Switching to Cast Bullets for Target Loads

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DMW1116

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I just loaded up some wadcutter and round nose flat point bullets in 38 Special. Earlier I loaded some 135 grain cast bullets in 30-30 that I hope will shoot out to 200 yards. I’ve tried some cast bullets in 9mm and thought they shot really well.

Purely in a cost basis I’m thinking of purposely switching to cast loads for most of my shooting. They are nearly as accurate as my jacketed loads and in the 30-30 may be better than my jacketed loads. In my pistols I don’t give up much energy if any, though that’s definitely not the case in 30-30. Is there a downside I don’t know about to switching to cast assuming they all function well with no leading? My 223 and 308 will have to keep using jacketed bullets unless I can get bolt actions in each. I don’t want to run cast through my gas guns unless I have absolutely no choice.
 
I do not shoot any cast or lead bullets in rifles except 22LR but I do shoot lots of cast bullets in handguns.

Generally, I do not shoot full power loads in magnum revolvers so cast bullets are just peachy (yes, you can shoot full power cast bullet loads but I'm too lazy to properly size the bullets, get the correct alloy mix, and maybe use gas checks).

Wadcutters and semi-wadcutters are great to shoot in revolvers. I have wadcutter molds for 32, 38, 44 and 45 caliber. I also shoot lots of 230grain RN bullets in my 45 ACP 1911's.

When I do load full power loads, I tend to use jacketed bullets.But the last full power 357 Magnum ammunition that I loaded was 15-18 years ago.

I do have a mold for 22 caliber bullets that I bought to experiment in my 22 Hiornet but I have not tried any yet.
 
I run exclusively cast in everything I reload except for 223.

This includes a couple of AR-15s (30 & 35 caliber).

As long as you are not getting any leading and are getting acceptable accuracy, cast is "as good as" but cheaper than jacketed for shooting Paper, Steel, and Misc targets of opportunity (rocks, pine cones, etc).

Maximum available performance while retaining accuracy can be limited in some guns. Most long range capable rifles loose lots of effective range with cast.

Getting cast to work well in some guns can be tricky. This is especially true for the 9mm or any autoloading rifle.

Many autoloading rifles, are prone to causing much damage to a bullet nose while feeding. Gas operated rifles normally work much better with gas checks as the base can be damaged in one local spot due to gas cutting as the bullet passes the gas port. This makes for bad accuracy. My experience is that powder coat is normally inadequate to prevent this damage.

It baffles me why so many folks stick to jacket bullets for target shooting / plinking without even giving cast a chance. Part of the fun of reloading is finding "good loads". The best loads are the one that accomplish the desired task without spending more than needed.
 
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I shoot exclusively lead in my revolvers anymore. In 38 I shoot the old standby of a 148 tumble lubed wadcutter over 2.7 grains of bullseye and in 357 it’s a Lee 158 swc tumble lubed over 5.0 grains of bullseye. No leading in either in many years of shooting these loads and it is the only load each gun is fed. I wouldn’t even bother to powder coat them as they are just fine tumble lubed.

30-30 I’d probably powder coat just in case, and all my 9’s get coated.
 
bullseye308 said:
In 38 I shoot the old standby of a 148 tumble lubed wadcutter over 2.7 grains of bullseye and in 357 it’s a Lee 158 swc tumble lubed over 5.0 grains of bullseye. No leading in either in many years of shooting these loads and it is the only load each gun is fed. I wouldn’t even bother to powder coat them as they are just fine tumble lubed.
Click to expand...

I have long maintained that if anyone other than Richard Lee had gone commercial with Alox tumble lube it would have been held up to the world as The Best Thing EVER!

I just recently have taken tumble lube to 1677 fps in a 357 H&R single shot. 3 patches to clean it: 1 wet, 2 dry, done.

Edit: It's a 357 rifle, not a 358.

I am a big proponent of tumble lube. Quick, easy, clean.
 
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I do not currently cast my own. The prices I’ve been able to find for cast made by someone else are about the same as if I bought lead and cast my own. Finding a cheap source of consistent lead seems the key to casting economy.

I do use coated bullets in my 30-30. They are very downloaded from a full power hunting load, only going around 1100 fps. Full power are unpleasant after a dozen or so shots. That was the second reason for shooting cast in that rifle, though not by much.

If the accuracy holds at longer ranges than 50 yards AND I don’t get significant leading, cast loads will probably be all that rifle sees. I have two good deer loads but they’re pricey and somewhat punishing to shoot for fun. The cast load I’m working on now is at least as accurate as the hunting loads so far. It held about 1.25” at 50 yards. If that ratio holds to 100, it will be more accurate than either hunting load though not by very much. I have about two dozen loaded up for final approval next range trip.
 
If the wadcutter load in 38 Special shoots as good as the one I started with from a 357 Magnum case I probably won’t load any more in the larger case. I’d like to be able to keep 50 to 100 magnum loads for longer range shooting but I’m not good enough to shoot the jacketed bullets like that yet. So far they are very slightly more accurate than cast loads in my revolver.
 
That's pretty good for cast, basically full jacketed velocity. Since I don't cast my own I have not ventured into the realm of gas checked bullets at higher velocity. The ones I've found on line have been as expensive as jacketed bullets, so there isn't a reason to try them for my purposes. If I do get leading I'll switch to the Missouri Bullet Company offerings sized for Marlin rifles, as I'm using a 336. They should work if the Acme bullets I'm using prove too small. I pushed some evidently way too fast and had severe leading after less than 10 shots. I can't tell if the leading I cleaned out after testing the latest load was from the new load or left over from that one instance. I'll know after then next session.

In any case, the cast 30-30 loads I'm making cost me less than steel cased 223 ammo from before the pandemic, about $0.22 per shot. For my uses, which are just target shooting or possibly vermin control out to 200 yards, these downloaded cast loads will work great once I've confirmed accuracy and cleaning ease.
 
So basically it doesn't sound like I've done anything odd by switching over. I would like a bolt action in something like 308 or 300 Blackout that I could load with cast bullets and maybe use a scope and squeeze a little more accuracy and range out of the 30 caliber rounds. 308 would be great since I already load for that.

While I'm thinking about it, my 30-30 load uses pistol powder for the cast load. Is there any chance I could use large pistol primers instead of rifle primers? It's not a necessity but for flexibility while supplies are unreliable, it would be nice to have the option.
 
Just to be sure, properly sized bullets is the most important issue in mitigating barrel leading! Next is lead hardness. Look for BHN around 10! and look for a fairly sofy lube.

I clean my barrels with a rolled-up paper towel! :)
 
I have switched exclusively to cast 125 grain for the 9's. I shake coat them and run them over 5.1 grains Autocomp without leading. FMJ is too expensive to be making holes in paper.
 
Akula69 said:
I have switched exclusively to cast 125 grain for the 9's. I shake coat them and run them over 5.1 grains Autocomp without leading. FMJ is too expensive to be making holes in paper.
Click to expand...

High quality 9mm jacketed bullets cost around $0.11 each with shipping from RMR. I can see casting if you are retired, already have tons of lead/molds, and have FAR more time than money... but it's not worth my time to cast vs. buying a superior jacketed bullet from RMR.

What I can see... is a prepper wanting an unlimited supply of bullets he can make himself. Several hundred pounds of wheel weights, along with all the molds it takes to make those bullets might be a fun project.
 
n2omike said:
High quality 9mm jacketed bullets cost around $0.11 each with shipping from RMR. I can see casting if you are retired, already have tons of lead/molds, and have FAR more time than money... but it's not worth my time to cast vs. buying a superior jacketed bullet from RMR.

What I can see... is a prepper wanting an unlimited supply of bullets he can make himself. Several hundred pounds of wheel weights, along with all the molds it takes to make those bullets might be a fun project.
Click to expand...
I have worked up good loads with home cast bullets previously when all things reloading were reasonably priced. To this end I now find buying in bulk from MB or RMR are reasonably cost effective to save me time and lead. In the future I can still shoot for a long time with what I have put away. Just sayi'n.
 
DMW1116 said:
... Is there any chance I could use large pistol primers instead of rifle primers? It's not a necessity but for flexibility while supplies are unreliable, it would be nice to have the option.
Click to expand...

I have used pistol primers in my 30-30s for years. Pistol primers are a little shorter so fully seated they are down well below flush. I have heard of lots of reports of others using pistol primers in 30-30 cases with no problems.
 
I’m only using about 6 grains of W231 to push the cast bullets. That seems like a pistol type application. If I run across any I’ll see how they work.
 
Casting for reloading is a whole new adventure. I purchased cast bullets until '85 when I started casting (a Coleman stove, a Lee 44 SWC mold, a stainless steel pot, a slotted spoon and I used candle wax to flux. I had a Lee lubing/sizing kit for .430" bullets, a long defunct kit. I had access to wheel weights and this set up kept my 629 well fed for about 18 months). There's a ton of books available and I have several Lyman texts/manuals, but the most complete source for me was https://www.marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet Casting/Fryxell_Book.pdf and I hung out at https://castboolits.gunloads.com/ for a ton of everyday info on all aspects of cast lead bullet casting...
 
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Akula69 said:
I have switched exclusively to cast 125 grain for the 9's. I shake coat them and run them over 5.1 grains Autocomp without leading. FMJ is too expensive to be making holes in paper.
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rapidly running out of 9mm fmj so i will have to decide then (cast or fmj), I have been using autocomp in .45acp with good results but never even tried in 9mm. Just reloaded one mag (17) 9mm with rn 124gr fmj and autocomp (small pistol primers)over small ladder based on published data, can't wait til range next week
 
https://rimrockbullets.com/xcart/

Everyone has their favorites, this is mine. They have several categories and combine shipping as they use UPS. A good company that have quite a few bullets to select from with good pricing.

That aside the best way to get the best bang for your penny is to know what you want out of your loads. For plinking and general range use some styles like RNFP and SWC’s are cheaper to produce therefore cheaper for you as the consumer. Harder is not always better with lead. I try to use as many flat based bullets as possible to reduce any chance of leading and increase my chances of obturation. Also before you commit to buying take a long look at your current powders as well as what is available for the best match. Good luck, any questions along the way we are here.
 
I run cast 31141 from wheel weight alloy, gas checked and traditional lubed with white label 50-50 lube. I run them full pressure / velocity. 32 grains of w748 or 28 grains 3031. The latter is a grain over listed max so you need to work your own loads up in your gun.
 
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For many, 9mm is a bit more difficult to get clean shooting cast bullets. It is not impossible but often takes some experimenting, trial and error. I shoot a bunch of nekkid 125 gr. Lee RNFP in my 9mm pistols, very little to no leading, after a bit of experimenting (BHN 14-15, .002" over groove diameter, good rifle lube)...
 
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