Ed Harris's Classic - Cast Boolits in Military rifles

[dromia]

Cast Bullet Basics For Military Surplus Rifles

By C.E. Harris Rev. 9-6-93



Cast bullet loads usually give a more useful zero at practical

field ranges with military battle sights than do full power

loads. Nothing is more frustrating than a military rifle that

shoots a foot high at a hundred yards with surplus ammo when the

sight is as low as it will go!



Do NOT use inert fillers (Dacron or kapok) to take up the excess

empty space in the case. This was once common practice, but it

raises chamber pressure and under certain conditions contributes

to chamber ringing. If a particular load will not work well

without a filler, the powder is not suitable for those conditions

of loading.



Four load classifications from Mattern (1932) cover all uses for

the cast bullet military rifle. I worked up equivalent charges

to obtain the desired velocity ranges with modern powders, which

provide a sound basis for loading cast bullets in any post-1898

military rifle from 7 mm to 8 mm:



1. 125-gr., plainbased "small game/gallery"

900-1000 f.p.s., 5 grains of Bullseye or equivalent.



2. 150-gr. plainbased "100-yd. target/small game",

1050-1250 f.p.s., 7 grs. of Bullseye or equivalent.



3. 150-180-gr. gaschecked "200-yard target"

1500-1600 f.p.s., 16 grs. of #2400 or equivalent.



4. 180-200-gr. gaschecked "deer/600-yard target"

1750-1850 f.p.s., 26 grs. of RL-7 or equivalent.



None of these loads are maximum when used in full-sized rifle

cases such as the .30-40 Krag, .303 British, 7.65 Argentine, 7.7

Jap, 7.62x54R or .30-'06. They can be used as basic load data in

most modern military rifles of 7 mm or larger, with a standard-

weight cast bullet for the caliber, such as 140-170 grains in the

7x57, 150-180 grains in the .30 calibers, and 150-190 grains in

the 8 mm. For bores smaller than 7 mm, consult published data.



The "Small Game or Gallery" Load



The 110-115-gr. bullets intended for the .30 carbine and .32-20

Winchester, such as the Lyman #311008, #311359 or #311316 are

not as accurate as heavier ones like the #311291. There isn't a

readily-available .30 cal. cast small game bullet of the proper

125-130-gr. weight. LBT makes a 130-gr. flat-nosed, GC bullet

for the .32 H&R Magnum which is ideal for this purpose. I

recommend it highly, particularly if you own a .32 revolver!



The "100-Yard Target and Small Game" Load



I use Mattern's plainbased "100-yard target load" to use up my

minor visual defect culls for offhand and rapid-fire 100-yard

practice. I substitute my usual gaschecked bullets, but without

the gascheck. I started doing this in 1963 with the Lyman

#311291. Today I use the Lee .312-155-2R, or the similar tumble-

lubed design TL.312-160-2R. Most of my rifle shooting is done

with these two basic designs.



Bullets I intend for plainbased loads are blunted using a

flatnosed top punch in my lubricator, providing a 1/8" flat which

makes them more effective on small game and clearly distinguishes

them from my heavier gaschecked loads. This makes more sense to

me than casting different bullets. Bullet preparation is easy.

I visually inspect each run of bullets and throw those with gross

defects into the scrap box for remelting. Bullets with minor

visual defects are tumble-lubed in Lee Liquid Alox without

sizing, and are used for plain-based plinkers. Bullets which are

visually perfect are sorted into groups of +/- 0.5 grain used for

200 yard matches. Gaschecks pressed onto their bases by hand

prior running into the lubricator-sizer.



For "gaschecked bullets loaded without the gascheck," for cases

like the .303 British, 7.62 NATO, 7.62x54R Russian and .30-'06 I

use 6-7 grains of almost any fast burning pistol powder,

including, but not limited to Bullseye, W-W231, SR-7625, Green

Dot, Red Dot, or 700-X. I have also had fine results with 8 to 9

grains of medium burning rate pistol or shotgun powders, such as

Unique, PB, Herco, or SR-4756 in any case of .303 British size or

larger.



In the 7.62x39 case use no more than 4 grains of the fast-burning

powders mentioned, or 5 grains of the shotgun powders. These

make accurate 50-yd. small game loads which let you operate the

action manually and save your precious cases. These

plinkers are more accurate than you can hold.



Repeated reloading of rimless cases with very mild loads results

in the primer blast shoving the shoulder back, unless flash holes

are enlarged with a No.39 drill to 0.099" diameter. Cases which

are so modified must NEVER be used with full-power loads! ALWAYS

identify cases which are so modified by filing a deep groove

across the rim with a file and label them clearly to prevent

their inadvertent use. For this reason I prefer to do my

plainbased practice shooting in rimmed cases like the .30-30,

.30-40 rag, .303 British and 7.62x54R which maintain positive

headspace on the rim and are not subject to this limitation.



The Harris "Subsonic Target" Compromise



Mattern liked a velocity of around 1250 f.p.s. for his "100-yard

target" load, because this was common with the lead-bullet .32-40

target rifles of his era. I have found grouping is best with

nongascheck bullets in military rifles at lower velocities

approaching match-grade .22 Long Rifle ammunition. I use my

"Subsonic Target" load at around 1050-1100 f.p.s. to replace both

Mattern's "small game" and "100-yard target" loads, though I have

lumped it with the latter since it really serves the same

purpose. Its report is only a modest pop, rather than a crack.



If elongated bullet holes and enlarged groups indicate marginal

bullet stability, increase the charge a half grain and try again.

If necessary increasing the charge no more than a full grain from

the minimum recommended, if needed to get consistent accuracy.

If this doesn't work, try a bullet which is more blunt and short

for its weight, because it will be more easily stabilized. If

this doesn't do the trick, you must change to a gaschecked bullet

and a heavier load.



The Workhorse Load - Mattern's "200-Yard Target"



My favorite load is the most accurate, Mattern's so-called "200-

yard target load". I expect 10-shot groups at 200 yards, firing

prone rapid with sling to average 4-5". I shoot high-

Sharpshooter/low-Expert scores across the course with an issue

03A3 or M1917, shooting in a cloth coat, using my cast bullet

loads. The power of this load approximates the .32-40,

inadequate for deer by today's standards.



Mattern's "200-yard target load" is easy to assemble. Because it

is a mild load, soft scrap alloys usually give better accuracy

than harder ones such as linotype. Local military collector-

shooters have standardized on 16 grains of #2400 as the

"universal" prescription. It gives around 1500 f.p.s. with a

150-180-gr. cast bullet in almost any military caliber. We use

16 grains of #2400 as our reference standard, just as highpower

competitors use 168 Sierra MatchKings and 4895.



The only common military rifle cartridge in which 16 grains of

#2400 provides a maximum load which must not be exceeded is in

the tiny 7.62x39 case. Most SKS rifles will function reliably

with charges of #2400 as light as 14 grains with the Lee .312-

155-2R at around 1500 f.p.s. I designed this bullet especially

for the 7.62x39, but it works very well as a light bullet in any

.30 or .303 cal. rifle.

[45nut]

great info there, many thanks.

[ian27]

Great stuff Dromia, thankyou!!!!!

[dromia]

I'm sure we used to have this up on the old Ez shite site, see they've become Puke You now or something, can't understand why we didn't put it up again when we moved.

But then again I could be just imagining it.

I have the old Handloader digest 1994 I think, that the article appeared in. I photcopied it and handed it out a few times at the range before I found it on the netty. So Joe and Dave you should have copies of the article.

Ed post on the CBA forum if anyone wants to have a bit crack with him. Evidently he was an NRA (US) techy that worked alongside Col. E. H. Harrison when he was doing his cast bullet work for the NRA. His NRA publication Cast Bullets is still one of the better books on the subject.

Collectors items now, glad I got my copies when I did.