Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Using your home cast bullets as a ammunition component. Group buys are listed here.
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Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by Ranch Dog »

Encouraged.

Started sorting things around yesterday and found some surviving 308 Win bullets from the previous work, about 30 of them, so I put them on the hardness tester and they check in at 25 BHN. Yesterday, I put three coats of Ben's Liquid Lube on them. It dried real fast as the temperature is up and the humidity is very low.

I decided to try them at 40.0K PSI, velocity wise that is still 30-30 Win country (2285 FPS) but that is one of the issues with large capacity cases. I just went up the hill and shot five of them and I'm really encouraged.

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I loaded two magazines, the first with two and the second with three (the limit). The first two shots are those touching the bullseye and the first shot after the magazine change was the flyer. I was settling back in for the shot and the Savage trigger surprised me. I was quite disappointed but sucked it up and settled in for the last two shots which were tight on each other. I've never had casts go five shots with this bullet at this pressure that could stay on the target sticker so I'm very encouraged.

My calculations say that 40.0K PSI should not be possible with the 25 BHN, it should fail at around 35.6K but it durn sure didn't. Barrel looks great. I think I will load some up to 45.0K PSI and see what happens. That will take it up to near 2400 FPS.

It was very quiet out here and I could definitely hear that hard meplat slapping the target. It was impressive! It be will later in the week before I can continue my casting effort.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by RBHarter »

With the 12 twist I think you will see the unlikely. I am surprised that the 6.8 has gone as fast as it is with the powders that are making it happen. Even more surprised buy the pressures being tolerated. By the books even with the more slippery lead I've to be into the low 50's . No leading, good groups and function . I think that the world of cast is seeing a change and we are sneaking up on some super secret Templer guarded stuff .

With people like Goodsteel ,Ron Hubel and forums being dedicated pushing the limits back and sharing the data I think that we are to see more and more naked greased lead doing things it's not supposed to be capable of doing. 20 yr ago 2200 fps with good results and a gas check was some sort of voodoo now it is a typical goal and they had better be under 2 inches. 10 yrs ago there was a guy tiptoeing out at the fringe with a 300 RUM paper patching a 180 gr cast that was weigh sorted using $6 a sheet linen paper to get to 3000 fps at 1 MOA. Today Goodsteel is shooting NOE mould bullets in a dozen rifles from 7.62 x57 at 2900 fps at a MOA to 358 Winchester and Whelen . Using what they have found I've shot better groups than jacketed just as fast in cartridges that shouldn't. (I have no clue what I'm doing to make that happen but it is). We are the masters of the next step.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by DaveInGA »

Yes! Way to go! This is what I'm wanting to hear. I'm surprised and delighted with the results and the lube you used. Gives me great hopes for .223, 6.5 Swede and other calibers I've got on the "faster speeds in the future list."

I am curious related to this question: Once you reach a limit with that lube, is it possible to take it further with the newer lubricants (powder coat & epoxy coatings) to the point you're matching jacket bullet velocities? After all, a jacket is nothing more than a copper coating.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by Ranch Dog »

DaveInGA wrote:I am curious related to this question: Once you reach a limit with that lube, is it possible to take it further with the newer lubricants (powder coat & epoxy coatings) to the point you're matching jacket bullet velocities? After all, a jacket is nothing more than a copper coating.
The only thing that I've done is shoot some that were sent to me. Both plain base and checked but at the pressures that I shoot my gas checked, Alox lubed bullets at, they failed.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by jdl447 »

For those of that are new to shooting cast, what do you mean by "they failed"?
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by RBHarter »

It typically means that 1 or more of the bullet components fails . In this case I think it was lube failure, meaning that there was insufficient film strength,volume or coverage for the speed, pressure or bbl length. This usually shows up at the muzzle end as leading.

A fit failure will almost always be at the breach end in the form of leading that stops an inch or 4 down the bbl from the case mouth .

Alloy failure usually shows up 3-4 " ahead of the case mouth and goes all the way to the muzzle ,the opposite of fit failure.

Pistols will show up in scale and the above isn't a set in stone because bbl deviation can cause combinations of the above as well .
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by Ranch Dog »

Great explanation RB! In my case it was alloy failure.
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by DaveInGA »

Ranch Dog wrote:Great explanation RB! In my case it was alloy failure.
+1

RB, I tried twice earlier today to type out an explanation and incoming calls to talk about sod pricing/orders prevented me. I guess I'm going to have to resign myself to working until the about to start spring rush calms down in the summer. :(
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by 62chevy »

DaveInGA wrote:
Ranch Dog wrote:Great explanation RB! In my case it was alloy failure.
+1

RB, I tried twice earlier today to type out an explanation and incoming calls to talk about sod pricing/orders prevented me. I guess I'm going to have to resign myself to working until the about to start spring rush calms down in the summer. :(

Got to keep those bills paid so you can spend more on powder, primers and new guns. :shock:
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Re: Curing the 30 Caliber Blues... Part III

Post by Fyodor »

Thanks RB, for this writeup! It was new information for me.
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