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Post by juliang on Mar 7, 2009 7:35:02 GMT -6
I am 100% ignorant on this subject and have never before considered them. Since digging into 45/70 info and seeing the bullets that Don loaded for Sam, I am getting intrigued. I would certainly appreciate any info. Gas checks, different shapes, hardened etc...... a mystery that I would like to explore.
Thanks
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Post by bigblue on Mar 7, 2009 9:38:52 GMT -6
Are you interested in casting your own or loading cast bullets? One area of reloading I've never gotten involved with is casting my own bullets. I hope to start once I'm retired and have more time to devote to it. I usually buy cast bullets with gas checks. The gas checks prevent damage to the back of the bullet from burning powder and also help prevent barrel leading. Cast bullets may be pure lead, but more often are an alloy of lead, tin and antimony mixed during the melting process and varied according to your desired bullet hardness which is measured on the Brinnel scale. The softer the bullet the more expansion and also more barrel leading. The velocity of the bullet is also restricted depending on whether or not it has a gas check and also how hard the alloy is. The harder it is the more velocity you can achieve with less chance of leading. For that reason they seem to work best in larger bore guns that operate at lower velocities, although there are people that love them loaded down in their .243s and other normally high velocity rifle cartridges. Usually when you use cast bullets, you use bullets that are larger than their corresponding jacketed bullet in order for the bullet to get a firm grip on the rifling. For instance if you are loading for a 45/70, you could buy bullets that are .458"-.460" depending on what your rifle shoots the best. The bullets are usually available in a wider range of weights than jacketed bullets. I've used them in .357 mag., .44 mag., .45 Colt, .444 Marlin and 45/70 all with good results. Here are a few links that should provide better information on them than I'm able to do. Don One of the best books on the subject is Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook Third Edition available through midway at: www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=796528castboolits.gunloads.com/www.beartoothbullets.com/index.htm Be sure to read their articles in the Tech Notes and Open Sight. shakeypete.blogspot.com/2005/06/cast-bullets-primer.html |
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Post by juliang on Mar 9, 2009 7:27:29 GMT -6
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Post by bubbawitha4570 on Mar 11, 2009 15:39:44 GMT -6
I wold definitely recommend the second link that BB put up in his reply. There is more information there for anything cast to shoot than can be found elsewhere in one place.
I've gleaned more help at castboolits.com than I could hope to ever find elsewhere.
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