Bill
We tested the Laser Cast bullets, along with Al's, Flight Line, Penn,
Carroll, Proofmark, NSK (when we were casting), All American, Magnus,
Bull-X (remember them), National, Western Nevada (or whoever they
were or are), Kees, and Meister.
We also tested the Zero (swaged), Star (new and old; new lube and
black), and Precision Delta (swaged). And, we will report on them separately.
All the cast bullets tested between 1.5 and 2" at 50 yards out of a
barrel tester. And, interestingly enough, did about the same, in a
Ransom Rest, out of three known good guns (Giles, Sams, & Masaki).
The best powder charges were:
4.2 Titegroup (best groups)
4.0 BE (next best)
4.2 WST (tied with BE and Titegroup)
3.9 Clays
3.8 VVN310
4.2 VVN320
4.6 W231
4.2 AA#2
3.8 BA10
4.5 HP38
And a host of others!
OAL: base to shoulder .928" +/-.002"
Primers: CCI, Federal, WLP (WLP and CCI were more consistent)
Crimp: .469" -.002" (set with the tallest case we could find)
Cases: Starline
Now, the swaged bullets, that was a different story! Both the Zero
and the Precision Delta, remember we are only talking about the 200
gr bullet, so don't get confused or start talking about the 185, all
shot 1" or better at 50 yards, out of the barrel tester! This was
pretty convincing! The Stars varied from lot to lot, with some in
the 1" groups, and some were worse than the cast 2" bullets. Then
they all were gun tested, the results were also excellent, none
greater than 1.25" (at 50 yards).
There is absolutely no doubt, that Swaged bullets out shoot
Cast. None whatsoever. It is true that no two guns are exactly the
same, and that the ammo should be tailored to the gun for optimum
performance. Further, some guns may like a cast bullet over a
swaged, or vice versa. You will have to decide what works best for
you. Since this game is mostly mental, the edge is in your head!
But, for me, and most of the gunsmiths out there, it is purely
mechanical. That is, the machines show us how we can squeeze every
drop of accuracy out of a given gun and load. They tell us what
works, and what does not. It is very cut and dry; with some,
although not very often, surprises. After that, it is up to the
shooter to do their part.
Now, just to set the record straight, there is nothing special about
the Laser Cast bullets. They do, however, use 1% more antimony than
most other casters. Their bullets use #72 bullet alloy, and most
others use #62 bullet alloy. This is transparent to the shooter.
Regards,
Neil
NSK Co
410-833-2100 | Fax: 410-833-2101
mailto:
[email protected]
http://www.nsksales.com
