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shakyoffhand posted this 17 June 2013

HELLO,I HOPE TO GATHER ENOUGH INFO ON THIS SIGHT TO USE CAST BULLETS FOR SERVICE RIFLE COMP.(100 YD REDUCED COURSE)HOPE TO USE MY GARAND.

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Webley posted this 18 June 2013

Welcome! I consider myself a novice here. Listen and learn is my motto.

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onondaga posted this 19 June 2013

Welcome http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7596>shakyoffhand

There is a number of very experienced Garand/cast shooters here.

Bullet size is most important and first. The largest that will chamber and contact your chamber throat will usually be the best size. This may be .310” or larger. Next is a charge that is the lowest that will reliably operate your action with your cast bullets. Really work on those basics and a 1-2 moa accuracy is not impossible.

A chamber casting or throat slugging is the very best place to start with a Garand before getting a bullet casting mold and bullet sizing die. The inexpensive Lee 2 cavity C312-185-1R for the .303 Brit is usually a great start as it can be sized to any practical size for a Garand and is a nice heavy bullet to operate the action. out of stock right now, but this is it:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/562844/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c312-185-1r-303-british-312-diameter-185-grain-1-ogive-radius-gas-check>http://www.midwayusa.com/product/562844/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c312-185-1r-303-british-312-diameter-185-grain-1-ogive-radius-gas-check

I size this bullet to .3105” for my 30-06 1903A3 and it is my best shooting bullet for the rifle. I know others love it in their semi-auto Garands.

Gary

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shakyoffhand posted this 19 June 2013

thank you so much for your response.I have a question for you that I have not seen discussed.How does the garand resond to heavy use of cast bullets? For instance one of our matches is 50 rounds plus 8 sighters.do you have any info on some things I could do to keep it working through prolonged firing.thanks in advance for your help SHAKYOFFHAND

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onondaga posted this 20 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7596>shakyoffhand

The shooters that have the best fitting bullet get through that just fine and their rifles are still clean and unleaded after a whole season of competition. Of course, no copper either!

Gary

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shakyoffhand posted this 20 June 2013

Thanks so much for the info!one more question,how does one fit a cast bullet sized .310 or.311 in a 30.06 case?what tools are required?thanks again for your wealth of info. SHAKYOFFHAND

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onondaga posted this 20 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7596>shakyoffhand:

Start with a chamber casting or a pure lead soft slug pounded into the throat of your rifle. Remove the slug or casting and measure the throat area on the slug or casting. The throat area is from where brass case would end if chambered and forward to the leade where the rifling taper starts.  This requires a high quality micrometer like a Starrett accurate to +- .0005", understand the decimals here, that is half of one thousandth of an inch accuracy needed to be valid for this measurement. You need an excellent tool and the skill to operate it well for this measurement.  These are available on EBAY starting about $30 used. This is the 0-1” Starrett model #436RL that I use:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STARRETT-0-1-Inch-MICROMETER-NO-436-W-BOX-PAPER-WORK-/300919455592?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4610327f68>http://www.ebay.com/itm/STARRETT-0-1-Inch-MICROMETER-NO-436-W-BOX-PAPER-WORK-/300919455592?pt=LHDefaultDomain0&hash=item4610327f68

This model has linear markings every thousandth of an inch and is accurate to one half of one thousandth of an inch. Digital electronic models don't approach this accuracy till about the $300 and up level, beware of specifications if you select a digital instead. This is a very critical measurement that you need.

Throats are generally parallel but some are tapering. If the throat measures .3110” and is parallel, use a .311 diameter bullet but if up to a .3115” will chamber, use that. Seat your bullets so that the ogive of the bullet contacts,or kisses the Leade of your rifling tapering into the barrel rifling or as long as your magazine permits.

If the throat is tapered, use the largest diameter bullet that will easily chamber with the LOA of your load set that the ogive of the bullet contacts the Leade of your rifling tapering into the barrel rifling or as long as your magazine permits.

Some shooters get best accuracy with LOA beyond just kissing the leade and up .020” engagement of the lead beyond first contact by the bullet. Your rifle will show you what it likes by how holes print on paper targets and experimentation.

If you have never done chamber casting, search videos on chamber casting on YouTube or Google .  A nice inexpensive and reusable chamber casting alloy with great instructions: http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/chamber_casting_alloy.htm>http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/chambercastingalloy.htm

Gary

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shakyoffhand posted this 20 June 2013

YES! GREAT INFO.HOWEVER IF I DETERMINE BY CASTING A .310 BULLET SIZE IS NEEDED HOW DO I EXPAND THE CASE MOUTH OF THE BRASS TO ACCEPT .310 BULLETS VS. .308?

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onondaga posted this 20 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7596>shakyoffhand

That is easy. Try the case sizing die you have and determine if your seated bullets are being swaged down in diameter by making a dummy round, Kinetic bullet puller remove the bullet and measure it to check that the diameter has not changed. If your bullet diameter has lessened, get a Lyman “M” die to use after brass sizing, it will expand your case necks and flare the case mouths for seating cast bullets into a larger neck, by about .002” for cast bullets.

Lyman “M” die for 30-06:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/129697/lyman-neck-expander-m-die-30-caliber-long>http://www.midwayusa.com/product/129697/lyman-neck-expander-m-die-30-caliber-long

This is an excellent tool for this job, but many shooters suffice with just case mouth chamfer/de-burr and then using a case mouth flare only tool like this universal expander from Lee before seating bullets:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/140461/lee-universal-neck-expanding-die>http://www.midwayusa.com/product/140461/lee-universal-neck-expanding-die

The choice between the two tools relies upon what seating bullets does to your bullet size. I have both tools that I use  for various 30 caliber rifles when loading cast bullets. The Lee tool usually works fine but some really need the Lyman “M"die for  additional expansion of necks.  For my bolt and break open rifles I use Lee Collet neck size dies and they are adjustable or use custom mandrel parts. Neck sizing is not for semi-autos like the Garand.

Some die manufactures also offer custom expander bells for their dies. An easy fix for cast in the 30-06 is to get a .303 Brit expander for your 30-06 FL sizing die if your bullets are that big.  The expander bell should be .001-.002” smaller than your cast  bullet size.

Gary

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shakyoffhand posted this 20 June 2013

Thanks a million! Im on my way.

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onondaga posted this 20 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7596>shakyoffhand

I'd say that top gun here on this subject is likely member ED HARRIS. If you have additional questions on the subject, they will get the most notice in the topics in this forum, http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_forum.php?id=78>General Discussion or http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_forum.php?id=52>Miltary Bench Rest Cast Bullet Shooting

You are also welcome to PM me.

Gary

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shakyoffhand posted this 21 June 2013

THANK YOU !

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onondaga posted this 21 June 2013

The Lee Universal Expander case mouth flaring  die is a versatile die  and I use it from .22 to 50 cal.

How to set it correctly for amount of flare is poorly understood. The least amount of flare that will allow bullet seating without shaving bullets or tipping bullets is a guideline, the bullet should be able to sit squarely on the case mouth and not be tippy.

Here is my basic setting method: Size, chamfer lightly inside and outside on the case mouth to remove sharp edge that might catch on the bullet. you only need to break the edge with a slight bevel. Don't sharpen your brass. Now measure the outside diameter of the case at the case mouth. My basic setting is to adjust the Lee Expander so that it flares the case mouth to only increase the case mouth outside diameter .004- .005". This  leaves little over working of the brass to possibly later split case mouths and is sufficient for seating bullets.

Most of my rifle loads do not require crimping and this slight flare will chamber fine too . On some loads I will use a Lee Factory Crimp Die adjusted to specifically return the case mouth flare to zero and not crimp, just to ease chambering. For heavy recoil loads that could set bullets back in a magazine and shorten LOA without a crimp, I use the FCD adjusted to apply a crimp for safety.

Gary

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shakyoffhand posted this 21 June 2013

Thanks for all of your help.

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helloag posted this 19 August 2014

still clean and unleaded http://www.hallowmascots.com/product/figs-boy-mascot-costume.html>Lego Man mascot Costume after a whole season of competition.

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