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Thread: Realistic Expectations for Cast Boolits

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Realistic Expectations for Cast Boolits

    When you read that title, what came into your mind? What did you expect was going to be written here?

    Chances are it was your own expectations that matter to you. What were they?

    We have a lot of new folks with varring experience levels. Are you finding the information and help you need?

    This will help everyone to know and taylor answers to you.

  2. #2
    Boolit Mold ssgt's Avatar
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    My expectation as concerns accuracy is very simple....Hunting.

    Without undue attention to powder, load density, OAL etc I should be able to break 10 clays at 100 yards with 10 shots.

    As concerns performance? Well, If the animal Im aiming at takes no more than 10 steps then falls over dead (assuming I do my part) then that is good performance.In this area I do tend to play with things such as hardness, lube, etc.

    Yes, its very simplistic but so far Ive had no complaints. However, now that Ive been considering cast bullets in competition I sure that I will have to reconsider my personal expectations!

  3. #3
    Boolit Master At Heavens Range 2007 cherok9878's Avatar
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    Hunting accuracy is all I need. I use minute of paper plate to determine my accuracy requirements. However on the random occasion when I get the one ragged hole I am as excited as a man with a new puppy.
    I am very new to casting and started after finding this site. Information here has made my transition very easy and enjoyable......thanks.......larry

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    My Realistic Expectations for Cast Boolits :

    Be able to punch a hole in paper. That is about it. Being a full time college student and not working very much I needed a way to feed my newly aquired 45acp, because I love to shoot. I got a cast pot from my grandad and a dipper, I used my dads single burner Coleman stove, then upgraded to a 2 burner Coleman Stove I picked up at a flee market for $10, now I have a bottom pour a friend gave me.

    Now I cast bullets for 9mm, 38, 357, 452, 458, 30, 44, and 50 cal muzzy bullets.

    I have only been casting for about 6 months now.

    Orignally I wanted just to be able to plink and maybe be able to hunt with my 45acp. Realistically I am getting better groups from the bench with my rifles then I did with some condom bullets.

    And WOW this is cheap. I have close to 500 pounds of lead ingots and have only gave about $15 total for all my lead.
    Doug
    .................................................. ........................................
    Sticks and stones may break my bones but hollow points expand on impact.

    Taxidermists are cheaper than surgeons....keep shooting

    ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Some people measure success in Minutes of Angle

  5. #5
    Boolit Bub dbotos's Avatar
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    Cheap. That was my first expectation. In 9mm, factory fodder is $12+/100, reloading plated was about $8/100, and I am now loading my own cast bullets (from free lead) for about $2.75/100. Said cheapness has also turned me on to .45 ACP, which I bought some casting stuff for and will soon be buying reloading dies, a Glock 21, and an aftermarket barrel.

    Other than that, I just want decent accuracy for the Defensive Pistol competitions I shoot in. So far so good. I've got some other powders to test in the off-season too.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I started with cast to provide cheap practice and small game loads for my rifles. Thereafter I got into old guns and the cast loads put less wear on the bores of the old ones. My accuracy requirments are not too tough the cast loads just need to shoot as well or better than factory ammo!

  7. #7
    Boolit Master C1PNR's Avatar
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    Smile

    My expectations for cast boolits is that I can put a heck of a lot of rounds down range for modest cost, and with a VERY high pleasure quotient (and a low wear quotient on the firearms).

    My expectations further are that I can tailor boolit shape and diameter to best suit my firearms. All of them!

    I started with moulds for the .45 Colt and .45 ACP. I wanted hard hitting, accurate .45 Colt, and accurate, inexpensive .45 ACP ammo.

    I have since expanded to the rifle calibers and still expect < 2 MOA performance, with velocity capable of hits at long range when I do my part. This usually means a long process of load testing, which is nothing more than a really good excuse to shoot more.

    This accuracy condition varies, of course, with the type and condition of the rifle itself. I don't expect the same level of accuracy from a "well worn" turn of the century, WW I, or WW II veteran with original sights, as I expect from a 2004 Remington 8 Mauser, or a 1970s Ruger 7 Mauser, both with scopes.

    My casting, hand loading, and shooting activities have been drastically curtailed for several years by conditions beyond my control (having to travel to work and provide a proper income for my family), but now that I'm retired and back in Idaho, I'm ready to really "GET IT ON!" as they say.
    Regards,

    WE

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I would like 1 moa or there about, but don't expect much more than that. Peestols, I expect to get as good as those hethan bullets. Some times better.

    I have a Savage 24V that is 222 over 20 guage. It will shoot 1.5" at 50 yards, 8" at 100 and I am totally satisfied. Its a samll game gun. I can't even see a squirrel at 100 yards let alone shoot at it with iron sites.

    22-250 has put 14 rounds in 5" at 300 yards. This is my most accurate cast rifle, but I don't shoot it much.

    I have a 1917 enfield that shoots about 4" at 100 yards and it hits the silly wets with regularity.....Good enough for me. I have had more fun with this gun and cast boolits than any other rifle. When I am at the range I will let anybody shoot it and let em shoot a bunch. I use the 311407 group buy mold and 13.5 grains of Promo. I load em on the dillion. Cheap and fun. What more could you ask for?

    If I need better accuracy, my stevens in 308 has a nice scope. It will shoot one inch at 100, but about 8 at 300....so far. This is accaptable to me too.

    If I am hunting deer, I just take my Ruger super red hawk 44 with cast.

    I won the center fire peestol silly wet match (league?) with my S&W model 25-7 (45 colt) and cast two years ago. Last year it was with my Ruger 44 and of course cast. Both were iron sites. Again what more could a guy ask for?

    David

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy Topper's Avatar
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    I've been casting for several years, and the information on this sight has been a real eye opener.
    I have a better understanding of what causes leading and how to resolve it, lubes, molds and designs, gunsmithing tips, what loads work with which calibers, alloy differences, front stuffers, and a host of other topics including receipes.
    I've never taken any game with a lead bullet other than factory 22, but I'm planning on trying either a 30cal cast or 41mag cast this year if the opportunity arises.
    This is a great forum for anyone interest in boolit casting and for experienced casters to share their wealth of knowledge.
    By the way, this is a group I shot Monday with my 14" Contender .41mag barrel under very unfavorable wind conditions.

    I guesstimate the velocity is around 1400 fps since the groups were 2.25" higher @ 50yds.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master carpetman's Avatar
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    DavidR---I also have a Savage .222 and 20 guage combo. I found a steal on a Leupold 1x-4x and on .222 it does great. Shotgun,I don't have a clue--have never fired a shotgun round in it. My son in law used it on a turkey last year.

  11. #11
    Moderator Emeritus


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    My expectations started to be able to shoot when clinton's brady bill took away all our components. It has evolved to more shots per $ and the ability to shoot and take game animals with cast rifle boolits. I also expect to equal handgun ammo with my own cast boolits and have an extended plinking range of something I made my self. I extended my sling shot range showing I haven't matured much in the last 40 years. Gianni.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  12. #12
    Boolit Master AnthonyB's Avatar
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    Great thread idea, Bass.

    Pistols - cast should do everything I need a pistol to do, hence my preference for big FN designs in the only real pistol caliber, the 45 ACP. If I can make offhand head shots on a B-27 target from 25 yards the load is accurate enough. Small groups at closer ranges mean I'm not shooting fast enough. When I can't use a real pistol, a 9mm with jacketed HPs serves. Practice ammo for it uses very cheap milsurp boolits.

    Revolvers - again, cast does everything from soft HPs to hard boolits. I have never tried a load whose accuracy didn't exceed my shooting ability, and use the paper plate test to determine my max range. If I can't hit the plate I need to spend time on the range, not at the loading bench.

    Rifles - I've only worked with the 45-70 and 356 Winchester so far, and both will equal jacketed accuracy.

    Tony

  13. #13
    Boolit Master OBXPilgrim's Avatar
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    I've been hunting since '76 as a 16 year old, with nobody else in my family interested in it (nobody minded having a little venison when that 1st one came). Had a family friend show me reloading that same year. Started reloading 10 years later after finally being able to afford some decent firearms.

    Been through a decent introduction to NRA Highpower Rifle Match shooting as well as Smallbore Silhouette & Smallbore Cowboy Silhoutte. Have shot alot of cast bullet (sorry - boolit) handgun loads - mostly low pressure calibers over the years.

    Learned enough over the years to know that many times it is much better to listen than to reply. Found out about this site from somebody over at Greybeards. I've looked over alot of archived info & was quite impressed to say the least. I've always thought cast boolits were just a cheaper alternative. I was kind of shock to realize there were people that were brazen enough to think they were superior to boot.

    In short order this has become my #1 go-to site for info & I'm determined to give these cast thumpers a try. Still like some of the other gun-sites on the web, just seems like there are more options of doing things right over here & more open discussion with differences of opinion here than a few other sites I've been on.

    So my expectations of "CastBoolits" has been better than expected, hope my expectations of cast boolits are the same.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Pilgrim, cast boolits are not an alternative to condums. Rather, it's the other way around. Condums are an expensive, and not always 'mo betta' alternative, to real boolits. sundog

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    What I find strage is that no one mentions any long range aspirations. Handgun or rifle. (yet)

    Superb accuracy requirements.

    Don't be afraid. Spill your guts. Tell us what you really think.

    Too many folks belong to this board have never posted yet. What about yooze guys?

  16. #16
    Boolit Master on Heavens Range
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    John, I can't see a beer can anymore past 100 yards! ... felix
    felix

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by felix View Post
    John, I can't see a beer can anymore past 100 yards! ... felix

    Felix,

    That's OK. If you understand Manlaw, as it pertains to beer, you would know that beer cans should be crushed on the forehead or thrown when they are empty.

    Anyone that tells you that they can throw an empty beer can farther than 100 yards is a BSer to the max. So you should be OK with that 100 yard limit.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    I have no expectations for cast boolits. I shoot so I can reload, and I got into casting because it is another aspect of reloading. I know it sounds odd but accurracy for me is incedental. I go to the range in order to empty some cases so I can fill em up again. If I hit an 8 x 11 inch paper at 100 yds, that works for me.
    Paul G.
    Once I was young, now I am old and in between went by way to fast.

    The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.
    -- R. Buckminster Fuller

  19. #19
    Boolit Master on Heavens Range
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    John, I'm so lazy that I wait for the wind to blow a beer can from my feet to the other side of the pond. The pond edge over there is about 80-100 yards from our (felix & Corky) shooting positions, depending on wind and shooting angles. No, we can't throw that far, but my sons can get fairly close when there are some rocks placed into the empty cans first. ... felix
    felix

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    So far we have:

    hunting
    cost
    excuse to reload
    cheapness
    handgun proficiency
    economical
    fun
    cheapness
    blammin

    Seems like economics and fun are highly represented so far.

    Where are all the new folks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Now I understand why Felix and Sundog have so many issues. They work too hard at getting empty targets.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check