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Thread: Questions Related To Pound Casts

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

    alamogunr's Avatar
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    Questions Related To Pound Casts

    I have done several pound casts of some of my rifles but have never been satisfied with the results. I have been meaning to start processing my milsurps but have hesitated because of poor results. I went to another post that explained in detail how to do a good pound cast:

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...rifle-chamber)

    The questions that came up are related to what to use as a slug. I usually try to use a boolit but the grooves make it hard to determine the parts of the throat and measure them. I tried one time to make a slug by drilling a hole in a piece of hard wood but the heat of the molten lead left such a rough surface that the pounding didn't smooth it out.

    Geargnasher(former member here) recommended a slug 1/2" longer than the longest boolit you intended to shoot. Since I plan to primarily shoot 3XX299 boolits in these rifles, I don't have a mold that casts a boolit 1/2" longer. The Lee TL309-230-5R(link:https://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/90307.pdf) looks like the only thing that comes close. Being tumble lube means that there are no deep grooves to interfere with measuring. Even if it is not 1/2" longer than I'm still thinking it might be the best way to go since most of my milsurps are close to .30 cal. Lee 2 cavity molds are relatively inexpensive.

    Comments on this plan would be welcome.
    John
    W.TN

  2. #2
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    Back in the day, South Bend sinkers were pure lead. I would not be srprised to find them zinc today. Drilling a hole in a pine board and cutting off the wood has worked well for me. Allow needs to be dead soft to take the impressions, pure is best even if you have to buy round balls to get it.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I use chamber casting alloy, (and cast it) it's re--usable and gives me a really good idea what I'm looking at. It's easier than making an impact impression as well. I can get the groove and bore diameter, the throat size and the front end of the chamber all at once. I bought a lb ingot of it years ago, and I'm still re-using the same alloy. One of the better $10 investments (probably more now, but I'd do it again) I've made in getting accuracy from old guns.
    Nozombies.com Practical Zombie Survival

    Collecting .32 molds. Please let me know if you have one you don't need, cause I might "need" it!

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    In most .30 cal. and .303 rifles a factory, lead 158-grain LRN slug, driven into the chamber neck with a 3/8 brass rod, until the rod comes to a full stop against the chamber shoulder, then tapping out the slug, gives you the chamber neck diameter, needed to determine max. bullet for safe release clearance, and the diameter of the unrifled ball seat ahead of the case before the rifling starts.

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  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks to all!
    John
    W.TN

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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