Powder for cast vs jacketed

[crabo]

Have any of you noticed that the best powder for jacketed bullets are sometimes not the best for cast boolits? (not that I load many jacketed except for some rifles)

What is your experience, especially in pistols and revolvers?

[btroj]

I don't think in term of cast vs jacketed. I usually look at the desired velocity and pick an appropriate powder. I would use the same for jacketed or cast if bullet weights are the same. Within reason a 240 gr bullet in a 44 mag is a 240 gr bullet.

The best powders for full tilt 44 mag loads are the same for lead or jacketed. I would look at 2400, AA9, or H110.

I just don't see a difference. The Lyman manuals may List different powders but I don't follow only their data.

[stubshaft]

Haven't seen any real difference in the pistols I shoot. Then again some of them have never seen a j word.

[looseprojectile]

I use different powder in cast loads in rifles is I don't need maximum velocity with cast. Sometimes you just gotta relax and shoot.
A cast boolit at 1,600 fps uses a lot less powder and faster burning rate powder than a jacketed bullet balls to the wall. Cast is cheaper too.
You will have some success using paper patched cast boolits with some of the same loads as jacketed.
Typically in a 30 06 with a cast 180 grain boolit a proper load could be 23-28 grains of SR 4759.
A jacketed 180 grain bullet could be happy with 56 grains of IMR 4350.
Much, much different powder.
The rate that powder burns dictates the use that a reloader puts it to.
Handguns, not so much difference. Jacketed bullets do cause higher pressures. That is probably the difference.

Life is good

[Wolfer]

I have noticed that cast is a lot easer to push down a barrel. Therefore it must take a lower pressure. All powders have a pressure range that they work best in and if you have a powder that works good with jacketed it may not be able to get into its pressure range before you exceed the velocity your alloy can take
This is more of an issue with rifles than handguns. In my revolvers it takes about an extra grain to get to the same speed

[Hardcast416taylor]

It comes down to resistence of the bullet, either jacketed or lead, going down the barrel that means better complete consumption of the powder. More resistence equals the more the powder will have time to be consumed and generate gases to elevate the bullets velocity. Faster burning powders are, in general, designed for a bullet offering less resistence going down the barrel so will burn more completely.Robert

[crabo]

One of the things that makes a difference is my expectations. When I was shooting lots of IPSC and steel plates, I shot a lot of commercial cast boolits. My loading was to make power factor and to get acceptable "combat" accuracy.

Now that I am casting everything that I shoot, I want a lot more than combat accuracy. I want less at 50 yards than I accepted at 25 before.

I think you guys are right about the resistance factor and the powder burn rates.

[looseprojectile]

the fact that one of the best refrences for cast boolits is Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook, and they only use their moulds and only linotype alloy.

I have never used straight linotype. I try to use the softest metal I can get by with. Mostly because softer metal expands better.

Long rifle boolits cast of linotype might not slump as much as soft ones when fired.
I have had large boolits stick in the sizer die that were way hard. No problem when they are soft. That tells me that hard boolits will create more pressure than soft ones.

Life is good

[stubshaft]

the fact that one of the best refrences for cast boolits is Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook, and they only use their moulds and only linotype alloy.

I have never used straight linotype. I try to use the softest metal I can get by with. Mostly because softer metal expands better.

Long rifle boolits cast of linotype might not slump as much as soft ones when fired.
I have had large boolits stick in the sizer die that were way hard. No problem when they are soft. That tells me that hard boolits will create more pressure than soft ones.

Life is good

That is unusual since Lyman dimensions are still based on #2 Alloy and RCBS is based on Lino.

[TXGunNut]

Excellent question, crabo. I've puzzled over it quite a bit recently. Since my pistols and revolvers seldom saw J-bullets even before I started casting my own I have limited experience but the answer for me is yes. In a .357 revolver my .38 HBWC load is nothing like my .357 JHP load. 45 Colt boolits generally get pushed along @ BP velocities but jacketed bullets in my RBH rival 44 mag loads. One exception is the 45 ACP, 231 seems to like pushing J-bullets or cast boolits equally well.
In rifles it's a mixed bag in my limited experience. GC boolits seem to like the same powders as J-bullets, plinker loads with PB boolits like light charges of fast powders.
First thing I learned about cast boolits was also the first thing I learned about BP. I started with a clean slate and no pre-conceived notions. It was a difficult concept at first for this (allegedly!) hard-headed old fart but it actually made it easier.

[looseprojectile]

Thanks for straightening me out stubshaft.
Lymans cast handbook appears to have mostly #2 alloy.
Lymans 48th has the 38 special, .357 magnum and .44 magnum as made of linotype. Most of the rest are #2. Still only their proprietary boolits.
A lot of my cast boolits are RCBS and I don't have an RCBS book.


Life is good

[MaineJim]

Lymans 4th edition cast bullet book has data for RCBS,Lee and Saeco molds in addition to Lyman.