Best Military Rifle You Have for Cast Loads

[Eddie1971]

What is everyone's favorite Milsurp for cast shooting, and what is your Best load you use? Here are mine:
1 - #1 Mark 3 SMLE, 314299 boolit, sized to .314, powder coated and gas checked over 35 grains of IMR4350
2 - Finn M39, 314299, PC, GC, sized to .314 over 36 grains of W748

[gnoahhh]

1) Springfield M1903A1 USMC sniper. 309-169 NOE/22gr. SR-4759
2) Springfield M1903A1 (standard issue). 308-180 NEI (old one, made by Walt)/18 gr. SR-4759

Bullets sized .310 for both rifles.

[ipopum]

Mine would be a 7.7 Jap. .312 cast, almost any weight shoots very well. I usually don't shoot paper so can`t give a group size.

It also shoots jackets extremely well. .308 at 100 at 1.00 and a .311 will group 3/4 all day long

[LAGS]

A Finn MN 28 -30 with a Sako Barrel that is great with Cast either 180 or 200 Grain

[arlon]

Actually it's not the load, it's the sights that make or break it for me these days. I have a Finn M24 SIG that's just fun to shoot, Krag that's right behind it in fun factor but I have a hard time with the sights on them. Both are more accurate than me. Best groups come from a sporterized 03A3 with Lyman front and rear sights. Best off the shelf, milsurp is a toss up between a P14 and No4 MKI Enfield. Ones I take to the range the most are a couple of P-17s. If I could only have one it would be a Remington P-17 that came by way of Norway and Greenland.

Any range of bullets over red dot mostly. The No4 MKI loves a little commercial 125 grain cast bullet I bought a bunch of for an SKS. SKS hated them, Enfield loves them with about 9 gr of red dot. Never seen that bullet again and about to run out of them... Favorite bullet in the 30-06 is the 311467 with red dot.

[Went2kck]

K31 7.5x55

[ukrifleman]

M96 Swede with RCBS 140gn silhouette bullet gas checked to .265.

[RED BEAR]

+1 on m96 swede with lyman 150 gr gas checked. Been using wc868 surprisingly good results.

[Walks]

M1917 .30-06

[waksupi]

My most accurate are a 96 Swede, and a 1884 Trapdoor Springfield.

[Tracy]

IMBEL FAL with the 200 grain Lee, PC'd and GC'd over a case full of WC872 with a kicker of AO.

[ShooterAZ]

It's hard to pick just one favorite!

One of mine is a late Remington 1903 Springfield (not 03A3). The favored boolit in this rifle in the RCBS 165 Sil, sized to .310 and lubed with 2500+. It's not real picky about the load either, but for HP practice I use 20 grains of A2400.

Another favorite is the Mosin Nagant with the Accurate 31-200L, speced to drop at .315 and sized to .314. As long as I keep the velocity in the 1900-2000 fps window, it's very accurate despite a bad trigger. http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-200L-D.png

M1 Garand, I like the Lyman 311299 with 34.5 grains of IMR 4895, no filler. It's cycles well and is accurate.

Can't leave out the venerable 30 Carbine, favorite load for my 44 Inland is the RCBS 30-115-SP with 10 grains of N110. It's a mild load but very, very accurate and puts all my brass in a neat little pile.

[Kraschenbirn]

#1) K31 - 7.5x55: Lee 309-200, PC'd and sized .309.

#2) '98 Krag - 30-40 Gov't, Arsenal 309-188PC, sized .311.

[458mag]

My Remington 1943 O3A3 with a 2 groove barrel. Lee 312TL sized to 311 gas checked and lubed with alox and paste wax mix with 20 grns 2400 or 13grns Unique will shoot in the black at 100 and 200 yds and is just a joy to shoot.

[bob208]

1898 krag made in 1901. 311399 sized to .309.

[jimb16]

Rem 03-a3

[Eddie2002]

7.7 Jap with a 115 grain cast boolit sized to .312 over 7 grains of Bullseye. I'm getting about 2 MOA at 50 yds with an occasional flyer. Could shoot them all day and still smile.

[PAT303]

Lee Enfield Mk111 with 28grns of 2206H under NOE 316299 or CBE 316220 shoots inside 2'' at 100, 6.5x55 CBE 150grn .269 dia over 23grns of 2206H, I shot 196/200 100m prone at our state titles with that load, 8x57 mauser Lee Maximum over 28grns of 2206H shoots inside 2'' at 100.

[samari46]

My most fun rifle with cast bullets is a Finn model 27 in 7.62x54r Bore diameter is .311.5 and body on the lyman is 314 dia.
Lyman 314299 sized to .3135
Powder is IMR4759 at 20.0 grains
case is Hanson Cartridge
primer winchester large rifle
Bullet lube is what I have of javelina lube
I seat the bullet long so it whon,t function through the mag, I stick the billet with the base deep into the mag so the bolt picks up the case head and then feeds it into the chamber.on a good day when the eyes cooperate I get 2" groups while nothing spectacualar it keeps me happy.

[Reverend Al]

I've been having great success with my '03 Springfield with an old Ideal / Lyman 125 grain w/ GC over 18 grains of 2400. It's been shooting as well if not better than the jacketed loads I've tried in the old girl. Low recoil load and it shoots reasonably close to the sights too ... plus it's easy on my lead supply ...

[RU shooter]

Another vote for the O3A3 two groove. Pet load was the Lee 185 and 17,5 gr of 2400

[sghart3578]

1930's vintage Czech made VZ-24 Mauser, chambered in 7X57.

Moved into a Boyd's stock.

NOE 291-170-FN w/gc loaded over 16 gr of 2400.


241262


Steve in N CA

[Streetwalker]

My favorite rifle is a 1944 03A3 Remington with a two groove barrel. It shoots the 200 gr. RCBS sil. bullet cast from a 50/50 wheelweight and linotype mixture over 20 gr. of Reloader 7 and any magnum primer. This load shoots tighter than I can hold and was developed from Jim Carmichael's old cast bullet load that he used for 200 yd. practice for his 300 Mag. target rifle many years ago.

[4570guy]

Most accurate is an 03A3. Right behind it by a quarter inch or so group-wise is my 1898 Krag. Unfortunately, my 1917 is just not that great a shooter. I have tried oversized bullets and several different load recipes. Finally I re-crowned the barrel. That helped but it doesn't hold a candle to the 03A3 and Krag... they sneer at the '17 from across the gunsafe:)

[Winger Ed.]

I'll have to go along with Springfield too.

I had one that was a Remington, 03-A3, mid-40's production that was unissued/unfired until I got ahold of it.
It was amazingly accurate with cast, and I don't think I shot more than 10-12 'J' bullets through it.

[TankerDon]

Other hobby's kept my busy the last 15yrs. and decided to get back to shooting last year. Picked up a 1916 Mauser in 7.62x51. I don't cast so picked up a box of Berry's 150g FP. It's showing promise with those over 16g of 2400. Many years ago I bought a Savage Enfield and a Polish M44. The best I've got with the Enfield is 118g FP .314 .32-20 boolets over 7g of HP38. Shot a ladder load of HP38 under Berry's 123g SP AK boolets out of the Mosin this week. 7g was the best there also.

[TCLouis]

So far my best 50 yard group is from Type 99 7.7X58 with a horrendous trigger
0.311 Ranch Dog, 18. 10B101
16 and 17 showed promise too.
Pictures of the group on theCast Boolit forums somewhere.
I need to chronograph that load.

Seems like I am out of that batch of boolits also.
I need to get back on that project to include working on a lighter trigger spring.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

FN Mauser in 7 mm - 29gns 3031 with 145gn RCBS silly-wet boolit

https://i.imgur.com/LuRm5kS.jpg

[Texas by God]

Both my milsurps have new commercial barrels so I don't guess they count. My 1916 Spanish 30-30 is brilliant and my 1898 Krag will be I hope........

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[dale2242]

I have only shot cast in my Garand and my Mosin-Nagant.
With the little I have experimented with the two, the MN seems to have a slight edge....dale

[Abert Rim]

1898 krag made in 1901. 311399 sized to .309.
Bob, did you mean Lyman 311299?

[Bigslug]

I seem to have gone Limey. Been playing a lot with Enfields lately SMLE, No. 4, P14, and 1917 - the last having both a nice Redfield peeped sporter (from the '30's maybe?) and an unaltered. 316299 with AA5744 for a touch over 2000 fps for the .303's, and 311299 and IMR4064 (probably to be revisited with Varget) for about the same with the '06's. I might just have to try my NOE .308 Ranch Dog in those two - uses less lead; smacks water bottles better; tumble lube is quicker; and MIGHT hit closer to sights that are set up for jacketed. . .

What I typically get with all of the above is about a 2.5 MOA overall spread containing really tight clusters of 1.5 MOA or less. There's an eyeball limitation factoring in there somewhere, but seeing as the belligerent governments of their era were typically happy with about 3 MOA, I'm a happy range monkey [smilie=w:.

[Rich/WIS]

Remington 1903A3 two groove in a CMP C stock.

[northmn]

I have had a couple of Lee Enfield #4MK1's. I got a deer with one in full battle dress using a bullet as cast weighing in at 208 grains. The velocity was near 2000 fps. Had to sue the ladder sight to get impact at POI but it was a very good load.

DEP

[Winger Ed.]

Rem. O3A3 multi groove barrel with anything sized to .309..

[Lloyd Smale]

I know im cheating and maybe skirting the rules but my choice is my psa 300 bo. It will shoot rcbs 130 spitz gas checks into an 1 1/2 all day long at a 100 yards and its basically one of only two loads ive tried with the only bullet ive tried so my guess is if I thought it nessisary (which I don't) to find more accuracy its probably there.

[6bg6ga]

I guess you really have to love shooting lead in a rifle to work up a decent load. I'm to be blunt not very tolerant when trying to come up with something that will shoot into the black. I just open a box of jacketed bullets and load up 50. No gas checks to put on just decent accuracy without the fuss. My hat is off to you guys.

[Lloyd Smale]

im right with you if your talking a bolt gun that I might shoot 20 rounds out once a week. But ive probably shot AT LEAST 3k out of my 300 this summer. I could have bought another gun for what that many bulk pull down 30 cal bullets would have cost. Probably two guns if I was buy brand name jacketed and the summer hasn't even started yet. Like you though im not competing in any bench rest comp so minute of beer can at even 50 yards and im happy. Had an awakening about 10 years ago. Found I was spending WAY to much time being anal about loading and casting and spending 3/4s of my shooting time on bags on a bench. Got so that it was about work. Now im all about taking 300 rounds to the range and killing targets. It brings the fun back you had when you were 10 years old and dad handed you that first 22.
I guess you really have to love shooting lead in a rifle to work up a decent load. I'm to be blunt not very tolerant when trying to come up with something that will shoot into the black. I just open a box of jacketed bullets and load up 50. No gas checks to put on just decent accuracy without the fuss. My hat is off to you guys.

[6bg6ga]

The wife and I probably have 8 or 10 300 blackouts. While not a military round or military rifle they are awesome. I would consider trying lead bullets the low and slow kind if I had the mold for my bullet caster.

[jmort]

The ACC .300 Blackout is a military round
Operators have been using them
For supressed CQC they work real good
Otherwise, I am a big fan from 110 grains to 230 grains
Not a good match for the 416s, but SIG got them what they wanted
Being adopted by military and LEO worldwide
It is a specialized round for LEO and military, but it is being used

[Lloyd Smale]

don't be afraid of full power pc coated cast. Mine does great with them and there cheap to shoot.
The wife and I probably have 8 or 10 300 blackouts. While not a military round or military rifle they are awesome. I would consider trying lead bullets the low and slow kind if I had the mold for my bullet caster.

[3006guns]

Most all of my milsurps shoot very acceptably with cast. Let's face it.....you have a rifled tube and sights. The rest is up to you via load development and testing.

Right now I'm playing with a Swede M38 that would cause any collector nausea. It looks "okay" on the outside, but that barrel has rounded rifling lands and some darkness in the grooves. After several trips to the range using a Lyman 140 grain boolit on top of 10.5 grains of Unique, I'm astonished. With the sights set at 500 meters I can nail anything I can see at 100 yards. Setting up my chronograph and putting the shots on an actual target will tell the tale, but so far I like it.

Oddly enough, the only rifles I HAVEN'T pushed cast through are my two Springfields! If ever there was a natural cast shooter, that's it. I'd better get on that right away.......

I've played with just about every milsurp available since the eighties when they first came over by the boat load. Unless they're absolute junk, they all perform well. So, pick your poison and go for it! :)

[northmn]

When shooting the old ones I like cast bullets as they don't offer appreciable wear on the guns.

DEP

[Walks]

MAUSER 1893 Carbine, 3shots into one hole cloverleaf at 50yds with the #287405 over a light charge of Unique.

[upnorthwis]

My newest favorite is the M78/81 Vetterli. Just knocked off the 2019 CBA Military National win in Big Bore with it. SAECO 431 sized to .431 w/GC over 26 gr. 5744. That load shot great at 100 but did not perform as well at 200 in the 40 mph wind at Sioux City, IA. Will be replaced with a 320 gr. at the longer range. With a scope the 431 will go into 1 moa at 100. But with the irons, my eyes are the limiting factor.
243871

[Gewehr-Guy]

Congrats on the big bore win, I don't think my 12.7 Swede bullet would have done well at 200yds, would have had to sight on the next man's target with 40 mph winds :D

[John Boy]

Swiss K-31: Berger 190 gr VLD; 47.5 grs IMR 4350 or 180gr Pb bullets ...
With concentration, stock sights and several inch misses, I can knock down Coyote silhouettes at 1000 yds

[Good Cheer]

Oh, no doubt about it.
An 1888 7.92x57 fixed up by Richard Hoch with his 12" twist rifling and his 185 grain mold to match.

[fa38]

Mr. Heeler (upnorthwi) should consider that his favorite rifle. Today he shot a 291-1 Big Bore Offhand 4 target score at the Van Dyne, WI club during their 22 June 2019 CBA Military Match. This beats Bill Bargloff's record of 255-0

[fa38]

I might as well toot my own horn. In the match I was shooting an Argentine 1909 in 7mm Mauser and finely shot into the 390,s with it.

98-1, 99-4 at 100 yards 99-3, 98-3 at 200 yards 395-11 Agg. RCBS 145 Sil, 9.1 grains Win 231, Fed 215 Mag. UTC 6x scope

Now I can take the scope off and shoot it as an issue rifle.

[beltfed]

Very fine shooting, Marty.
Also, good job, Jeff at the Nationals
beltfed/arnie

[beltfed]

OH, though, how does a 251 beat a255?

[beltfed]

My favorite CB Vin Mil rifle is my
M1941/1903/A1 Marine Corps Sniper Rifle
best I have done=ModScope= is a 392-14X which includes a 100-5X at 200yds
Have had it since 1963 purchase for $45
beltfed/arnie

[fa38]

OH, though, how does a 251 beat a255?

Slight error 291-1

[Ray1946]

Mod. 96/11 Schmidt-Rubin with 180 gr. Lee mold................

[GMW]

My most accurate are a 96 Swede, and a 1884 Trapdoor Springfield.

Really! What is your trapdoor load? I would love to get mine to shoot.

[303Guy]

don't be afraid of full power pc coated cast. Mine does great with them and there cheap to shoot.

Hard cast alloy or softer? I'm wanting to try PC.

[GhostHawk]

I think I only have 3 Military rifles, a pair of Mosin Nagants and a Yugo SKS. They all shoot cast, the yugo is death on whells inside of 50 yards but that is more a limitation of the shooter and iron sights than the rifle.

While I enjoy shooting the Mosin's from time to time IMO they are not in the same class as the Yugo SKS.

Rate of fire, ease of reloading, # of rounds available. Stripper clips for the rimmed 7.62x54r just do not work as well as stripper clips for the 7.62x39.

Yes I like the Yugo SKS, she may be an old dog but she still has bite.

[TCLouis]

Ghost Hawk
What are you shooting out of the SKS?

[Pappy_Miles]

30-40 krag. Restored a sporter back to military spec ( ok looks as close as I can get it) it started out as a rifle in 1903 according to the serial number, probably cut to carbine size in the 1920's for NRA sales, sporterized into a hunting rifle and abused until I picked it up on gunbroker a couple years back. found a mil stock, that was cut to carbine length, put a new criterion 22" barrel from CMP on it, found sights on e-bay and and wood upper handguard from the krag users group. I use the lyman 311284 with gas checks and imr 4198. I keep the velocity to 1800 - 1850. It's shoot 198+6x 200 yard prone. better than I can do with an 03 or M1................

[Eddie1971]

Hard cast alloy or softer? I'm wanting to try PC.

You got to do powder coating 303Guy. I jumped right into casting doing that to my boolits.

[Went2kck]

I shoot cast out of a ruger precision that does really well, I don't think it has ever has them J bullets in it.

[PAPPAHOGG]

43 mauser
.446 soft lead,

[gwpercle]

The absolute best ? I've owned just about every military rifle from WWI and WWII and the best boolit shooter is the 7.5 Swiss Schmidt-Ruebin model 1911 carbine ("K-11") .
The longer throat and action are perfect for heavy for caliber boolits .
The action and trigger are built like a fine watch.... OH YES the Swiss are known for craftsmanship and building fine watches aren't they !
If you have never shot a K-11 the straight pull action works like ball bearings greased ice... really slick and super smooth. You will not believe the accuracy from a stock off the shelf K-11 military rifle .

And I own a 1903-A3 Springfield and a 303 Britsish Enfield No. 4 MKI that I enjoy shooting and hunting with better ..... but for pure boolit shooting accuracy the 1911 Carbine wins the contest .
Gary

[303Guy]

You got to do powder coating 303Guy. I jumped right into casting doing that to my boolits.

I'm setting up my new casting station and the oven is right there. I just need to know how to do it.

I deal with powder coaters so I could easily get some powder from them if I knew which one to ask for. I'm thinking of copper or brass color so they look like jacketed, just because.

[shadowjames]

i love the 30 carbine no gas check i used a 32 cal pistol bullet sized to spec or barrel if shot out well, with 9 grain powder hs6

[Char-Gar]

Remington 03A3 with four groove barrel. It was rebuilt at Odgen Arsenal and came to my hands unfired since the rebuild. With a decent cast bullet load, it will produce reliable 10 shot 1.75 MOA accuracy if the shooter can do his part.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I like whichever one I have in my hands at the time. Colonial flintlock right up to AR Carbine.
But the absolute favorite is a 1819 Hall caliber .54 Breach loading Flintlock. Was made in the second batch during 1826. Happily was never chopped or converted. We call it "Vesuvius" as the flash hole is on top of the pivoting breach.
And yes we shoot it. Last time I was north during "corn cruncher" season I had it out but alas no shot was available.
Mike in Peru

[Texas by God]

Ever shoot it as a pistol, Mike?
You know.....[emoji16]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[missionary5155]

Howdy Tex
I read about that also. But so far no. If I ever do will not start at the hunting load of 70 grains 3F. A leather glove with just 30 grains 3F may be in that "real western" bracket. That chunk of metal has all sorts of corners that would have to be a might "diggy".

[LIMPINGJ]

missionary5155 did you ever get to shoot the matchlock you built a few years ago?

[missionary5155]

Howdy Limpingj
Well yes and no... It was not put together to be a projectile flinger. The "barrel" is only a piece of "black pipe" or steel gas pipe.
But I have launched newspaper wags down our hallway with 60 grains of 2F. Also the stock is a very soft wood very similar to pine. But it works like a real one My goal was to build one using as much scrap stuff laying about as possible. All I had to buy was the gas pipe and wood for the stock. But when we leave here for good I will cut off the breech plug cutting through the vent. That way no one could possibly attempt to fire a projectile. I will keep the lock unit though.

246765246766246767

[Klaus]

one of my oldest will do the very best work with cast bullets
first
Swiss 96/ 11 from 1913
second
Swedish Mauser 1896 from 1916

third
Norwegian Mauser K 98 K from 1936 in 8x57xIS

forth

Lee Enfield NO 4 MK1 Fazakerley from 1941 FTR in 1946

They all have to do a new Challenge with my new old
Commissionrifle 1888 from Danzig 1891

will keep you informed.....

Klaus

[threedflyer]

Love my original Model 1903!!

[GreenRiverBoy]

My favorite to shoot is my k31

[fcvan]

30 M1 Carbine, SAECO 321 (plain base) PCd sized .309, 13gr IMR 4227. Dad lets me wipe it down, but won't let me shoot it any more. I think he says that just to tease. My brother however lets me shoot his. This rifle is definitely on my must have list.

I have an 7.65 Argentine Mauser recently gifted to me, still waiting on dies and brass, have a suitable mold . . . Soon!

[semtav]

1911 Schmidt Rubin Hands down. but I still haven't beat the guys with the Krags or 03's with their adjustable sights.

[trails4u]

#1) Peabody Military Rifle in .43 Spanish.
#2) M1867/77 Werndl 11.15x58
#3) 1884 Trapdoor
#4) .43 Spanish Rolling Block

I'm very drawn to the 11mm's, and the stranger the better. :)

Bucket List:

Evans Repeating Rifle
Burnside Carbine
Needham Conversion Bridesburg Musket

[44magLeo]

I guess my favorite cast bullet shooting military rifle is my Mosin Nagant 91/30 Built in 1942. Being as it is my only military rifle.
I use the Lee 185 bullet. It comes out of the mold at a bit over .314 I lube with Lee Alox lube. I run it through the Lee sizer just to seat the gas checks.
Loaded over 16 grs of 2400. Groups in the 2 inch range. Lots of fun to shoot.
Leo