wiljen

Take a couple of 40 cases and drill the primer hole out and tap them then thread in a nylon screw. As the screw gets battered, you just thread it in a bit further and cut it off level with the rear of the case

Both are powders designed for the 50BMG and both are just slightly easier to ignite than concrete. The good news is it is not possible to get too much in a case the size of a 30-06, the bad news is you probably cant get more than 1800fps out of them and that assumes a pretty long barrel. You can get too much of the wc860 in cartridges the size of the 300wby or 378 wby so be a bit careful in large magnums where H870 data should serve as a starting load.

Fewer and fewer shops around here will let you have them at any price and the ones that do want more $ than they used to that is for sure.

I own an Oehler 43 and can tell you that by the time you read signs you are way over pressure in some cases. Primers can look perfectly normal at 20,000 PSI over pressure. If you want to talk pressure, buy something to MEASURE IT WITH and we'll talk, until then you are guessing pure and simple. Part of the reason those manuals have changed is as pressure measuring equipment has improved, it has proven that some of those old loads were hotter than thought originally. We are lucky to live in an age where strain gauges and technology have made pressure testing something an individual can do instead of leaving it to the big companies. If you don't believe their data, I suggest you buy one of the tools to do your own tests. You'd be a lot safer than using outdated methods that have proven more than once to be unreliable.

I am not disagreeing with glockster that most auto's do require a load that is at least 90% of max in order to function and that most cartridges fail when loaded below a certain level at which they no longer seal the bore properly. There is a huge difference in that and advocating overcharges. You all have made your case and while I understand it, I do not agree with it. I hope you remain safe and are not someday harmed by that practice but as for me, I'll stick with what I KNOW is safe and as the designers intended. Do as you will, just please don't stand next to me when you shoot.

The biggest problem most face with commercial cast bullets is most are cast too hard and too small. This isn't the fault of the seller most times, but the fault of the buyer in not knowing or taking the time to understand what they need for the application they intend to use them in. Many buy bullets that are undersized because they fail to slug their bore first and then wonder why they lead the bore. Others buy plain based rifle designs then wonder why they don't perform up to expectations when put into their favorite jacketed bullet load. A lot of cast sellers use a single alloy to cast all of their bullets due to economics. This results in 9mm bullets being softer than they need to be for full power applications and 45 ACP being harder than it needs to be for most applications. It is hard to find a single alloy that does its best at 34,000 PSI and 16,000 PSI. If you know the alloy the maker is using, you can judge whether or not that bullet is likely to work for what you want to do with it. The reason I cast most of mine is simple, I can control the alloy, the size, the lube, and the application they are used for so I get the results I expect.

With all due respect Dolomite, I must disagree. Guns are made within a set of tolerances and designed with certain parameters in mind. Changing those parameters may not result in immediate catastrophe, but it does wear parts prematurely and increase metal fatigue. People like yourself and Spoolie are why I consider buying used firearms ill-advised unless you know the history of the gun. Your ten years worth of overcharges that did nothing may result in cracked slide stops, frames, or things far worse for the poor sucker who unknowingly buys one of your castoffs. John Browning designed the 1911 and the cartridge, if he'd wanted to hot rod it he had the opportunity then. I know I am no match for the mind of John Browning when it comes to firearms design and again with all due respect, neither are you.

Without a lot of work Yes - Stainless steel media and Citric Acid cleaner. Without a fair amount of expense - nope.

Some match primers are a bit hotter than the standard and you may need to back off charges of loads worked up with standard primers and work back up to account for that difference. Some match primers seem to be exactly the same as standard, others are closer to the magnum primers so be careful and don't just substitute them into an established load.

damn, did the whitetails in your area start wearing vests or something? Thats a lot of gun for a 120lbs deer. (Got a 458 lott myself for that).

Any of you that enjoy casting or think you might want to try, I'd invite to join us on the castb00lit forum as there is a lot of good info there. My site (castpics.net) is mostly articles on casting and reference materials and some of you might find it useful as well

I'm a member at both Cherokee and Unaka. I take it you shoot there too?

wow, remind me not to stand anywhere near you at the range.

I have two of the lee bottom pour furnaces and for the $15 difference in price, I highly recommend the 20lbs version. The valve design on the 10lbs model has quite accurately been named the drip-o-matic.

Quickload predicts that one at 25,000 PSI and that is with loading it with only .19 inch of bullet in the case. Deep seating that load would be disastrous. What manual did you find that load in?

I'll add a couple more to the list. I use synthetic ATF for most of the light duty lubrication tasks and High pressure lithium bearing grease for the Garand. ATF is excellent for keeping things slick and corrosion free and a lot cheaper than any of the "Gun" oils. When it comes down to it. Oil is oil and there are only so many ways to formulate it. None of the gun oils do anything that cannot be done by a whole bunch of other stuff. Good article on the subject here: Gun Oil Tests

target loads 4.8 WST -200gr LSWC or 6.5gr IMR 7625 under the same. For Heavy loads, 10.2gr Blue Dot under a 200gr XTP or 9.6 under a 230gr Lead Flatnose (BD45).

358156 is a nominal 155gr SWC that requires a GC. You should be able to find a picture of it here: http://www.castpics.net/subsite/HistMolds/IdealandLymanMolds.pdf

I guess Mike outed me. I'm an admin at Castboolits.gunloads.com (Thanks spellcheck for messing it up) and the webmaster for Castpics.net so I cast way way way too much. I have molds for every one of my guns and most of my frends guns. Like I said, its a sickness.

Thanks Mike, I don't get out much.

If you are anywhere near Johnson City, there is a lead foundry there that can make up about any alloy you could want for casting and the prices have always been right at market rate for lead/alloy when I have bought. I think they have a 500 lbs minimum so you might want to ask a few buddies to go in with you. I don't wanna be an advertisement for a first post so PM me if you want names and #s. I cast way too much. I am now to the point that I shoot in order to be able to reload and cast more. It's an illness.

I go by wiljen on various boards as I'm not very creative. The name is the first 3 letters of my first and last name. I'm the same wiljen that wrote Reloader's Reference, runs castpics.net, and administers Castbullets.gunloads.com. I am also a TN gun owner so thought I'd sign up. I shoot, cast, and reload for a bit of every thing. Smallest being .218 Bee - Largest being .67 caliber Flintlock and a bit of everything in between. I'm interested in finding other folks around here to hunt and shoot with.