Cast Bullet Association Blog Rss Feedhttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/Rss2_.aspxRss 2.0 for the user blogs.en-usFri, 25 Sep 2026 12:15:56 GMTCast Bullet Associationchefreiss@gmail.com(Cast Bullet Association)info@morganids.com (Richard Morgan)360The .35 Remington as a Bench Cartridgehttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2018/10/150/the-.35-remington-as-a-bench-cartridge This article written by Joe Weist appeared in the May/June 2002, #157 issue of the Fouling Shot.In a discussion with Tom Gray once he mentioned that he thought the .35 Remington should make agood....
This article written by Joe Weist appeared in the May/June 2002, #157 issue of the Fouling Shot.

In a discussion with Tom Gray once he mentioned that he thought the .35 Remington should make agood bench cartridge for someone wanting to shoot a .35caliber bullet. I had a T/C Contender in .35 Rem. onceand had trouble with it.I picked up 7,000 .35 caliber gas checks at a gunshow and a Hoch mould from Pat Iffland. (Editor: Isn’tthis how it always works — you pick up a few relativelyinexpensive components for which you have no earthlyuse, and say, “Gee, I need a rifle to use these in.”) I hada 40X action with a PPC bolt that had been modified totake a SAKO extractor. The bolt face only had to beopened a little to accept the .35 Rem. case.

I picked the brains of Tom Gray, PatIffland and the Editor for a recommendedtwist, added everything together and took theaverage — a one turn in 17 inches. Douglasmade me a pre-fitted barrel 28” long, weighing9.8 pounds. The throat is .359” by .125”long. All my bullets seat to the base of thecase shoulder, which puts the top of the GC atthe base of the neck.These pre-fitted barrels are chamberedshort. Normally, one would have tohave a chambering reamer and a headspacegauge to finish the job, but since this rifle is formy own use and it’ll never see a factory cartridge,I opted for a slight modification to thecartridge instead of buying or renting thereamer and gauge. I pulled the bullet from anew factory round, deprimed it and used thiscase for a headspace gauge. I faced off thebarrel shoulder until the bolt would close on the new case, but not close if a .002” shim was placed onthe bolt face under the case head. The barrel is tightenedon with a leather “strap wrench.”For moulds I now have the Hoch 360268 274 gr.,Eagan MX2-35 250 gr., an NEI with two different cavities;one for their 358255 250 gr. and the other the 358268280 gr. (without the DD rings). I had both cavities cutoversize to cast .362” bullets. The bore-ride noses cast.351-.352”.I bored a Lyman Lubrisizer die to .360” and madea .378” neck sizing bushing. I made a plug to fit a Lyman“M” die that tapers from .355” to .361”. This leaves theinside of the neck tapered from .354” to .360”.The gas checks have to be expanded to fit theEagan and NEI bullets so they are all annealed first.I took a factory 40X stock and took a bunch ofwood out of the forend and buttstock and filled the areaswith molten lead. The action is glassed in on pillars. Thetotal weight of the rifle is 17 lbs. 8 oz.

As luck would have it, it was deep in the winterwhen the project was finally done. The range wassnowed in, and I had to carry all my equipment 100 yardsto the bench. This first time out only a few of my loadedrounds would fire, and some of them took three strikes ofthe firing pin (shades of the T/C Contender problems!).The next time out I used pistol primers and things workedmuch better.Now that I had fire formed cases, I switched backto the rifle primers and was plagued by misfires again. Itook the bolt apart to install a new 32-pound firing pinspring and found the insides badly rusted. The rust wascleaned out and the inside of the bolt lapped smooth.The first outing with the new spring and rifleprimers didn’t go much better than the previous trip. Butby now I have managed to fire over 300 rounds and havesome promising loads.

The misfiring problem had to be fixed. I checked the “headspace” and found it had not changed. My neck sizing bushing was not pushing the shoulders back and the firing pin protruded .062” from the bolt face. It dented pistol primers deeply and rifle primers deep enough that they should fire. A friend looked at the problem with me and suggested I remove the spring-loaded ejector. The next time out I had no misfires with rifle primers. The pressure of the ejector, coupled with the tiny shoulder on the .35 Rem. case apparently was enough to push many of the cases far enough away from the bolt face that the firing pin couldn’t strike rifle primers hard enough to fire them. Now that my ignition problems were solved, I went back to pistol primers since they had proven the most accurate.

200 yard group with the NEI SP bullet

.35 cal. bullets used in these tests: Hoch 360268, Hoch 360280, NEI 358268 (280gr.), NEI 358255 (250 gr.), Old West 360270, Eagan MX2-35

One of my best 100 yard loads, one that shootsinto 1/2”, is the Hoch bullet loaded with 36 grains ofAA2495 for a velocity of 1773 f.p.s. However, this loadopens up to 6” at 200 yards. This bullet will shoot under1” at 100 yards with H322, AA2015, RL-7, Benchmark,Varget or 4064.I haven’t worked with Eagan’s MX2-35 250 gr.very much yet, but so far it shoots into 1-1/4” at 100yards. The NEI 250-grain bullet loaded with 38 grains ofAA2495 will shoot to 2045 f.p.s., gives 1-1/8” groups at100 yards and holds up well at 200 yards. The 280-grainNEI bullet grouped around 1” at 100 yards with 40 grainsof 4064 at 2030 f.p.s. and did not do too well at 200 yardsuntil I modified it.

I figured the bullet’s longbore-ride nose needed to be alittle larger, so I carefullylapped out the cavity until Ibrought the as-cast size up to.354”. However, at this size,the bullet was pushed welldown into the case whenchambered.I had purchased a.360”x1° throating reamer,intending to throat the rifle andmake a matching bump die. Idecided to make the bump dieand use it to taper-size thenose on this NEI 280-grainbullet, leaving the throat as-is.I adjusted the bump dieto taper-size the nose from.354” to .351”. The base of the bullet now seats part waydown the case neck. The bullet shoots much better. Mybest group at 100 yards is .374” and at 200 yards, 1.6”.I have used both straight linotype and 1/2 lino 1/2wheel weights, with no difference detected. Wagner’s J2lube has been used and leading has not been a problem.This has been a fun cast bullet rifle but a realcannon compared to my .30 BRs. After firing a shot, alook through the scope will find the rifle pointing at thenext target to my right!I’d like to try another barrel with a little faster twistto see if I can get better accuracy at 200 yards. I’d alsolike to try a 280-grain pointed bullet for the long targets.If I don’t wear it out, I’ll be shooting it at the 2002CBA National Tournament in Kansas City. See you there!•

]]>Wed, 31 Oct 2018 11:18:15 GMThttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2018/10/150/the-.35-remington-as-a-bench-cartridgeThe Medium Bores are Best for Cast Bullet Buck Bustinghttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2018/10/149/the-medium-bores-are-best-for-cast-bullet-buck-busting (Editor’s Note; The following originally appeared in The Fouling Shot #23, December 1979. and was written by Frank Marshall)The ability of medium bore bullets of 200 grains and more to penetrate hea....
(Editor’s Note; The following originally appeared in The Fouling Shot #23, December 1979. and was written by Frank Marshall)

The ability of medium bore bullets of 200 grains and more to penetrate heavy brush without deflecting have greatly influenced the thinking of hunters who have used such cartridges under severe conditions. If there is no snow to aid tracking, a buck that doesn’t fall within sight in brushy country is a lost animal. Several friends have tracked bucks solidly hit with 150-grain or 180-grain .308 Win. or .30-’06 loads, only to find a gut pile and drag marks leading to somebody else’s pickup, and now use .35 caliber rifles.

In my opinion, rifles under .30 caliber having velocities over 2400 f.p.s. are good for only one game in the Easterner’s total gunnery spectrum: varmints. The high velocity, light bullet is out of place for most hunting east of the Great Plains. Your .270 Win. or .25-’06 is a fine mule deer or antelope rifle in the open country of Wyoming or Montana, but is a poor choice for typical deer woods in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or Michigan. The best cartridge for deer hunting in close cover is probably the .35 Remington with a 200-grain bullet. Such a rifle beats a .30-30 or-.30-’06 hands down.

One could argue convincingly on the merits of the .30-’06, but the truth is that the 180-grain bullets in that caliber, and the similar 308 Win. are intended for bigger game. The 150-grain loads are best suited for open country. When used at short ranges they ruin too much meat and are not good brush buckers. The best .30 caliber woods load is probably the .300 Savage with its 180-grain bullet at 2300 f.p.s.

Of all the popular American hunting rifle cartridges made, you can count on one hand the number of good woods cartridges. The firearms industry has sold hunters bill of goods on the utility of high-velocity, meat grinding varmint rifles for deer. The real woods cartridges are looked on today as poor cousins to the elite, “whiz-bang” cartridges. This idiocy is widespread. One survey published in the American Rifleman several years ago counted as many 7mm Magnum rifles among several hundred eastern deer hunters as .35 Remingtons! The most popular rifles were .30-’06s with the .30-30 coming in a strong second. The .30-30 with 170-grain bullet isn’t a terrible rifle for woods hunting, but is not as sure a killer as the .35 Rem. or .38-55.



Of the rounds available today, the .35 Rem. and .358 Win. are top choices. The most promising offering for the woods hunter is the new .375 Win. It is a modern, high pressure cartridge which takes up where the .38-55 left off, having a fast 12” twist and higher velocity of 2200 f.p.s. with 200-grain bullets and 1900 f.p.s. with 250 grain bullets. Because of its 16” twist, the .38-55 was never a good brush bucker, though its big bullet killed well and left a good blood trail. The .375 Win. will prove better than the .38-55 ever was, since it gives much more power with excellent bullet stability, well-designed bullets and moderate recoil.

The .444 Marlin could have filled the role now taken by the .375 Win., but as factory loaded it is a poor brush gun. It uses the same 240-grain bullet used in the .44 Mag. revolver cartridge, and when loaded to rifle velocities, penetration is poor, and brush bucking non-existent. The rifling twist of the .44 is too slow to use a bullet heavy enough to do any good. The cast bullet shooter is left in the cold, since the Micro-Groove barrels give good results only with light loads. A few exceptions pop up occasionally, as Andy Barniskis noted in Fouling Shot 21, but poor cast load performance above 1400 f.p.s. in Marlin rifles has been true in my experience.

I have heard of a custom .444 Marlin built on a Remington 788 action with 14” twist, cut-rifled barrel with deep grooves, assembled by an Arizona gun maker. Ed Harris tells me the owner is quite pleased with it, and that with 350-grain cast bullets it gives ballistics very much like the old .405 Winchester. If Marlin had gone this route originally, the .375-Win. would have never

reled for the .444. Richard Hoch could supply a suitable mold. At 1800 f.p.s., a cast bullet of this size would be hard to beat for any American game at ranges up to about 150 yards. My choice for such a bullet would be much like the blunt-nosed Lyman #311440, but scaled up to .430” diameter. We could always hope Remington or Marlin would bring out a fast-twist .444, but that seems unlikely. Remington got stung on the .44 Mag. Model 788, which never sold well, and Marlin already has plans to bring out a rifle for the .375 Win.

I can hear the handgun advocates saying, why not use the .44 Magnum in the rifle? It has the same problems the .444 did. Existing bullets in .44 caliber are designed for 1300-1500 f.p.s. handgun velocities, and they won’t penetrate and hold together at 1800 f.p.s. in a rifle. Even hard-cast Keith bullets in .357 and .44 Mag., in normal handgun loads, shed their noses and fracture when fired from rifle-length barrels.

The fact the .45-70 still survives today is testimony to the fact that plenty of us are running the ridges who do not swallow the sweet syrup of Madison Ave. on high velocity bullets. As the old prophets expounded: “You don’t know if you haven’t been to the mountain and seen!” The medium and the big bores work. The fringe benefit for cast bullet shooters is that they will do it just as well with lead loads, too! A moderately soft, heavy bullet of wheel weights with some tin added at around 1800 f.p.s. is just about ideal for woods hunting.

The .35 cal. makes the most sense because of the possibilities in rifles and bullets. The .358 Win. is the closest U.S. equivalent to the fine old 9x57 Mauser or 9mm Mannlicher cartridges. The 250-grain load at around 2200 f.p.s. is about ideal (the 200-grain bullet is not, unless loaded down to .35 Rem. levels).





The .35 Whelen is an old, but good cartridge which doesn’t need full loads to fill the woods role gotten off the ground. It would be easy to take a .30-30 Remington 788 or .30-40 Ruger No. 3 and have it rebarreled. It also has fine potential for heavy game. A 300-grain cast .35 Whelen load at around 2000 f.p.s. would be strong medicine for elk, moose or bear. The .35 Rem. would also hold real promise in a rifle with a 12” twist, like the Savage 170 pump, which could give results comparable to the .375 Win. with 250-grain cast bullets.



The ideal load requirements of a heavy bullet at moderate velocity are easily met with and perfectly suited for the cast bullet. Soft alloys give good hunting accuracy with fine expansion in game. The economic factors are clear, since common scrap alloys like wheel weights can be used with complete success, and the moderately powered cast loads are frugal in their expenditure of powder. My Scot’s blood boils at the thought of using 10cent jacketed bullets and $8/lb. powder for hunting loads when a home-cast wheel weight bullet with modest powder charge will kill table meat just as surely with less money and a lot more personal satisfaction.

There are few domestic cartridges suited for medium-bore, cast bullet hunting loads, but this simplifies the process of seeking the ideal cast bullet hunting load for your particular needs. Many years ago, A.C. Gould said in Shooting & Fishing, “Sixty-five yards is an average shot in American big game hunting.” After a half a century of wandering and wondering in the woods, I would conclude he was correct. About 90% of the shots I have taken at big game were in that category, and in much of that hunting I used cast loads. Never did I feel handicapped using them; often the proper cast load was the key to my success.

The finest medium-bore, domestic rifle and cartridge which I’ve used extensively was a pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 featherweight in .358 Win. This .358 Win. had shallow .004” depth grooves, 12” twist and standard factory chamber with abrupt forcing cone, which allowed good performance only up to about 1800 f.p.s. with my usual hunting alloy. Using the Lyman #3589 282-grain blunt-nosed gascheck bullet cast of wheel weights with 2% tin added, I got about 1800 f.p.s. with 48 grains of old surplus H4831. I used a 3X Weaver scope for load testing, and open sights for hunting. This heavy bullet load left no unburned powder, but there was considerable fouling, which required barrel brushing to maintain accuracy during a long day’s plinkenfest. For maximum accuracy, I’d brush every 10 shots and this light rifle would stay in 2 m.o.a. all day; not bad for such an outfit.

I tried most of the available swaged and cast handgun bullets from 150 grains up through the normal 200280 grain rifle weights, and had no problems finding reasonably accurate loads. The trick is keeping the velocity to a suitable level for the bullet. The 12” twist proved to be very flexible in this respect. The handgun bullets seemed to shoot best with light loads below 1500 f.p.s., whereas the heavier rifle bullets shot better when driven above 1500 f.p.s. and up to about 1800 f.p.s. Since my rifle had a .3585” groove diameter, I sized my cast bullets .359”.



As fine as the #3589 Lyman bullet was, it is not as nice as Ed Harris’ 290-grain Hoch #359272 he designed for the .35 Whelen. This is a super .35 bullet. Ed designed this bullet, and the somewhat lighter #359255 of the same nose shape, with a full .353” nose riding diameter to be a snug fit in the typical .35 rifle barrel (which runs .352 bore more often than the .350” minimum seen on the SAAMI drawings). Both are nose-pour configuration with a 2-caliber tangent ogive, .16” flat point and broad bands with two large grease grooves and gascheck base. The only difference between the bullets is that the bands and grooves on the #359255 are .080” wide, instead of .10”, shortening the bullet by .10” and 20-grains, permitting its use in cartridges with shorter necks like the .358 Win.

Lyman bullets, the 210-grain #358315 for the .35 Rem., and 245-grain #358318 for the .35 Win., do not come from the mold with large enough noses to fit the minimum .350” bore, not to mention the usual .351-.352” one. With these bullets and the intermediate 235-grain Lyman #35897, I have gotten great improvement by bumping the noses to create a partial bore-riding condition. This shortens the bullet considerably and helps stability in slow twists. I have used this technique successfully in a .35 Rem. Marlin, 9x57 Mauser, and a .350 British (.303 necked to .35), all having 16” twists.

The Marlin responded favorably to bumping the nose on the 210-grain #358315 up to .354” to fit the Micro-Groove barrel. I also reshaped it to a flat nose at the same time for its tubular magazine. With soft alloy such as wheel weights, this doesn’t take much effort, provided you bump the bullets soon after casting, before they have time to age harden. The .35 Rem. flat nosed wheel weight bullet mushrooms well at 1750 f.p.s. with 35 grains of IMR-4064. In my .350 British, I have had good results on game with some RCBS 35-200 FN bullets Ed Harris cast from his hunting alloy of 50-50 linotype and pure lead. I think I could improve the performance of my .35 Marlin by using these flat nosed bullets, at about 1900 f.p.s.

Nothing in .35 cal., however, can match the effectiveness of the heavy bullets. The ideal would be to take a round like the .358 Win. or the 9x57 with a slightly longer neck and less body taper, tailoring it to hold a heavy 290-grain bullet like Ed’s Hoch design, seated to the base of the neck. This would feed reliably in a standard .308 length action and provide about 1800-1900 f.p.s. It should be the ideal American woods cartridge and a fine cast bullet round to boot.








]]>Sat, 27 Oct 2018 03:42:45 GMThttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2018/10/149/the-medium-bores-are-best-for-cast-bullet-buck-bustingSome Data Regarding Barrel Bores and Handloading Cast Bulletshttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2018/10/146/some-data-regarding-barrel-bores-and-handloading-cast--bullets Some Data Regarding Barrel Bores & Handloading Cast Bullets by Karl Bosselman Slug that bore!It’s hard to over emphasize the importance of knowing the exact rifling groove diameter of your barre....


Some Data Regarding Barrel Bores & Handloading Cast Bullets by Karl Bosselman

Slug that bore!

It’s hard to over emphasize the importance of knowing the exact rifling groove diameter of your barrel. Obtaining this measurement, usually done by slugging will provide an excellent opportunity to also check rifling twist and to make certain it is what you need for your intentions. First and foremost, a firearm to be used at all seriously must be reliable. Second in importance, it must be accurate... with different ammunition shooting differently in different rifles, tailored-to-the-rifle handloads are necessary to achieving topmost performance.

As is to be expected, ever since the beginning of firearms manufacturemany centuries ago, production tolerances have varied from specifications. Barrels vary; revolver chamber throats,cylinders, and chamber locations vary; barrel chamber throats and forcing conesvary; bullets vary ... everything varies since each firearm is a distinctindividual - this due to wearing of tooling, due to general workmen sloppiness due to poor quality controls, sometimesdue to varying product specification approaches by individual craftsmen and bymanufacturers, et al. It takesconcentrated work to obtain and retain consistently fine accuracy, more soaccuracy to the topmost levels so dedicated riflemen and pistoleros havecomplicated tasks ahead of them. In theend the last resort can prove to be the best one in the first place asadvocated by those most knowledgeable - a custom, finest quality barrel orderedto precise specifications and installed by an established custom gunsmith whoalso performs the other necessary work.

Here’s an example. In a quick check of five .458 Win. Magnum chambered factory-produced rifles barrel groove diameters ran from .4586” to .4601”; a random check of eight different jacketed and solid bullets of assorted manufacturers run .4574” to .4589” so these figures mean that specifically chosen bullets must go to specific rifles for better accuracy results - it isn’t a situation of grab, load, and hunt.

Regarding cast lead/lead alloy bullets, generally speaking best accuracy levels are accomplished with custom moulds producing bullets designed for the specific rifle’s chamber and throat and the rifling groove diameter although, regarding the latter, some firearms demand an approximate variance of +.001” or more to achieve finest results. Knowledge, time-consuming methodical experimentation and trial-and-error testing are required for discoveries and top performance.

Revolvers not only require bore slugging (check for bore constriction at barrel breech from torquing into frame), but also precise measuring of all chamber throats which tend to vary but which ideally should be of the same diameter or slightly larger than the barrel rifling grooves. Throats must not be undersize as this is certainly detrimental to top

accuracy especially as the bullets might not upset enough upon firing to fill the grooves for decent accuracy. Revolver barrel forcing cones must also be concentric and smooth.

As readers of this magazine realize cast bullets can produce absolutely superb results, either accuracy at the competition range or regarding terminal ballistics in the hunting fields. Custom moulds designed to the specific firearm, its bore and chamber(s) are of course, the ideal approach. But extreme care must be taken in their manufacture down to the maker’s knowing the exact alloy(s) that will be used. Not only do casting techniques between individuals vary, and bullet diameters change with some alloys when projectiles are stored even under ideal conditions but numerous other factors must be considered. From the current Redding Reloading Equipment 2002 Product Catalog, Page 39, here’s some valuable information:

Bullet Sizes & Weights & How to Vary Them

“The bullet diameters and weights presented in this list are based on the use of Taracorp’s Lawrence Magnum bullet alloy (2% tin, 6% antimony, 1/4% arsenic, 91.75% lead).

“Bullet diameters and weights will vary considerably depending on the lead casting alloy used. This variation can be as much as 1/2% on the diameter, and 8% on the weight among the most commonly used casting alloys. For example, a .358-158 grain bullet might show a diameter variation of .002”, and a 13 grain difference in weight.

“Of the most commonly used alloys, wheel weights (.5% tin, 3% antimony, 96% lead) will produce bullets having the smallest diameter and heaviest weight, with such bullets running approximately .3% smaller in diameter and 3% heavier than bullets cast with Taracorp’s metal. Linotype will produce bullets with the largest diameter and lightest weights. This alloy will produce bullets approximately 1/10% larger and 3% lighter than Taracorp. Other alloys of tin and antimony, with antimony content above 5%, will produce bullets with diameters and weights falling between those cast from wheel weights and linotype.

“Alloys containing little or no antimony will cast considerably smaller than wheel weights and in some cases will produce bullets too small for adequate sizing. Within the limitations given above, the weight and diameter of a cast bullet can be adjusted by varying the alloy’s antimony content.

“The size and weight of bullets of a given alloy will also vary according to casting temperature. Higher temperatures will result in greater shrinkage as the bullet cools, thereby producing a slightly smaller and lighter bullet than one cast of the same alloy at a lower temperature.”

Accurate and effective use of cast bullets is a far more complex and exacting endeavor than is accurate jacketed, solid, and homogeneous solid bullets use. Casting of quality bullets is the toughest part of the normal handloading endeavor - with little difference it takes about the same amount of time to cast a bad bullet as it does to produce a fine one. Cast bullets most often demand more overall detailed loads engineering and development over jacketed since more variables exist upon which top levels of achievement of consistent accuracy and of consistent terminal ballistic performance levels exist.

Interestingly, rifles produced in the latter third of the 19th Century possessed some very significant barrel groove diameter variations commonly differing .004” and more in most given calibers including - .38-56 W.C.F., .40-60 W.C.F., .40-65 W.C.F., .40-70 Sharps Straight, and a host of others. For example, Connor Duncan, in the Nov./Dec. 1999 issue of Single Shot Rifle Journal states in his column, “Classic Cartridges”, that varying “...groove diameters for the .45-120 SS (Sharps Straight) are as small as .451” or as large as .461”...”

With currently-produced barrels “...fairly consistent .458” groovediameter especially if they’re made in the U.S.” But it’s wise to note that alot of these vintage barrels would/will produce acceptable accuracy if bulletswere cast quite soft so they would upset to

closely fill the grooves upon combustion of the black powder. However, when smokeless powder/jacketed bullet loads were issued at the end of that century, coupled with those varying bore diameters accuracy predictably went down the tubes. Personally the most extreme variation I’ve experienced has been with the .38-55 Ballard target cartridge issued in 1884 (subsequently adopted by Marlin then Winchester; in modern times called the .38-55

Winchester), which I’ve repeatedly slugged in vintage to modern firearms runs from .3752” to .3821” - a disparity of .0069”. I have some Winchester ammunition Lot #80HM41, with seated bullets averaging .3763”. Olinproduced Model 1894 Winchester Commemorative barrels in this caliber often have groove diameters exceeding these bullets by well over .0035”).

What are the usual causes of bore leading and inaccuracy?

- Bullet diameter incorrect for barrel groove diameter.

-Velocity too high for the chosen alloy (alloy too soft). Bullet hardness that is correct for your pursuit is absolutely critical to top accuracy and top terminal ballistics.

-Poorly dimensioned, or nonexistent or not concentric chamber throat or forcing cone.

-Poor quality lubricant or inappropriate lubricant for the velocity(ies) or the propellant. (There is NO allpurpose lubricant; formulated lubes exist for black powder and for smokeless powders and for velocity ranges regarding the latter. Investigate well).

-Poor barrel bore: tooling marks (especially lateral), erosion, pitting corrosion, rusted, and/or dimensionally inconsistent.

- Bullet design incorrect: too light (too short) or too heavy (too long) for the rifling pitch and type; front drive band too narrow and/or other drive bands too wide; poorly dimensioned grease grooves; nose diameter too small and/or too short for barrel throat; ogive not streamlined enough for long-distance shooting.

For those who realize the extreme importance of accurate bullet placement, the approach must be from that of absolute specifics. Every existing relevant factor to accuracy and of course, terminal ballistics excellence for hunting-category arms, requires a specific reason for its presence.

Here follow some basic essentials for fine accuracy and superb in-field performance:

1.Carefully investigate then methodically select the precise bullet style(s) and type(s) for your exact purpose(s) planned.

2.Select the appropriate preferably exact, alloy(s) for your activity(ies) and its/their behavior upon impact - if hunting game; study the properties. Some will harden with age but others will soften. There are the few that will remain quite stable as to Brinnel hardness.

If you have cast bullets that have been stored for months or even many years, especially if they’re secondhand, measure their hardness and their diameters before loading them.













Double-cavity mould blocks of 2024-T-351 aluminum by LBT (Lead Bullets Technology) producing

445-grain Wide Flat Nose gas check bullets tailored to a .458 Win. Mag. chambered rifle. Accuracy

results of this heavy bore hunting rifle are impressive, hovering around the 3/4” category and less, center-to-center for 6 rounds at 100 yards under

ideal benchrest conditions. Custom moulds provide crucial exacting fit to the specific firearm for finest accuracy potentials.





Use a consistent alloy(s) from the same source if feasible to try to ensure the same composition batch-to-batch. The best approach is to melt a large amount of quality alloy at the same time, flux to mix well then pour into ingot moulds. The more suppliers or sources involved the more variance is to be expected. Linotype metal as an example, tends to vary substantially in composition. Count upon variances between virgin alloys and reclaimed metal especially if the latter has an unknown use history or source. Variations in alloy will create bullet weight and hardness differences, thus accuracy deviation.3.Maintain an ideal temperature for the alloy

used - LBT suggests about 750° (F) - and consistent pot, metal, and mould temperatures.

When casting large quantities of bullets, especially large bore heavyweights, it’s best to use a secondary melting pot for fluxing and for supplying liquid metal to the bottom-pour primary pot. This to ensure a good constant supply of heated metal so your rhythm is only minimally broken.










4. For top results a knowledgeable, proficient craftsman must do the casting. This ensures a proper, regular and consistent rhythm via a proven and accomplished technique. Longer-length casting sessions are best; shorter sessions can easily alter the workflow thus consistency in bullet quality occurs.

Different people cast differently. This variation is reflected in bullet quality, and sometimes in bullet weight and hardness depending upon the technique used, this despite the same equipment and alloy. The obvious results are variations in accuracy.

And count upon bullet quality varying if you cast one day when you feel good and another day when you feel badly: those batches will without doubt vary and pistons are usually cut to a slight concave radius which is utilized to keep lubricant off the bullet bases. However, I most always prefer mine cut to a flat surface. Some manufacturing mistakes occasionally release these pistons with mis-machined or poorly machined tops perhaps cut irregularly convexed, which is wrong. (Return these to the factory for correction or replacement).

As has proven to be the usual approach, I most always seat bullets, cast and jacketed, out to solid chamber throat contact. Over decades this has most always proven to be the best for my rifles and given the best accuracy.

Micro-groove-type rifling can often shoot cast bullets magnificently but the bores must be mirrorsmooth, dimensionally consistent and bullet selection ideal ... no bore-ride or narrow-nosed styles. With this type, having shallower grooves and more numerous lands, bullet distortion during bore travel is minimized.

With narrow-land rifling bullets with short noses and long shanks generally shoot best. Wide-land barrels tend to promote inaccuracy with cast bullets because this type generally increases bullet distortion and compromise accuracy.





Properly tapered chamber throating aligns (i.e. centers) the bullet in the boreat the beginning of its travel, thus is critical to achievingconsistently high levels of accuracy.At left are two pure lead slugs formed in the forward chamber/bore breechareas of two Browning Model 71 lever-action rifles - no tapered throat, simplyan abrupt step-down into the rifling. This is one of many cost-cutting manufacturingtechniques of traditional type lever guns that translate into poor levelsof accuracy. Third from left is a lead slug formed in the same region of afalling block Ruger in .458 Win. Magnum chambering. Note the well-taperedgradual leade from the chamber-into the bore. This is as it should be. (A fired.458 case is at right).

5. Cast your chamberor slug your throat to see thelatter’s diameter vs. that of thebarrel groove diameter. Toachieve top accuracy youmight have to use a bulletmore closely fitting the throatand which tends to be overlylarge for the grooves. Mostalways the best for cast bulletsis a long-tapered throat: themore abrupt and shorter themore inaccurate it’s inclined tobe.

6.The more bulletdiameter is reduced in size ina sizer-lubricator the more distortionis created, thus morecompromising of accuracy, soyour mould with your chosenalloy should perhaps only castabout .0015” maximum overrequired diameter but this isvery individualistic as to yourfirearm’s preferences.

After making certainmy lubrisizer has beenmachined on-axis I’ll minimizethe tendency to bullet distortionby cutting the sizer diebevel to a more tapered 60-degree angle.Incidentally sizer die pistons are usually cut to a slight concave radius whichis utilized to keep lubricant off the bullet bases. However,I most always prefer mine cut to a flat surface. Somemanufacturing mistakes occasionally release these pistonswith mis-machined or poorly machined tops perhapscut irregularly convexed, which is wrong. (Return theseto the factory for correction or replacement).


As has proven to be the usual approach, I mostalways seat bullets, cast and jacketed, out to solid chamberthroat contact. Over decades this has most alwaysproven to be the best for my rifles and given the bestaccuracy.

Micro-groove-type rifling can often shoot castbullets magnificently but the bores must be mirrorsmooth,dimensionally consistent and bullet selectionideal ... no bore-ride or narrow-nosed styles. With thistype, having shallower grooves and more numerouslands, bullet distortion during bore travel is minimized.

With narrow-land rifling bullets with short nosesand long shanks generally shoot best. Wide-land barrelstend to promote inaccuracy with cast bullets because thistype generally increases bullet distortion.

Remember the importance of consistencies - fromevery conceivable factor and at all times. Without it, all bullet performance suffers. Of course, impeccable tuningof rifles and exacting mechanics regarding cartridgesare a huge part of shooting successes; another is theeffect of fouling on your shot placements. Other ones ofmajor importance are accurate reading of the wind andaccurate gauging of distances, both of which can beextreme challenges indeed. •

]]>Sun, 21 Oct 2018 10:31:48 GMThttp://castbulletassoc.org/blog/article/2018/10/146/some-data-regarding-barrel-bores-and-handloading-cast--bullets