Newbie needs help with load data for 308 win.

[BigRso]

Hello everyone,

I am new to casting actually am waiting on my equipment I just oredered that New lol. Anyway I will be using a Lee 2 Cavity Rifle Mold, 7.62x39 155 Gr. 2R GC Standard Lube for my ptr-91 a G3 clone made on HK machinery, and also a Savage model 16 308 win. bolt gun. I can not find any loads for my current powders on hand, in stock I have H322, Varget, Cfe 223 , and power pistol. Any help would be greatly apprecited really would like to use H322 to load these rounds since I have alot on hand. I will be tumble lubing with 45/45/10 and sizing to 309 dia. I also picked up aluminum GC. For most part will be punching paper at a 100 yards and may be using for hunting in bolt gun. I picked up lead on ebay clip on WW approximately 6% antimony.

Thanks in advance Mike

[BigRso]

Hoping some one will point me in the right direction. Lol

[Larry Gibson]

Read BruceB's ; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?3558-7-62x51-NATO-(-308-WCF)-in-the-Springfield-M1A

Almost everything there will apply to your PTR-91. If your 91 has an adjustable gas port then close it down and adjust back open to an easy on ejection setting if you get functioning with any semblance of accuracy with the H322 powder and that light weight bullet. Frankly that bullet is too light weight; you will probably be at too high a velocity when you get functioning. Remains to be seen though but that's my experience with gas guns, including HK 91s.

I suggest a heavier bullet such as Lee’s C309-180-R or C309-200-R. Both will give much better performance in the 91. A slower powder may also be required. All is covered in Bruce’s thread.

The Lee bullet you have will probably do nicely in the bolt gun but it may need a bit faster burning powder for best results. Sometimes what we “have a lot of” may not work at all or may work ok but not as good as something else. Depends on what you want.

Larry Gibson

[bigted]

well not sure about a semi-auto...but to make a cartridge / rifle shoot well with cast or patched boolits ive learned on this forum that it takes filling the throate to make em humm.

example;...my 43 spanish has a .439 inch groove diameter BUT...the fireformed case will accept a .454 inch boolit, both patched and bare greeser...sooooo i patched up a .444 inch boolit and without sizing the case i flaired it enough to accept the now .4505 inch patched boolit. i loaded this with 23 grains 5744 and enough cornmeal to make a slightly compressed load to keep the powder in place. this load will go into 1 hole at 35 yards all day long. the greesers sized to .452 inch will do the same with the same load. my rem roller likes the heavier booolits but that is just experimentation.

soooo...fill your throate and be happy...this method has worked well for my 458 winny,,43 spanish,,,38-55 marlin,,,38-55 winchester,,,AND im going to aply this theory to MY 308 in a remington m-700 heavy barrel and im bettin it will work out as well.

good luck and report back with your results with whatever you try.

[BigRso]

Thank you both for the reply. Will do some more research and see what I can find. I noticed in the m1a write up he was using pistol powder is this common with cast bullets? I also wanted to ask if I could use say a starting load for a jacketed bullet with a cast bullet of the same weight? Thanks again. Mike

[Larry Gibson]

"Pistol powder"?

In Bruce's thread? Been a while since I read through it but?????

Have you a specific powder by name and a post #?

Larry Gibson

[BigRso]

I may be mistaken but to my knowledge unique is a shotshell/ pistol powder. Bullseye is a pistol powder as well. I apologize I was refering to another sticky on military loads-Cast Bullet Loads for Military Rifles - Article

sorry

[BruceB]

Without going and actually looking, I believe the fastest powder I used in the M1A was 5744.

One thing that HAS to be learned if one is going to load cast bullets, is that loose designations such as "XXX is a pistol powder" are MEANINGLESS.

he major distinction among smokeless powders of whatever type is simply their BURNING RATES. Bullseye is a fast-burner. Unique is a somewhat-slower burner. 2400 or 5744 are slower yet. Powders loosely described as "rifle powders" have their own wide range of burning rates.

Almost ALL smokeless powders have at least SOME utility for cast-bullet shooting. "Unique", at least at one time, came in containers marked "Rifle, Pistol, Shotshell Powder".... likely, that's why they named it 'Unique'.

[BigRso]

Without going and actually looking, I believe the fastest powder I used in the M1A was 5744.

One thing that HAS to be learned if one is going to load cast bullets, is that loose designations such as "XXX is a pistol powder" are MEANINGLESS.

he major distinction among smokeless powders of whatever type is simply their BURNING RATES. Bullseye is a fast-burner. Unique is a somewhat-slower burner. 2400 or 5744 are slower yet. Powders loosely described as "rifle powders" have their own wide range of burning rates.

Almost ALL smokeless powders have at least SOME utility for cast-bullet shooting. "Unique", at least at one time, came in containers marked "Rifle, Pistol, Shotshell Powder".... likely, that's why they named it 'Unique'.
Thank you Bruce for teaching me something new, I am very green when it comes to loading cast boolits. I am use to sticking to rifle powder for rifle and pistol for pistol with jacketed bullets. I also do hope you noticed I corrected my statement on your post and confused it with another great sticky. So if I understand your statement correct I should not concern myself with what the powder is label as but rather by its burn rate when it comes to cast boolits, and slower powders are preferred for cast boolits. If I got that right now in order to make sure we ignite the powder in say a 308 case what would we use to fill the case my concern is say I use 13 grain of xxxxx powder and have a nearly empty case and powder falls towards the neck of cartridge and doesn't completely ignite. I hope I am not asking silly questions just want to pick your brain and learn from everyone here.

[Buckshot]

..........RAMERY, welcome to the board in case you haven't heard it before :-) Shooting cast is a 'Whole nuther thang'. If you haven't yet, I'd suggest you get a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Manual. I know in their older book you'll find considerable loads in rifle cartridges utilizing the faster burning pistol and shotgun powders. However in feeding a semi auto rifle their function requires X amount of pressure to function whether they're gas or recoil operated.

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

[BigRso]

..........RAMERY, welcome to the board in case you haven't heard it before :-) Shooting cast is a 'Whole nuther thang'. If you haven't yet, I'd suggest you get a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Manual. I know in their older book you'll find considerable loads in rifle cartridges utilizing the faster burning pistol and shotgun powders. However in feeding a semi auto rifle their function requires X amount of pressure to function whether they're gas or recoil operated.

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

Thanks for the welcome Buckshot man I have been hunting for information all week lol. Poured my first Boolits today so may the force be with me..

[popper]

Not sure why you chose the AK style CB. 165 works fine in my LR-308, 1:10 twist carbine.

[BigRso]

Not sure why you chose the AK style CB. 165 works fine in my LR-308, 1:10 twist carbine.

Only mold available at midway when I made my order. Looking to pick up some other molds. What are you sizing those boolits too for your LR-308?

[popper]

I'm using accurate 31-165B, 0.310. 40-41 gr H4895 with good accuracy. Tried 309,311, 310 is best for me.

[ph4570]

I am looking at some of my targets shot with the Lee 155 gr boolits and H335. 50 yards: 3/4" ragged hole, 100 yards 11/2" group. Tool was scoped M1A. Apparenly the Lee boolit did not know is was meant just for AK;-)

[BigRso]

I am looking at some of my targets shot with the Lee 155 gr boolits and H335. 50 yards: 3/4" ragged hole, 100 yards 11/2" group. Tool was scoped M1A. Apparenly the Lee boolit did not know is was meant just for AK;-)

If I may ask how many gr of h335 was used

[ph4570]

If I may ask how many gr of h335 was used

Answered in PM.

[BigRso]

Answered in PM.

Received thanks again

[Castaholic]

I used that same bullet mold in my .308 howa with 36 grains of Varget and just straight alox. I only shot out to 100 yards with it but I was easily getting 1 inch groups. I worked up to the 36 and they were all over the place till i hit about 35 grains and then at 37 they were opening back up. The Lee reloading manual actually has a lot of .308 win cast bullet load data in the front part of the book. Hope this helps.

[BigRso]

I used that same bullet mold in my .308 howa with 36 grains of Varget and just straight alox. I only shot out to 100 yards with it but I was easily getting 1 inch groups. I worked up to the 36 and they were all over the place till i hit about 35 grains and then at 37 they were opening back up. The Lee reloading manual actually has a lot of .308 win cast bullet load data in the front part of the book. Hope this helps.

Thank you it does , I purchased that manual for that reason but received the revised version which doesn't have that data

[hbear222]

Read BruceB's ; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?3558-7-62x51-NATO-(-308-WCF)-in-the-Springfield-M1A

Almost everything there will apply to your PTR-91. If your 91 has an adjustable gas port then close it down and adjust back open to an easy on ejection setting if you get functioning with any semblance of accuracy with the H322 powder and that light weight bullet. Frankly that bullet is too light weight; you will probably be at too high a velocity when you get functioning. Remains to be seen though but that's my experience with gas guns, including HK 91s.

I suggest a heavier bullet such as Lee’s C309-180-R or C309-200-R. Both will give much better performance in the 91. A slower powder may also be required. All is covered in Bruce’s thread.

The Lee bullet you have will probably do nicely in the bolt gun but it may need a bit faster burning powder for best results. Sometimes what we “have a lot of” may not work at all or may work ok but not as good as something else. Depends on what you want.

Larry Gibson


I'm amazed nobody caught this one. Not information to give a newby. HK 91 (and it's clones) are not gas guns. they are roller locked and have no gas port! I have one, and might be interested in if anybody know what effect, if any the polygonal barrels might make, whether the rifling would cause exceptional leading with Cast Boolits.

[MT Chambers]

I know nothing of the semi but 28 grs. of Varget powers my most accurate .308 load, this is a light cast bullet load, many folks in CBA comp. are using Varget in their .308s.

[mroliver77]

For cast in my .308 M1A 4895 is about the FASTEST burning powder I use. I have a lot of AA2520 in my cupboard and have used it to good effect. I use dacron filler to take up space. I have used the same boolit as you with ok results. Like the others I recommend a heavier boolit.
I have never messed with the roller lock guns, only gas so cannot give you any dope. Start low and work up!
J