Which caliber to NEVER cast for...

[missionary5155]

Good afternnon.... Have you ever encountered a caliber you would have to say.. STAY CLEAR of THIS ONE using cast boolits ? I got to thinking and looking through the NRA Fact Book. In the rear is a section called Nominal Cartridge Dimensions. I use this often when researching dimensions and adaptability of cases to another caliber or listed boolit diameters. So looking through it I got to wondering if anyone of those near 200 cartriges would be that "one to STAY AWAY FROM" if cast boolits was to be fired. So far I have shot cast out of every firearm I own... one way or another and they shot well enough.
So are there any calibers out there you have suffered with to no avail ?

[Blammer]

270 sumthin/anything

'cause 30 cal trumps it easy.

[sundog]

7mm Rem Mag. Way short neck, way big boiler room. However, I have successfully shot cast with one, certainly not to the full potential of that cartridge though with jacketed bullets. I now consider that time better spent on things more friendly.

[dk17hmr]

Everything I use cast bullets is shoots well enough for the use of the firearm. I will say that casting smaller calibers 22 and 25 arent always the funnest thing to do, but my 22 cast bullets shoot very well in our hornets and my 223. I havent shot any of my "new" 25 ACP mold so I dont know how they do yet.

[felix]

Any case that is too small for the bore is just as bad as one too large for the bore. The problem boils down to the ignition characteristics, like way too much or way too little. Ignition here means about the same effect the automatic choke circuit has on supplying gas. Too much "boost" goes into the actual intended combustion when the case is too small. Can't get the primer action small enough! ... felix

[Pepe Ray]

As a general principal I believe that WITH TODAYS TECHNOWLEGY no chambering is beyond the scope of cast boolets. Whether it's FUN or not depends on your interests and attitudes. One aspect of it is 'Do you like the challenge?'
If challenge is not your thing, we have left" Purpose". Hunting ,target, or other specific goals.
I have only one particular aversion that I'd avoid , only for lack of interest. The 7.35 Italian. Not because it couldn't be done but who cares?
Obviously someone does and I apologize to him, whoever he may be.
Ramblings of an old man.
Pepe Ray

[NHlever]

Oddly, though others have had great success with them, I never had much luck with the 6.5x55, or similar calibers. I found the very long bullets hard to size without bending, and the fast twist combined with long throats a challenge.

[NSP64]

I think everone should avoid the 44 spec/mag caliber.

[NSP64]

Feel free to send your now useless 44 molds to me


P.S. I will be paying scrap iron rates.

[Heavy lead]

I would never cast arrows, I think they would be way to heavy, and it would be too hard to put a broadhead on.
Also I couldn't imagine casting a tiny teeny 17 caliber either.

[JeffinNZ]

I would suggest anything overbore with a short neck. For example .264 mag.

[PatMarlin]

300 Winchester Magnum

[shotman]

I will go with the 17 rem and 7mm mag. I shot about 20 in the 7mm mag and loaded to where they hit the ground 50 ft to where ever IT went I never got a paper hit. the 300win was ok with a 220 + cast

[357maximum]

I personbally would shy away from anything with an uber short neck, and possibly the .14 flea, but I got fat finners.

[S.R.Custom]

Avoid anything of .22 caliber like the plague...

[yondering]

22 rimfire

One caliber I have no intention of casting for is the 6mm Rem. Mine is the AI version to boot, with a long heavy barrel, and throws 70gr varmint bullets out at 3900 fps. Kind of a whole different world from cast boolits, and I can't imagine even getting a paper patched boolit going those velocities.

The .17 calibers sound hard to cast for too.

[mooman76]

105mm!

[Newtire]

22 rimfire

One caliber I have no intention of casting for is the 6mm Rem. Mine is the AI version to boot, with a long heavy barrel, and throws 70gr varmint bullets out at 3900 fps. Kind of a whole different world from cast boolits, and I can't imagine even getting a paper patched boolit going those velocities.

The .17 calibers sound hard to cast for too.

Hi Yondering,

I have a .257 AI (which is just about like a larger bore version of the 6mm). I also have a .243 Winchester regular edition. Cast boolits shoot great out of both rifles but using alot less push behind them.

[ktw]

270 sumthin/anything

'cause 30 cal trumps it easy.

I don't understand this because I've had just as good results from the 270 Win as I have from my 30's.

I try to shy away from any cartridge with a really short neck.

-ktw

[1Shirt]

If it has a trigger and is .224 or above, it is worth a try. Don't like the short necked belted mags, but after screwing around with them, have had reasonable sucess. If you play with a ctg long enough and do it for the love of the try, you can probably find something that will go down the tube with reasonable accuracy.
1Shirt!