Is there a really good choice for varminting with cast?

[Marlin Junky]

That's my question... I NEED a rifle/carbine that will consistently shoot 1MOA with cast boolits and humanely dispatch critters up to big fat possums and 'coons.

MJ

[geargnasher]

That would depend a lot more on your casting, handloading, and load development skills than on any particular rifle or caliber.

Gear

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

how far out are you talking also, 50 yards or 300

[rhbrink]

If that was the primary reason for your quest of accurate varmint loads I think that a center fire 22 would work just fine. I would seriously look at getting a mold hollow pointed and push it up to 2400 and faster if you can with out problems as long as you can maintain the accuracy needed. Have you read the three articles by Beagle in the castpics.net about shooting the .223? Good stuff!

The next option but would probably be full custom but I think that a 6X223 or 6BR in some form or another would work even better. Again Hollow pointed and push it as fast as possible while maintaining accuracy.

My 2 cents for what thats worth.

Richard

[stubshaft]

For 100yds an closer the K-Hornet is hard to beat.

[josper]

I'l probaly get tared and feathered but for varmit hunting ,woodchucks etc. I would stick with jacketed bullets. Two reasons.1 easer to work up an accurate [high velosity] load . 2 the safety aspect of it,thin jacketed bullets fragment when they hit just about anything preventing a ricochet. I also like how they blow a woodchuck all to h***.. LOL

[45-70 Chevroner]

I would go with a 223, lots of brass (cheap) and a 55 grain Lyman mold. It will fill the bill for plinking, close up varminting and 300 yard varminting.

[x101airborne]

I have had some luck with the RCBS 55 grain gas check mold cast out of straight lino, water quenched and driven FAST. Never did chronograph the loads. The few yotes I shot showed definate bullet fragmentation on impact.

[beagle]

My "go to" rifle around the place here is a M77 Hornet with a 225438HP loaded over 3.5 grains of Unique.
Haven't had any complaints from the feral cats I've used it on and no sqawk from starlings. The starlings just explode.

Quiet, stingy on lead and easy to load./beagle

[Marlin Junky]

Thanks for the input. I've been looking a lot lately at chamber drawings and mold availability but can't discount the versatility of the .22 bore when relatively inexpensive copper patched boolits are thrown into the mix... just in case casting and loading the tiny, tiny boolits don't float my boat.

MJ

[btroj]

Can't imagine that a nice 308 bolt action wouldn't work.

For 50 yards or less a Marlin 1894 in 32-20 would be awesome. Plenty of power, plenty of accuracy.

[uscra112]

My own favorite, .25-20 single shot in a Stevens 44 1/2, 88 grain GC boolit with 8.3 grains 2400 or 10.0 grains XMP5744.

But I'm with josper on the jacketed choice now. My .25-20 would ricochet, (I saw the evidence one day - twigs and bits of leaf drifting down from 20-30 feet high, 20 yards past my POI on the ground, probably hit a stone). My .22 K-Hornet with 45 grain V-Max doesn't.

Want to try a deep hollowpoint cast very hard in my .30 Herrett someday - a recreation of the Ness "glance-proof" cast boolit.

[357maximum]

The BRP 360-225@ 2600FPS in the 35Whelen makes them roving longtailed pheasant killing varmints pretty darn dead. :Fire::mrgreen:

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
BULLSHOP & another member posted some amazing stuff on high vel cast varmint type cartridge. Touch base with him. Do a thread search.:Fire::Fire:

[Marlin Junky]

The BRP 360-225@ 2600FPS in the 35Whelen makes them roving longtailed pheasant killing varmints pretty darn dead. :Fire::mrgreen:

Hey Mike...

:shock:

You must be referring to the Saber-toothed Tiger currently terrorizing the UP.

MJ

[Marlin Junky]

Can't imagine that a nice 308 bolt action wouldn't work.

Not to mention a bolt action 30-30!


For 50 yards or less a Marlin 1894 in 32-20 would be awesome. Plenty of power, plenty of accuracy.

Yeah but I need more range... front porch to the orchard is 100+ yards.

MJ

[x101airborne]

The BRP 360-225@ 2600FPS in the 35Whelen makes them roving longtailed pheasant killing varmints pretty darn dead. :Fire::mrgreen:

LOL. So if you use that on coons, I guess you use a 107 recoiless on deer. Do you cast for that? Just kidding, I actuallly envy your 35 whelen. I have a set of dies, but that is as far as I have gotten.

To the OP, I never did ask, what is your backdrop? Any concerns of riccochet? If no concerns of collateral damage, that really opens up the options. If you have some 22 cals, try the straight water quenched lno thing. I think that would be about the best. If you are trying to shoot through minor limbs, brush, etc. then the larger cals would be the way to go.

[reloader28]

We use our 243's.
95gr RCBS SP.
15-15.5gr 4198 or 2400 for 1750 fps with air cooled straight WW.

Shoots 3/4"-1" at 100 in 3 different 243's right off the get go.
If you want some explosive results, 1/16" hollow point 3/8" deep. I blew a skunk almost completely in 1/2 with that at 80yds last year. Also great on rabbits and p-dogs.:drinks:

I figure for coyotes and fox I would just leave it SP instead of HP.

[Kraschenbirn]

Not to mention a bolt action 30-30!... front porch to the orchard is 100+ yards.MJ

Now that you mention it, I've popped a pest-type critter or two at 100-yds+ with my Savage 340 (.30-30 w/311041) but, given my 'druthers, I'll stick with my .243 and 70 gr. JHPs.

Bill

[para45lda]

Dangit - now I'm going to have to rethink selling my Ruger #1 in 223. And gotta buy a mold. And more powder. And. And.

Thanks guys!!

Wes

[mpmarty]

I used to have fun on tree rats with a .264 Win Mag and light cast boolits. Barrels lasted much longer with cast than condom bullets.

[RevGeo]

One of the facets of cast bullet shooting I've always enjoyed is working up loads in my 'big game' rifles for varmint shooting by using lighter cast bullets. Although I shoot larger game animals with cast bullets as well, utilizing 30-06 class cartridges with lighter weight cast bullets allows me to spend more time with that particular gun in actual hunting situations. That way when deer and elk season comes around I've already been shooting that gun for most of the year, so I don't have to get used to it again.
I hope that makes some sort of sense.
Obviously cast bullet loads can be just as accurate as jacketed loads and reduced cast loads make fine varmint rounds. They are also a little quieter than full blown jacketed loads and are quite comfortable to shoot.

George

[TCFAN]

From my back door to the old barn is about 75 yards. The ground hogs like to den inside the barn. When they come out to feed I use a Rem. 788 chambered in 222 with a Lyman 225415 hollow point boolit cast with linotype at about 2400fps. Have never missed one, and that type metal boolit will ruin their day.It will blow a hole as big as a Hornady SX bullet.

Now the above load will shoot sometimes into one inch at 100 yards but most of the time it is a 1 1/2 inch group for 5 shots...................Terry

[lbaize3]

No pdogs or groundhogs here in SE Texas. But the cotton tails are problematic. I use a double rifle in 45-70 when stalking them rascals. If you just wound one, it will charge.....

Having read x101airborne's jest, I'll just go ahead and admit that I did look at the recoiless rifle but couldn't find one in a double barrel. That charging thing ya know....

[MBTcustom]

My two cent worth.
35 caliber rifle is very easy to cast and load for, and is very versitile given the large assortment of projectiles that can be used, both cast and otherwise.
I just built a bolt gun in 358 winchester and I am stunned at the accuracy that I am getting with RCBS 35-200-FN with Hornady annealed gas checks.
I would not hesitate to shoot anything that needs killin all the way out to 150 yards.
The truth is that caliber is not important. What is vitally important is that you have a rifle with a good accurate load that you shoot all the time. I dont care if its a single shot .38 special, if you shoot it all the time, you will be confident in your ability to hit what you are shooting at. I think the main thing is to pick the gun first, then find a worthy projectile for it, then make it the right size and find the powder it likes.
However, I can almost guarantee that if you get a 35 caliber rifle, and use the boolit I mentioned above, you will be able to do everything you need to do with it.

[Marlin Junky]

My two cent worth.
35 caliber rifle is very easy to cast and load for, and is very versitile given the large assortment of projectiles that can be used, both cast and otherwise.
I just built a bolt gun in 358 winchester and I am stunned at the accuracy that I am getting with RCBS 35-200-FN with Hornady annealed gas checks.
I would not hesitate to shoot anything that needs killin all the way out to 150 yards.
The truth is that caliber is not important. What is vitally important is that you have a rifle with a good accurate load that you shoot all the time. I dont care if its a single shot .38 special, if you shoot it all the time, you will be confident in your ability to hit what you are shooting at. I think the main thing is to pick the gun first, then find a worthy projectile for it, then make it the right size and find the powder it likes.
However, I can almost guarantee that if you get a 35 caliber rifle, and use the boolit I mentioned above, you will be able to do everything you need to do with it.

I agree with you and have a couple good shooting .35's as long as velocity is held to 1800-1900 fps; however, since we agree that shooting all the time is essential, the .35 bore will digest my pile of alloy much faster than something in the .22-.25 caliber range. Then there's other factors too with the 210+ grain loads, such as noise and ricochet.

MJ

[leadman]

I have a 21" Contender barrel that was a 22lr, now it is a 22 K-Hornet. For things I don't eat the lino type boolit in the Lyman 45gr RB GC is great. The hard lino just shreds flesh aot to about 125 yards. This is with velocity around 2,000 fps. I have pushed this boolit to 3,000 fps but a cleaning rod and brush needs to be used after a few shots.

Even a load in the 223 with 6grs of 700X does a real good job out to about 100 yards.

[Blammer]

May I recommend a 35 whelen. :)

155gr HP cast GC boolits at 2400fps or so does a really nasty thing to a ground hog 50 yds away. :)

[Bret4207]

Obviously the 22 Hornet, 218 Bee and other 22 cals offer a possibility. More better IMO are the 25/20, 25/35, 250 Sav etc. But for simple work on coon sized critters out to 100 yards or so the Lee Soup Can in a 30/30, 308, '06, etc should work. So should any other FN 30 cal. Same goes for 7mm, 32/8mm, 35 cals on up. Sometimes you have to pick your shots a bit more than with a 3500 fps jacketed round, but they work.

[rintinglen]

Might I recommend a 311-465 over 16 grains of Unique in a good 30-06? Not explosive, but accurate, and a 122 grain boolit, even loafing along at 1700 fps, will ruin a crop eating crow. I suppose the same thing could be done with a .308, a 30-30 in an accurate single shot or bolt gun, or maybe even a 300 Savage. If you want to shoot 1 MOA using cast, then it is easier with a larger caliber.

[357maximum]

Hey Mike...

:shock:

You must be referring to the Saber-toothed Tiger currently terrorizing the UP.

MJ

Don,

Nope I was speaking of their sometimes slightly domesticated bretheren that roam all over the LP mauling and killing things because they cannot help it. That 225grainer @ 2600 will completely expedite and/or reverse their gastrointestinal system though. :smile:;):holysheep My buddy down the road has a 22/06 that make them do a David Copperfield act entirely.......POOF;) they gone.

[Marlin Junky]

... My buddy down the road has a 22/06 that make them do a David Copperfield act entirely.......POOF;) they gone.

LOL... I can imagine.

The .35's are wonderful, but for now I'm looking for something a bit smaller... smaller even than a .30; e.g., no bigger than a .25. I'm trying to land a 788 in .223 and am waiting for the owner to bring it to the range so I can measure the twist. If I buy it, chances are it'll end up a .25 Copperhead (Wooter's wildcat) before long.

MJ

[Marlin Junky]

Obviously the 22 Hornet, 218 Bee and other 22 cals offer a possibility. More better IMO are the 25/20, 25/35, 250 Sav etc. But for simple work on coon sized critters out to 100 yards or so the Lee Soup Can in a 30/30...

A switch barrel that can handle all this stuff would be great. Too bad the Contender didn't start out as a rifle design that morphed into a handgun instead of the other way around.

MJ

[1Shirt]

I would go with Beagle's recommendation on Hornet, or better yet in a K-hornet (mine is a #3 Ruger). For longer loads to say 100, would go with 7-8gr. of 2400. Beyond that would go with either 222 or 223 and in vols in excess of 2200-2300 fps. Also recommend very hard cast for 22's, in at least the 24-25 bh level as they are brittle and not prone to ricochet.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Bad Water Bill]

A switch barrel that can handle all this stuff would be great. Too bad the Contender didn't start out as a rifle design that morphed into a handgun instead of the other way around.

MJ

Just do what I did. Get a Savage. In about 10 minutes I can go from a 221 FB, 222 or 223 AND cast boolits produce around 100 pills per # of what ever mix of PB you prefer.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Just buy one of the new accu-trigger Savages in 257 Roberts and stick a 4-12X Leupold on it. Everything from ground squirrels to Elk. I bought a great-niece one this summer, and it has so far accounted for a 220lb Muley buck with a 27-inch spread, over a hundred ground squirrels (CB load) and about a dozen coyotes dumb enough to stand next to the new barn close to daylight. She turned 12 this summer, and graduated first in her Hunter's Ed Class. She asked for the Roberts, and graciously returned my 77/22H when I handed it to her. She visits every other weekend, bringing along fifty empty cases and a shot by shot accounting for said empties.

Rich

[rhbrink]

I always had a soft spot for a 250 Savage and I believe that Savage is making one again in a bolt action. I recently got into the Savage switch barrel program going from a .308 to .223 took me a little longer than Bad Water Bill about 30 minutes the first time. Had to switch out the bolt head, baffel, and magazine box but it works just fine. Only bad thing about that is it gets to be addictive.

[Mavrick]

A while ago, I found a Rossi .357 Mag in a pawn shop that I thought was as cute as a bug's ear...almost. Midway has some .25 caliber barrels at a price, so I converted to .256Mag. My new barrel is 22", and I have a Lyman tang peep-sight, and a fiber-optic front on a ramp.
It will hit anything inside 100yds that can be seen, and within 200yds a beercan-sized target is in real danger. I use a 64gr LERN from Lyman, and I think it'll go in for an HP pretty soon.
I also have an M94 Winchester, that I rebarrelled to .25/35 Improved with a 21" barrel and Redfield peep.
Marlin makes some excellent models that can be picked up inexpensively, and converted, and a small scope mounted. Are you REALLY sure you NEED MOA accuracy?
A .30/30 in Marlin, or Winchester, or even Savage M340, would be very dificult to beat for that job!
Have fun,
Gene