I'll preface this thread by saying that I'm not a caster, but seriously thinking about getting into it.
I love shooting lead. I like it in my 45acp and it is awesome in my 45-70. I have bought cast bullets made by many different folks, and have noticed a lot of variation in quality amongst the different manufacturers.
The best bullets I have shot (by far, in my opinion), are the Oregon Trail LaserCast bullets. They seem to be very hard, and the lines and grooves on the bullets are always super sharp. This benefits of this sharpness can easily be on paper targets when using 200g LSWC's... it looks like somebody took a paper punch to the target. Perfectly clean, round holes are the norm.
Bullets that I have tested that lack the sharpness don't produce the same results. I have also has issues with crappy lube that falls off and makes one heck of a mess in my dies.
So, one might ask, "Why don't ya just keep buying the LaserCast?''
I would reply, "They are too expensive!"
Here is my question... Is it possible to make bullets that are the same quality as LaserCast using tools available to the home caster, or does Oregon Trail use a special mix of ingredients and tools to achieve their fantastic bullets? If a special blend or tool is used, can it be replicated at home? Does anybody know how hard these bullets are, and what type of tool is used to measure hardness?
I love shooting lead. I like it in my 45acp and it is awesome in my 45-70. I have bought cast bullets made by many different folks, and have noticed a lot of variation in quality amongst the different manufacturers.
The best bullets I have shot (by far, in my opinion), are the Oregon Trail LaserCast bullets. They seem to be very hard, and the lines and grooves on the bullets are always super sharp. This benefits of this sharpness can easily be on paper targets when using 200g LSWC's... it looks like somebody took a paper punch to the target. Perfectly clean, round holes are the norm.
Bullets that I have tested that lack the sharpness don't produce the same results. I have also has issues with crappy lube that falls off and makes one heck of a mess in my dies.
So, one might ask, "Why don't ya just keep buying the LaserCast?''
I would reply, "They are too expensive!"
Here is my question... Is it possible to make bullets that are the same quality as LaserCast using tools available to the home caster, or does Oregon Trail use a special mix of ingredients and tools to achieve their fantastic bullets? If a special blend or tool is used, can it be replicated at home? Does anybody know how hard these bullets are, and what type of tool is used to measure hardness?