303 cast bullets

[Kipper]

9 hours ago, terryh said:

Concur, but the inference was no hard/hardened cast bullets - period 😉

That what I took away from the statement....

The die arrived Terry, wife found it in the bottom off the post box today. 

[Wentworth Sporting]

On the powder side, 2400 would work with the 303 and 44 mag.

I think, not 100% so please check, around the 12-14 gr mark used to be a fairly popular load for 303 lead bullets.

[Andrew]

Unique will also work. I've forgotten: Does  LOVEX make Accurate Arms's 5744? If so that is a certain winner once the bullet diameter is sorted. About 17 - 18.5  grains, NEVER a filler. I won many military rifle BR comps with that load adjusted a grain one way or the other depending on the cartridge I was using. I shot mostly Finns and Brits (they were ridiculously inexpensive in those days) and 18.5 grains with a 200 ish grain bullet, well fit to the gun and seated to kiss the lands, would often shoot as well as my eyes and skill would allow. I hope you get as much enjoyment chucking Pb from your Lee as I do my mine.~Andrew

[terryh]

Andrew,

Yes 5744 is available in U.K. under the Lovex brand, named DO60.

I have used it in 45-70 and 40-65 when I did not want for various reasons to use BP, worked very well.

[Andrew]

Good to hear.~Andrew

[dodgyrog]

On 9/9/2020 at 10:45 PM, Wentworth Sporting said:

On the powder side, 2400 would work with the 303 and 44 mag.

I think, not 100% so please check, around the 12-14 gr mark used to be a fairly popular load for 303 lead bullets.

My friend is using 18.5gr Viht 110 with a 200gr boolit (similar burning rate as 2400). I've been using 18gr of 2400 in my 30-06 and 8mm Mauser with heavy cast boolits.

[alpha1]

If you are contemplating using cast bullets in your .303 I would suggest you pm dodgyrog and purchase them from him. His bullets are the correct alloy(hardness ie: Lyman No2 not hard cast.) That will fill the grooves properly.

I cast my own bullets and I would not have hard cast bullets given even if they came for free. Actually that's not true I would melt them down and add soft lead to achieve a Lyman number 2 alloy. 

I have been shooting cast loads for more years than I care to remember you want an alloy that will fill the groves hard cast is not the way to go you need to get them from Rog or cast your own.

I have used dodgyrog,s bullets in all my cast bullet calibers, and never had any issues. But nowadays as I said I usually cast my own I use range lead gathered up from the Clubs backstop.

[alpha1]

I posted this on another forum I thought it might be of interest.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26109&p=296196&hilit=How+to+slug+your+bore#p296196

[Shuggy]

17 hours ago, Andrew said:

Unique will also work. I've forgotten: Does  LOVEX make Accurate Arms's 5744? If so that is a certain winner once the bullet diameter is sorted. About 17 - 18.5  grains, NEVER a filler. I won many military rifle BR comps with that load adjusted a grain one way or the other depending on the cartridge I was using. I shot mostly Finns and Brits (they were ridiculously inexpensive in those days) and 18.5 grains with a 200 ish grain bullet, well fit to the gun and seated to kiss the lands, would often shoot as well as my eyes and skill would allow. I hope you get as much enjoyment chucking Pb from your Lee as I do my mine.~Andrew

Hi Andrew, the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook lists a starting load of 20 grains of 5744 with a 200 grain bullet. How did you come to settle on 18.5 grains?

[BlueBoy69]

I'm a little confused alpha1, what Brinell hardness number (BHN) are you defining as 'hard cast'? Lyman No2 is pretty hard, around 16 BHN, though not as hard as the type metal alloys, such as monotype (23-29 BHN), linotype (19-23 BHN), etc..

Also, you state "you want an alloy that will fill the groves hard cast is not the way to go". The ability of an alloy to fill the grooves is down to the difference between the outer diameter of the projectile and that of the grooves diameter, along with the pressure applied to the projectile's rear. The latter pressure will elasticity deform the projectile if below its yield strength, and plastically deform it if above this level.

As far as I'm aware you generally pick correctly sized bullet that is cast from an alloy the is suitable for the pressure the load you are using will be applying. You don't just say, don't use 'X' alloy, you say use 'X' alloy suited to your loading pressure.

Sizing of the bullet is down to a multitude of parameters that have already been stated by Andrew. The most important of these I'm aware of are as follows: the firearm's chamber dimensions, more specifically the throat and lead; the barrel's bore and groove dimensions; for revolvers, the throat dimensions of it's cylinder.

[Kipper]

Jeso I thought this reloading cast would be easy lol..

 

Who os dodgyrog? Any affiliation to shellhouse ?.. I emailed them a week ago with zero response so they can manage without my purchases

[Kipper]

Good thread on slugging the bore..

 

With the range closures I haven't been able to pinch 2 balls off the black powder boys to use 

[Andrew]

On 9/13/2020 at 1:45 AM, Shuggy said:

Hi Andrew, the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook lists a starting load of 20 grains of 5744 with a 200 grain bullet. How did you come to settle on 18.5 grains?

Because I started shooting it before Lyman produced any data. In the Cast Bullet Association it was a well known load for cases from 303 to 30-06 and 7,62x54. I juggled the load a gain or so each way. In a 30-06 I was shooting 19.5 grains, a 30-40 Krag Jorgensen 18.5. Same for 308.~Andrew

[Shuggy]

Thank you. I always worry about the usual dire warnings of going below published minimum loads!

[Andrew]

3 hours ago, Shuggy said:

Thank you. I always worry about the usual dire warnings of going below published minimum loads!

THe HP White lab years ago did tests trying to cause the dreaded "detonation" that everyone fears. They has a hard time making it happen. Some powders, yes. The data will specifically tell you not to go below minimum. Most powders just give poor results. A buddy of mine accidentally loaded half charges of (I believe) H335 in his 17 Fireball and all he got was crap accuracy and sooty cases.

Am I the only one old enough to remember when loading data came with the advice to start 5% below minimum? Sure enough.~Andrew

[Shuggy]

No, I remember that 5% rule too! I am sure that your load is fine.

Whatever happens with low charge breech explosions, it is most unlikely to be a ‘detonation’ (shock front faster than the speed of sound in the material). It’s likely to be pressure spikes associated with burning front reflections and refractions.

Highly doped, fast burning double based propellants such as Bullseye or Viht N310 can be made to detonate, but will require a bit of special encouragement to do so (happy memories of an explosives engineer!).

[Andrew]

I hope so! I loaded and shot some last week! I have always believed the detonation issue is really "plugging" where the bullet is forced into the rifling and no further, sealing the bore . ~Andrew

[Kipper]

5 hours ago, saddler said:

Just as well; sounds a little harsh, even if they do fill the place up with excessive amounts of smoke

Smoke junkies looking down on us smokeless savages..