I'm going to try and load cast bullets. Looking for some advice??

[Jeffcamis]

I have been reloading for years but never reloaded cast bullets. I'm looking to reload for 6.5 carcano. What's the difference between reloading a copper plated bullet and a cast one???

Also what the simplest way to lube the bullet and does it need lube? Or any other step than a jacketed bullet???

Thanks
Jeff

[Winger Ed.]

I'd encourage getting the Lyman Cast bullet loading manual.
There's much more information you might want in it than just load data for cast Lead.

If you're buying them, they should already be sized & lubed, or powder coated.
If not, it'll get a little more involved.

Check the sized case first; more often than not--
You'll probably need a 'M' die to expand the case mouth like you do for handgun ammo.
Depending on what ya have, you might not need it.

[Minerat]

Welcome aboard.

Here's some light reading that may help too.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[ryanmattes]

Welcome to it!

First things first: where are you getting your cast bullets? If you're buying them, they probably come lubed, so you won't have to worry about that part.

If you're getting them from a caster, I'd pay a little more and gave them lube them.too. You can do it yourself, but without the equipment it's a pretty slow and painstaking process.

Or, you can buy cast lead that has been coated with powder coat or liquid poly-coat. Whichever way you go, get them pre-lubed or coated so you don't have yet another process to learn the hard way with no equipment.

All that said, the main differences are:

1. Lower velocity/lighter charge to keep from leading your barrel

2. You'll want to bell the case mouth a bit more to keep from scraping lead off the bullet

3. Fit is king. The bullet needs to be .001-.002 larger than your bore diameter. It will obturate in the throat, so that it forms a tight seal with your barrel.


Otherwise, casting, bullet shape, lubes, etc are each a topic of their own, each with their own forum here, and we could go in and on.

Ryan

Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

[Shopdog]

Not trying to dissuade you but....

You'd probably have better luck loading cast in say,38sp first. The 6.5 Carcano is complex because the "specs" are all over place..... bore/groove,neck,leade,and chamberings. But best of luck with whatever you cast for.

[mehavey]

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^ (definitely)
Start with a 38/357, 44, 45 Colt, etc., for basic intro if you have any of them.
Going on to Hi-Pressure/bottle-neck Rifle casting is graduate work.

[Wayne Smith]

If you are capable of doing a pound mold of your rifle's throat and measuring with a micrometer ... you can do this. If you do not know the shape and size of your rifle's throat you will be better off starting with another caliber. If what I just wrote is Greek to you download Glen Fryxell's book and start reading.

You see, we know nothing of your background and abilities. I barely knew what a micrometer was when I started in this and had no reason to, I'm a psychologist! But it was a significant learning curve at the beginning, and I started with a bottle neck BPCR (Black Powder Cartridge Rifle). On the other hand if you are a qualified machinist ... .

You get my point.

[ukrifleman]

Welcome to the forum!

Good advice to read Glen Fryxell's guide before starting out.

Here is a generic guide for loading cast bullets;

If you are planning to push the M/v over 1500 fps, then you should gas check your bullets.

Ideally, your bullet should be ,001/.002 oversize,

If your rifle is a Mod 91 with gain twist rifling, then you need to pick your bullet style with care.

I load cast for a gain twist M91 and after a long and rocky road, I came up with a good bullet.

After much trialling of bullet styles, I settled on a Lee 170gn `Cruise missile` bullet that I cut down to produce 150gn bullets.
You can get this Lee 2 cav mould from Midsouth Shooters Supply.

The mould casts at .2695 which is ideal for my M91, but the 170gn bullet did not perform at all well keyholing or tail out, regardless of what powder/charge I tried.

I load the 150gn as cast (.2695) , fix the gas checks with Loc-Tite, tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox and get zero leading.

I keep the M/v around 1600fps and can achieve 2 MOA at 100m if I do my part.



ukrifleman

[dverna]

Not trying to dissuade you but....

You'd probably have better luck loading cast in say,38sp first. The 6.5 Carcano is complex because the "specs" are all over place..... bore/groove,neck,leade,and chamberings. But best of luck with whatever you cast for.

Very good advice.

[sharps4590]

There's dozens of good books on cast bullets. Get some and read them. Lyman's should be first.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have been reloading for years but never reloaded cast bullets. I'm looking to reload for 6.5 carcano. What's the difference between reloading a copper plated bullet and a cast one???

Also what the simplest way to lube the bullet and does it need lube? Or any other step than a jacketed bullet???

Thanks
Jeff

Jeff,
Welcome to the forum.
Once you read one of the books recommended above, you should read some of the Carcano threads on this website, to learn it's idiosyncrasies. Most foreign Mil surp guns have some things that make reloading for them more challenging then American made Rifles ...and the foreign 6.5 guns are near the top of that challenging list. Good Luck.

Just copy/paste the words below into The Google.

6.5 carcano site:castboolits.gunloads.com

[zarrinvz24]

NOOO! Don't do it! That's like saying I'm going to take up reloading because its cheaper. . .

Just kidding, welcome to a whole new world of reloading and firearms.

[414gates]

For someone casting for small bore rifle for the first time, you need to keep a couple of things in mind during the process.

1. It will not be easy.
2. The smaller the bore diameter, the more challenging it is to match lead hardness to velocity.
3. A very old rifle will more likely than not have a pitted barrel. This will play havoc with any coating or lube, and the barrel will lead up even at very slow bullet speeds.

I can recommend paper patching.

The paper patch removes the bullet speed limit, it makes the lead hardness irrelevant, will not leave lead in a pitted bore, and an extra wrap of paper takes care of increased bore diameter from barrel wear.

If you start off with plain cast, and things don't work out like expected, don't beat yourself up about it for too long, just switch to paper patching.

There is a bit more work involved to paper patch, but it eliminates a lot of variables and allows better results sooner in the load development process.

[mehavey]

Paper-patching a 22 . . . .
Yesssss, my Precious.
(God does so love a challenge)

[15meter]

And post where you are from, there may be someone near by that would let you look over their shoulder on some of the basics. What equipment they use and why.

And don't take any one method as gospel. There's a whole bunch of ways to get where you want to be. Experiment a little. Or a lot.

Have fun at it!

[15meter]

To answer a couple of your original post questions:

LUBE THE BULLETS!!!!

Simplest lube is BLL or Ben's Liquid Lube. Go to the lube forum and look for Ben's Liquid, it should be a sticky near the top of the lube page.

Bell (or flare) the mouth of the case before trying to seat a boolit.

Roll the bell back in either with the seater die after getting the boolit to the correct depth, or (better solution) use a separate crimp die (Lee is the most common).

Boolits need to be over groove diameter by .001-002".

Those four things will solve 90+% of cast boolit loading problems.

Good luck.

[Outer Rondacker]

Welcome aboard. Lots of good advice here.