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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Cast Bullets

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tophet1
.400 member


Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets
      #180004 - 26/04/11 03:59 PM

Well I too am new to casting lead projectiles. This project was to try and reduce the cost of any future large volume shooting of my 7x57 and to try something 'different' when hunting.

I purchased a lot of casting equipment for my .416 Rigby and 7x57 a few months ago but never got around to doing any load development. (I also have on order a twin cavity 9.3 mould. Both cavitys gas checked and one cavity a hollow point).

The 7mm twin cavity mould is a RCBS 7MM - 168 - SP. With #2 alloy it throws projectiles of an average 174 grains. AFRO borrowed my mould and cast approx 247 bullets before discovering that the chamber in his Vaquero project was too short for this design. My 7x57 with its euro spec Lothar Walther barrel has a long throat and these bullets fit perfectly.

First load was the ADI start load of 35 grains of 2209 for a stated 2,000 fps. This went under a 0.5 grain pure wool wad and the GC bullet. Accuracy was 2" at 50 paces in a nice triangle. Load development will continue tomorrow.



From L to R.

Raw cast bullet, Sized and lubed (with my own home made lube), Bell'd case and loaded round.



Packet of pure wool wads, case, single wad and raw bullet for scale.



Edited by CptCurl (09/05/11 08:35 PM)


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450_Ackley
.375 member


Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 583
Loc: Darling Downs, Qld Australia
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: tophet1]
      #180008 - 26/04/11 04:59 PM

Geez John, we'll have to get that "Boolits" out of you!
You've now given me another job, I went to look for some of the 140 grain cast BULLETS I've got from a custom Mountain Mould, and I can't find any, I wanted to post a photo of them.
I'll have to make a few over the next few weekends.

I had problems in my 7x57 with the earlier version of your mould, I think it was 28-168-FN, not the SP version, it wouldn't stabilise, and my 7x57 is a 1~8 twist.
I've got a few unlubed, unsized ones left over, you are welcome to them if you want them to try?
I'll send you a few of the 140's as well if you like.

Good to see you've now got "lead in your veins"

David.


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tophet1
.400 member


Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: 450_Ackley]
      #180011 - 26/04/11 06:00 PM

Thx for the offer Dave. I'll PM my postal address for those FN designs.

Case capacity was only around 65% with 2209 (guestimate) hence the wads which then filled the case.

I bought the wads for the .416 Rigby as I just 'got the feeling' that the reduced loads gave erratic ignition. I will write up the .416 Rigby results when I get time to do more range testing.


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FATBOY404
.400 member


Reged: 14/11/09
Posts: 1730
Loc: QLD
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: tophet1]
      #180022 - 26/04/11 08:03 PM

Tophet1,if they don't work as you hoped you can use them as a lead pencil as they are long enough.

They should penetrate into next week.

--------------------
"WHATEVER BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK"


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DarylSModerator
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27006
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: FATBOY404]
      #180044 - 27/04/11 01:45 AM

Long nose bullets usualy work best if very snug in the lands - ie: nose engraving slightly in the lands (.0005" oversize)?

Sized .001" to .003" over groove diameter?

Measure throat/leade/freebore diameter to properly fit the bullet to the throat.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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VonGruff
.400 member


Reged: 08/02/09
Posts: 1119
Loc: South Otago, New Zealand.
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: DarylS]
      #180050 - 27/04/11 03:40 AM

With the cast in 7x57 you have entered the area of my adiction.
My rifle has a 1 in 9 barrel and the boolit casts at about 160gn depending on alloy used I cast from my Lyman mould in 50/50 ww/Pb with 11.5gn Red Dot for 1500fps and volume plinking
For mid range shooting at 1900fps I use 47/33/20 ww/Pb/lino with 17gn Blue Dot. This would take game if desired.Both loads are GC with my home made Al GC. No filler wads are used with these powders as they are not position sensative. Then for hunting practive I use a straight lino boolit over 39gn 2209 for 2415fps but for hunting I use a softnosed boolit with a 65gn 50/50 nose on a lino shank that prints to the same poi as the full lino practice load and I use a wool wad for best accuracy of 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 in at 100 yds and a hunting range of 250yds.Have taken goat to 185yds so far with drop to the shot effectiveness.



This is the type of expansion I get with the softnosed boolit and 100% weight retention





Von Gruff.

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12

Edited by CptCurl (09/05/11 08:36 PM)


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FATBOY404
.400 member


Reged: 14/11/09
Posts: 1730
Loc: QLD
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: VonGruff]
      #180060 - 27/04/11 06:20 AM

That looks good Von Gruff.
Nice to see the rifling on the gas check. I would be more than happy with that expansion.

Thanks for the photo's and info.

--------------------
"WHATEVER BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK"


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450_Ackley
.375 member


Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 583
Loc: Darling Downs, Qld Australia
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: FATBOY404]
      #180062 - 27/04/11 06:46 AM

Von Gruff,
Very nice indeed, nice shaped bullet that Lyman one.
Is your lube a red coloured one, just wondering what the red colour is in the lube groove on the recovered one?

DC


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tophet1
.400 member


Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: 450_Ackley]
      #180075 - 27/04/11 08:41 AM

Von Gruff I have a Newb question if I may. No crimp needed on that round ? Is it because of the lino being so hard ?

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VonGruff
.400 member


Reged: 08/02/09
Posts: 1119
Loc: South Otago, New Zealand.
Re: Cast 7x57 (Boolits) Bullets [Re: tophet1]
      #180106 - 27/04/11 06:19 PM

I dont crimp on these loads as there is no benefit. I have tried crimp and no crimp and it makes no difference as far as hunting accuracy. As said above I use various alloys and like to have as little as 1 thou grip, but having said that I have the bore riding portion of the boolit at .0005 larger than bore, so size down enough of the nose by .0005 so that when the cartridge is seated in the chamber there is the start of bore engagement to enhance accuracy. With the final part of bolt turn down I can just feel the egagement and if I eject the cartridge there is just a mm or 2 of engagement mark on the transition between the sized part of the nose and the unsized part.

My lube is red because I throw a couple of builders crayons in the pot when I do a melt and make the lube sticks.

Von Gruff.

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12

Edited by VonGruff (27/04/11 06:22 PM)


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