brnomauser
08-25-2012, 12:56 AM
After a year of arising around and taking forever to get things going I have finally cast, loaded and shot from my 1895SS. I was very worried about bullet size in the MG barrel, but it seems at the moment it's not a problem.
I started by trading a carton of xxxx gold (mid strength beer) for about 50kg of wheel weights at my local tyre shop. I cast these straight up with plenty of saw dust. Cull rate was good - about 1 zinc weight per 20 lead clip on. The heat source was a wood fire with an ancient hoover connected via a metal pipe on blow mode for extra heat. I only needed this for about 1 minute per 10. Pot was a $1 special enamelled steel one from the dump.
The mould is an accurate 462350 brass 2 cavity and cast beautifully and functioned flawlessly with my homemade handles. Cull rate after the first couple of pours was about 4 bullets for my whole session.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020306.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020308.jpg
I lubed them with NRA 50/50 and sized to .4595 - any bigger won't fit in a fired case (bore slugs at .460) Fitted a gas check made using my homemade check maker. I used scrap steel for this and had an old drill bit lying around that happened to be the correct internal diameter. I've since made a 30-06 version the same way (turned an internal mandrel this time) and have to say these are very quick and easy to make. It was almost my first ever project on a lathe (have one at work). These checks are one layer of coke can bottom metal and one of wall metal. Haven't mic'd them but they stay on the bullet and get sized by the sizer fine.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020309.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020311.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020310.jpg
I took it out today to find a good load. Tried 35, 36 and 37 gr of ADI 2206H (H4895 under the original name) under 1gr of dacron, seated to the crimp groove with a light crimp for the magazine.
I set up a drum at 100 yards, used a bipod made from sticks on the bonnet of my HJ47 landcruiser, and the 36gr grouped the best. In fact I was very pleased with it - I would have expected it with my 30-06 and scope, but not this with very homemade cast bullets and a tang sight on the lever action! I'm totally hooked. Just need to load a few more up and zero it in then head out and get a goat, pig or deer - whichever is unlucky enough to show itself first... So far no leading, but this is only after 20 shots. I tried this last week with 36gr powder with no filler - amazing what it did to the groups because before they were 2" at 50 yards. I'll be keeping a serious eye out because as the bullet is smaller than the bore I'm suspicious... Quickload thinks these are doing about 1300fps but I don't have a chrono so I bess they are pretty moderate.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020305.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020303.jpg
I'm uploading a video of the shots but is taking ages on this crappy satellite connection...
I started by trading a carton of xxxx gold (mid strength beer) for about 50kg of wheel weights at my local tyre shop. I cast these straight up with plenty of saw dust. Cull rate was good - about 1 zinc weight per 20 lead clip on. The heat source was a wood fire with an ancient hoover connected via a metal pipe on blow mode for extra heat. I only needed this for about 1 minute per 10. Pot was a $1 special enamelled steel one from the dump.
The mould is an accurate 462350 brass 2 cavity and cast beautifully and functioned flawlessly with my homemade handles. Cull rate after the first couple of pours was about 4 bullets for my whole session.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020306.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020308.jpg
I lubed them with NRA 50/50 and sized to .4595 - any bigger won't fit in a fired case (bore slugs at .460) Fitted a gas check made using my homemade check maker. I used scrap steel for this and had an old drill bit lying around that happened to be the correct internal diameter. I've since made a 30-06 version the same way (turned an internal mandrel this time) and have to say these are very quick and easy to make. It was almost my first ever project on a lathe (have one at work). These checks are one layer of coke can bottom metal and one of wall metal. Haven't mic'd them but they stay on the bullet and get sized by the sizer fine.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020309.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020311.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020310.jpg
I took it out today to find a good load. Tried 35, 36 and 37 gr of ADI 2206H (H4895 under the original name) under 1gr of dacron, seated to the crimp groove with a light crimp for the magazine.
I set up a drum at 100 yards, used a bipod made from sticks on the bonnet of my HJ47 landcruiser, and the 36gr grouped the best. In fact I was very pleased with it - I would have expected it with my 30-06 and scope, but not this with very homemade cast bullets and a tang sight on the lever action! I'm totally hooked. Just need to load a few more up and zero it in then head out and get a goat, pig or deer - whichever is unlucky enough to show itself first... So far no leading, but this is only after 20 shots. I tried this last week with 36gr powder with no filler - amazing what it did to the groups because before they were 2" at 50 yards. I'll be keeping a serious eye out because as the bullet is smaller than the bore I'm suspicious... Quickload thinks these are doing about 1300fps but I don't have a chrono so I bess they are pretty moderate.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020305.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/harrygrey382/P1020303.jpg
I'm uploading a video of the shots but is taking ages on this crappy satellite connection...