jonk
05-03-2007, 09:01 AM
There seems to be two schools of thought on the best powder for cast Pb bullets.
1. Use a powder that fills the case as much as possible to deliver a desired velocity. Ergo, the use of some powders normally for magnum rifle or even 50 BMG can, if packed in the case, yield nice velocity out of 30 cal rifles, freindly to cast bullets. In any case, certainly lighter loads using more conventional rifle powders (i.e. 4895) can work well too, but the point is, using a lot of a slow to medium burn rate powder. The theory is that the bullet gets a nice gentle start (relatively speaking) into the rifling.
2. Use a lighter load of a faster powder; hence using Red Dot, 2400, Unique, 4759, etc. etc. The theory here is that a load producing a fair amount of pressure will nonetheless produce a comfortable velocity; i.e. 11 gr of Red Dot for me gets a 200 grain bullet out of my Swiss 1911 at 1450 fps, mild even for a cast bullet. You use less powder, recoil is less, and you avoid problems resulting from squib loads with rifle powder- like failure of a case to obdurate, unburnt powder due to insufficient pressure, etc. The theoretical drawback is that the pistol powder blasts the bullet out of the case very fast and violently, sometimes stripping the bullet causing leading and less than optimal accuracy.
Personally speaking, I generally use pistol powders or faster rifle powders (4198, etc.) for cast bullets in rifles. My best luck thus far is with 2400 and 4759, but for cheap plinking, I can't argue with Red Dot either.
What say you?
1. Use a powder that fills the case as much as possible to deliver a desired velocity. Ergo, the use of some powders normally for magnum rifle or even 50 BMG can, if packed in the case, yield nice velocity out of 30 cal rifles, freindly to cast bullets. In any case, certainly lighter loads using more conventional rifle powders (i.e. 4895) can work well too, but the point is, using a lot of a slow to medium burn rate powder. The theory is that the bullet gets a nice gentle start (relatively speaking) into the rifling.
2. Use a lighter load of a faster powder; hence using Red Dot, 2400, Unique, 4759, etc. etc. The theory here is that a load producing a fair amount of pressure will nonetheless produce a comfortable velocity; i.e. 11 gr of Red Dot for me gets a 200 grain bullet out of my Swiss 1911 at 1450 fps, mild even for a cast bullet. You use less powder, recoil is less, and you avoid problems resulting from squib loads with rifle powder- like failure of a case to obdurate, unburnt powder due to insufficient pressure, etc. The theoretical drawback is that the pistol powder blasts the bullet out of the case very fast and violently, sometimes stripping the bullet causing leading and less than optimal accuracy.
Personally speaking, I generally use pistol powders or faster rifle powders (4198, etc.) for cast bullets in rifles. My best luck thus far is with 2400 and 4759, but for cheap plinking, I can't argue with Red Dot either.
What say you?