First time caster looking for vertan advise

[dan-g]

Hello everone this is my first attempt at casting and I figured i should just ask some vetran casters before I start this project.

My first casting project is a bullet that i havent found for sale comercialy and thats the 204 gr Lyman .358 I have the two cavity gas checked version. The gun is a t/c contender super 14 356 winchester.

I just purchase all my 357 cast boolits from friendswoods bullets, (the cost makes it economical to just buy them pre cast) so im used to reloading cast bullets but this one im going to have to cast myself.

Im going to start out slow with some aliant 2400 i have before I load up some n130 to break 2,ooofps. I have slugged the barrel at .3573. I was thinking of casting 50 boolits and then heading to the range with them and seeing how it goes with some softball 1400fps loads.

I also have a bunch of diffrent lubes; lyman ideal,alox, lee nra, rcbs green and red rooster. Im intrested in what composition to use for a plinking and also a hunting round with diffrent alloys of course. Any recomendations on my endgame mix?

For my alloys I have 22ibs wheel weights and 12ibs pure lead and 70ibs monotype. What ratio would be the best for a gas checked target round traveling at 2000-2200 fps and what ratio would be best for a hunting round traveling at 2200-2400 fps, using the materials that I have.

Also, for smelting I have a high output cast iron single burner LP or a LEE electric 20ib pot. If you have a recomendation for one of these over the other, I would like to hear it. I originaly bought the burner for smelting and the electric for casting. I have a RCBS lubersizer I bought for these and some redrooster lube.

Thats the extent of it. Your advise is greatly apreciated.

thanks

dan

 

[Frank46]

Not an expert but here goes. First off you have a baseline dimension from your bbl to work with. Normally the bullet should be about .002 over the groove diameter. So you should be looking at about .359. If you are going to try the softball loads first then just about any good bullet lube will do. Myself I use javelina. Now for the 2000 fps stuff. Here it can get difficult to get cast bullets up that high without leading. Lube selections do get more critical. Do you know what alloy your purchased cast bullets are cast from?. The harder alloys such as lynotype, monotype are usually used for the higher velocities. You could try a 50-50 mix of wheel weights and mono and gradually work up to your target velocity. If you have a chronograph it makes things easier as you go up the velocity ladder. Myself I get all the enjoyment out of shooting 210 grain bullets out of a finish moisin nagant model 27, and a 1903A3 in 30-06. Velocities with these bullets usually run about 1600fps or thereabouts. Hope what little I have posted has helped. Frank

 

[Missionary]

Good morning Dan-g
+1 on the above... Proper bullet fit is the #1 consideration. You must seal the the throat area or the gasses slipping past the bullet base are going to cause problems. In a 357 single shot if my throat area miked .357 I would want a .358 diameter cast bullet. I would not be upset to have a .359 diameter cast bullet if it still chambered. Get the gasses sealed behind the bullet and you are on your way to accurate lead bullet shooting. A gas check does help alot to protect the bullet base and keep leading from being a problem.
You might consider looking at the Castboolit site. It is all about castbullets from getting started to advanced experimentation. Lots of very helpful fellers.. some who already have your caliber well shot. Yep I am a member there so give it a try.
Mike in Peru

 

[Murphy2000]

dan-g,

Cast Boolits - Dedicated To The World Of Cast Bullets!

Everything you'll ever need to learn on how to cast your own. A great group willing to help you from melting your first alloy all the way to getting it out the barrel. Truly the best of the best!

Murphy2000

 

[dan-g]

thanks for the advise, im already a member on cast boolits but im getting lackluster responses and only two with this very same post.

i just searched the site a few times to find the info i needed because no one was really responding to my questions. i got the info but im unipressed with the lack of responses to my first post asking a question. I got much better responses hear.

thanks

dan