30 cal mold suggestions please.

[RG_86]

Howdy folks. I hope this is in the right forum. I am interested in trying my hand at casting hunting boolits for one of my 30-06's. I would like something that will give great performance out to 300 yards. I would like to use this on Moose, Caribou, and possibly black bear. I have been casting pistol rounds for years but I am new to rifle. I plan on using a gas check of some type, and I would prefer to stay away from Lee molds. Lee and I don't get along very well, I never learned the art of casting from aluminum i guess. Anyways I have a lube sizer set up, and plenty of lead, WW, and pewter. I also have a 375H&H if you all think that would be a better rifle to use. (I would be happy to use the .375 as bullets for loading that darn thing are spendy) I will only do this if I can get a quick clean kill, if not then I will stick with hornady factory bullets.

[runfiverun]

375449 for the H&H
and 311291 for the 0-6.
200 yds is pushing things a little, your drop will be about 5 moa from 100 to 200 yds pushing either in the 1900 fps range.
i try to keep my maximum point blank range to 150 yds.
then i don't have to worry about holding high or whatever it's just point and click to the 150 yd range.
b troj has a thread in the hunting section which has very good information on the 375.

[Larry Gibson]

I would like to use this on Moose, Caribou, and possibly black bear.

I also have a 375H&H if you all think that would be a better rifle to use. (I would be happy to use the .375 as bullets for loading that darn thing are spendy) I will only do this if I can get a quick clean kill, if not then I will stick with hornady factory bullets.

The 375 would be the best option for those animals, especially the BB and moose. The 377449 is also my cast bullet of choice for my M70 375 H&H adn pushing it at 2200 fps definately makes it the hands down choice for the mentioned game.

Larry Gibson

[RG_86]

I have a interarms mark x How are you getting it to 2200fps, what lube, powder, and hardness if you dont mind sharing.

[Larry Gibson]

For my hunting 377449's I use COWWs +2% tin then add 50% lead to that. I cast them and let them AC for 7-10 days before use And the BHN comes in at 10 - 11+/-. I size at .377 in a Lyman 450 and use Hornady GCs. I use Javelina lube (no longer available) 2500+ or any quality NRA 50/50 formula (Lars sells 2500+ and an excellent NRA 50/50 lube). Suggest you try 4895 starting at 40 gr and work up to 46 gr in 1 gr increments. Put a 3/4 - 1 gr dacron filler over he powder. I clean the barrel every 10 shots with this softer alloy to maintain best accuracy as more than 10 shots will allow some fouling to build up. That is fine with me because if I've not got the game in 10 shots I might as well go home anyway. I

For practice loads I just use everything the same except the alloy. I use COWWs + 2% tin AC'd. I don't have to clean the barrel every 10 shots as I have shot 100 of these w/o any fouling or degrading of accuracy. The BHN runs 14 - 17 with 16 - 17 being the most common. While I prefer the softer alloy I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with this alloy either.

Larry Gibson

[Buckshot]

I am interested in trying my hand at casting hunting boolits for one of my 30-06's. I would like something that will give great performance out to 300 yards. I would like to use this on Moose, Caribou, and possibly black bear.

.............I am by no means a hunting expert, cast OR jacketed!:-) I do not think I'd attempt a shot at an animal at 300 yards unless I was starving, or I had fired considerable match prepared ammunition at that range previously. Certainly NOT saying it can't be done, and I don't mean to sound preachy by any means. Your 375 sounds like the better option, but as to the 30-'06 I'd opt for a 200+ grain cast design with at least a bit of a flat on the nose. I'd experiment with an alloy as soft as possible, that would deliver 2200 fps at the muzzle, and 10 rounds (each from a cold barrel) would have to impact within 4" (8" total) of my POA. I swore next time I went deer hunting I was going to carry my Trapdoor carbine :-) Of course my buddy who is a REAL hunter says that I don't go hunting. He says I pretty much just go camping with a gun!

...........Buckshot

[nhrifle]

I have had great luck with Lyman's 311299 GC. I can clean a target at 200 yards with that boolit. Cast it with a softer alloy and drive it to 2100-2200 and you have a real thumper.

[RG_86]

Sometimes your shots are close less then 100 yards but as with most caribou it is generally over 200 yards. You cant always hunt in the thick woods as nice as that would be. Most of my shots have been inside 100, with my longest being on a sheep at about 430 yards. I took a coyote once at about 575 but that was pure luck.

[Moonie]

The 245/247gr whisper boolit shoots very well from my 30-06 and with its high BC and SD it would be a good 300 yard cartridge. I don't shoot game at those distances but no doubt that round would do so nicely, it has a nice flat point and should penetrate like a train since it is so long. I shoot them with 35gr of H4895 in my 30-06 at 1,950fps but that is not a max load. That load sighted in for 169 Yards gives a point blank range of 199 Yards and is 22.8" low at 300 with 1200ft/lbs of energy.