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Thread: Just a few tips for new rifle casters.

  1. #21
    Boolit Man
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    I am just getting ready to start rifle casting for a Win 94 30/30. This is a great compilation of info and I will be relying on this post. It is just what I needed to get started. Thank you Goodsteel for taking the time to post this. I will be saving this to my favorites.

  2. #22
    Boolit Mold
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    Goodsteel, thanks for this comprehensive tips!

  3. #23
    Boolit Bub
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    great reading thanks

  4. #24
    Boolit Master

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    Just a few tips for new rifle casters.

    Very good read. I can only add one thing to your information that might be helpful to others. Ill probly get reamed for saying this but it come from past experience and knowledge from a barrel maker, way more knowledge about this than my self.

    Brass and aluminum rods are fine to use on your barrel IF you can find them. Truth is, a steel rod, smaller than the diameter of your boolit, with the sharp edged removed from the ends, is just as effective, and SAFE, to send down your barrel. The thinking that putting anything steel down your barrel, is going to destroy it, is false. Steel is easy to find, and will last longer when you slug your barrel. Very little of the rod touches you barrel while slugging it. This is exactly how the major barrel manufacturers do it, because it is the most accurate way to determine size, and cost effective.

    Other than that, I can argue with any of it. This info comes from experience, and Goodsteel, has put the time in. He's helped me in the past, and I now cast for everything from a seventy year old M1 Garand to new 223 Remington 700.
    "The right of the people to keep and bear...arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country..." (James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434 [June 8, 1789])


    Once the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
    Benjamin Franklin

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:05 PM.
    Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    goodsteel,

    +1. That is an excellent point. The crown must be protected at all times. Lots of folks are dumbfounded to learn how much damage a cleaning rod can/will do.

    Regards,

    Tony

  7. #27
    Boolit Master

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    Just a few tips for new rifle casters.

    Protecting the crown of the barrel goes without saying. Damage can be done with any type of rod. With a damaged crown you will never get an accurate shot.
    "The right of the people to keep and bear...arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country..." (James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434 [June 8, 1789])


    Once the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
    Benjamin Franklin

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:05 PM.
    Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.

  9. #29
    Boolit Man motorcycle_dan's Avatar
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    Well I really appreciate the how to education. My problem is too many guns. All this is great if you are loading Pb in one or two rifles. My problem is military rifles. I love 'em. ALL of 'em. I just wanted one of each. Except where I found an good deal and needed two of a particular example. So Safe was getting full and I bought another safe. As will happen, I left the lights out one day and apparently a No4MkII and a Mauser of some sorts got together and now there is a whole litter of old rifles in the new safe. So many that I may need another. Couple straight pulls cuz they are just kewl. Arisaka very rough but shoots great. Mausers from Argentina, Sweeden, etc. Now I like putting cast bullets through old rifles but do not have the luxury of time to devote to each rifle to get the exact bore/groove, freebore, etc.
    How do others deal with this? Write it down for each rifle and attach log book to the trigger guard? I'm lucky to sort ammo into the correct pile. Not sure I have the organizing ability to keep such records of each.
    Dan, A fast bullseye shooter or slow action pistol shooter.

  10. #30
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    Thank you for a very informative post that puts what I need to do in english I can understand. I had heard the terminology but was not sure of the application. Information like that makes it a lot easier on us newbs.

  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
    Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

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    Tim, I just re-read this thread you started many months ago. Strange that some information never makes it into my thick skull during the first read. It has been just a little over a year since I started to reload rifle cartridges with cast boolits and the journey has been interesting and illuminating. Your thread helped enormously. Thank You.

  13. #33
    Boolit Man

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    ----If you get leading,(which I doubt) use a harder/tougher alloy like 94/3/3, or water quench your boolits to get them a touch harder.----
    Maybe I missed it, But what exactly would be a good general starting alloy to use?
    1. I am guessing that the 94/3/3 would be 94% lead, 3% antimony, 3% tin? I assume that a Lyman #2 (90/5/5) would be harder yet. Which the Lyman Cast bullet handbook uses as a basic benchmark metal? I've had some tell me to use straight WW (Wheel Weights), water or air cooled. But, DARN, they are hard to come by around here!

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
    Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.

  15. #35
    Boolit Man

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    ...I hope this helps....

    More than you'll ever know it has helped. Being very new to the art of boolit casting, This "summary" thread has finally tied together a lot of basic principles into something that I hope I can eventually get thru my thick skull. I've ordered a little Rotometals "superhard" and some 1to20 lead/tin alloy. I think the handy alloy spreadsheet found elsewhere on this forum and the small scale I bought for $2 (yardsale) will help a to mix up the alloy suggested.

    I hope to do a few things with cast bullets... Plinking, some deer hunting, and maybe try a little long range shooting (200-300 yards)

    Thanks for posting this summary... it's a great starting place for newbies like me.

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy
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    Goodsteel thank you so much for the incredibly concise directions. That is going to save me a ton of headache as I start to cast for rifles as well as my revolvers.

    Very glad to stumble on this thread today, and I will look through it much more.

    Dan

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
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    goodsteel:

    Very informative and well written post! A great many ideas and tips condensed into a short and easy to read article. Well done!

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
    Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.

  19. #39
    Boolit Master Slow Elk 45/70's Avatar
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    Tim, Great info for the new guys and the lurkers in one place...needs to be a sticky IMHO
    Slow Elk 45/70

    Praise the Lord & Pass the Ammo

  20. #40
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks for the great info, I;m soaking in the information too cast my own. Have been buying a few bullets from the commercial guys too see how they do in my marlins, so far so much better than j bullets. Know if I can just get that soup can mold and

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check