308 cast gallery/small game/low report loads

[762 shooter]

Thursday it was 105 in the shade here. So being of moderately sound mind and body, I decided to get out in it.

I had cast some 311359 - 308 bullets that cast at 117 grain with my straight wheelweights alloy. If you are paying attention these are gas checked bullets with no gas checks. I loaded some of the 117 grain bullets with 4 grains of Unique ( It really is). Rifle is Ruger Scout. This is a pic of a sized bullet.

http://i48.tinypic.com/9bjfrm.jpg

Here is a picture of my first 4 shots at 50 yards. I did not raise the rifle to vertical to set the powder at the primer. The velocities were: 973, 937, 935,and 931 FPS ( Chrono at 4 feet from muzzle). I did not size the bullets which cast at .314, and rubbed the bullets with some Ben's Red I alchemyed up from Cast Boolits Lube Forum. I only neck sized the brass back down to .308 and had lead shaving when I seated the unsized bullets. Basically did everything wrong. I was very surprised at the groups. Report was 22 magnum-like. Recoil was zero.

http://i47.tinypic.com/35l5ldy.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/o73nll.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/20fet0i.jpg

This is 5 shots at 50 yards. I raised the rifle to seat the powder at the primer before every shot. Velocities: 950, 953, 968, 953, 962. Very consistent. I shot a 147 grain FMJ, 2470 FPS to the same point of aim for a comparison. I am using a Nikon BDC scope conventionally mounted so I was sighting the 117 cast bullets with the 4th aiming circle.
http://i48.tinypic.com/2lavfur.jpg

I just loaded up some more but did them right. Neck size brass to .307, expander ball to .308. Sized and lubed bullet to .309. Expanded case rim by using needle nose pliers to prevent lead shaving. Seated bullet with no lead shaving and good bullet retention. Rounds feed fine in rifle.
I will try to get to the range next week and give a report....... This could be a rabbit/squirrel destructer round.


762

[Lonegun1894]

I do something very similar with the Lee .314 SWC sized to .311" and the Lee 170grFPGC also sized to .311". My powder loads are 2.7grs Unique if using a long barreled 24"+ rifle for the quiet side fo things, or 5.0 grs Unique if for small game hunting with any of my .30/.31 rifles (.30-30, .308, .30-06 get sized .311, if for .303 brit, I size .314 but use the 90gr SWC or the Lee 160gr GC made for .303/7.62x39). Using the heavier bullet in a longer barreled rifle the 2.7gr Unique w/ heavy bullet loads sound like my pelletgun, but none of these loads is louder than a .22 mag.

[Ben]

I shoot the 308241 plain based bullet. Weighs about 154 grs. lubed , sized , ready to load.
Makes for an inexpensive and accurate " light fun load " at 50 yards.

Light charges of Bullseye, Red - Dot, Unique, 231 can offer some accurate shooting with cast bullets in the 800 - 1,000 fps. speed zone.

( Sorry, I left out the make of primer in the load data listed in the photo below .....It was Wolf Large rifle )



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Plain%20based%20group%20308241/0032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/SAECO%20%20315%20Plain%20Base/029.jpg

[chickenstripe]

Does the brass seal the gasses with these loads.

I really enjoy shooting light loads out of my 308, but the brass does not seal with reduced loads of H4895, and you get a bit of gas/soot in the face.....

The brass comes out sooty also.

Let me know how your loads work...

[Ben]

If you see black residue on your case necks , you're using too light of a charge with the slower burning 4895.

Faster burning pistol powders ( Red Dot, Green Dot, Unique, etc ) with light charges will seal off the necks and shoot relatively clean.

The load you see in post # 3 above shoots very cleanly.

Ben

[bearcove]

Just got a 308241 for just that purpose. Also use 311316

[tcrocker]

Ben do you hunt with those boolits?

[1Shirt]

Those lite loads are fun to shoot, cheap (a big factor for me as I am cheap), and you could shoot them all day if you wanted with min recoil or report. 311410 and 313249 are also fun to shoot. Like the last in 30-30.
1Shirt!

[Ben]

Ben do you hunt with those boolits?

No I don't , BUT.............one of those at 50 yards in the side of the head of a white tailed deer.......well, someone would need a sharp knife and some butcher paper.

[Jack Stanley]

No I don't , BUT.............one of those at 50 yards in the side of the head of a white tailed deer.......well, someone would need a sharp knife and some butcher paper.

You're right Ben , 'bout like stickin' a .38 in their ear huh? [smilie=l:

Jack

[Ben]

Jack,

You bet......we've almost turned deer into mythological creatures that a 20 mm round won't take down to hear some people.

It is all about shot placement.

Ben

[Lonegun1894]

My 2.7gr Unique load with the Lee .314 90gr SWC gets used for pest control in the back yard. Does that count as hunting? There's been times I had to sit out there in a blind at night with my .303 Enfield with these loads to take out pests that were ruining my garden, so it was kind of like hunting.

[Lawyerman]

I like the look of those 308241's. Has there ever been any kind of group buy on some of those (or something very similar) in a multi cavity mould round here?

[94Doug]

There is a feeler right now for one.

Doug

[Lawyerman]

Count me in. Where do I "sign up"?

[Ben]

Here you are :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=1776762#post1776762

[Lawyerman]

Done.