I may have the perfect automatic rifle for shooting cast lead bullets.

[AbitNutz]

Ok, nothings perfect but I am picking up a Remington Model 81 this weekend...at least I hope to. For those of you that may not be familiar with how a Model 81 works:

It's a Browning design, long recoil action, like on the Auto-5 shotgun. Not gas operated at all. The barrel recoils the entire length of the cartridge. It's a ballet of mechanical motion. I've played with trying to get autoloaders to shoot with cast bullets and had all the issues. Since most autoloaders are gas operated, I've always had problems with the gas port clogging with lead debris. I'm hoping that I can find the happy medium of getting a heavy enough bullet at a low enough velocity, to operate the action, not get excessive leading and still get decent accuracy. Usually in an auto-loader you can only get two out of three.

It's in 300 Savage and I have a NOE 180 I shoot in my Siamese Mauser chambered in .303 British, that I think I can size down to work. Failing that, I'll buy some .308 lead bullets that I can test before I go down the path of investing in a mold.

[TenTea]

Fondled many and never brought one home.
I think they are a very interesting and graceful design.
Hey, we like pictures!
Good luck with your new old rifle.

[lotech]

I had an 81 in .300 Savage some years back and I regret that I eventually traded it off. Considering the coarse open sights, I still managed to get surprisingly good groups at 100 yards using cast or jacketed bullets.

[nagantguy]

I owned a module 81 in .35 Remington for a very short time, after years of lusting for one, bought it at what I thought was a good deal, made it maybe five isles more down the show and an older gent caught up to me and he was out of breath. He'd chased me down after I left the table where I bought the .35 81, he offered me almost double of what I'd just paid for it. He was sure it was a rifle that used to belong to his brother, and he said the money he'd offered would be worth it to see his brothers smile when he gave it to him. I took the money and have never had the chance at another one, good luck on securing your 81!

[Dan Cash]

You may have problems with a heavy cast bullet in .300 Sav as the base will extend below the neck with undesirable results. To make the gun work you are likely to have to use 150-165 grain bullets at higher velocity. If you paper patch them, you can drive them at factory velocities.

[lotech]

Regarding seating bullets below case neck in the .300 Savage and other cartridges... I'm not implying it can't happen but I've yet to run into a problem of any sort. It "seems" to me and others that seating below the case neck might cause inaccuracy, leading, etc., but in practice, I've never found such a situation to exist. I had very good results with my Rem. 81 .300 Savage using the long RCBS30-180 FN, about 180-185 grains cast of an alloy approximating Lyman #2 (15-16 BHN) loaded to just over 1,900 fps. May have used this load in a couple of other .300 Savages I used to have, a Rem. 722 and a Savage 99, but can't recall for sure.

I don't care for light bullets in .30 caliber, but another accurate .300 savage load I have listed in my notes used the NEI 311.155GC (the original C.E Harris design for the 7.62x39). Lee came out with a close facsimile some years later. With the same alloy mentioned above (app. 157 grs.), this bullet shot very well at just under 2,000fps.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I am envious! I have been lusting for a Model 8 or 81 as many of us probably are! I love the mechanical motion of that long-recoil action, such a neat gun!

[GWM]

I have an FN 1900 in .35 Remington, it is not much different from a Remington 8.
I haven't shot cast in it yet, I'm short on brass, but I hope to try the 358315 in it soon.

[OptimusPanda]

Every time I see an 81 at a show I drool over it. Never seen one in 35 remington though, I know they were made.

[Drew P]

I picked up a model 11-48 with similar recoiling action in 12ga. Got it cheap because it wasn't cycling properly. Took it down and cleaned it real well in the stock area too, oiled it up and it's been a joy to shoot. Not related at all to your piece but nice work and post back how it shoots I'm curious.

[hydraulic]

I bought a Model 8 in .32 Remington several years ago at the Tulsa show, and it came with a box of shells and a set of loading dies. I shot cast in it from an 8mm Mauser Lyman mould and I made shells from .30 Remington brass. Another in the long list things I wish I would have kept. Can't remember the powder charge-seems I was using 10 grs. of Unique, but wouldn't swear to it. A friend of mine bought a Model 8 that was marked .25-35 Remington on the bolt at the Yankton S.D. gun show in January. He won't say what he paid for it.