High velocity cast .308 @ 500 yards
- Thread starter waco
- Start date
waco
Springfield, Oregon
Thank you very much!
fiver
Well-Known Member
I just cleaned things up a little...
I don't remember the alloy but I only use 2.
so it's either 3 parts clip on ww's and 1 part Linotype and 2% tin added,
or it's 3 parts clip on ww's and 1 part soft lead with about .75% tin water dropped.
when I'm working on a particular rifle I work the alloy slightly from those 2 alloys for the mold/rifle interface.
I do small test batches and fit the bullets into the throat and rifling until I get solid smooth engraving and a scuff seat in the ball seat area.
I'm only fiddling things just enough that I can get the bullet from the mold into the gun with a minimal amount of work anywhere else along the line.
look at how much sizing was done to the bullets I sent you.
just barely enough to scrape the size die to give a little resistance when the gas check was pressed into place.
I don't remember the alloy but I only use 2.
so it's either 3 parts clip on ww's and 1 part Linotype and 2% tin added,
or it's 3 parts clip on ww's and 1 part soft lead with about .75% tin water dropped.
when I'm working on a particular rifle I work the alloy slightly from those 2 alloys for the mold/rifle interface.
I do small test batches and fit the bullets into the throat and rifling until I get solid smooth engraving and a scuff seat in the ball seat area.
I'm only fiddling things just enough that I can get the bullet from the mold into the gun with a minimal amount of work anywhere else along the line.
look at how much sizing was done to the bullets I sent you.
just barely enough to scrape the size die to give a little resistance when the gas check was pressed into place.
Ian
Notorious member
That rifle has the throat that scuffs .311", right? .310" bullet, probably a little freebore, and for sure a steeper ball seat angle than the nose of the NOE XCB bullet, and no bore-riding nose section. No way that bullet is fitted up tight and supported before firing in this particular rifle.
Learn anything yet?
Learn anything yet?
Ian
Notorious member
I was poking you. You learned lots already, I was just highlighting something about static fit that most people have wrong and keeps them from doing what you're doing.
Notice your bullets arced straight in? No whoop-de-doos, no corkscrewing, just a nice, true arc (and trailing Moly smoke the whole way). That means you have a balanced bullet coming out of the muzzle. But how could that be? The bullet has room to get all kinds of crooked due to not "fitting" the throat like a glove or having a long, perfectly fitted, bore-riding nose to keep it straight. The answer is you gave it some room and the right shape combination between nose, body, and throat to get all kinds of straight. The rest of the equation is the right alloy to help the bullet glide into place, and an appropriate powder to give just the right push to it. Personally, I would have tried a little tougher bullet and a little faster powder, not having had the luck you're having with 4831, but it just goes to show there are plenty of different combinations that work well at HV....if.....
...you choose the right bullet for the gun, right alloy for the velocity, and right powder for the alloy. There is a dynamic you have to achieve to get the bullet straight into the bore at HV. I call that dynamic 'balance'. You have to balance alloy and powder and have a bullet that fits the right way for the job you are asking it to do. The bullet is a plastic, living thing as it transitions from the case neck into the bore, and if you don't water it right, it dies. The rest is basic handloading skills, tuning to the barrel harmonics, and a few other details, but the basic lesson of learning what that bullet shape/alloy constitution/powder burn curve balance is and how to achieve it is the whole secret to HV cast shooting.
Notice your bullets arced straight in? No whoop-de-doos, no corkscrewing, just a nice, true arc (and trailing Moly smoke the whole way). That means you have a balanced bullet coming out of the muzzle. But how could that be? The bullet has room to get all kinds of crooked due to not "fitting" the throat like a glove or having a long, perfectly fitted, bore-riding nose to keep it straight. The answer is you gave it some room and the right shape combination between nose, body, and throat to get all kinds of straight. The rest of the equation is the right alloy to help the bullet glide into place, and an appropriate powder to give just the right push to it. Personally, I would have tried a little tougher bullet and a little faster powder, not having had the luck you're having with 4831, but it just goes to show there are plenty of different combinations that work well at HV....if.....
...you choose the right bullet for the gun, right alloy for the velocity, and right powder for the alloy. There is a dynamic you have to achieve to get the bullet straight into the bore at HV. I call that dynamic 'balance'. You have to balance alloy and powder and have a bullet that fits the right way for the job you are asking it to do. The bullet is a plastic, living thing as it transitions from the case neck into the bore, and if you don't water it right, it dies. The rest is basic handloading skills, tuning to the barrel harmonics, and a few other details, but the basic lesson of learning what that bullet shape/alloy constitution/powder burn curve balance is and how to achieve it is the whole secret to HV cast shooting.
waco
Springfield, Oregon
I got a cool package deal on Amazon. Camera, bipod, 3 batteries, lens pen, carry case, barratry charger, 12V charger, and a 64 gig memory chip-thumb drive, whatever you call it. All for like $240
waco
Springfield, Oregon
Thanks Ian. All that smoke did really help for my brother to track my shots! We are pretty much shooting West so we had the sun to our backs which always helps spotting trace.
I'm looking forward to buying this mold and making some bullets of my own. I'm sure I'll experiment with some other powders as well. I might even try to get up around 2300-2350
2260 is just barely getting to 500. I'm glad I finally tried shooting out to that distance. It was a fun experiment. I'm looking forward to future testing.
Again. A big thank you to you guys that have helped me get this far. I know I could not have done it without your knowledge and help.
I'm looking forward to buying this mold and making some bullets of my own. I'm sure I'll experiment with some other powders as well. I might even try to get up around 2300-2350
2260 is just barely getting to 500. I'm glad I finally tried shooting out to that distance. It was a fun experiment. I'm looking forward to future testing.
Again. A big thank you to you guys that have helped me get this far. I know I could not have done it without your knowledge and help.
Stonecrusher
Active Member
Excellent job you and your brother are doing with your videos Waco! The long range stuff is cool. Hard to get out that far down here in the swamp.
waco
Springfield, Oregon
I can find places to shoot out to 1000 around here fairly easily. We do a lot of camping over in the Eastern part of our state, Oregon.
That is where we can shoot as far as we want. Lots of endless desert out there and very flat.
waco
Springfield, Oregon
And thank you!
waco
Springfield, Oregon
Awesome! They are pretty good cameras!
And this camera zooms from 500 yards like that? Quite impressive indeed. Decent spotting scopes start twice that and don't record.