Lee Loader

At what range do you shoot cast?
I see people that shoot at 50 yards and say that is great!
I try to see how far I can shoot cast compared to the guys that shoot jacketed.
I may take longer to get there but I still hit the target.
My groups are somewhat larger than theirs are but 3 inches at 3-400 yards for cast ain't too bad in my book.

My shooting buddy who is a jacketed shooter only shoots a 1 inch group
at 400 and a 2 inch group at 850 but his rifles cost more each than my whole collection is worth.

So anyway what distance do you normally shoot?


beekeeper

Many yrs ago there were lots of published articals about shooting competitivly in 1000 yd matches. The BPCR crowd shoots matches to 1000 yds some where almost every weekend.

I'm happy w/2min ,but then I shoot tired $200 rifles and stuff from the salvage bin.

I was at a castBoolits shoot over the weekend . The variety of guns was mind boggling. I had the oppertuinty to shoot a Martini in 32-20 and 3'' steel at 100 was easy enough after I got the hold over. Guys there regularly hit 3/5 on man steel off hand at 417yd off hand or sitting . this yr the practical shoot was at an 8x14 ramdomly set at 160 +- yd , that winner was 5/10 timed at 10 shots in 3 min . The 417 Long Range and the Practical are open sights only . 2 MOA isn't unreasonable whether cast or paper patched. I've met a fellow that worked up a load in a 300 RUM w/a paperpatch 180 gr boolit at 3000 fps and sub MOA. That level of skill excedes me and my tools .

beekeeper wrote:At what range do you shoot cast?

My main interest is hunting so I typically shoot 50, 100, & 200 yards at my range. At some point in getting a gun/bullet ready to hunt with, I will shoot it at my 250 & 300 yards.

The furthest I have ever killed an animal with a cast bullet was a desert mule deer in Brewster County, TX using a 444 Marlin and my TLC432-275-RF. 290-yards! It dropped like a rock (the bullet and the deer!)

Thanks RD.
I thought for a while I must be some sort of a nut ( probably am) for wanting to shoot cast at 2-400 yards whenever I go to the Range.
Even with my tired old Milsurp gear I am getting pretty good shots.
I know there are BP shooters that go as far as a Mile but their gear is astronomical in price compared to mine.


beekeeper

My shooting buddy who is a jacketed shooter only shoots a 1 inch group
at 400 and a 2 inch group at 850 but his rifles cost more each than my whole collection is worth.

WOW that is some shooting, 1" at 400 yards, 2" at 850, I guess he shoots a 1/4" MOA firfle EH.
Some shooting, He must be great at reading the wind, like some kind of fantastic.

Gray Wolf,
Don't know about reading the wind.
I'm sure he does.
As to good,
I went with him to a target 899 yards from his shooting bench and covered 6 shots with a $1.00 bill folded in half.
He made the rifle for a friend in Utah to go hunting with.
Antelope I think.
With his own rifles ( not sniper rifles but plain old hunting rifles) he will constantly hold 6 cold barrel shots in a 2 inch circle at 855 yards.

Some day I hope to be as good at 400 yards.
Can almost do it with a Israeli Mauser I have that I sportered.
Has a 1-14 twist barrel and with a 150 grain Lee bullet I can hold then in a 5 inch circle.
Have not been able to do it with any other rifle I have but it took me over a year to get the right bullet and powder charge .
Maybe if I spend a year on each rifle I have I will die before I get through all of them.


beekeeper

beekeeper wrote:At what range do you shoot cast?

I'm a 50 yds. man myself.
Would like to move out to 100 and 300 yds. respectively.
That'll happen when I believe I've gotten my act together.

I load to shoot out to 600 yrds for targets.

I have ready access to a 100 yrd range for testing and then usually get out to 600 once a month to try the best of my cast boolit loads.

I also shoot a lot at 25 yrds as I have daily access to a 25yrd indoor range but they are different loads with fast pistol powders and another challenge in their own right.

it is mainly old guns I shoot and most of them military and all other things being equal I will expect to shoot smaller groups with cast at any range than I will get with jacketed in these rifles