Thnk these will Shoot Cast???
- Thread starter GP100man
- Start date
The one will, but maybe not the other. 
You'll need to slug the bores with pure lead slugs and measure them to establish serviceable bullet size. Don't be afraid to use JB Bore Compound or Iosso Bore Cleaner or other mild abrasive cleaners because lead will like the extra smoothing. Indeed, if the bores are rough, you may need to firelap it for best cast bullet performance.
Lots of old military rifle bores were cleaned repeatedly from the muzzle, so they can have funneled muzzles. I bought an old Mauser once that had no rifling lands left at all on one side of the crown. Because most soldiers are right-handed, funneled muzzles are rarely symmetrically funneled, so accuracy is not good until they are either cut back and recrowned or are recess below the depth of the funneling. Cast bullets will shoot particularly poorly from a funneled muzzle because the funnel allows bypassing gas to gas cut the bullet in addition to tipping it, as anything uneven about a crown will do to any bullet. Cast bullets will do better with a cut-and-recrown than a recess because of the gas cutting issue.
You'll need to slug the bores with pure lead slugs and measure them to establish serviceable bullet size. Don't be afraid to use JB Bore Compound or Iosso Bore Cleaner or other mild abrasive cleaners because lead will like the extra smoothing. Indeed, if the bores are rough, you may need to firelap it for best cast bullet performance.
Lots of old military rifle bores were cleaned repeatedly from the muzzle, so they can have funneled muzzles. I bought an old Mauser once that had no rifling lands left at all on one side of the crown. Because most soldiers are right-handed, funneled muzzles are rarely symmetrically funneled, so accuracy is not good until they are either cut back and recrowned or are recess below the depth of the funneling. Cast bullets will shoot particularly poorly from a funneled muzzle because the funnel allows bypassing gas to gas cut the bullet in addition to tipping it, as anything uneven about a crown will do to any bullet. Cast bullets will do better with a cut-and-recrown than a recess because of the gas cutting issue.
Mine won't!
At least not so far.
The bore on mine is--resembles a long used sewer pipe. While I can clearly see strong rifling, the bore is severely pitted.
I tried this bullet;
C312-155-2R. I cast it using range lead, which is quite soft, it miked out at .309 as-cast. Sized to .309 with a gas check. Then I cast some using straight linotype, that miked out at .311. sized and GC in a .311 lee push-through, all were lubed with LLA. Bore slugs at .3115 so the lino bullets should fit just fine.
Shooting @ 50 yds, only 7 out of ten of the softer boolits hit a standard pistol target. The 7 made about an 8 inch group. The lino bullets, only 3 hit the target, the rest were lost in the often hit target board. I didn't think to put a clear paper over the whole board.
After the lead loads, I fired some 150 .312 #3120 with a mild load of surplus 4895, they grouped well @ 2". Those military sights with my old eyes,,-- well that's about all I could expect!
Since then I have fire lapped it with 150 .308 bullets. 10 rounds each with the 220 grit and 600 grit, using the Wheeler system of embedding the grit on your own bullets. Again the same load of 4895 as with the .312 bullets, this time @ 25 yds. They were quite accurate, not wasting components, I shot a 5 at targets. The rest at clays on the berm. Busted clays and smiles!
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=646612
At least not so far. The bore on mine is--resembles a long used sewer pipe. While I can clearly see strong rifling, the bore is severely pitted. I tried this bullet;
C312-155-2R. I cast it using range lead, which is quite soft, it miked out at .309 as-cast. Sized to .309 with a gas check. Then I cast some using straight linotype, that miked out at .311. sized and GC in a .311 lee push-through, all were lubed with LLA. Bore slugs at .3115 so the lino bullets should fit just fine.
Shooting @ 50 yds, only 7 out of ten of the softer boolits hit a standard pistol target. The 7 made about an 8 inch group. The lino bullets, only 3 hit the target, the rest were lost in the often hit target board. I didn't think to put a clear paper over the whole board.
After the lead loads, I fired some 150 .312 #3120 with a mild load of surplus 4895, they grouped well @ 2". Those military sights with my old eyes,,-- well that's about all I could expect!
Since then I have fire lapped it with 150 .308 bullets. 10 rounds each with the 220 grit and 600 grit, using the Wheeler system of embedding the grit on your own bullets. Again the same load of 4895 as with the .312 bullets, this time @ 25 yds. They were quite accurate, not wasting components, I shot a 5 at targets. The rest at clays on the berm. Busted clays and smiles!
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=646612
My M44 slugged out close to .312 groove to groove,I tried the Lee .312 160 R2 GC TL bullet that I shoot in my SKS rifle in the M44 with excellent results. The bullet drops right at .313 and groups a little over 1" out of my M44@50 yds. with military sights.
I TL twice first using Alox/JPW,applying the GC with a Lee .314 push through sizer and TL once more with the Alox/JPW before loading behind 16 grs. of Alliant 2400.
I TL twice first using Alox/JPW,applying the GC with a Lee .314 push through sizer and TL once more with the Alox/JPW before loading behind 16 grs. of Alliant 2400.