Rifle caliber headaches

[dakotashooter2]

Just what it says. Cast bullets in 243/6mm and 30 cal are causing me nothing but headaches. What I have tried so far (all checked) are bullets from straight ww and 50/50 lino/ww and some local commercial cast in the 30 cal. The .243 are being shot out of the 243 win from an encore and are 87 gr loverin or the 100 gr RCBS designs. The 30 cal are 165gr from a lee mold and a 14" .308 encore barrel or a win 94 30-30. I don't have a crony so I have to depend on published velocities but it seems if I push any and all of them under 1600 fps the tumble and keyhole, 1600 and up and they make nice round holes but are lucky to hit a
2'x2' target at 50 yards. In all honesty I have not slugged any of the barrels but am sizing to .244 and .309-.310 and would think one would get at least consistently get on paper with one combination or another. For the most part I can't get any of these to the lands and still have enough bullet in the case to keep it straight. Thoughts???????

FWIW I have pretty good luck with cast pistol bullets.

[Blammer]

for the 30 cal make em bigger. Try .311 and .312

[Blammer]

I'd also drop down to 150gr bullet wt if you have an option.

[docone31]

Ditto on the wideness, also, make em heavier. Castings mostly go slow. Put some weight behind it.
For the .30, and under. I would consider paper patching.
In my opinion, at the speeds they travel, .243, .223. I might not consider casting. Swageing yes, casting, I donno.
I paper patch my .30 cals. I push the dickens out of them. Literally, the lowest loading, or starting load for the corresponding weight. I get at least as good accuracy as jacketed at the same load.

[mooman76]

I had the same problem with a 7mm with an oversized boar. Never could get it to shoot but it sure was a kick in the gut for my confidence. You should slug the bore and my guess is you need a bigger diameter bullet.

[runfiverun]

i don't know bout the 243.
but you may wanna measure the nose on your 30 cal. 300 to 301 is appropriate.
and at least 310 min on the body.
assuming your bbl measures 300-310.
i know thompsons had a problem cutting a throat for a long time.

[Bass Ackward]

Slug both the bore and the throat. And I would add to slug based upon a round count. And with a wheelgun, slugging each throat at first will pay dividends that sliding a slug through won't all the time.

It's hard enough to get people to believe that they should slug in the beginning since you can bang away without it. What I find happens is that if I get in a hurry and don't, that it can be quite awhile before I do. This is because I don't want to find out how much time and money I wasted.

If you ever wonder why so many old wives tales come about for cast, this is the main reason. People then have to jump through hoops and form unique theories as to why they see what they see. Success breads contentment. Failure causes thought.

I have two, 625-8s made supposedly out of the same steel coming off the same line. Both with a round count of close to 2000 rounds. Both slugged at .4505 when new. Today, one measures .a hair over .451. The other is a hair over .452 and just had to have the throats reamed because of it as I was getting slight leading and couldn't figure out why. These are low pressure / velocity guns. The higher the pressure and velocity, the more potential you have for (faster) change.

But after you slug, then they have to learn to select, fit, size, and reload to what they get. This takes awhile to learn, but problems can be identified rapidly.

[Newtire]

Maybe they are "slugging up" a bit is why they shoot better with more velocity? More pressure maybe-but by that time the boolit is too far gone to shoot straight....???

I shoot a .243 and get great accuracy with that 87 gr. Lyman. I use (best of all) 12.5 gr. 2400or 17 gr. H-4198. It operates within a narrow band for sure.

I have a longer Lyman 100 gr mould that can't be counted on to hit the broad side of a barn but either the Saeco 87 gr. , the RCBS 95 gr. or the Lyman 87 gr. Loverin all shoot.