Hey guys—
I wanted to buy a bolt gun that I could feed for cheap, mostly just for paper punching and target practice, and that means finding one that can shoot cast well. I really just want something that can shoot out to about 300 yards max. I’m already set up to cast and load .223, so after a lot of research I decided to go for a Ruger 783 chambered in .223.
I’m keeping my eye out for a deal, and keep finding brand new 783s with included cheap 3-9x40 scopes for under $300, but the least expensive ones are always chambered in either .243 or .270.
Has anyone shot .243 or .270 with cast bullets? How close could you get to jacketed velocities with cast before you lost accuracy?
.270 would be significantly more expensive for practicing than .223, but it could get out to longer ranges and resist wind better. .243 would probably have fairly similar performance in cast compared to .223, and only be a bit more expensive to reload.
Should I hold out for a .223? Biggest advantages are that it’s cheapest to load, and I’m already tooled (and have tons of brass).