I need some expert advise please.

[35Whelen]

Good day Gents. I have question that has been on my mind a lot the last few days.

I just cast my first batch of boolits ever. They turned out quite good I think, a bit frosty, but excellent fill out and from what others have told me, the deer don't care about frosted ones.

I have a Ruger Hawkeye in 358 Winchester.

My load development as follows

Case .358 Win brass
Primer CCI BR-2
Powder H4895 starting at 39 grains, 40 , 41 and 42 grains
Boolit Accurate 360- 240A Sized to .359

The magazine and throat seems to be on the long on this rifle. My problem is , if I seat the boolit to the crimp groove the round hangs up when cycling the bolt. The nose of the bullet has a meplat measuring .265", and it runs up against the shoulder of the barrel where the chamber begins. If I seat the bullet long out onto the second driving band, it cycles well with only the odd hang up, if I try to cycle to bolt gently. It will hang every time with a 200 grain RN j word.

My questions are two fold.

1- With the Boolit seated out for reliable cycling I am engraving the lands on the band ahead of the crimp groove. It is a bit of a stiff bolt closing, but once done, it is easy to cycle a second time ( boolit sized to .359 ) . At no time have I had a boolit pull out when opening the action.
The lands are engraving about half of the driving band, with the nose of the boolit having a VERY light engraving ( barely noticeable), but it is a bore ride nose design so I am not worried about the engraving on the nose of the boolit.

It is the stiff bolt closing on the driving band ahead of the crimp groove that has me concerned. Am I going to run into high pressure problems with this issue? Or should I just try shooting the 38 grain load of H4895 and have a good close look for pressure signs and velocity?

I did try a dummy round sized to .358 and the resistance closing the bolt was less, but at the same time I want a good boolit fit to the bore. The barrel is a Kreiger stainless , cut rifled 1-12 twist and has been lapped. The barrel button I got from the Smith after the work was done, shows the bore is .358 with the lands at .350

2 - What is the general rule of thumb for load development with cast boolits using jacketed data...>I know I have read this somewhere , but I cannot for the life of me find the write up. If memory serves me correct I seem to remember start at 60% of max listings for jacketed in cast boolit load development ? Or am I completely out to lunch on that memory?

I could try and get a close up pic of the engraving on the first driving band if it would help you guys in your advise.

Thanks guys...sorry if this seems like dumb questions but just want to be safe , and make sure I understand what acceptable engraving is and what is not.

Best regards
Paul

[runfiverun]

you'll be fine.
that extra bit of engraving is actually helping you align the boolit.
the engraving on the nose is helping you too.

the down side is that it will increase the initial pressure rise of the powder some [making it act like a slightly faster powder, I.E. turning I-4895 into H-4895]

the 60% rule applies to 4895 powder only, it's where you fill the case to the base of the neck and then use 60% of that as your starting load.
it's for jacketed bullets, and I believe the info is found on the hodgdons website.

anyway I'd double check your loads.
42 grs of imr 4895 is my 150gr jacketed 308 load, I'm not too sure how it would go with a 240 gr boolit.
you don't need that much velocity with your boolit to hunt with.
30 grs would be around 2,000 fps and would be devastating on a deer, id personally start there and work up.

[Moonie]

I second runfinerun's advice, you will likely find better accuracy around 2,000fps as well. In my 30-06 I shoot an Accurate Molds 245gr over 35gr of H4895 for around 1,950fps and accuracy is excellent, not much will walk away from a properly placed shot that will go end to end through about any game animal in North America.

[35Whelen]

Thanks you guys...so you think I should just pull those rounds and start over with around 30, 31, 32 and 33 grains of H4895?

[sthwestvictoria]

I would be comfortable with that amount of engraving. THis is the CBE 250grain in my 35 whelen:
http://i60.tinypic.com/zwkihi.jpg
Which will reliably extract unfired without pulling the bullet, even with a relatively hard oven HT WW alloy, water quenched. A chamber cast like that really gives you a lot of information about the throat. This one is a sulphur/graphite cast however cerrosafe is also popular.

My most accurate load so far with the 250grain is 42.0grains AR2206H (H4895) for 1837fps av.

In terms of the load, I don't have a 358. The ADI/Hodgdon data gives a starting load of 40.0grains with 250grain jacketed so you are certainly still safe at 39-42grains however depending on hardness of you alloy, quality of lube you may not get accuracy at that velocity.
However you have a lot of engraving that a jacketed load does not normal have. Easier and safer to pull them and work up.

[Motor]

"the 60% rule applies to 4895 powder only, it's where you fill the case to the base of the neck and then use 60% of that as your starting load.
it's for jacketed bullets, and I believe the info is found on the hodgdons website."

I just want to sort this ^^^^^^^^^^ out so there are no accidents.

The 60% rule does apply to 4895 but like 35Whelen said it is 60% of the max listed load. This is for reduced jacket bullet loads.

The rule where you fill the case to the base of the neck (its to the base of a seated bullet) pertains to Trail Boss powder. Yes all of which is on Hodgdon's web site.

[35Whelen]

Thanks guys..I pulled the ones I loaded and reduced them to 30, 31,32 and 33 grains of H4895 with the 238 grain Accurate 360-240A
As soon it warms up enough to thaw a bit, I'll be out and post the results for accuracy and velocity.