308 Winchester with super light cast bullets

[boman250]

So, at the fun show today, I found a single cavity "30 cal 75 gr" mould for $20 made by lyman.

Looks like it was made for the 32 ACP or something. Cast up a bunch of them today out of linotype and they came out to 76 grains and a diameter of .315.

I want to shoot them out of my 308 bolt gun probably using unique or bullseye.

Anyone done this before? Charge to start with maybe?

[Winger Ed.]

Should work if it sizes down OK.
It is a mold for .32 pistol. That data might be a good starting point.

With that big of a case you might also check into using a case filler.

[oldblinddog]

2.8 gr BE no filler

[boman250]

2.8 gr BE no filler

Will that get it out of the barrel? Seems very low?

[gwpercle]

I have always used the Lyman #311359 or Lee C309-113-F both are nominal 115 grain gas checked boolits .
308 Winchester , Lyman #311359 or Lee C309-113-F :

12.0 grains of Unique @ approx. 1830 fps is my pet accuracy load . No filler is required .



10.5 grains of Red Dot @ approx. 1625 fps is another good load . No filler .

I have never tried the Lyman #311252 PB 75 grain RN boolit but the above charges slightly reduced by say 10% should give you good a starting point.
Gary

[oldblinddog]

Will that get it out of the barrel? Seems very low?

It should. That is a start point.

[Larry Gibson]

Yes, use 2.8 gr Bullseye to start and work up to about 3.5 gr. Not max psi just max about where accuracy will go south.

[boman250]

So, I started with 10 gr of unique on the advice of another forum. Accuracy was pretty good. Velocity was 1960 fps. I got some leading.

I tried lower charges. 8, 7, and 6 grains. Accuracy went down and velocity at 6 grains was 1415 fps. I was getting unburnt powder as well.

I worked back up to 9.5 grains and accuracy improved. I will continue to test up to 10 grains again and see if a little deeper seating depth will help.

[rockrat]

Used the load Larry Gibson mentions above with the 311252 mold. Worked well in my '06

[gwpercle]

So, I started with 10 gr of unique on the advice of another forum. Accuracy was pretty good. Velocity was 1960 fps. I got some leading.

I tried lower charges. 8, 7, and 6 grains. Accuracy went down and velocity at 6 grains was 1415 fps. I was getting unburnt powder as well.

I worked back up to 9.5 grains and accuracy improved. I will continue to test up to 10 grains again and see if a little deeper seating depth will help.

The light plain based boolit is going to add to your difficulties , just about the time you get the pressure and velocity right the leading starts and the accuracy is not great .
Maybe try a harder alloy . If push comes to shove a gas check sure makes load development a bit easier . The two gas checkd boolits I have used Lyman #311359 and Lee C309-113-F worked like a Voo Doo magic charm , cast of COWW-lead 50/50 or straight COWW . All air cooled .
Gary

[RU shooter]

Will that get it out of the barrel? Seems very low?

I've gone that low with 155 gr Lee bullet in the bigger 30-06 it will clear of a 24" barrel . 2.5 grs was stuck two inch from the muzzle

[boman250]

The light plain based boolit is going to add to your difficulties , just about the time you get the pressure and velocity right the leading starts and the accuracy is not great .
Maybe try a harder alloy . If push comes to shove a gas check sure makes load development a bit easier . The two gas checkd boolits I have used Lyman #311359 and Lee C309-113-F worked like a Voo Doo magic charm , cast of COWW-lead 50/50 or straight COWW . All air cooled .
Gary

I would prefer not to have to deal with plain base gas checks with this bullet. I don't want to push it.

Also, I cast these out of pure linotype. I don't have any harder alloy.

I thought about casting with some softer alloy and dropping the charge down to around 7 or 7.5 to see if I get another node.

[WRideout]

So, I started with 10 gr of unique on the advice of another forum. Accuracy was pretty good. Velocity was 1960 fps. I got some leading.

I tried lower charges. 8, 7, and 6 grains. Accuracy went down and velocity at 6 grains was 1415 fps. I was getting unburnt powder as well.

I worked back up to 9.5 grains and accuracy improved. I will continue to test up to 10 grains again and see if a little deeper seating depth will help.

Unique likes a fair amount of pressure to burn completely. A faster powder will probably do better for you; Bullseye, Red Dot, 700x etc.
Wayne

[boman250]

I may try bullseye some day. Right now, 9.6gr unique is working pretty good.

[35remington]

Lighter powder charges with suitable powders will derive all the worth a lightweight bullet has. High velocities with plainbase leave accuracy on the table. Around 1050 fps is preferred. Anything much over 1400 fps is excessive, leads and is less accurate. Driving a lightweight bullet fast and sacrificing accuracy does not make a good trade off.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...utter-in-a-308

[35remington]

I would also suggest you are better off with Bullseye and around a 3-3.5 grain charge will net you a velocity that is desirable from the standpoint of utility and accuracy. I will pretty much guarantee such a load will outshoot whatever you have tried to this point.

[boman250]

Ok, bullseye seems to be the consensus here.

When I get a few minutes, I will try out some bullseye loads.

I also ordered a .312" sizing die to get these things down to a reasonable size so I am not splitting brass necks on the second firing. That should get me able to shoot these in the 308 and the 7.62x39.

Subsonic would be nice.

[ShooterAZ]

Yes, Bullseye is definitely the powder of choice. I have been using the Lee TL314-90 (sized to .311) in both the 308W and 30-06. 3.2 gr of Bullseye is dandy in both of them, producing excellent accuracy out to at least 50 yards. I use the same boolit and load in the Mosin Nagant but sized to .314. I also use it in the 30-30 at 2.7 grains. I very sparingly lube them with LLA. All of these loads were at the recommendation of Larry Gibson, thanks Larry! These loads are a barrel of fun.

[boman250]

So, tried out bullseye finally.

3.3 gr gave me just under 1100 FPS. Accuracy was ok. Nothing to write home about.

I was shooting pure linotype bullets. Very hard. So, I cast up some 12-13 bhn bullets yesterday and will get those going and see if accuracy improves.

[15meter]

For plinker loads I used to shoot round ball out of a 308. This was years ago, and for the life of me, I can't remember the load. Just fun to whack cans with. That 308 is long gone. I should try it in the current 308.

Problem is, the 32 muzzleloader revolver is long gone also, along with the 32 cal. balls.