Questions Related To Pound Casts

[alamogunr]

I have done several pound casts of some of my rifles but have never been satisfied with the results. I have been meaning to start processing my milsurps but have hesitated because of poor results. I went to another post that explained in detail how to do a good pound cast:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?356251-Pound-Cast-instructions-(for-rifle-chamber)

The questions that came up are related to what to use as a slug. I usually try to use a boolit but the grooves make it hard to determine the parts of the throat and measure them. I tried one time to make a slug by drilling a hole in a piece of hard wood but the heat of the molten lead left such a rough surface that the pounding didn't smooth it out.

Geargnasher(former member here) recommended a slug 1/2" longer than the longest boolit you intended to shoot. Since I plan to primarily shoot 3XX299 boolits in these rifles, I don't have a mold that casts a boolit 1/2" longer. The Lee TL309-230-5R(link:https://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/90307.pdf) looks like the only thing that comes close. Being tumble lube means that there are no deep grooves to interfere with measuring. Even if it is not 1/2" longer than I'm still thinking it might be the best way to go since most of my milsurps are close to .30 cal. Lee 2 cavity molds are relatively inexpensive.

Comments on this plan would be welcome.

[MT Gianni]

Back in the day, South Bend sinkers were pure lead. I would not be srprised to find them zinc today. Drilling a hole in a pine board and cutting off the wood has worked well for me. Allow needs to be dead soft to take the impressions, pure is best even if you have to buy round balls to get it.

[NoZombies]

I use chamber casting alloy, (and cast it) it's re--usable and gives me a really good idea what I'm looking at. It's easier than making an impact impression as well. I can get the groove and bore diameter, the throat size and the front end of the chamber all at once. I bought a lb ingot of it years ago, and I'm still re-using the same alloy. One of the better $10 investments (probably more now, but I'd do it again) I've made in getting accuracy from old guns.

[Outpost75]

In most .30 cal. and .303 rifles a factory, lead 158-grain LRN slug, driven into the chamber neck with a 3/8 brass rod, until the rod comes to a full stop against the chamber shoulder, then tapping out the slug, gives you the chamber neck diameter, needed to determine max. bullet for safe release clearance, and the diameter of the unrifled ball seat ahead of the case before the rifling starts.

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[alamogunr]

Thanks to all!