker53
I am not sure that I like the idea of a lube groove on the heel. I think most hollow base Cadet moulds have a conical depression and fairly thick walls, so don't think you could count on it expanding enough for consistent all-round contact. If the walls were thin, there is a chance that the rear of the skirt would tear off at the groove, and remain in the bore to cause a ring-bulge with the next shot. It would probably be possible to make a groove for testing by lathe turning or with some kind of canneluring tool.
Another possibility would be a grease or wax cookie behind the bullet, with a card wad behind it but none in front, so that the lube gets squeezed around the heel. My only doubt here is whether the rest of the lube would detach itself consistently on leaving the muzzle. This might be more likely with a flat-based heel bullet.
I see you have gave this some thought as I have. I guess I'm going to have to just run all the zboolits through my Lyman sizer and use some stiff lube in the one lube groove showing. Right now I'm tumble lubing them and that's where the mess is I'm relating to. If I fill that one lube groove showing I think it would be enough to cover things.
People certainly did make it work well with only one groove lubed. The only question is whether another might allow you to try for higher velocities than the Cadet originally produced, since there is no doubt about the action standing it with useful margins of safety.
As for the thicker rim of the .32-20 case, I think I would cut a chamber to the correct rim depth in a steel block, and squeeze the rim thinner in a bench vice. It is easier than rim turning every one. Alternatively if the primer pocket is deep enough to insert it below head level, you could probably use that block to file down the head, thinning the rim and eliminating that non-factual modern headstamp.
Here is a photo of the rim swage that I use. It has done hundreds of cases. The cases are processed using a small arbor press. The block of oak has a hole about 3/4 of an inch deep a bit larger than the die with a through hole a little larger than the case head to pop the case out using the brass rod. It takes very little effort to squeeze the rim and makes much more sense than altering the Cadet chamber.
That's one thing I have not had to worry about. When I bought my Cadet, the chamber had already had a 32-20 reamer turned in it a few turns and a stock 32-20 fits great in there unaltered. The only thing I had to do was trim my brass down shorter. I'm still working on the ideal length on that as I was still having to hard thumb some of my loads in on the last batch. So, I will trim another .020 off the length off of them.
Just bought a 310Cadet (Number 11) that is in a near mint condition as I have ever seen (apart from a few spots of blue missing on the barrel) all matching numbers (6/10) and with the front sight hood! This bore is tight, very tight, the heel of a boolit won't even start into the muzzle. I loaded up some of my favourite fodder to bench test at 50m and am delighted with this 10 shot group fired with just the regular open sights!
Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!
Great thread. I have a Cadet I haven't fired yet. With the RCBS bullet, how hard a metal do you like them made from? Pure, wheelweights, or hard like linotype.
BA Wallace's rifle sounds like a soft lead non-heel bullet, of the largest size that will let the round chamber (whatever size that is) might work very well.
It is too good to go drilling holes in, and persons yet unborn might curse you for it. But I'd be inclined to find a micrometer peepsight that could be epoxied to the side of the action. If you ever want it removed without harming the action or the bluing. heat a little short of doing that, and then a work-hardened brass scraper, should do so just fine.
Bruce. I have the bet luck with pure lead sweetened up a bit with tin. Seems to seal the bore better when soft. I have heard of some Cadets liking some a little harder. That's part of the fun with these Cadets. Mold a few Boolits of diff BHN and box them so you know which ones they are and watch your grouping. The first time you shoot yours, you will be hooked. Good luck and report back how it went and also post some photos of your Cadet.
Hi Roy, Here is the Cadet I bought a while back. It is a BSA, marked Commonwealth of Australia. Seems to be complete and original, even has the hood on the front sight. Bore is pretty good. The sling is just something I added. Enfield, may or may not be correct. I don't know. Might even be a repro.
I did cut a couple 32/20 shells to length but they don't chamber. Rim is too thick. I don't know what the best way to thin it is. I have seen people say they squeez it with a press and die. Probably the simplest thing is just to buy some Bertram cases from Midway or someone.
Bruce
Hello Bruce, yes. If you do t have a way to thin the brass down in a lath or swage them, Bertram will get you going. Some folks turns a 32-20 finishing reamer a few turns in the chamber to give themselves a full .052 rim shelf. Luckily, mine came already done so just had to trim my case length down and fire form them. That's a nice looking Cadet you have there. They are a fun little gun. I have a few more left of the last round of loads for mine so gonna take another .025 off the length of all my cases because I have to nudge them a smite to close the breech. Good luck with yours and keep us informed how yours is coming along.
Roy
Has anyone out there bought and scoped their Cadet? Looking for the Weaver mou t numbers if anyone knows these. Thanks guys
Roy
Hooker53
I'm having a new thought about the sizing, lubing and tightening the Boolit in the case mouth problem that some have stated in these Cadets. IV learned a new way to do all this with my 38 rim fire round that my #2 Rem roller shoots. When I ordered my new brass mould from Bernie, he made an upside down die rod and a top punch that you size and lube the completed round in my Lyman 4500. I think it's a neat way to handle several problems with a heeled Boolit. Is anyone doing this on their 310 Mag as Bad---A@@ calls it? Ha. Gonna have to check and see if a 324/325 die is attainable and try that. Hope you all are still shooting.
Roy
For a light hunting rifle I have the Tasco Bantam scope, which is extremely short, with a longer than normal eye relief which for me put the objective right above the case head. I think it is discontinued now, but should be available on eBay.
Mine is the 2.5x, with an objective bell, but there was another version with a straight tube at the front. This one might have been the same, or 1.5x. Still, I have found my old steel Weaver K1.5 a very useful aid.
Jeff Cooper's Scout Scope idea was based on the theory that the eyes are both open, and synthesize the images from the scope and from the other eye. So they give enough brightness to shoot in just about any light that lets you see. Well not for me they don't, as I have never had binocular vision. So all the Scout scope gives me is a tiny picture much further from the eye than I would like, and no benefits in exchange.
Sometimes it's a chore to get a good sight combination on these guns. I'm going through this with my Rem #2 Roller but just tonight I got it nailed down on wht I need I'm going with the Marbles #009819 that Skeetex gave a link too and a Lyman 17-AHB that another poster talked about and think that those two will get me in the game.
Well. After ordering the die and making the upside down top punch affair like I use on my #2 Rem 38 rf loads, I can report it really helped my Cadet loads. They all chamber easyer. Sizes the Boolit and crimps the case.
Well. . .this turned out to be a helpful thread. I just joined the .32-20 Cadet club today. . .or will in ten days. Many thanks to Bad *** Wallace for the info on bore specs. I found one with a BSA barrel that muzzle-slugs about .315", so I should hopefully be able to roll with a conventional lube groove mold. Gonna have to see how the chamber gauges out when it comes home. Hopefully the dies cooperate without much fuss.
It's an adorable little thing! It came with both the original barrel dismounted (also .32-20), and another BSA barrel that was installed because it has fine screw-thread adjustment mechanisms for both windage and elevation. Dies and brass are inbound. Who knew that running small rounds to shoot cheaply could get so expensive?
WWJMBD?
In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.
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