have some 405 grain Magma bullets I bought from a caster in Montana.
Loaded them above 36 grains of 5744.
They go through the target sideways at 25 yards. Kind of worried one might circle back and get me.
https://www.buffaloarms.com/bullet-moulds/buffalo-arms-bullet-moulds
Rifle is a Miroku 45-70 Winchester.
At the range this afternoon this rifle would put the 300 grain Hornady hollow point into two inches at 100.
Cast bullets are a mystery to me.
Why are they tumbling?
if the bullets not stabilizing the bullet may not be cast with an alloy thats hard enough,to firmly grip the rifle lands,
try a 95% WW and 5% pure tin alloy
they may be sized under bore diameter , generally youll want a .459 min, , or the rifle twist rate may be too slow too stabilize the projectile.
obviously it helps if you verify what your dealing with.
verify the rifles twist rate is compatible, if possible get a chronograph to verify velocity
never guess deal in known facts
http://www.bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/
measure the projectile length and diameter after its sized and lubed
gas check bullet designs tend to produce better accuracy
bullets pushed too over about 1900 fps have a greater tendency to strip in the rifling , some bullet designs are inherently a bit less stable
the properly cast 405 grain bullet in a 458 caliber matched to most common twist rates are stable to well past 400 yards
this non-gas check design from NEI has a good track record
as does this similar
gas check design
many guys have good luck with this heavier 475 grain cast gas check bullet
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...8-459-diameter-475-grain-round-nose-gas-check
yeah thats one reason I bought a cz 458 lott.
I load and shoot mostly hard cast bullets and seldom exceed 2200 fps regardless of bullet weight,
it handles both the 350 grain and 400 grain hard cast bullets ,
but its longer case length, allows use of the longer 500-550 grain hard cast bullets
much better than the 458 win.
a whole lot of guys can,t seem to mentally come to grips with the idea that the vast majority of deer and elk are shot at well under 250 yards,
and a reduced load with cast bullets in a 458 caliber rifle easily handles that limitation
https://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/Gun_Services/Peep_Sights.asp#Weaver
even the hard cast 350 grain gas check bullet at only 1900-2000 fps does impressive damage to any deer or elk, if properly placed
if you get bored... put a cartridge holder stock sleeve on your 458 lott and fill it with the 550 grain bullet hard cast hand loads... it tends to start a few conversations
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...58-459-diameter-540-grain-flat-nose-gas-check
heres a REMINGTON CUSTOM SHOP 458 WIN rifle
Bullet Casting is almost a hobby and skill set on its own,
yes its closely linked to hand loading without any doubt,
but most people never look at it as anything but a way to reduce cost,
they don,t get into understanding blending alloys and the difference in quenching, and lube formulas
thats a damn shame as there are advantages to cast bullet use and in the correct caliber, weight and design they can perform,
very well on either target or game.
Ive purchased and use at least occasionally, at least 100 plus custom and 40 plus commercial bullet molds
most from NEI, LYMAN, LEE, a few older RCBS, and HUNTINGTON
many people have had less than stellar or praise worthy results, and give up,
many people not fully realizing,
the casting alloy, casting temp, sized diam and lube being used,
must be compatible with the rifle bore and powder charge to maximize the accuracy,
and the impact velocity and bullet design,also must match the application.
some designs are very versatile,
example the lee 310 grain 44 caliber provides excellent results in my 44 mag revolvers and marlin 44 carbine and a buddies 444 marlin
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/51...nose-gas-check
the NEI 175 grain works well in both of my S&W revolvers and my brother-in-laws marlin carbine.
http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog/index.html
theres also the advantage in some cases of allowing the use of a more powerful rifle ,
at reduced velocity and reduced recoil levels
I have a couple friends that have purchased and use 458 win and 416 rem rifles,
that are regularly used for deer and hog hunts
pushing bullets of significantly lighter weight at reduced velocity... yet ..
they still provide a devastating punch at the 50-150 yard ranges they get used at.
this NEI mold get a rather regular use.(45/70, 450 marlin,458 win)
rarely pushed to over 1900 fps
when casting bullets , keep the frosted ones and shiney lead bullets separate, load them with the same load, and test them at the range. (Opinions are nice - but testing is proof)
light all overall frost on the bullet surface usually indicates the most complete mold fill. A high porosity and excess finning, means you are way too hot in thermodynamics.
Shiny means your thermodynamics are tending to be too cold and prone to wrinkles and flaws and inconsistent weights
keep in mind a 350-405 grain cast bullet from a 45/70, 450 marlin,and reduced loads in a 458 win or 458 LOTT rifles, pushed to about 1600fps-2000fps are very deadly on deer or elk out past 200 yards in the hands of a consistently accurate shot that knows the games anatomy and can place his shots well.
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