In your own situation.

[Ben]

If you've been shooting cast rifle bullets very long, most of us realizes that there isn't a magic cast bullet design that shoots great in every situation. Rifle chambers and throats vary, mould specs vary, just so many variables..........What combination of cast bullet design ( and possibly your load specs , if you care to share ) paired with a particular rifle , have you found to be as close to " Magic " as possible ?

 

[Ian]

There are a few that come close to your description of "magic", but more to your point, the Lee C358-200-RF (recommended to me by Glen) is about as good as it gets for the .35 Remington. That's saying a lot, considering the similar, excellent RCBS bullet mould that's been around for a long time.

Another one that just flat works for me (and I've tried plenty of different designs) is the Lee 309-230-5R, when powder-coated. It shoots amazingly well in all of my AR-15s chambered in 300 BLK, as well as every .308 rifle I own.

 

[Brad]

My Lee GB mould for a 420 gr flat nosed bullet for 45-70. It is very similar to what Ben and Waco use.
With 24 gr of 2400 in my Marlin it shoots very well and recoils light enough that I can shoot 50 plus rounds in a day with no problem.
Stoke it with 46 gr of H322 and it changes behavior. Recoil is much more stout but it scoots along at over 1600 fps and is still very accurate. Absolute hammer on game.
It is a mould that made the rifle a single bullet gun. Just no need for anything else. Mild to wild the one mould does it all.

 

[Intheshop]

RCBS 95g in a 1980's 6mm R700V,period Redfield 6-18,4759 tore a single hole,you wouldn't believe it anyway,group on the first cast and first load.

Lyman 311041 in another 80's R700V,this time in 308.Could hand it to any well mannered CB benchrester and wager he would finish in the $$.It's mission these days is as a recruitment rig.Or hire it out to guys who'll take it to embarrass their big mouth range "buddies".

Both are factory brrls.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

When I started load development for the 35 R. I had read Ians advice on the RCBS 35-200 mold and a specific powder. That was the first load I tried and it was the last one. I didn't need anything faster or more powerful.

 

[Ben]

My 8X57mm scout rifle is so easy to load for. I have yet to find a cast bullet design that will equal the IDEAL 323471.

My " Magic Load " for this rifle is the IDEAL 323471, at .325" with 12.3 grs. of Alliant Unique with the nose of the bullet seated lightly into the lands.

BTW.......I bought this rifle about 25 yrs. ago for $65.
I sportered the rifle , glass bedded the rifle, mounted a rec. sight and mounted a scout scope base on the barrel. A fellow offered me a synthetic stock for $40 ( shipped ). I think it turned out to be a very nice rifle.

Considering my $65 investment in this rifle, I think that in the accuracy dept that I got my money's worth ! !

 

[fiver]

I have had a couple that were on the lines of well that was easy now what.
I think the first was my skeletonized ruger stainless in 308.
I had bought it for back pack hunting and only took it one time then put the rifle away for a bunch of years.
I used plated bullets to teach the kids how to shoot as they were growing up but decided to give cast a go in it.
I seen a lightly used rcbs 165 silh. mold, bought it, and threw a load together using 2400.
it shot better than any jacketed loads I had tried so I experimented a bit and things only got better.
for a lightweight pencil whip barrel straight from the factory floor with no measuring other than seeing the nose engrave the rifling it has been surprising.

a later one was the 03A3, I shot the load intended for the 1917 using the 311041 in it figuring to recoup the brass and just to see how the rifle shot i have never changed that load.
it is about the only place that bullet has ever really worked for me.

 

[RBHarter]

I had an 1894C Marlin in 357 . It was absolutely the easiest to get to shoot if the sister pistol liked it the Marlin liked it 400 fps faster . I think the best bullet I tried in them was the Lee 358-158 RNFP .
Seems like I was in WW brass , CCI spp , and 6.5 Unique .

I had a Savage 30-30 in a 325 . The only thing it didn't shoot was a 311-230 NOE . I shot a Cramer #45 , RD 311-165 NOE , 301618 , 309299 and a 313326(? .... The 93 gr RN for 30 carb etc) into as good a groups as I've ever shot .

There was that Model 14 32 Rem . When I hit a combination it liked I was like really I walked 800 miles through a muddy desert in a July blizzard to get here ?
323-175 2R plain based with a start load of IMR4350 for the WS ..... 1" 50 fps faster than the max load for the jacketed 175 .
It took me 8-9 trips , 2 steel wool pads , a full bottle of Hoppes , and 10# of alloy to get there .

 

[KHornet]

There is no magic in finding the right loads, it is strictly a trial and error process IMO.

Paul

 

[Brad]

You got lucky RB. My 1894C was a pain in the butt. Took me a year to find anything that grouped under 4" at 50 yards. Most loads were closer to 6".
Once I found a bullet it likes I put it on a pretty restrictive diet.

 

[Rally Hess]

I would agree with you on that most of the time Paul, but that 180 hunter and my .30-06 just weren't meant to be. I haven't completely given up yet, but I called it several things my mother wouldn't have liked to hear me say!

Brad,
My 1894 in .357 is like RB's. It shoots several bullets well. It doesn't feed KT type bullets unless crimped over the front band. My .44 1894 is just like yours and I watched your post closely. Mine likes the NOE 432-265 at .431, and shoots the DP version considerably better than either the FP or HP. I've got a .432 sizer from Lathesmith now, for my Starr sizer, to see if that makes it shoot any better. I've got an old 336 in .44 that will shoot anything I put in it, cast or jacketed.

I'm not sure there is any magic either, but it sure felt like it when I paired my 336 in .30-30 with the early model 165 RD bullet, at 1850 fps, wearing Bens Red. It's not likely to see anything else any time soon.

 

[Bret4207]

So far I've had a lot of luck with 2 bullets in multiple rifles- The "Fat 30" which has shot great in 5 or 6 rifles of varying caliber and the RCBS 30-180FNthat also shoots great in a variety of 30 cals. Mind you, these are shot at the 16-1800fps area for plinking, target and varmint, usually with Red Dot or 2400 pushing them. As far as a single magic bullet, the closest I've come is a Lee 35-180GC that may have been a GB or might have been discontinued. With 16-2400 in my 336 35 Rem it makes beautiful round groups of close to an inch at 50 all the time. For a pickup load in an as bought rifle with irons, that's just great. No cleaning, no muss, no fuss. I don't know if tweaking the load would help, I'm scared to try. Another great design is the old GB "45BD". Shoots great in my 45 revolvers. Kills well too.

The list of bullets that shoot in one gun but not another, or only with a certain powder, primer and lube....that's much longer!

 

[Brad]

I agree Rally, the "original" RD 165 in 30-30 is a great combo. I fed mine 16.5gr of 2400 and that bullet for quite a while. No need to try much else in that rifle.

I know som here are different but I tend to find a bullet and load that works for me and just stick with it,

 

[fiver]

one of my absolute favorites to give a first time try is the rcbs 30-150 fngc.
that bullet has shot so good in so many rifles right off that it would be the very last 30 cal mold I gave up.
the only place it usually doesn't work is in the short neck tight throat rifles, in those I go straight to the rcbs 165 silhouette.
I really think I could cover anything from the 300 savage up to the 300 win mag with those 2 molds and have the rifle shooting respectable groups within 2 range visits.

 

[Ian]

I don't know which RD-30-165 is the "original", but I got one of these from the first NOE group buy (took over a year IIRC) and for the Marlins with no step at the end of the chamber, it has no equal. 5-shot groups in the 5/8" range at 100 yards were repeatable in my 1966 336 Texan. I returned the mould because of chronic alignment pin binding (typical of all NOE moulds as I've since discovered) but there's no denying the design is top-notch for that particular rifle.

 

[Todd M]

I just settle for shooting a couple revolvers now and then and reading about all ya'lls fun. No way I have time to experiment. I have passable loads for my 1895, 44mag and the little 32 S&W Long. They get me by until life slows down.

 

[fiver]

that doesn't mean you can't jump in and ask questions.

 

[Brad]

That is the one Ian, first group buy by Al for the 165 RD. That and the "real" RD as dropped by a Lee mould bought from Michael shoot very well for me in my Marlin 336 30-30. No need for anything else.

 

[Todd M]

Thanks Fiver, I know, but I'm a pretty quiet guy anyway and maybe that carries over to the forum.

 

[fiver]

it seems to, but I like reading your posts and keeping up with the family.
I know I didn't say congrats in your other thread, but I try to keep up with the guy's I like.