Are You a Purist?

[sigep1764]

Ive yet to cast for rifle. I hve a Model 70 in 270 that id like to try casting for. All the handguns get fex lead, for range and self defense.

[stubert]

Cast for me except my .270, mini 14, and carry ammo.

[chutesnreloads]

Purist?Not hardly,but just how do you define purist?Shoot a lot of powder coated cast.Is that pure?Shoot traditional lubes in others.Prefer cast in all handgun ammo but rifle cartridgers such as .243 and 6.5x55 its all j-words.30-06 gets both.Don't really care if I'm a purist.Every one of them sure seems fun.

[dtknowles]

I use cast boolits except when I don't. Sometimes the jacketed stuff goes into much smaller groups. I have only shot a couple sub MOA groups with cast.

Tim

[Elkins45]

I am definitely not a purist by your definition, although I am moving in that direction for more and more of my shooting. I do own more than one rifle that has never seen a jacketed bullet, and a whole slew of handguns.

There are other guns I own that have never seen cast. I have a 257 Weatherby that I run up to nearly 3700 fps---that's jacketed territory for everyone except liars.

[DAVIDMAGNUM]

I would venture to say I am a purist.
I have at least seven guns that have never seen copper.
Hell, I have one lever action rifle that doesn't know what smokeless powder is.

[quilbilly]

I use jacketed for my hot loads in my 222 and 223 but have other rifles in both calibers with CB's. My 204 uses jacketed (can't even imagine working with those tiny bullets any other way with my fat fingers.

[Tom W.]

I use my cast boolits for all of my handguns and my 30/30. For hunting with my #1 I like 180 grain Sierra GameKings, but beings it's a 30/06 A.I. I use cast boolits to fire form my cartridges.

[tg32-20]

I cast and shoot boolits for just about everything these days. With the exception of 223, which I happen to have thousands of jacketed bullets for.

tg32-20

[cajun shooter]

For those who posted that they shoot lead in all the handguns but rifles were meant to use copper, wonder how all those game animals and men were killed from 1900 and before. They also had one poster that said lead bullets in a rifle was fine for close range but they had to have copper for long distance. Guess he never read about the Indian raid on Billy Dixon and the other Buffalo hunters. Later David

[osteodoc08]

Cast in my handguns for target and practice and big bore hunting (45/70).

Jacketed for SD and hunting higher velocity rifle.

Cast for plinking rifle.

[Hick]

Not a purist (at least not yet). I stopped shooting my Model 94 in 32 WS because of the crummy selection of bullets for reloading until I discovered this forum-- now I'm shooting exclusively CB in it. However, I don't yet have a good place to cast, so I'm buying. The next rifle I switch will probably be my Model 94 30-30, but I haven't made the switch yet (and I have lots of bullets on the shelf). The Rifle I'm uncertain about is my Garand. It's not yet clear to me how to balance the velocity aspects of CB against the narrow pressure range that cycles the bolt best. I still have lots to learn from you all on this.

[reloader28]

100% cast boolits for handguns.
My rifles are 95% cast. Over 300 yds in 30-06 is jacketed and the 243's get loaded with jacketed for deer hunting.
I occasionally shoot a 223WSSM, a 270, and a 257 Rob and dont have cast loads for them.
Everything else is cast.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I'm trying to stick to cast for the most part for everything. I do have some jacketed bullets but most are sitting on the shelf in reserve, same for a stash of factory ammo but for the most part, cast is the way to go for me. I do carry Lehigh's copper solids in my EDC just because I am impressed by the XD bullet's performance and its from a small American company so I don't feel bad. I would not be opposed at all to running my own cast loads for SD if they show good performance. I have plenty of lead and a private range to shoot it on, Cast is the flavor for me! I don't own any guns that by nature require jacketed ammo. That may change but for the time being I can run cast in everything.

[Blackwater]

Nope. I've never been a purist in anything. I've always thought that the Good Lord gave us a brain and options, and that each option has its place and raison d'etre. And in these days, especially, where we can't know for sure what lies around the corner, we NEED to be as versatile and informed and experienced as we can get ourselves to be. Just seems to be, as GHW Bush used to say, "prudent." The fact that casting is interesting and very effective in and of its own self is a really neat and appreciated facet of its makeup, and there are few of us here who couldn't broaden our horizons in it. That's a GOOD thing, and just reading about the successes and techniques of others is, at minimum, edifying, and gives us a bigger base to draw upon should we ever need it, which many of don't currently.

As to J-bullets, they've proven their mettle way too many times and way too well for particular uses. Cast really, except for the few who've really explored them well, are largely neglecting many real possibilities and benefits. Now that my hunting rarely includes long range possibilities these days, cast could well provide me with all I really need. I don't and can't get out like I once did, but when I do, all I want or really need is a bullet that'll perform at a maximum of about 200 yds., and cast can do that very well, as quite a few here have more than ably demonstrated.

I won't ever give up my j-bullets for long range work, but for everything else? Hmmm. I've been doing a lot of thinking. Have a decent supply of bullets in the calibers I generally use, but cast won't wear barrels out. Not many of us will ever live long enough to wear a barrel out with cast, even if we shot daily! That's not an inconsiderable benefit! And if they can do the job needed, why shoot j's? As Bob Dylan said, "Th' Times They Are A'Changin'!"

[MBTcustom]

Nope. I've never been a purist in anything. I've always thought that the Good Lord gave us a brain and options, and that each option has its place and raison d'etre. And in these days, especially, where we can't know for sure what lies around the corner, we NEED to be as versatile and informed and experienced as we can get ourselves to be. Just seems to be, as GHW Bush used to say, "prudent." The fact that casting is interesting and very effective in and of its own self is a really neat and appreciated facet of its makeup, and there are few of us here who couldn't broaden our horizons in it. That's a GOOD thing, and just reading about the successes and techniques of others is, at minimum, edifying, and gives us a bigger base to draw upon should we ever need it, which many of don't currently.

As to J-bullets, they've proven their mettle way too many times and way too well for particular uses. Cast really, except for the few who've really explored them well, are largely neglecting many real possibilities and benefits. Now that my hunting rarely includes long range possibilities these days, cast could well provide me with all I really need. I don't and can't get out like I once did, but when I do, all I want or really need is a bullet that'll perform at a maximum of about 200 yds., and cast can do that very well, as quite a few here have more than ably demonstrated.

I won't ever give up my j-bullets for long range work, but for everything else? Hmmm. I've been doing a lot of thinking. Have a decent supply of bullets in the calibers I generally use, but cast won't wear barrels out. Not many of us will ever live long enough to wear a barrel out with cast, even if we shot daily! That's not an inconsiderable benefit! And if they can do the job needed, why shoot j's? As Bob Dylan said, "Th' Times They Are A'Changin'!"

Great reply.
I use cast where it makes sense to use it.

The one comment I take issue with is this one: "cast won't wear barrels out". Neither will jacketed sir. The projectile has nothing to do with throat erosion. What causes it is heat and pressure, and if you find a way to shoot cast at 3000FPS as I have, following the advice of Larry Gibson, you certainly will see accelerated throat wear (although it will never be as aggressive as jacketed bullets simply because the bullets are so soft that pressure behind them is reduced).
Just wanted to point that out.

Personally, I use cast in everything I own except two rifles. The M1A and my long range 300WM tactical rifle. Now, I have shot cast in the M1A with excellent results, but the bullets are just too easily damaged by the action and accuracy suffers. I use Hornady 168 Amax instead, and I can hold less than 1.5MOA out to 400 meters with that setup, and it always works which is the most important consideration with that rifle. BruceB was the one who taught me how to get it running, but after I had successfully managed to make it shoot well, he added that in spite of the cool factor of shooting cast in the M1A, he recommended that I stick to jacketed loads and make a lot of them. I thought that was good advice, so I followed it.
The 300WM has a 23" barrel and a 1-10 twist, so cast is out of the question, and I use Hornady 178 grain Amax in that rifle.
Other than that, I guess you could say I'm a purist, because I have made cast bullets shoot as well or better than jacketed in all of my other rifles and pistols, although I intend to try jacketed in my 45-70 just to compare to my cast loads.

[FISH4BUGS]

Purist? Not really. The right tool for the right job is my motto.
I shoot machine guns so all of my submachinegun calibers are cast. 380, 9mm, 45acp. I can shoot a machinegun almost cheaper than most people can shoot a .22 these days.
When I shoot supressed, it is jacketed only. NO LEAD THROUGH THE CAN! That was a lesson hard learned. My Bowers CAC9 supressor was rebuilt because of the lead buildup in the baffles, and the resultant baffle strike.
Rifle caliber is all jacketed. I have not yet started with cast in rifles. Somehow I can't seem to think that cast through an M16 on full auto would work, and the gas port might get crudded up with lube.
Handguns? Jacketed for hunting, cast for shooting.
Works for me.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Cast for handgun, rifle practice at 100 yards and under, sometimes to 200 yards in all calibers but mostly .308, .300 Savage, .32 Special, .218 Bee, .35 Rem, .444. Jacketed for almost all hunting, due to distance and wind. Yeah, I know about the buffalo/bison. Elk and antelope seasons are limited. Savage 99 - .358 Win 225 Partition or Marlin .45-70 300 grain Barnes Original for elk. Savage 99 .300 or .308 with 150 or 165 Hornady/Sierra/Speer/Nosler for antelope.Flat nose bullets really get pushed by wind, also velocities under 2000 fps are affected by wind and distance much more. Cast bullets are interesting, low recoil makes for pleasant shooting BUT tinkering on live critters that provide genuine free-range grass-fed red meat can be done by other folks, sitting in trees shooting at whitetails under 100 yards.

[MBTcustom]

Purist? Not really. The right tool for the right job is my motto.
I shoot machine guns so all of my submachinegun calibers are cast. 380, 9mm, 45acp. I can shoot a machinegun almost cheaper than most people can shoot a .22 these days.
When I shoot supressed, it is jacketed only. NO LEAD THROUGH THE CAN! That was a lesson hard learned. My Bowers CAC9 supressor was rebuilt because of the lead buildup in the baffles, and the resultant baffle strike.
Rifle caliber is all jacketed. I have not yet started with cast in rifles. Somehow I can't seem to think that cast through an M16 on full auto would work, and the gas port might get crudded up with lube.
Handguns? Jacketed for hunting, cast for shooting.
Works for me.

You should look into powder coating. PC does a lot to get the bullets through the cans cleanly. Amother gunsmith across town, and a good friend of mine has tested this quite a bit, and he has shot thousands of PC bullets through his cans to no ill effect.

[SteveS]

For my revolvers I am 100% handloaded cast. I don't handload for shotgun so that ammo is retail. Rim fire is of course retail too.