Shooting lead centrefire

[legs748]

I've been reloading for a couple of years, I've been shooting a couple of years more. I cast bullets for my .577. Due to health circumstances I have had a lot of time recently to muse over stuff and do a lot of reading. So to that end I'm thinking of starting to tool up and work up to shoot some cast bullets in my centrefires. It will mainly be for my mosin nagants, smle, and Mauser g98, partly to give the old girls more of a rest and to give myself another dimension to the hobby.

So convince me, is it worth doing? what do I need to consider in equipment and practices over and above loading jacketed? Pros and cons?

Sell it to me....

[Alpha1]

I think this has been done before try doing a search of the forum.

[snayperskaya]

I think this has been done before try doing a search of the forum.

FWIW pretty much everything has been done before, if everyone just did a search there wouldn't be much to discuss!.Have you taken Dromias job?

[ovenpaa]

I agree, yes it has been discussed before and yes it is worth talking about it again because new people join, different things are tried and lessons learned and it is always worth discussing. I only load .303, 30-30 and .357 in cast at present however I have an FN Mauser that I need to develop a load for plus a few more.

Well worth discussing in my opinion.

[dodgyrog]

The only problems with casting that I can see is that it is addictive and the initial outlay for GOOD equipment can be high.

[dromia]

There is absolutely nothing wrong in telling people to do a search, there is much on here on many subjects of good value that is worth searching for especially casting. Much has been posted by people who are no longer here so their views will not appear in a current discussion. Also doing a search and reading what has gone before can be very helpful if forming good questions for the current discussion.

I yet again I have been misrepresented here by members with whatever agenda, I always suggest a search on hoary old subjects for the above good reasons. What I have NEVER suggested is that a search be done as reason for not discussing it again. I have never said do a search and don't bother raising the topic again. To suggest that is a fabrication and disingenuous.

No one on this thread has said not to discuss it.

No one has said it has to be either or.

I despair with this place sometimes.

Instead of making things up and going off on malicious tangents why not spend the keyboard time giving some thought and advice to the OP.

[meles meles]

*Issues a formal invitation to Dromia to speak up and educate the masses on the subject of cast boolits*

Come on Dromia, don't play hard to get...

[mag41uk]

I use a bottom pour pot I have had for years. It holds about 20 pound of lead.
For the 30 cals I use a Lee group buy 6 cavity mould from castboolits forum from many years back.
Its a copy of the RCBS silhouette 165gn bullet.
Sized to 313 for my Enfield and 310 for my Schmidt-both gas checked.
Shoots very well to 400yds not tried them further- yet.
Use something like 2400 or even N140 works fine.
I have shot these in the 303 at 2100fps with no problem.
I use range lead with about 20% linotype added.
I use an RCBS lubrisizer but the Lee sizing kit is cheap and works.
You could buy a Lee pot, Lee mould and Lee sizing die which would be cheap.
Worth looking on eblag.
Just re read your post and see you already cast so you will only need a mould and sizing gear.
I think Dromia can supply gas checks.
Its worth checking out NOE molds.

[WelshShooter]

Well you're certainly shooting some good calibres for casting! I wish I had the time and money to learn how to cast for my Enfield and Mauser, but perhaps I will another day.

Dromia has made some good posts in the past regarding casting and what you cannot find here can be found on http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

I would suggest having a look into casting if you have the time and money to buy all the equipment. Perhaps ask around your local club if other members do this and ask if you could join them while they cast so that you can see all the ins and outs and if you could see yourself doing the hobby. If I were under the same circumstances as you are I would definitely look into doing it. From what I've seen you can get great results using a cast projectile from these milsurp rifles and you can also reduce the loads which makes it easier on your shoulder for shooting.

[bewildered]

I've been shooting lead through my 308 for several years and it is bloody good fun (and cheap and satisfying if you cast your own)!
I just use range lead as I'm too mean to buy linotype, I use a saucepan over a gas ring to melt the lead, a ladle and secondhand RCBS mould to cast the bullets and a Lee sizing/lubing die which also seats the gas check.