new caster, with first cast for a 356 win. advise, smelting ratios etc...

[dan-g]

Hello everone this is my first attempt at casting and I figured I should stop lurking and just ask some vetran casters before I start this project.

My first casting project is a bullet that i havent found for sale comercialy and thats the 204 gr Lyman .358 I have the two cavity gas checked version. The gun is a t/c contender super 14 356 winchester.

I just purchase all my 357 cast boolits from friendswoods bullets, (the cost makes it economical to just buy them pre cast) so im used to reloading cast bullets but this one im going to have to cast myself.

Heres my question, I have 22ibs wheel weights and 12ibs pure lead and 70ibs monotype. What ratio would be the best for a gas checked target round traveling at 2000-2200 fps and what ratio would be best for a hunting round traveling at 2200-2400 fps, using the materials that I have.

Also, for smelting I have a high output cast iron single burner LP or a LEE electric 20ib pot. If you have a recomendation for one of these over the other, I would like to hear it. I originaly bought the burner for smelting and the electric for casting. I have a RCBS lubersizer I bought for these and some redrooster lube.

Thats the extent of it. Your advise is greatly apreciated.

thanks

dan

[Bret4207]

My advice is to start at square one with "low and slow" loads and see what your gun says. I would start with straight WW alloy, maybe with a small percentage of tin added from your monotype for fillout help. I'd start with loads in the 14-1500 fps area. See what your gun likes or doesn't, figure your fit out. Do not attempt to start with loads in the 2K+ area. It's almost certain to be a disaster. If you have had success with commercial cast then I'd measure those boolits and see if my mould drops them near that size. At the start a little bigger is always better, so if those commercials are .358 I'd size .359.

As far as the alloy itself, that's a part of your load development and fit. Fit is King with cast. No alloy is magical, Bhn means very little at this point. There are people taking 50/50 WW.lead into the 2K+ area and others using straight WW and others using rock hard alloys that are heat treated to 30+Bhn. It all depends on what works in that gun with your methods.

[dan-g]

I should have mentioned that I was going to start out slow with some aliant 2400 i have before I load up some n130 to break 2,ooofps. I have slugged the barrel at .3573. I was thinking of casting 50 boolits and then heading to the range with them and seeing how it goes with some softball 1400fps loads.

I also have a bunch of diffrent lubes; lyman ideal,alox, lee nra, rcbs green and red rooster. Im still intrested in what composition to use latter for a plinking and also a hunting round with diffrent alloys of course. Any recomendations on my endgame mix?

[Echo]

I haven't moved into the 2,000+ dimension yet. But my recommendation is to mix up some alloy with 4 parts WW, one part Mono. That will make a very hard alloy with sufficient Sn to have good mold fill-out. Then if your bullet driving bands, and your powder selection, and amount, work together, you may have a load that does what you wish.
But then, What do I know? I haven't done it myself...

[dan-g]

Thanks for all the responses

This couldn't have gone better. I just got back from the range and my two different loads went perfectly.

First of I had 21gr 2400, with both a .359 and a .360 size 204gr GS, alloy 50/50 mono type/WW

Secondly I had 23gr 2400, with both a .359 and a .360 size 204gr GS, alloy 50/50 mono
type/WW

The Gun functioned perfectly and I put about 25 of .359 rounds through the same hole! I now know that .359 is where its at. It didnt seem to make a difference between the 21 and 23 grains

[stubert]

That alloy might be a bit hard for hunting.

[dan-g]

that is the target alloy, for hunting i will probably just use my hornady 180gr core locks. No one really had a hunting alloy recommendation.

[Dutch4122]

A great hunting and target alloy is 50% wheelweight and 50% pure lead. Water dropped from the mold (22-25 bhn) for high velocity hunting & target loads; air cooled (9-10 bhn) for lower end plinking & target loads. This alloy is much less brittle (more maleable) than the 50/50 ww/mono that you are shooting. Expansion on game is just right and it doesn't shatter on bone.

Hope this helps, :D

[stubert]

I am using 9 lb ww to 1 lb 50/50 solder, (lyman #2) air cooled. I use it for 35 rem, 44 mag, 45-70, and 458 Lott. All are checked and I get no leading. I have taken that alloy up to 2000 fps in the Lott. It kills deer good.

[Echo]

As Stubert said, you are using way too much monotype in your alloy. I am presently smelting 7-1 ww-mono, with 1% added Sn, turning up bhn 13 alloy that can be further cut w/pure Pb for lower intensity cartridges.