Cast Bullets for Smaller Calibers - under .30 cal

[Blair]

Been thinking of casting for my smaller caliber guns.

7mm, .270, .243, 22 cal

How well will cast bullets work in rifles of these smaller calibers for the appropriate size game animals for these calibers?

Thanks.

[Harter66]

7mm has worked out for me for shooting I don't have a game report for them . I understand that 22s become varmint only .

[Sensai]

I cast for three of the four calibers that you asked about, the 7mm, the 243 and the 22. The smaller the bullet, the harder to control the mould temperature; but other than that the casting isn't so different. The 22's get a little on the tiny side for my old fat fingers when it comes to applying gas checks, sizing and lubing. I don't know what Harter66 means by "varmint only", but I use the cast 22's for varmint, target and small game. Just depends on the load and particular cartridge. My favorite cartridge for 22 cast boolits is the 22 Hornet, but I have used them in every 22 centerfire from the Hornet through the 22-250 without problems. You just have to remember that they aren't able to take super high pressures, but they're not meant too. Best Wishes

[Harter66]

Varmint only as opposed to potential whitetail slayers . Let common sense prevail. I too often think in terms of food .

[WashingMike]

I cast for those calibers and they all go bang. The smaller the boolit the more challenging it can be handling the projectiles during processing as mentioned above. Remember that you have the usual cast boolit velocity restrictions unless you take steps to shoot them faster as outlined in other posts. Harder is better. It can be spendy to get moulds, gas checks and such all set up for each. It didn't stop me. I have certainly had my best luck with bore-rider nosed cuts in the sub-30 cals. But as pointed out in other posts, just because a CB is slower, doesn't mean that it isn't gonna be lethal.

WashingMike

[Greg Skinner]

I have cast quite a few 22 caliber bullets and shoot them mainly in the .22 K-Hornet and the 22-250. My favorite bullet is the Lyman 225415 flat nose. I powder coat them without gas checks. I've tried using gas checks but don't really see much difference in accuracy and I get no leading with the powder coating. I run them over 2000 fps in the Hornet and between 1800 and 1900 in the 22-250. Accuracy averages around an inch at 50 yards, which is plenty adequate for starlings and such pests. The little flat nose traveling that fast actually does a surprising amount of tissue damage. I've never tried it on anything bigger than chickens I was culling, but I wouldn't be afraid of taking a shot at something the size of a raccoon within 75 - 80 yards

I've also worked up some light, sub-sonic loads with the same bullet that are great for ranges up to 25 - 30 yards. They shoot well out of an AR .223, although you have to hand cycle the action; very quiet and lots of fun. Your'e missing out if you haven't tried it.

[Blair]

I'm liking what I'm hearing.

7mm would be for whitetail deer

270 for deer and occasional ground hog

.243 for deer and ground hog

223 for ground hog

99.9% of my shots would be 100 yds and under. Very woody in my hunting area.

Looking at game bullets with acceptable hunting accuracy at 100 yds.

[Yodogsandman]

NOE has molds under 30 cal on sale for 15% off right now!

http://www.noebulletmoulds.com/NV/

[plainsman456]

I have had a lot of fun with NOE's 80+- mold in my 7x57.

[runfiverun]

the 7mm is workable for deer but after shooting a few 7's and doing some testing it's a bit too marginal for me.
I prefer 30 and above for deer.
the 7 is pretty good on rock chucks, fox, coyotes, and such though.

casting the boolits is not much different than any thing else, I don't even run my 22 molds all that hot.
I started out that way and tried like crazy to work the mold hot and fast.
I finally just found a comfortable pace and careful lead pouring into the mold done the same thing.

[dh2]

I cast for 7mm and 270 now , cast in the 7x57mauser make it a good youth rifle, and good for fire forming brass in my .280 AI.
I shoot at my local 100yard range often the 270Win. with a cast boolit is a lot of fun. I am working up good load for the 6.8SPC
I would see no reason why a boolit from 124 to 160gr at 2000fps would be ideal for small game I don't think some of the small white tale would walk a way from them eather

[str8shot426]

My results with .243 and 95 gr.rcbs sp.

[runfiverun]

cause according to some you ain't getting the fast twist 7mm's to go that fast with accuracy.
you can if you work at it but you then have to match the alloy and nose shape as well as get it to work under the acceleration stresses.

look at goodsteel's sticky in the hunting section and you'll find the what and why of his boolit failure and why it would work the same here.

[Old Scribe]

I cast for .22 and 6.5 Carcano (6.5x52) and they shoot well with the various loads I've tried.

[beagle]

Whichever way you go on these, be careful of your sizing procedures. Being ham handed when seating GCs and sizing in a base first sizing rig can bend the bullets, especially in cold weather. Then you wind up with a small, lead banana which isn't really that good for accuracy. Been there.

Get a nose first sizing die like the Lees and you'll be fine. Just have to come back and lube in a separate step or choose an alternative lubing method./beagle

[quilbilly]

My most accurate rifle with cast (subject to change) is my 7mm TCU using the Lee soup can but my wife's Mossberg 243 is almost scary accurate with cast.

[Blackwater]

The old timers used to opine that "Good things start to happen at about .25 caliber." This may explain why the old small calibers, like the .25/20 et al, weren't larger. It's taken us humans a long time to learn how to make really good small caliber bullets and barrels, and we keep on trying to get even better. I have two .22 moulds, but haven't tried either yet (he admitted ashamedly!) and from what I've seen, the smaller caliber moulds seem to be at least a bit more sensitive to metal and mould temp, probably because being smaller, they cool faster due to the smaller amt. of alloy poured. Every mould, however, has its eccentricities and preferences in those regards. It's just that the smaller caliber moulds seem to be a bit more finicky, on average - and almost NOTHING seems to be invariable in casting. FWI?

[Moonie]

I've had good luck casting and shooting 6.8 SPC loads, but just for target shooting. I do have a new 270 Winchester Encore pistol I'm looking forward to playing with cast in.

[303Guy]

I've never been able to cast successfully with my 2-cavity RCBS 224-55-FN mold. Apart from a high reject rate the little devils won't drop from the mold! Even so, I did cast a few and did shot them in my mini-14 but they were only reasonably accurate at lower velocities. I tried some in my hornet and accuracy was so-so but did at least hit the paper. I even tried paper patching them. Now that's a challenge!

I have made a 25 mold and cast from it successfully but those were for paper patching. I never did any serious range testing though but they cast OK.

[MT Chambers]

Over the years I've found that as you go smaller in bore dia. you have a tougher time with accuracy unless you reduce velocity a lot, my accurate .218 Mashburn Bee is deadly with certain j-word bullets at up to 3000fps but cast accuracy is best at 1400fps with about 6 diff. cast bullets. As you go up in bore size cast bullets are accurate at higher velocities, as all my .30 cals. are most accurate with cast at upwards of 2000fps, when you get to .45 cal. a lot of cast loads are as accurate at top velocities.