Cast bullet info needed

[MIL rifle1]

I'm new to reloading. I have a 30-40 Krag that I want to reload for, and was thinking of using a cast load. I've been reading in the Lyman manual about cast loads and have selected a bullet, but can't find a place to buy them. Can you buy cast bullets or do you have to make them yourself? Thanks.

Information

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[andiarisaka]

You can buy them, but first and and foremost, you need to know the groove diameter of the Krag, so that you can buy bullets that are the proper size. Most Krags tend to have a larger than .308 groove diameter, most of mine are .310" and I use cast bullets sized .001" or .002" larger. For jacketed bullets I use bullets made for the .303 British for better accuracy. I'd recommend the Lyman 311284, it was designed for the Krag and when first introduced accuracy at 600 yards was equal to the service round. Here's a link to one place that sells them: http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page5.html To find others, just google "cast bullets for sale"

[Kirk]

Yes, you can but them and they will cost nearly as much as a jacketed bullet.

You can cast them economically if you have a free/cheap source of lead. If not, you may be better off buying your cast bullets. Besides the lead, you need gas checks (if you bullet is designed for them) which run about $30/1000; a mold (Lee molds are excellent & cheap); a pot (the non-electric Lee pots are cheap & adequate but require a heat source like a Coleman stove to melt the lead); a ladle (again, Lee ladles are cheap & adequate); a piece of wood like an old hammer handle to open the mold; bullet lube (Lee Liquid Alox is excellent & relatively cheap) and a sizer die (Lee sizer dies are excellent, cheap & come with a bottle of Liquid Alox). At a wholesaler like MidSouth Shooter Supply, Midway or Wideners, that will set you back about $75-80 & is a basic entry-level set up. Wideners also sells a good casting alloy for $85/56 lbs. If you buy everything, you now are into the game about $165 before you cast bullet #1. That will but you 5-6 boxes of jacketed bullets or perhaps 8 boxes of commercial cast bullets. 56 lbs of lead will make about 2000 bullets. The more bullets you cast, the cheaper per bullet you get as you "amortize" the cost of the mold, sizer, etc. over more bullets. You'll have to buy more lead, gas checks & lube.

That said, I shoot cast bullets quite a bit as they use about 70% less powder & are fine for shooting to 200 yds or more.

As andriarisaka noted, some Krags have oversize bores. Try the Lee C312-155-2R (155 gr spitzer gas check) or C312-185-1R (185 gr RN gas check) They are for .31 cal rifles & if you use the Lee .311" sizer die, should be just fine in any .30 cal rifle, even if the bore is .308".

I forgot - you'll have to expand the case mouth when you seat bullets. Unlike jaceted bullets, the cast bullets are so soft, the case mouth will shave lead off them like a cookie cutter unless the mouths are slightly flared. The seating die removes the flare.

[andiarisaka]

Here's a group I got one day shooting the tumble lube version of the one of the bullets mentioned above out of my Krag. 15grains of Blue Dot for a velocity of 1500-1600fps, range 85 yards. The bullet was cast of a hard alloy, in the neighborhood of 23bhn, sized to .311 and dip lubed with Carnuaba Red. It fits the throat of a Krag surprisingly well. But a heavier bullet is recommended by most fellows more experienced at reloading for the Krag than I am. The one shot out of the group was me, preseason flinch! I was using the 1901 rear sight.

[NuJudge]

Before you do anything, ascertain your groove diameter. It would be good to know what your throat diameter was also. Original Krag barrels were known for oversize throats and groove diameters. I like to have cast bullets .001 or .002" over groove diameter, and for most American rifling designs I like to have the bullet thrust a little bit into the rifling, or for bore riders the nose at land diameter.

Then, read this:
Cast Bullet Loads for Military Rifles - Article - Cast Boolits

On the Cast Boolit Board, if you ask nicely some kind soul will send you some, if anyone makes them:
The Boolit Exchange - Cast Boolits

There are commercial makers:
Welcome to Leadheads Bullets Products and Order Page
Moyer's Cast Bullets, cast lead bullets, handgun bullets, rifle bullets
Western Bullet Co

There are also several makers of custom bullets that will make whatever bullet you want in whatever size you want, with just about any lube you want.
Home

What bullet do you want? I cast a lot of .30 bullets.

CDD

[kragluver]

I shoot the Lee C312-185-1R over 19.0 gr of SR-4759; CCI primer and R-P cases. These bullets are cast from 100% ww, sized .312 (my Krag has an over-sized bore) and tumble lubed with LLA. Very accurate. This load from the bench will hold 1.5 MOA with open sights.