Loading HV long range .308 cast bullets

[waco]

So, After I had posted my previous video here about shooting cast at 500 yards, 358156HP had asked me to get into a bit more detail about the load and the details of loading the rounds.

So we made another video pertaining to just that. I hope It doesn't bore you too much. Here it is.

 

[fiver]

well if I knew they were gonna be tv tube stars I woulda wiped the dust off them and the extra lube from the top ring.

take a measurement from the body of your press to the front of your bench and slide and screw a block up in there.
it will keep the press from wearing the wood out on the top.

 

[waco]

take a measurement from the body of your press to the front of your bench and slide and screw a block up in there.
it will keep the press from wearing the wood out on the top.

Great idea. Thank you!

 

[waco]

well if I knew they were gonna be tv tube stars I woulda wiped the dust off them and the extra lube from the top ring.

Funny you should say that. I ALMOST cleaned them up for "TV" appearance.....LOL.

 

[fiver]

you have to admit it is nice to have a lube like that, where you can just throw the bullets around [literally]and it stays where you put it.
I also couldn't really decide whether to lube all the grooves or just the bottom ones.
thing is I only have one row of holes in the size die but can put lube where I want for the most part.
I prefer the bottom groove and maybe 2 if they are smaller like that.
I have tried the lube up and down and leaving some grooves empty.
just lubing down at the bottom seems to work best.

the really bad thing is those were from the first run out of the mold so I don't really have good notes on it yet.

 

[waco]

So my brother had to remind me this is on YouTube. Not just a bullet casting site. At times I felt like I was talking about stuff that is a complete no brainer." It is good info for all the newer reloaders/casters out there" he said. Well. I suppose. I still felt I was really only covering the bare basics of the rifle reloading process.
If you guys have any thoughts or ideas on stuff you think I might have missed, or other things you would have liked to see, please speak up and let me know.
All criticism is more than welcome.
Walter

 

[Will]

Walter just wanted to say I have really enjoyed the videos.

You are tempting me to venture down the high velocity worm hole. I have debated on it several times but never took the leap. May have to do a pound cast of my howa and tikka to see what I’m dealing with.

If only I didn’t have to work I could get all kinds of things done.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more videos.

 

[Brad]

Nice video.
The Forster dies are the bomb. I did notice how long you waited to cut sprue and dump bullets. Way slower than I tend to go. What was your melt temp? Maybe I need to slow down?

Do me one favor please, finish loading your damn handgun ammo on the Dillon!

As for what else to mention, that is hard to say. You could do a few on casting. Maybe one on smelting, fluxing, and pouring ingots. Then one on casting. Show lubing a mould, how to know when mould is to temp, etc. then lubing and sizing.

 

[waco]

A couple of times the mold got a bit hot on me. Took the sprue a bit to haze over.

 

[fiver]

time to turn the alloy temp down.
watch your melt temp.
it's probably about 550-f to 570-f a 680 alloy temp is plenty.
to bring the mold temp down quickly leave it open and wave it through the air a couple of times that will drop you about 50-F.
you don't need a satin or even a light frost on the bullets, you got tin in the alloy let it do it's job.

 

[fiver]

you'll see and feel when to cut the sprue, no need to rush, 3 pours a minute is 15 bullets.
your only gonna shoot 50, 5 minutes is enough time to cover the whole day and still screw up.

 

[KHornet]

Nice work! Good Thread!

Paul

 

[Gary]

Walter; very nice video, however, you didn't (unless I missed it) discuss the lube you are using. I have gone almost exclusively to PC/HiTek as my lube of choice, but I don't shoot speedy loads either. BTW, were you using your just bullets or others? By the tone of the thread, I assume you did get some "samples" from fiver.

 

[fiver]

yeah he did.
the lube he is using is mine, it's quite the mix of components and contains some moly.
it has 3 base waxes, 2 lith stearates, a small addition of JPW, some alox, atf, and polyglycol along with the small amount of moly.
I am sure he will use something else for his.

 

[waco]

Gary. Yep. Fivers bullets. Mine will me ready to load in a couple weeks. I'll be sizing them to .310" and lube will be Lar's 2500+ with a coat of BLL.

 

[Gary]

Aught to be able to ride hot with that combo.
Thanks

 

[waco]

I hoping to get 2350-2400. I just want a bit of buffer speed wise to be sure I'm staying super sonic all the way to the target. I really think you can see a few of those rounds in the video starting to tumble right before they reach the target.

 

[fiver]

speaking of a buffer.... an actual bit of buffer might be a pretty good idea.

 

[waco]

speaking of a buffer.... an actual bit of buffer might be a pretty good idea.

Dacron?.....

 

[fiver]

no a buffer,, Dacron is a filler or powder positioner.
a buffer takes up that last little 1/8" in the case and helps protect the base of the bullet.
Ian has a real good poly buffer he uses.