Lead Bullets, Modern Firearms-Best Caliber?

I really enjoy playing with the large spectrum of weights that run a .300blk, but I must say that I feel my ideal lead blaster is my plain ol Rossi 92. I would absolutely see the advantage to going bigger like the 45lc and larger. But the guns I have availabke I enjoy the versatility and slow speeds of the 38spl and heavyweight .357mag
 
clovers at 50 yards. i rarely shoot much further with the stock irons. someday i will get a peep sight and try to see what i can do farther away. i do shoot steel at 100yds and rarely miss, but its a big piece of steel
 
Kudufant, having watched Schuetzen rifles do their thing, I must say that cast bullets are every bit as capable of excellent accuracy as jacketed bullets.

OP: it might set you back a little bit, but the 7mm or 30 BR has a lot going for it. I'm pretty sure you would need to commission a custom, one off, rifle, but with the right twist rate and the right bullets, cast from the right alloy, you can achieve some remarkable results with either.
 
i personally can't tell a difference in accuracy between jacketed and lead boolits. lead comes with added technique needed during the casting/loading process to avoid headaches though, and takes time to get right for each particular gun. i buy jacketed bullets for the added ballistic perfomance, not added accuracy. longer range rifles, this would likely not hold true since profiles and balance play into things on a much greater scale.
 
IMO: Look to some of the older tried and true lead shooters. 38-55 32-40 45-70 all straight wall cartridges. Bottle? 30-40 Krag 30-30 maybe the 32 Special even. Little cartridges 22 Hornet 22 High Power. All good lead shooters.
 
I cast for 45-70, 30-30, and 375 H&H Mag/375 Ruger. Not because of the far-fetched notion that bullets won't be available, but because they work well in these calibers.
 
Considering it began with lead bullets, and with data dating back to 1873, I don't see a better currently commercially available rife cartridge for shooting lead bullets than the .45-70.

Ruger No.3, Marlin 1895 (modern), converted Siamese Mauser bolt action, and a 14" Contender barrel. A friend has some Pedersolli Sharps and an 86 Winchester.

Do use some 300gr JHPs sometimes, but the majority is 400gr lead.

You can get faster, you can get flatter, but you can't get better! :D
 
I too really like 45-70, but it really shines when loaded with the venerable black. Accurate 5744 does a pretty good job too. But when one gets into the black powder cartridges, that large empty space when loaded with smokeless *most likely* won't perform as well as the black powder it was designed for.
 
Paper Patch Bullets, Big, Soft, Heavy, and Fast. Back around 1960, I bought my first rifle. It was a Winchester model 94 in 30-30 Win, I also bought a Lyman Ammo Maker Kit. In this kit there was a Lyman 310 tool with a complete set of dies, a lead pot (Sm.), a bullet mold with handles, and a dipper for powder. Also included in this kit was bullet lube, gas checks, and a set of instructions on how to paper patch the lead bullets if you wanted to. I sure am glad I got rid of the rifle, but I wish I had that set now.
 
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Well, over many long years, I've probably averaged 100 + rounds of cast bullets for every one jacketed factory or handload in my rifles and handguns.
Why? Low cost and the just plain work. I've taken 15 deer with the Lyman #311291 and 2 with the RCBS #30-180-FN bullets in the 30-30 and won more that a few impromptu matches with buddies to see who bought lunch. I really like that bullet (#311291) in the .308 Win. Among other loading projects I'm running a batch of Lyman #311284 220 gr. bullets that I plan on running at about 1600 FPS from a Browning B78 in 30-06. There's a CD you can buy as a member of the Cast Bullet Assc. called "Speaking Frankly", a compilation of articles by the late Frank Marshall and the results he got in competition with that bullet at that velocity. I can push the above mentioned RCBS bullet to 1950 FPS from a 24" barreled Winchester M64 and that duplicates the old .303 Savage round. Definitely smacked the two deer I shot with that one.
My .308 with the #311291 will do 1.5 MOA at 200 yards on a not too windy day and if I do my part. ;)
Yes, I do all my own casting and all the rest. Way back when, when I was a very young boy, I had a neighbor that was a bullet caster. This was during the end of WW-2 and ammo was apparently scarce to nonexistent. This old maniacs bullets and loaded ammo for friends who could then hunt. His message was if one could cast his own bullets, work up a few decent loads capable of taking game, then one could shoot and hunt when others could not. Somehow, even back then I caught the subtle hint that if the Vigaro hit the Mixmaster one could still have a means of defense.
To the poster that commented on the 310 tong tool. There is a site called something like the 310 Store or something like that. Guy specializes in those tools. Also, I think Lyman is making some 310 tools again and I believe the 30-30 is one cartridge listed. You could probably google it up.
Paul B.
 
444

Sorry... digressive, I know but I have to ask...
. .444 Marlin is a little more efficient, even if not known for attaining the same max velocities, and the difference in bore size is negligible. (400-450 gr bullets at 2,200+ fps is a perfectly attainable goal - exceeding .45-70 and .450 Marlin performance, coming close to .458
Click to expand...

If that is "perfectly attainable" why is it not listed in any loadbook that I have checked (Lyman #49, Speer, Sierra, Hornady, Hodgdon, Accurate, Alliant).
The "hottest" load listed was a 300 grain bullet at something over 2000fps.
400 grs at 2200fps??? Hotter than "Ruger Only" loads for the .45/70 (and those are high pressure loads)
Care to share your load data and pressure info?
Pete
 
I believe that the .444 in question is known as the 'Safari Grade'...

It is the brainchild of a member of MarlinOwners and ShootersForum that goes by the handle "Flat Top"...

My understanding is that he adjusts the lifter to take a longer OAL, and deepens the throat to accept longer bullets seated out further (more powder/less pressure)...He even does the conversion for others...

He has also done his magic on the .35 rem, and if I can swing it, I will have him convert my 1957 336RC in that caliber just for the fun of it...

Truly astonishing numbers...

ADDING LINK:

http://www.shootersforum.com/big-bore-lever-guns/71616-safari-grade-444-conclusion.html
 
in my 45-70 its a 405gr pbfn. my 30-40 krag goes with a 165gr ranch dog. but the one i like the most is a tc encore with a 23" MGM heavy factory barrel in the 444 marlin. i started shooting hornady's 265gr fn but now i use the 280gr ranch dog.
guys like flat top, dawei, mt sourdough, frankenmasuer and many others are people that take the marlin to new levels.
http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/444-marlin/
 
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