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I just cast a couple hundred 180gr. .360dia. RNFP bullets from my new group buy mold. This mold I had cut plain base for a plinking bullet. Cast of WW+ Tin with a little bird shot added in case I decide to heat treat some.
I have found very little load data for cast bullets that heavy in the .357. and no one over on Cast Bullets has given much results yet either.
I plan to start with 10gr.2400 at about (guess) 1000 fps
in my Marlin cowboy 24" 1894 and work up until leading shows or an accurate load is found.
I will run them over the clock and report findings later.
What say you? Any other suggested loads?
Lyman says you can load up to 13.5 under a 170 cast IIRC. I will double check that before starting.
I shoot the Lee 180 group buy mold from a couple years ago. It's a gas check design and I have always pushed them to the max with a heapin' helping of LilGun. I don't have any data that would be useful for what you're wanting to do with the plain base bullets.
I shoot .358 dia 180 gr Westcast Hornady style FP projectiles over 12.5 gr's of 2400 , very accurate load . I will be developing a load using W296 and ADI AR2205 soon .
I use the 180 grain lasercast in .358 with good results for silhouette. I used 10 gr 2400 as my accuracy load and it just did get out there for the long-range rams (with a very low front sight).
But I did get some leading with that powder and bullet, so I've switched over to IMR 4227. 13.0 grains is my most accurate, and no leading. Either the slower powder burns cooler or the bullet is obturating better with the stiffer load.
I also use 9.5 grains of SR 4759 for the pistol cartridge category.
Hey, have you ever thought of selling your cast bullets? I have been looking for a source for cast bullets to try in 35 Rem, and yours would be properly oversize. I've also had trouble finding a lead bullet that will chamber properly.
Last edited by El Chivo on Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I'll tell you what living is. You get up when you feel like it. You fry yourself some eggs. You see what kind of a day it is."
I was shooting 180 Aardvark hardcasts over 10gr of BlueDot...a very max load. Might want to back off a grain. It's a real jackhammer. I shoot it out of a BlackHawk which is pretty strong.
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thanks for the post wind i've just finished loading 100 rounds with 9.2 grains of blue dot,behind the gas checked group buy of last year,i tried both blue dot and 2400 and found b d to be the most consistant.the boolits are ww and after finding two that i fired into a snowbank last winter they could almost be used again.with two any deer permits i hope to fill at least one tag with my 1894.
Thanks for the info guys. I did find more data in my pile of load books. Looks like 10 gr. 2400 will push my 180 gr. bullet at closer to 1200 than 1K . That should be an OK starting point.
El Chivo , I cant hardly find the time to cast what I need. This mold is made by N.E.C. and they are in Reno IIRC. The group buy was over on Cast Boolits site an couple months back.
They make a very nice mold but kinda spendy at $85 for a 2 hole mold.
I have not tried them for fit in my Marlin 336SC .35 Rem. Its an early one with Ballard rifling and has the tight throat/leade typical of the breed.
If you would like I will send you a couple for making a dummy to try. You should be able to get them to make you a mold as they have the CNC program already.
May be a stock item with them. They were offered PB ,GC, or HP Or a mixture in the same mold of 1 through I believe 5 cavity.
thanks Chuck but I don't cast and was hoping not to have to, I'll try to find a commercial bullet first. I noticed that Midway has Rem Core-Lokt 200 grainers in bulk for about .23c each, which is as cheap as the gas-checked lead bullets I've seen.
"I'll tell you what living is. You get up when you feel like it. You fry yourself some eggs. You see what kind of a day it is."
i shot thirty rounds off this afternoon,and they chrono'd consistently around 1450 fps with no signs of excessive pressure.shooting offhand at fifty yards they were grouping well enough for me to want to use them for deer.
I can't say on a rifle but my 358429 keith (173gr swc) and 12.0 grs 2400 is the most accurate load to date for me in my 357 red hawk.no signs of pressure in starline brass with win standard sp primers.
pete
I'm using 14grs of 2400 with my 180gr LFN-GC bullets. Those only go in my Ruger Blackhawk that's going to be my hunting pistol this year. Federal brass and Federal primers complete the package.
