Is it possible?

[Scout800a]

Hi Guys,

I'm hoping to benefit from your experience. My Brothers and I all have 30-06 rifles. I'd like to get a mold to put together a plinking load. Here is the kicker, we all shoot 165 grain bullets and have our scopes set for them. Is it possible to put together a reasonable load with a cast bullet that would keep the same point of aim out to about 100yds without leading up the barrel bad? Would shooting a lighter bullet at middle velocities do it? Something like 120-130 grain? I've a good stock of Lino to cast from and anticipate gas checking them. Recommend a mold? (preferably a Lee for costs sake, but any would be appreciated) this is my first attempt at casting for a rifle.

Thanks!

[Andrew Mason]

its not likely that you will get the necessary velocity to get the same point of aim/point of impact as with your 165s
the cast boolits you would shoot would probably end up a bit low due to a lower muzzel velocity.

not to say the rounds you produce wont be good for plinking, or practicing... but they wont be the same

[MtGun44]

Not likely. Possible, but high velocity is much more difficult to do than 1700-1800 fps.

You can kill coyotes all day with that load at 100 yds, but you will have to adjust the scope
up for the lower velocity trajectory. For song dogs you probably want a lighter wt boolit
with a good big HP. Assuming you are trying for pelts rather than just killing pests.
A 130 gr HP would work well, I think.

Plan on adjusting the scopes, but you might luck into it with just the right combo of lt
boolit and moderate velocity. It HAS been done, but usually the loads were popgun
level intended for knocking the heads off of grouse when big game hunting.

Bill

[Buckshot]

.........It's possible that you might be able to get very close by using a comparatively heavy cast boolit. One of my favorite loads in my 03 A1 Springfield is the Lyman 311284 (215grs) over 23.0 grs of H4198. It gaves 1650 fps at the muzzle. Holding 6 o'clock on a slow fire pistol target at 50 yards would put the slug in the 10 ring. That was 3" above line of sight at that range. If that didn't quite make it for you at 100 yards you could certainly bump the load up 2-3 grains and you'd probably see what you were looking for.

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

[Jack Stanley]

Possible but I don't think probable unless you one sixty-five load is already a lead load . I made a heavy , fast lead load that hits where M-2 ball does for my A3 but it is not what you would call a "plinker" by any stretch of the imagination . What you might be able to do is find a load that would hit to where the duplex reticle thins down at . That would likely find you in a velocity range that is easier to deal with and you would need anything as hard as linotype , mixed with half lead would be enough .

I'm working on loads using just the battlesight of the 03 . I have a light "gallery" load for out to fifty yards and now I'm working on "heavier" load for a hundred yards .

Jack

[Janoosh]

+1 on what Jack Stanley said. I use Lyman 311241 as a plinker. I'm using a heay duplex crosshairs and use the center crosshair as a post for the plinker load. The finer crosshair for the hunting load. This works just fine when you put in your trigger time.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I know this is not the answer you are looking for but. I have a TC super 14 in 223 and I shoot both J-words and cast in it. The j-words will shoot 2" groups at a 100 and the cast will shoot 1/2" groups at 25 using the same sight picture with standard TC open sights. They both hit the target very close to the same spot. The cast shoots some what low at a 100 and opens up to about 4", it's me not the gun.

[XWrench3]

actually, kind of. it has been my experience that simply changing the range at which you shoot will correct the vertical drop situation. my 45-70 when switching from factory Hornady "LeverEvoloution" ammo sighted @ 100 yards, shoots to the same point of aim at 75 yards when i am shooting full load cat bullets. or 50 yards when i am shooting "plinker" loads. simply find an accurate load to practice with, then alter the yardage to change the point of impact. or, if you are using a scope, figure out exactly how high you have to hold over. changing the power on the scope can help this also. if it is a mil dot or duplex reticle, you may find a spot on the scope that will aloow you to hit at the correct spot. a little trial and error, and thinking just a little outside of the box and you will get there.

[rintinglen]

If you mean that can you find a light plinker load that will hit to the same point of impact as your 30-30 heavy hunting loads, I'll say a flat no.
There will most certainly be a divergence, most likely a considerable one. I tried a half a dozen boolits ranging from the RCBS 32-84, up to the 311-441 121 grainer. None of them shot to the same POA as did my 311-041 170 grainers. Several were very accurate, notably the 311-245 over 8.0 grains of HERCO, the 311-465 over 17.5 grains of 2400, and the 311-419 over 8.5 grains of Unique, but none matched the trajectory of the heavier loads. Sorry, but this is one time when you can't get there from here.

[MT Gianni]

What you can do is put a round sticker on your scope adjustment cap. My 243 takes an 11 1/2" drop from my jword load. A piece of tape reminds me which it is set for. I can shoot for pennys and hunt with a speedier load.