Howdy & a Question (or 3)

[Rick N Bama]

Well now that I've properly introduced myself over on the Test forum, I'll just jump in with both feet and ask my first (maybe not so dumb) question.

I'm getting to be an old man but I'm new to the art of boolit casting. I'm currently shooting a S&W 357 mag with my booits as well as an old Model 10 S&W 38spl I am lucky to own.

I'm working toward shooting cast in a Mauser I have & I've just received a "Special Design" Lee Karabiner mold from Midsouth. BTW, this mold is casting great looking boolits right off with no "LeeMending" being done to the mold at all. My boolits, cast from wheelweights, are coming in at around 230gr.

Question, I've been told to start out with a load of 16 or 17gr of 2400. Do you fellows go along with that? What would be a max load with this powder? Also I have a brand spanking new can of Red Dot (for a 41mag) and I would like to try that powder if I can. With the load of 2400, is it necessary to use some Dacron, or other material, as filler?

Thanks for kindly accepting me as a member here.

Rick N Bama

[NVcurmudgeon]

Welcome, Rick. The starting load favored by C.E. Harris in nearly all milsurp rifles is 16.0 gr. Alliant 2400. Many others have found this to be a good load. With the 240 gr. Buckshot-designed Loverin type boolit I cronographed this load at 1364 fps. I have loaded up to 22.0 gr. (1810 fps.)
When you lauch one of these heavyweights at 1800 fps, or faster, you will have no doubt that Elvis has left the building! My best load is 19.0 gr. (1520 fps.) These group 2.5" to 3" at 100 yd. with issue sights. All this chronographing was done in a Yugo M48, whish has a shorter throat than the German K98k.

[locutus]

Rick,

I would avoid the use of Red Dot powder for anything other than very light target loads in revolvers.

Stick to 2400, H110, 296, 4227, 1680, 4198 etc for your rifle loads.

[Buckshot]

............Rick n Bama, welcome to the board. Using 2400 will work and also for lighter less then casefull applications most any of the 'traditional' type powders being 4227, SR4759, 4198 will work well. You can work that heavy slug up to some pretty fair ballistics (if you have a use for it) with caseloads of the slow for the case type powders. Here I mean stuff like 4831 and slower.

One of the best loads I have for my M88/14/35 in 8x57 is 56.5grs of TCCI 5020 ball. This is a full caseload of this slow powder and from the 29" barrel propels a 240gr cast slug at 1950 fps. Burns clean and is really accurate. Using the same boolit in a Turk M38/46 (24" bll) I used surp WC852 (slow) which is maybe just a bit slower then 4831, to get the same slug up to 2300 fps.

Recoil was energetic and in the process of loading up to that velocity in testing, the stock behind the action managed to develop a crack. Probably more a function of poor bedding, but there was no denying the fact that the rifle WAS recoiling.

That is a heavy for caliber boolit and you should be extra watchfull using the faster powders as Locutus mentioned. These will build pressures very rapidly for not much powder addition.

..............Buckshot

[swheeler]

RnB:I have the maximum mold and it casts a 243 gr 8mm boolit(ww), with gas check and 4 grooves filled it weights approx 249 grs. The most accurate load I've found is 36.0 gr 7383@ app 1750 fps from a 23.5 in bbl, I use 1 poly wad,a STANDARD primer, it burns clean, and extreme spreads are single digit. This should make an excellent hunting boolit, can't wait till OCT.
Scooter

[Rick N Bama]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really do appreciate it. If not for these boards, I think I would be "Lost as a Goose". I'm making a ton of notes as we go so that I'll be ready as soon as I start loading these boolits. Shouldn't be too long now.

Rick